Springfield Drop-in barrel.....won't?!?

[JeffC]

Got one of the $66 barrels from midway, and went to drop it in one of my pistols and it wouldn't go . Swapped it out with the other pistols I have that wear the same barrel and it won't fit in them either...

Okay, so I have to fit this barrel.... The hood fits snug but it's not keeping the barrel from sliding up, it's the sides of the raised "pads" on the upper lug cuts. I keep marking them and filing ever so slowly but it's taking forever... I am no pro here, never fitted a barrel before so I'm going slow.

I'm getting near where I can force the barrel into lockup(by pressing the back of the slide with my thumbs) and have to smack the muzzle with the palm of my hand to get it to unlock. Since I'm getting close I quit for now and want to hop back on it when I'm not rushed.

Any last minute tips on the final fitting? How tight should the barrel be when locking up, how much gap on the hood extension, etc. etc.

TIA,
Jeff

 

[1911Tuner]

No Drop

Jeffro mah fren!

It's probably the length of the hood forcing the thrust face of one of the lugs
against its corresponding slide lug. Try to determine which one with
a Sharpie marker. If it's the first lug, you can take a little off the hood and get by with that. If it's # 2 or 3 lug, you may want to use a hammer squaring file to take a little off the face of the lug in hopes of picking up
another lug...hopefully #1...and having two lugs bearing the load.

What you really need to do is make a trip, and let me use my gauges to see exactly where your barrel lugs are in relation to your slide lugs and rear face of the hood...and go from there. You can be here in what...4 hours?

If you do elect to set a lug back, make sure that it stays square and go SLOW. If you're lucky enough for it to be the #1 lug that's hitting, file the hood and send me
50 bucks.

 

[JeffC]

Will look into it deeper, I'll let you know what it looks like later on, gotta go hide easter eggs in a bit .

Happy Easter fellas...

 

[JeffC]

I got 'er dialed in...

The raised pads were the only thing obstructing the barrel from camming up into lock up all the way. I used up a whole sharpie painting and filing them a bit at a time...

Now it's snugs up at the last 1/10th of an inch and has to pressed up the rest of the way (light thumb pressure).And the barrel stays parrallel to about .108 before it starts camming down.

The upper lugs, the sharpie gets wiped clean off of the second lug and makes lighter contact on the first lug(breech lug). The back of the hood extension has maybe .004 clearance. I didn't touch it, it was already that short.


Now to polish up my work and get it to the range by this coming weekend .

 

[1911Tuner]

Dialed in

Sounds like you've almost got the first and second lug in the right position to
equalize pretty quickly. Shoot 50 rounds of 230-grain +p through it and you'll probably pick up #1, which will make for a pretty strong lockup. How's your headspace look? If you don't have gauges, you can use an empty case.
Use a case trimmer to square up the mouth and measure it. Get the barrel into the slide with the bushing in place. Use feeler gauges between the case rim and the breechface until you find one that'll slip in with light drag...or find the one that won't quite go in without forcing it...and subtract a thousandth
of an inch. Add the thickness to the length of the case to figure your total
headspace. It won't be as precise as using a gauge...but it'll be within a thousandth. I'll make an eddy-cated guestimation that it'll be in the neighborhood of .905 inch. Not exactly match-grade, but well within spec.
Be sure to check before and after firing the 50...and again at 500 rounds.
If there's a .002 inch growth...1 and 2 have equalized, and you may find a light flange on #2. Dress it smooth. You might get real lucky and get #3 to kiss the slide.

Luck to ya, mah fren!

 

[JeffC]

I get .913

 

[1911Tuner]

Point Nine-One Three

Eh...A little long in the head, but still good. By the time you pick up #1
you'll have about .914 inch and it probably won't open up any further for a
long time....depending on how much +p ammo you shoot, it could stay within-spec for 80-90k or beyond...unless you shoot a steady diet of jacketed bullets, and then the rifling will wear out before the headspace goes outta spec.

 

[JeffC]

80 or 90 K.... that would be awesome, the most I've ever racked up on a single pistol was about 10K..... then my brother took it from me.....well, he gave me money but....

A little loose..... I understand, thanks for your input Tuner .