1911 needs a new barrel!

D

Dave AA

New member
Well, I finally did it.
After close to 20,000 rounds, my Kimber's barrel is looking a little funny. the top lands are about 1/16" of an inch from the chamber shoulder, and look like my Glock's polyganol rifling. The strange thing is, the bottom lands are in much better shape.

Anywho, I'm now in the market for a new barrel. I need
suggestions!

I am not averse to sending it out to have a quality barrel fitted. I am averse to long waits, crappy service, and questionable barrel fit. This is my daily carry gun. Kimber Classic 5" S/S.
It still delivers acceptable accuracy, but I have not chronoed it and suspect things may be going down hill. So far, the only company I am confident enough in is Wilson Combat. ($$$)

All help greatly appreciated!

Dave.
 
Sorry Dave, I can't help you there, but....

Glad you brought up barrel life. I keep getting different answers from different people. For example:

In the 1980s it was generally accepted (in my neck of the woods, northern Alabama) that jacketed bullets would run out a barrel at about 40,000 rounds. Lead for at least a 100,000++. (We're talking low - mid pressure rounds here)

Son says a 45 ACP barrel life is about 25,000 rounds.

Sam is wearing out his STAINLESS Smiths at 30,000 rounds in his 686. I know Sam, it's the guts and not necessarily the barrel.

My 686 has some of the shallowest rifling I've even seen! My 586 rifling is much deeper and cleaner.

Sig, and I'm going to buy the stainless 220 because of this, is said to have to have gone back to the drawing board because it failed a 70,000 round test! I LIKE THAT!

So how long are our barrels supposed to last anyway? Everything else being equal, which they never are, I know.

justinr1
 
Dave, I know this is obvious, but why don't you go to Kimber for a new barrel. I know I'm missing something here. Sorry, I don't to semiautomatics very well.

justinr1
 
The barrel can last a lot longer than 25,000 rounds. Accuracy is severely affected at that number though.

Dave

How much do you want to spend? If you want the king of all kings, get a Bar-sto and ever look back. They're a bit pricey though at $190. Irv Stone's barrels are considered by most to be the best on the market.

If you want the second tier (still damn good!), get a Kart barrel. Fred knows how to build em and builds em relatively cheap. Retail is about $120 for standard and $165 for the EZ Fit barrels from Brownells.

All other barrel manufacturers basically try to match the plateau in which Irv Stone and Fred Kart has set.

Yes Yes I know your Colt and Kimber barrels shoot very nice groups. This is just my personal opinion and opinions of the majority of gunsmiths and competition shooters.

Take it FWIW.

BTW
Mike Curtis, considered by many to be the king at fitting barrels, recommends Bar-sto barrels. He’s built more Camp Perry winning 1911’s than any other smith.

I have 4 Kart barrels and 2 Bar-sto’s. I’ll never buy another brand nowadays :)
 
This is your chance to convert to .45 Super! Throw in some heavier recoil springs with the new barrel, and velocity won't be an issue.
 
Bar-Sto, Bar-Sto or Bar-Sto. Had one in a Sig P228 and have one now in a Colt Delta Elite courtesy of BCP. Did I mention Bar-Sto?
 
Thanks guys!

How's Bar-sto for service? Il get really ticked when things are not delivered as promised.

45 Super sounds intriguing, but will it wear out the gun faster?
 
Well, when Brownells has it in stock, you'll get it in less than a week. If they're out of stock, the wait can be 4-6 weeks! There's a very high demand for these barrels.

If you send it directly to them, I believe there's still a waiting period.
 
No one can tell you how long a barrel will last because it depends on how you shoot. If all you do is slow fire bullseye with mild loads then it will go towards 100,00 or more. If you do mostly fast multible shoots with hot defence ammo then you will wear it out a lot faster.

p.s. my vote also goes to Bar Sto
 
The Top of the throat wears faster than the rest because the round ejects and leaves a powder residue in the chamber. The next round scrapes the top of the chamber and pushes the unburnt powder and other goodies infront of the case and bullet.
the gun fires and laps the mix into the steel and it wears away. (usually if there is an accumulation inside the chamber it is in the bottom)

Acurate 7 is the most abrasive we have found, Billy Abate shot a 38 super barrel with jacketed out in 7000 rounds. Koenig on the other hand with his first 45 (and lead at the time) shot 105,000 through his. the rifling starts 1/2" in front of the chamber but the guns shoots under 3" at 50 yds.

Fitting Yes, big time.
brand? some of the unmentioned brands "X" shoot under 1" at 50 yds. and some do not.
geo ><>
 
Well, after giving Kimber an E-mail just inquiring about a replacement barrel, they offered to replace it FREE of charge, even though it is WELL out of warranty.

I will be sending it to them.

George- I too would be interested in the least abrasive powder. I have been using Bullseye loaded to about 90%.
 
I think you'll be happy with the replacement Kimber barrel. Whoever makes theirs is very good, as George sold me one that I put in a Springfield which shoots very well indeed.

My assumption is Kimber would be eager to see your gun, so that they may inspect it and see how their product holds up after that many rounds. There's a difference between 20,000 rounds in a test lab and the same number after years of honest use.
 
Son Thank you.
If I see any knowledgable smith's Ill tell them to log on. :)

Steve and Dave
I have NO idea. (more people need to learn this phrase)
Boland told Bruce Grey that at temp, the AA#7 filler. (there is a lot of filler in #7, the commercial powder required 1 1/2 gr less powder to make major) turns to alum oxide. clearly not what we want in the bore of our bullet launchers. ;)

AA actually scratches the bore, some powders polish the bore, they look smooth after firing. Look down your bores and see what you have?
with the # of members here you could probably do a survey and establish what powders do what in a couple days.
geo ><>
 
I have several pistols thats been shot a lot but I have not noticed anything unusual changes in the rifling.

My old Colt 1911 Government model went over 65,000 rounds in over 16 years but the barrel rifling was still fine... just everything else was loose as cheap whore. However, about 95% of that ammo was cast lead and usually at about 900 fps using Win231.

The Sig 220 has been shot close to 27,000 rounds in past 12 years and it still shoots great. The rifling looks shiny as glass. Again, about 95% of that was cast lead at about 850 fps (same load as above).

One of my Beretta has been shot almost 17,000 rounds and 95% of that ammo was 115gr FMJ or JHP at 1,050 fps using Win231. Again, the barrel rifling looks great and accuracy has been pretty much same as when I first got the pistol.

Do you think it has something to do with Win231 powder as that is all I use to load 9mm and 45ACP and that most loads were "mild"? Never used any AA# 7 powder to load 9mm or 45ACP.
 
FWIW, my Kimber got nothing but FMJ. Everything else on the gun has gotten nothing but better.
Still very tight, and operates smooth as silk.
 
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