Rubbing between slide and frame removing finish

[DelayedReaction]

Greetings all.

I just picked up stainless MilSpec 1911, and with a few exceptions it's a great firearm. I'm having a couple of FTE and FTF problems, but I suspect both will be cured after tweaking the extractor and buying new mags with decent springs. The problem I come to you with today involves some rubbing between the slide and dust cover. It's causing the finish on the slide to become shiny, and I was wondering if you guys could answer these two questions:

1) How do I stop this from happening? Should I file down the upraised spots on the frame, or is there a better way?

2) How do I get the finish back on the 1911? I think it was sandblasted, and while I have access to a sandblaster I'm worried about hurting the polish on the slide.

Here's the pistol. You can see the rubbing on the front by dust cover.
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~keving/PC190151.JPG

Thanks all.

 

[Bill Z]

All you can do at this point it determine where the rubbing is taing place and remove some metal from there. A little goes a long way, so don't go crazy with it.
You would be hard pressed to match the finish without blasting all of the round after you tape off the flats. It's really not worth the trouble.

 

[stans]

I see this all the time. It is more of an annoyance than anything else. It could be that the frame's dust cover is pinched in ever so slightly at its end or is ever so slightly twisted in relation to the frame rails or is ever so slighty undersized in its inside dimensions or the slide's recoil spring tunnel is ever so slightly oversize or any combination of the above.

 

[Bill Z]

Usually I see it where when the slide and frame were fitted, more material was taken off one rail than the other and the slide isn't centered perfectly. It is not really detrimental to performance.

 

[Jim K]

Believe it or not, some smiths used to set up target guns to do that, so the dust cover would help keep the slide in the same place each shot. There really is no harm except in the mind of the owner, who probably gets very concerned when he sees wear on his auto tires.

Jim

 

[Bill Z]

Believe it or not, some smiths used to set up target guns to do that, so the dust cover would help keep the slide in the same place each shot.

That sounds more like an excuse a poor smith would make up since your accuracy comes from your barrel to slide lock up, not your slide to frame 'rub.'

What did they claim to do, take one rail down more then the other or just beat the dust cover in?

Really the only 'harm' that does cause is to the finish, and in some cases people have spent a fair amount of money on it, but I agree with you Jim, it really doesn't hurt the function.

 

[Master Blaster]

That sounds more like an excuse a poor smith would make up since your accuracy comes from your barrel to slide lock up, not your slide to frame 'rub.

Unless one had a FRAME mounted Red dot as many bullseye shooters do.

 

[Bill Z]

Unless one had a FRAME mounted Red dot as many bullseye shooters do.

But then the PROPER way would be to have a tight slide to frame fit suitable for a frame mounted reticle.

 

[Master Blaster]

But then the PROPER way would be to have a tight slide to frame fit suitable for a frame mounted reticle.

Yep agree 100%

 

[RogersPrecision]

I'd return that gun to Springfield in a heartbeat.
That unequal orientation of slide to frame is one of my pet peeves!

 

[Jim K]

On gunsmiths setting a gun up that way, I think the rationale was that the dust cover extended the restriction of slide movement beyond the rails, thus providing a longer control radius. I never did it, but I really can't say it doesn't work. In any event, there is no real harm done.

I do think some folks get carried away about wear in normal use. IIRC, one guy on this site complained that after he fired a box of ammo he found wear on (can you believe it) the frame rails, and wanted to know if he should have the gun reblued.

Jim

 

[stans]

Well, in my younger days when I was new to shooting, I wanted my firearms to always look new. I would get bent out of shape when there was wear on the finish and for a while I kind of lived with a bottle of touch up cold blue in one hand and a pistol in the other. Fortunately I eventually came to the conclusion that the only way to prevent wear on a finish was to never shoot or handle the firearm. Well, that sort of defeated the purpose of me buying firearms. Now I just live with the wear and tear on the finish and try to not do stupid things like place them on an abrasive surface, drop them, drag them across a table, or put them in nylon holsters. I take good care of my firearms, but they do show wear from handling and normal use.