HELP! 1911 conversion not fitting properly...

[Rob Pincus]

Okay, I've been stuck for a few days and am finally going to post this. Laugh if you will, but its been a few years since I've really gotten into messing with my 1911s very much. Been playing mostly with the tupperware and long guns.

So, here I am. I bought a drop in covnersion kit for a 1911. I installed it into an old IPSC gun that I had laying around. No problem.

Since the conversion uses standard .45 mags, I thought it would be nice to use the conversion in my Para-P14, to get some high capacity action going....

Well, I took the gun apart and re assembled it using the drop in parts. The slide release is through the link and fully seated, the recoil spring and bushing are in their proper positions. But, the slide isn't going fully forward. There is about 1/3 of an inch of slide sticking out behind the end of the frame. The barrel is locked up with the breech face and the compensator is seated around the bushing. What am I am I missing? What did I do wrong or what is different about the Para that is keeping this from working??

 

[Gun Plumber]

Sounds like the bottom lugs on the barrel are not fitted properly. I had this happen with a Caspian frame once. I had to cut the bottom barrel lugs further back to make the slide flush with the frame. But mine was only off by about .025 thousands.

[This message has been edited by Gun Plumber (edited March 02, 1999).]

 

[Rob Pincus]

Is it normal that this kit would've fit another gun, and function perfectly, and then not work inthe Para? Shouldn't I be able to see some difference between the barrels or the frames??

 

[Rob Pincus]

Okay, I wnet back and started over, this time without that godawful spring thier, so I could really pay attention to what was happening.

The little nubby part that the link is attached to under the barrel does not line up with the hole in the frame when the slide is "in battery".. Maybe that is what you were talking about.

I just put the peieces back into the original guns until I can get a real smith to fix it.

Some of you may find this simplistic, but I am of the opinion that Motocrycle Mechanics, Pit Crews and Gun smiths exsit for a reason.. If I start paying attention to their jobs I'll not only be hurting the economy (by removing the need for their jobs).. I'll be taking away from my shooting, riding and driving time.

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-Essayons

 

[Gun Plumber]

That's It. by all means have a Smith look at it if your not comfortable with doing it yourself. I learned all my gunsmithing the hard way, by trial and error. The one good thing I can say is I will never forget what I have learned, It cost me too much!

[This message has been edited by Gun Plumber (edited March 02, 1999).]

 

[Rob Pincus]

I went down that road too, I spent years tinkering with 1911's, but haven't so much as changed a spring in the last 3 or 4 years.

As soon as you mentioned the lugs I remember that it was a PITA to get the slide release pin in without a lot of fiddling. The super-strength spring didn't help matters.

If Glock could just go all the way and make a dishwasher safe gun, all my gunsmithing worries would be over.



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-Essayons

 

[Doc]

Rob, I have a very good friend who is a Glock addict. He says, "All you have to do to clean a Glock is to put it in the dishwasher." Now, are you going to have a gov't model garage sale? I'll be there. - Doc

[This message has been edited by Doc (edited March 02, 1999).]

 

[Rob Pincus]

WEll, I didn't say It'd reduce my inventory, just my gun maintenance!

'sides.. I think he wuz pullin' yer leg, Doc!

but I am (finally) taking a Glock Armorer's Course next week, so I'll find out for sure.

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-Essayons

 

[Walt Welch]

Rob; it sounds like the slide release pin was not going through the bbl. link when you had it assembled.

One other thing; you complain about having to fight the spring pressure while inserting the slide release. This is not necessarily the case. Even if you disassemble in the 'bullseye' fashion, by removing the slide release under spring tension, then removing the slide and recoil spring as a unit, it doesn't mean you have to put them back together that way. Just fit the slide back on, with the recoil spring slid onto the recoil spring guide, and the spring sticking out the place where the recoil spring plug usually is. Then fit the slide to the frame, line up the bbl. link, and insert the slide release. After doing that, place the recoil spring plug over the recoil spring, and compress it, and rotate the bbl. bushing in the usual way to hold the recoil spring plug in place.

Any suspicion that the bbl. lugs are not correctly fitted to the slide release pin is grounds for taking it to a smith. Walt

[This message has been edited by Walt Welch (edited March 09, 1999).]

 

[HS]

This is a long shot but if the screw on compensator? has been wound in a few threads too much it would cause that problem... been there... done that !

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"The Gun from Down Under !"