1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
In response to several requests for reliability tweaking and tuning, I figured that it would be a good idea to break it into several threads instead of trying to put it all on one long one. Taking it one section at a time tends to negate boredom and it lets other tweakers kick in some of their own methods and practices without undue confusion. Everybody
has their own favorite things, and all are invited to contribute.
The first thing that I do with any new or used pistol is to detail strip it and clean it. You'd be shocked at how many lemons that are turned into lemonade with nothing more than a good scrubbing. You'd also be shocked
at the amount of trash that I've found in NIB pistols.
The next step is to determine whether the pistol cycles smoothly, or if there are any overly tight areas that could hamper the operation. For this step, assemble the slide, barrel, and bushing, but leave the trigger group and recoil system on the table. Oil everything lightly, including the locking lugs and slidestop pin and link.
Push the pistol into battery firmly, and tilt the muzzle up at a 45 degree angle. The slide should move fully rearward under its own weight. Tilt the muzzle downward, again at a 45 degree angle, and the slide should return to full battery. This is done to insure that there isn't anything in the fit of the major parts that would interfere with free movement. This is known as the 30-minute break-in. 500 rounds not required.
If the pistol doesn't pass the test, mix up the slurry recipe and generously coat the locking lugs, the lower barrel lug and link, the slidestop pin, the sides of the barrel in the chamber area, and the inside of the bushing. Hand-cycle the assembly 200 times, rinse with carburetor cleaner, allow it to air-dry for about 15 minutes, oil and retest. Unless there's something wrong in the mechanical timing of the barrel linkdown, it should pass.
This can also be used on pistols that are tightly fitted. It mainly hits the high spots and polishes them instead of opening up clearances. For an extremely tight gun, use straight J&B Bore Cleaner and 50 hand-cycles to open everything up a half-thousandth, and follow with the slurry for an additional 100 cycles.
Reassemble the pistol to feel the difference. Now would be a good time to check the clearance between the top of the dust cover and the slide. Remove the recoil spring and push the slide back toward full recoil travel in small increments. Check at each point with a .007 inch feeler gauge. The gauge should be an easy slip fit along the length of the dust cover. If there are tight spots noted, use a 6-inch smooth mill file to provide
clearance by laying it crossways on the top of the dust cover and drawing it toward you in light, smooth strokes. Stop short of bringing it off the end to prevent making a bevel on the corner of the dust cover. If one side is tight, and the other lets the gauge in, just bias the pressure toward the tight side, using the good side as a guide. Check the clearance every two strokes to keep from going too far. This will go a long way toward negating the dust cover cracking adjacent to the frame rails. Use the edge of a medium stone to break the sharp corners on the dust cover, and touch it up with cold blue if you like.
Luck!
Tuner
has their own favorite things, and all are invited to contribute.
The first thing that I do with any new or used pistol is to detail strip it and clean it. You'd be shocked at how many lemons that are turned into lemonade with nothing more than a good scrubbing. You'd also be shocked
at the amount of trash that I've found in NIB pistols.
The next step is to determine whether the pistol cycles smoothly, or if there are any overly tight areas that could hamper the operation. For this step, assemble the slide, barrel, and bushing, but leave the trigger group and recoil system on the table. Oil everything lightly, including the locking lugs and slidestop pin and link.
Push the pistol into battery firmly, and tilt the muzzle up at a 45 degree angle. The slide should move fully rearward under its own weight. Tilt the muzzle downward, again at a 45 degree angle, and the slide should return to full battery. This is done to insure that there isn't anything in the fit of the major parts that would interfere with free movement. This is known as the 30-minute break-in. 500 rounds not required.
If the pistol doesn't pass the test, mix up the slurry recipe and generously coat the locking lugs, the lower barrel lug and link, the slidestop pin, the sides of the barrel in the chamber area, and the inside of the bushing. Hand-cycle the assembly 200 times, rinse with carburetor cleaner, allow it to air-dry for about 15 minutes, oil and retest. Unless there's something wrong in the mechanical timing of the barrel linkdown, it should pass.
This can also be used on pistols that are tightly fitted. It mainly hits the high spots and polishes them instead of opening up clearances. For an extremely tight gun, use straight J&B Bore Cleaner and 50 hand-cycles to open everything up a half-thousandth, and follow with the slurry for an additional 100 cycles.
Reassemble the pistol to feel the difference. Now would be a good time to check the clearance between the top of the dust cover and the slide. Remove the recoil spring and push the slide back toward full recoil travel in small increments. Check at each point with a .007 inch feeler gauge. The gauge should be an easy slip fit along the length of the dust cover. If there are tight spots noted, use a 6-inch smooth mill file to provide
clearance by laying it crossways on the top of the dust cover and drawing it toward you in light, smooth strokes. Stop short of bringing it off the end to prevent making a bevel on the corner of the dust cover. If one side is tight, and the other lets the gauge in, just bias the pressure toward the tight side, using the good side as a guide. Check the clearance every two strokes to keep from going too far. This will go a long way toward negating the dust cover cracking adjacent to the frame rails. Use the edge of a medium stone to break the sharp corners on the dust cover, and touch it up with cold blue if you like.
Luck!
Tuner
