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Posted By:Gus Fisher
Date: Wednesday, 3 May 2000, at 9:05 a.m
The classic (unaltered) M1911/A1 uses the link to force the barrel up into the slide locking lugs, when the slide is home and fully in battery.
Originally, the Service Amorers had three extra links that had more distance between the center of the barrel link pin hole and the slide stop pin hole. These links are the .13, .17, and .21 and are so stamped on one side of the link. This means each link is that many thousandths of an inch MORE distant between the two holes than the standard link. Some folks believe this additional length is used to push the barrel up further to "tighten up" the barrel. Well, that was never the intended usage.
Match pistol barrels are deliberately left oversize in many places so they can be cut and fitted to an individual slide and receiver. What it really does is allow one to take most of the "sloppy tolerances" out of the fit of the barrel to improve accuracy.
Most match barrel lugs are left with more distance between the center of the link pin hole and the two rails of the lugs where the the slide top pin rests. This allows the lugs to be precisely filed to fit the slide stop and the barrel lugs then rest on the slide stop instead of the barrel link. This barrel lock up makes a much stronger, accurate, and uniform placement. Since there is greater distance between the center of the link pin hole and the rails that engage the slide stop pin, you have to use a longer link that will allow the barrel lugs to clear the slide stop. With a match barrel, the primary function of the barrel link (when firing) is to pull the barrel down and UNLOCK it from the slide. This is the reason for the longer links.
Many folks recommend using one of the longer links to "tighten up" a pistol. On some loose .45's you can get away with a .13 link and the pistol will still unlock properly. Occasionally, a .17 link will work. However, you will almost never find a pistol so loose that a .21 link may be used and the barrel will still unlock properly.
WARNING!!!!! If you install a longer link, before you shoot the pistol, you MUST check to see if the barrel unlocks properly by using the barrel unlocking tool I listed in another tip. If not, you can do serious damage to your pistol up to and including shearing off the barrel lugs and hopelessy jamming the pistol.
Today, parts manufacturers make barrel links in many different sizes. Brownell's Inc. lists a bunch in their catalog. Some links are 1,2, or 3 thousandths of an inch LESS than the factory standard and you will probably never have need of them. Other links go up 1,2,3,4,5,6, etc. thousandths of an inch over the factory standard. Now these may be fitted to tighten up a standard .45 IF you have the barrel unlocking tool to check unlocking after you install them.
If the barrel unlocks on the longer link when you check it with the unlocking tool, you may fire it, but keep an eye on the engagement lugs in the barrel slide and the barrel. If the pistol NOW kicks like a mule, it is not properly unlocking and you will feel the sharp extra recoil, then you should go back to a shorter link. If battering or the corners of the lugs start to peen over, go back to a shorter link and smooth over the peened areas with a fine file or stone.
There is one device on the market that will tighten up a service grade barrel WITHOUT having to worry about the problems of the barrel not unlocking. This device is known as the "Dwyer Group Gripper" and is made by Wilson's and sold by them and Brownell's, Inc. For a service grade pistol, I most strongly recommend you go with the standard length and not the one on the longer recoil spring rod. Those longer rods can cause more problems if you don't know how to install and correct the little idiosyncrasies. HTH
Date: Wednesday, 3 May 2000, at 9:05 a.m
The classic (unaltered) M1911/A1 uses the link to force the barrel up into the slide locking lugs, when the slide is home and fully in battery.
Originally, the Service Amorers had three extra links that had more distance between the center of the barrel link pin hole and the slide stop pin hole. These links are the .13, .17, and .21 and are so stamped on one side of the link. This means each link is that many thousandths of an inch MORE distant between the two holes than the standard link. Some folks believe this additional length is used to push the barrel up further to "tighten up" the barrel. Well, that was never the intended usage.
Match pistol barrels are deliberately left oversize in many places so they can be cut and fitted to an individual slide and receiver. What it really does is allow one to take most of the "sloppy tolerances" out of the fit of the barrel to improve accuracy.
Most match barrel lugs are left with more distance between the center of the link pin hole and the two rails of the lugs where the the slide top pin rests. This allows the lugs to be precisely filed to fit the slide stop and the barrel lugs then rest on the slide stop instead of the barrel link. This barrel lock up makes a much stronger, accurate, and uniform placement. Since there is greater distance between the center of the link pin hole and the rails that engage the slide stop pin, you have to use a longer link that will allow the barrel lugs to clear the slide stop. With a match barrel, the primary function of the barrel link (when firing) is to pull the barrel down and UNLOCK it from the slide. This is the reason for the longer links.
Many folks recommend using one of the longer links to "tighten up" a pistol. On some loose .45's you can get away with a .13 link and the pistol will still unlock properly. Occasionally, a .17 link will work. However, you will almost never find a pistol so loose that a .21 link may be used and the barrel will still unlock properly.
WARNING!!!!! If you install a longer link, before you shoot the pistol, you MUST check to see if the barrel unlocks properly by using the barrel unlocking tool I listed in another tip. If not, you can do serious damage to your pistol up to and including shearing off the barrel lugs and hopelessy jamming the pistol.
Today, parts manufacturers make barrel links in many different sizes. Brownell's Inc. lists a bunch in their catalog. Some links are 1,2, or 3 thousandths of an inch LESS than the factory standard and you will probably never have need of them. Other links go up 1,2,3,4,5,6, etc. thousandths of an inch over the factory standard. Now these may be fitted to tighten up a standard .45 IF you have the barrel unlocking tool to check unlocking after you install them.
If the barrel unlocks on the longer link when you check it with the unlocking tool, you may fire it, but keep an eye on the engagement lugs in the barrel slide and the barrel. If the pistol NOW kicks like a mule, it is not properly unlocking and you will feel the sharp extra recoil, then you should go back to a shorter link. If battering or the corners of the lugs start to peen over, go back to a shorter link and smooth over the peened areas with a fine file or stone.
There is one device on the market that will tighten up a service grade barrel WITHOUT having to worry about the problems of the barrel not unlocking. This device is known as the "Dwyer Group Gripper" and is made by Wilson's and sold by them and Brownell's, Inc. For a service grade pistol, I most strongly recommend you go with the standard length and not the one on the longer recoil spring rod. Those longer rods can cause more problems if you don't know how to install and correct the little idiosyncrasies. HTH