Gunsmith ONLY.
Barrels are NOT just pieces of threaded pipe that can be screwed on and off at will.
Barrels have to be properly indexed so the sight is at top-dead-center, the barrel-cylinder gap has to be set, and the forcing cone has to be cut, among other things.
The absolute WORST thing you can do is the old "hammer handle through the frame" trick.
This is how the frame gets sprung, or the frame cracks in the threaded area.
No joke, let a trained pistolsmith with the correct tooling do it, and BE CAREFUL WHO you trust.
Make sure HE doesn't try it without having the correct tooling.
(Hint: MOST local gunsmiths DO NOT have the correct tooling for Colt's).
If you want it done RIGHT, you can send it to the Colt factory, or:
Pittsburgh Handgun Headquarters
1330 Center Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15229
(412) 766-6100
Most anywhere else and it's a crap shoot with loaded dice.
