1911 Barrell

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SPEMack618

New member
I have a Colt M-1991A1 that was a great shooter with it's factory barrel.

After a squib load, I started a search for another barrel. I ordered a Wilson and have nothing but issues with it, even after sending it to the factory and having "it reamed to spec" according to them.

So, other than wilson, what would be a good five inch barrel for said -1991A1?
 
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SPEMack618

New member
It will not chamber factory ammo until I run it through my sizing die.
Does not pass the "plunk" test even after being sent back to the factory and "reamed to spec"
 
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cw308

New member
SPEMack618
What a bummer, they factory reamed the chamber to spec an factory ammo won't pass the plunk test . What spec are the using . Was it Colt or Wilson ? Did you call them back , that shouldn't be . They should correct your problem without you investing in another barrel. The problem should be theirs not yours .

Chris
 
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Jim Watson

New member
I have a Wilson barrel that was allegedly "drop in" but actually took fitting at all the usual places, just less metal to remove to fit. It was extremely accurate but unreliable. Since it was just the barrel, I did not know (or much care) what they would do on guarantee, so FLG attacked it with a standard reamer. He got a LOT of metal shavings out of that chamber. It is still accurate, but "prefers" a different bullet.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
I had some Wilson Combat 9mm ETM magazines once. I took them to the range with my decades old Colt 9mm Combat Commander, loaded up the first magazine, put it in the gun, and dropped the slide.

That's where my day ended.

The slide wouldn't go into battery. It locked up so tight I had to have the owner of the range clamp it in a padded vise and beat the receiver out of the slide with a leather hammer. Sent the gun and magazine to Wilson to see what happened. Their response? "Your pistol is out of spec."

Really? A twenty year old Colt, that hadn't missed a beat for a decades, is "out of spec"? Turns out, they meant it was out of their spec. They build the ETM magazines to set the feed lips higher than where John Browning wanted them, hoping to get a straighter feed path. The problem was, they made the lips too high, and my Colt didn't like it.

Barrels should be reamed to SAAMI specs, but manufacturers play their games with that, too. Kimber was notorious for tight chambers. I was with a friend when he took a brand new Kimber to his gunsmith because it kept jamming. The 'smith pulled out a standard .45 ACP GO-NOGO gauge and dropped it into the chamber. It wouldn't go in. In pursuit of accuracy, they made the chamber so tight it wouldn't handle factory ammo. I suspect this Wilson barrel is the same.
 
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Don P

New member
After a squib load, I started a search for another barrel.
Click to expand...
Confused as all hell. Why change out the barrel after having a squib load. Not the barrels fault. As long as you didn't try to shoot out the squib knocking it out of the barrel would have done no harm.
 
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Longshot4

New member
First of all I agree on the squib isn't relevant as far as I know. I'm not a expert although I would check your finished rounds for size. Of course the mouth of the brass needs to be checked for diameter. The finished round should not have any bell. Also I agree with talking to Wilson. Let them suggest what might be going on.

Some times we need to have the help with proper fitting from a well experienced PISTOL smith.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Longshot4 said:
I'm not a expert although I would check your finished rounds for size. Of course the mouth of the brass needs to be checked for diameter. The finished round should not have any bell.
Click to expand...
But ...

SPEMack618 said:
It will not chamber factory ammo until I run it through my sizing die.
Click to expand...
A barrel that doesn't chamber factory ammo is defective. (Unless, of course, the ammo is American brand -- AMERC head stamp.)
 
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SPEMack618

New member
They didn't specify what spec it was reemed to. I assumed SAAMI.

In regards to the squib, it caused the barrel to bulge. That's totally on me. :eek:\

Factory ammunition attemped has been Federal, American Eagle, Winchester, UMC, and Aguila.
 
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reddog81

New member
Assuming the new barrel works in all other regards, I'd just find some one who can ream the new barrel to the correct spec.

Lots can go wrong when fitting a new barrel - lower lug, top lugs, barrel link, barrel bushing, barrel hood, etc. Even Kart drop in barrels might need some fitting.
 
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