1911 barrel hood and lower lug fitment

[Rmiked]

If you are looking at a pistol (in hand) is there a fairly easy check to see IF the barrel hood is hitting beech face reasonably well with lower lug contact with take-down pin? I’m guessing you would remove recoil spring and look at barrel hood contact and then attempt to insert take-down pin to see if it moves (thru interference ) the barrel forward or insert some thin paper between barrel hood and breech face while inserting take-down pin? I’m thinking ideally they make contact simultaneously within a few thousandths? I’m not talking about taking micrometer or dial caliper readings but a reasonable check? I guess I have read some are way off just wondering, without being a gunsmith, is there a reasonable way to check that ?

[Robinson]

If you are looking at a pistol (in hand) is there a fairly easy check to see IF the barrel hood is hitting beech face reasonably well with lower lug contact with take-down pin? I’m guessing you would remove recoil spring and look at barrel hood contact and then attempt to insert take-down pin to see if it moves (thru interference ) the barrel forward or insert some thin paper between barrel hood and breech face while inserting take-down pin? I’m thinking ideally they make contact simultaneously within a few thousandths? I’m not talking about taking micrometer or dial caliper readings but a reasonable check? I guess I have read some are way off just wondering, without being a gunsmith, is there a reasonable way to check that ?

Is this a 45 we're talking about, or a higher pressure round? With a 45 the contact isn't as important, but ideally the barrel is at upper lug contact and the hood is on the breech face. With a custom fit barrel, you may see a gap of around .001 (and that's after firing a few hundred rounds), but with a production line gun that uses drop-in barrel fit the gap will be larger and .003 is acceptable. Using a feeler gauge is a good way to measure it.

The link is only there to disengage the barrel from the slide so the slide can pass over the barrel without knocking the lugs off. It matters more for proper function than for accuracy. The barrel should be fully supported by the slide stop pin's contact with the lower barrel lug.

Beyond that, the stuff you're talking about is stuff you would pay a good 1911 smith to address.

[Rmiked]

I’m talking 9mm and not 45 or higher pressure load. Ok, the upper lugs and barrel hood are a “lock-up and accuracy issue”. Lower lugs are for proper function only. I guess then by visual inspection of the barrel in battery it should be obvious if the upper lugs and hood are fitted well. What you are saying is that depending on quality of fitting, the gap between the barrel hood and breech face should be within 0.003” with upper lugs in contact with their milled slots. In reality with more than 1 upper lug, one of them will be controlling (hitting first). Is it reasonable to expect a Dan Wesson 1911 to exhibit barrel hood to Breech face gaps within 0.003? For you guys that own Dan Wesson 1911s, they are fit as well or better than the less expensive versions of Springfield Armory, Kimber, Colt, and Ruger?

[Robinson]

With Colt and Springfield Armory it will depend on the model. Their production line guns will have typical factory barrel fit -- so I would expect somewhere in the .003-.004 gap range. But with the guns that come out of their respective custom shops, the barrels are hand fit so the gap is probably smaller.

I'm not sure why you are so concerned with that particular dimension, there will be variances between pistols from the same manufacturer. Dan Wesson generally makes quality guns and they do hand fit their parts. Buy one, follow the break in procedure, and then shoot the hell out of it. If you have a problem, send it back to DW and have them fix it. I'm not sure how much attention that particular area gets, but their pistols are generally good to go. If you want to be really particular, step up to a custom build.

[Rmiked]

It seems to me that dimension would be important for headspace , accuracy potential, etc. I have read a lot about that dimension and how fitting properly is beneficial. But as long as the pistol functions reliably and is more accurate than me, I would not be concerned. When you see so much written about properly fitting a barrel, it makes an inexperienced person (me) think it’s a big deal.

[Robinson]

Understood.

Dan Wesson makes a quality pistol. But if you plan to buy a 9mm 1911, then you should get into it with the understanding that the 9mm cartridge is not what the 1911 was designed around. With a 9mm you are more likely to need to spend time, effort, and money to determine what magazines and ammunition work best in your gun. It's very possible you will end up with a totally reliable gun with good accuracy. But there is an off chance you won't.

The best odds of having a trouble free 1911 with good accuracy are with a full size Government Model (i.e. 5" barrel) pistol chambered for the 45 ACP cartridge. The 38 Super is another good choice and the dimensions of the cartridge make it easier to run properly in a 1911 than with 9mm.

I don't mean to steer you away from a 9mm 1911, they can be good shooting pistols and are a lot of fun. But you should be aware of the potential challenges ahead should you go that route.

All that said, I think Dan Wesson is a good choice. They offer good value for the price and are well made. The PM-9 looks really nice and should be a joy to shoot assuming it runs (and it should). And if you do run into difficulties, they will probably take care of you.

[Rmiked]

I appreciate the advice and I have been torn between the 45 and 9mm. I’m not 100% decided yet. But I do understand the 1911 was designed around the 45 ACP. Thanks

[Shorikid]

It seems to me that dimension would be important for headspace , accuracy potential, etc. I have read a lot about that dimension and how fitting properly is beneficial. But as long as the pistol functions reliably and is more accurate than me, I would not be concerned. When you see so much written about properly fitting a barrel, it makes an inexperienced person (me) think it’s a big deal.

Search for Joe Chambers Barrel Fit Challenge. On another forum, but all sorts of details are covered in that long thread.

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