Flaring a 1911 ejection port

S

sistema_colt

Inactive
I was reading Kuhnhausen's 1911 shop manual (vol I) and he didn't really cover HOW one goes about flaring an ejection port. He got to how big it should be and where, but didn't mention what tools to use.

I've seen descriptions of the process being done with a dremel. I think that Brownells even sells the bits for it. But I refuse to take a dremel to my slide - period! I'm just not good enough with that tool and the results always look amateurish. I was wondering what you professionals use to do this mod. FWIW, I have a mill and have already made a fixture to hold my slide for lowering the ejection port. In the absence of a better method I will use the mill with a large bit ... looks like 1" dia is about right.

TIA,
SC
 
Milling is good...

But do keep in mind that most slides are hardened to a certain degree.

Brownell's sells special grindstones that one would chuck into a hand moto-tool for contouring the port once most of the metal had been hogged out of the slide. The hard material of the slide might tear up some of your bits before you are done.

I was told that actually lowering the port is more important then flaring it backward. Had it done on my Commander - but I don't really know if I ever noticed any difference. But I always have liked the way that Wilson Combat flares their ejection ports...

That, and their 'Meltdown' look...!

Unkel Gilbey
 
on a Essex slide I had to lower and make port longer to get a loaded rd out, so did the port slant cut to fling empties to the right
I just went slow and kept looking at different pics of ejection ports
did a AMT government model first, and it looked great, didn't improve anything, just looks cool,yeah a 1911 should just work without all the hoopla:)
 
This old coot agrees with that other old coot, C.R. Sam. Tweak the ejector to put the empties where they should go, and you won't have to mess with the slide.

Jim
 
Check out this website: http://www.roderuscustom.tzo.com/Progress.htm. Look for the "Sistema Colt Project."

This guy goes through an incredibly complete discussion--with photos each step of the way--of a rebuild of a pair of Sistema Colts. He includes a complete step-by-step discussion of flaring/lowering the ejection port.

Tons of information presented there.

Scott
 
Scott: Thanks for the link. I had seen it already and that was one of the places I saw a dremel type tool at work. Too scary for this kid.

Not that I'm trying to be an old coot :D but I think I will probably listen to Jim and C.R. Sam and not flare it. But I do think I will lower it a tad ... everything that I have read seems to suggest that is a good idea.

Thanks again,
SC
 
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