How important is it to keep a barrel matched to a slide?

[matto]

I've seen folks say if you want to change slides (say, to swap between iron sights and a red dot) it's best to swap the complete upper. Something about the fit between the barrel and the bushing.

How important is this if you're using the gun for USPSA shooting, not bullseye competitions?
I ask because

• I bought an RDO slide for my LTT 92 and they said it's fine to use the existing barrel
• I have a lead on a milled slide for my CZ Shadow 2. It is also not a complete upper.

Is using these slides a bad idea? I don't need 1 MOA accuracy to hit the A zone. But I'd like to understand what the risks are.

Thanks!

[willie]

In my years of tinkering, I have swapped 1911 complete slides from one frame to another. I have done the same with Beretta 92's and Cz 75 Series pistols. In my sample, I observed zero issues. Tolerances are loose in the production pistols. In 1911's I did not attempt mixing Commander and full size slides.

In playing around with 1911's, you must not put a barrel bushing from a fill size pistol in a Commander slide.

In swapping barrels around from slide to slide, I never had any issues.

[Jim Watson]

The other way 'round, we had an eccentric guy who would always put a replacement barrel in his Sigs and Berettas on the rare occasions when he shot them. I never saw him encounter a problem. But his usual arm was a Taurus so as to spare the name brand guns any wear at all.

Another local just kept having parts moved from one built 1911 to another. Gunsmith said he was lucky, that so far it had all been "downhill" with a little more fitting to be done and that one day he would end up with a sloppy fit or no function.

So I don't think you will have any trouble swapping slides.

[matto]

The other way 'round, we had an eccentric guy who would always put a replacement barrel in his Sigs and Berettas on the rare occasions when he shot them. I never saw him encounter a problem. But his usual arm was a Taurus so as to spare the name brand guns any wear at all.

Hahah that's... an interesting perspective, to say the least.

[foxj66]

I've seen folks say if you want to change slides (say, to swap between iron sights and a red dot) it's best to swap the complete upper. Something about the fit between the barrel and the bushing.

How important is this if you're using the gun for USPSA shooting, not bullseye competitions?
I ask because

• I bought an RDO slide for my LTT 92 and they said it's fine to use the existing barrel
• I have a lead on a milled slide for my CZ Shadow 2. It is also not a complete upper.

Is using these slides a bad idea? I don't need 1 MOA accuracy to hit the A zone. But I'd like to understand what the risks are.

Thanks!

Most of the time the shadow slides will fit between multiple frames. The exception to this is if its a new unfit factory slide as they are wide and will need fit.

[Cory]

I've had no issue swapping full size Beretta 92 barrels into different full size 92 slides. Or entire full size 92 slide assemblies onto different full size frames.