Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 1911 Guys--Angled Bushing?

Might've posted about this before, but made a discovery.

I have a Dan Wesson Specialist that I bought slightly used back in Oct. of '22. While I really like the pistol, it has consistently strung groups vertically since I purchased it. Like, consistently every single time I've had it out. It has gotten somewhat better as it's broken in (around 250 rounds on it now).

I also have a Kimber Eclipse Target II. The DW is a better pistol in every way, except in the way it groups. The Kimber turns in nice, round (more or less) groups around 3"-3.5" groups at 25 yards. The DW will give groups about 2.5" wide and 4.5"-5" long at the same range. This is off a sandbag. Bear in mind, I've never been a great pistolero and am getting the "far sighted at 50" eyes", but the DW oughta shoot rings around it.

I fired a group with the DW at 50 yards the other day. The 8 round group was 3.5" wide and 6.5" long.

It's not the ammo (I've never seen ammo string so vertically and the horizontal not open up), plus, my Kimber does not do this with the same ammo.
It's not me, again, groups don't do this with the Kimber.

Last night I had both pistols torn down looking for "what's different or wrong".

I couldn't detect any barrel springback on the DW. Lug wear on the slide at least appeared even. Couldn't see any weirdness as far as the bottom lug resting on the slide stop pin. BUT (!!!), the Kimber has an angled bore bushing, relieved at front bottom and top rear. The DW has a straight bore bushing. The DW bushing is tighter fitting in the slide and on the barrel (by feel).

EGW has bushings (made to your measurements) for what seems like a very fair price. It seems like a pretty cheap FAFO to get it to shoot.

Any experience on the 'fire with vertical stringers vs. bushings?

look at the firing pin indents of the cases, and compare each. are they centered? or slightly of center, if so how much. sounds like the DW needs a longer (#5) or so link pin.

If either of the guns have indents off center the link pin is "higher/longer" which is ok thats how you start the accurizing process.

Also with the gun in lockup-- by pushing down of the barrel hood -- is there any give in it?

Couldn't detect any barrel movement with it in lockup.
Primer indentation was not exactly centered. Probably off by 1/2 to 3/4 the width of the indentation.

Sounds like it already has higher link. Now the bushing. with the slide off and the barrel in the slide, no spring and bushing in place slowly move the barrel back and forth in the slide. Watch for irregularities in the barrels contact with bushing, up and down/side ways play.

This won't necessarily fix the problem, but it might help diagnose it - change recoil spring to an extra power. If the stringing is due to barrel movement a stout recoil spring might prevent it. Go big - 22 or 24 lb. The pistol might not function properly, but that doesn't matter for what the goal is. When you're done throw the spring in a drawer for the next time its needed.

Buy a suitable factory spring while you're at it.

if the bushing is too tight in the vertical it will "spring" up and down as you push it into lock up from below, ie the locking lug

Will the Kimber bushing fit the DW?

Otherwise if considering a new bushing, the Briley spherical is worth a look IMO.

We took a stock 80 series Colt Govt model and shot it out of a Ransom Rest at 50yds. It shot an almost perfect 6.5" vertical string. Then we took it and fitted a new bushing, barrel link and guide rod and flat spring and shot it again and it shot an almost perfect 6" horizontal string.

Look closely at the slide stop, there should be two tracks wearing the pin where the bottom barrel lugs climb it to lock in battery. Are they pretty well even? The barrel isn’t going back into battery exactly the same each time allowing it change it’s relationship with the bushing. Finger pressure won’t let you feel the difference between cycles.

I can’t feel any springing. Either pushing up into the lugs from the bottom of the barrel with the bushing installed, or pushing down on the hood from the top while the pistol is assembled.
No springing or give either direction.
Wear is even where the bottom lugs are riding the slide stop pin.

Gonna try the angled bushing anyway. Don’t really know where else to start.

Don't really want it locking up on the link - right? Kinda sounds like the DW's barrel feet might be cut a bit short.

My understanding is that the link is just for dragging the barrel out of battery. The lockup is barrel feet on slide stop pin plus slide-to-frame tolerance.

I'm not a 1911 expert in real life nor do I play one on YouTube

I've used a couple of the EGW angled bushings to replace the finger type bushings that the Series 70's used, mainly just to remove the possibility of breakage, but saŵ no benefit in accuracy.

Unless your bushing is badly fitted to either the slide or the barrel, I kinda doubt that you will, & unless you are experiencing function issues now, that's a moot point.

I'd try a different barrel out of a known good gun 1st.

Anyway, this is interesting so continue to post your findings.

MM

Just another afterthought as well..........make sure that your barrel hood tang is clearanced all around the notch that it fits into on the slide.

It should not be touching anywhere.

MM

agree , but also the worse case-- as Montana suggests try another barrel, or order an unfitted new barrel and a lug cutter from Brownells

When you push down on the underside of the barrel to lock it in the lugs (upside down with no recoil spring) does it ‘unlock’ or spring back just a bit?

I'd try fit another barrel. I'm no 'smith but somethings off kilter.

Can’t detect any spring back.
Barrel looks fine and, in the horizontal, shoots great, so that’s the last route I want to go. That said, there could be a lug issue that has nothing to do with the rifling.

Vertical stringing will come from the barrel lugs unless the bushing is literally just floating in its place. The barrel hood extension shouldn’t affect the barrel unless it’s in a bind while going into battery. Cutting the bottom lugs very slightly to let the barrel lockup more consistently is one option. To cure it you’re probably looking at a new barrel.

Hate to hear it. Especially for what I paid for it.

The bushing is on the way, so I’ll TRY that.

Then start looking for a ‘smith if that doesn’t work…