Tightening the slide to frame fit on a 70series colt

M

Master Blaster

New member
I have a 1980 manufactured 70 series colt government model which shoots pretty well. It has the collet bushing which makes for a very tight barrel to slide lockup. The gun has been polised and throated and feeds everything including SWC.
It bugs me that the slide to frame fit is very loose. This helps reliability ????

How can I tighten the slide to frame fit?? Is it a good idea to mess with it?

I have a wood working shop in my home so I have a good bench vice and clamps. Ho do you tighten slide to frame is it just a matter of squeezing the slide?? How much?
Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Ever since being talked into buying a sloppy Norinco in the early 90s, slide to frame play has been a pet peeve of mine. I've never done any work on it or my newer Springfield, which is much tighter side-to-side. But here is what I've learned, by research and even by talking directly to smiths about the problem. Maybe George and other pros here can confirm...

-Slide to frame play has minimal impact on accuracy. Barrel to slide lockup at lugs and bushing are far more important.

-Tightening a slide on a vise will work - for a while. What I understand happens is that the mating surfaces of frame and slide are no longer parallel. The slide rails are now canted and contact the frame ways at an angle, and the contact surface is reduced (basically only a corner is touching the frame way rather than a whole surface.) This increases friction and wear, and soon voila, you'll have side to side play again.

So from what I've gathered over the years, I wouldn't bother with tightening the slide unless you plan to compete (that 5% extra accuracy might come in handy then,) I'd rather have a barrel hand fitted to slide instead...
 
IIRC, Kuhnhausen recommends peening the frame rails. Of course, I read this years ago but never applied it, so I may NOT recall correctly...
 
I recently was told my Colt 1991A1 was a little loose but not loose enough to worry about. The guy told me they Crimp the slide with a vice but you have to be carefully because you can crack the slide. I'm sure you could to it with a vice if you take the time and don't over stress anything.
 
Master Blaster, Brownells carry relatively cheap a set of frame rail swaging punches and other types of slide fitting tools. I'd look at these as you will get a more accurate job done, and you'll lessen the chances of overtightening the slide...

In any case good luck
 
This may be a good time to ask this question. I also have a sloppy 1911 clone. An old timer (retired Marine armorer? True? I dunno) told me that back in old days, they would gently squeeze the slide (removed from the frame) in a vice. Then they smack the vice with a heavy hammer. This would close up the frame ever so slightly instead of having it spring back when removed from the vice. Anyone ever done this, or even heard of this?

Since I cursed myself with a Llama 1911 clone in 38 Super that actually rattles when you pick it up, this maybe worth a try. Well, cirsed may be a bit strong. It is a good shooter, it just can do any better that 8" at 25 yards.
 
Master Blaster
By the time you buy the tools to tighten the slide or peening the frame and take the chance of overtighening or cracking the slide or frame rails, it maybe cheaper in the long run to let a gunsmith do it for you.
 
There is NO slide tightening method that will not eventually wear and loosen up. The barrel-slide-link fit is far more important than slide-frame fit. If tightening is really necessary, the vise method will work as well as any, but there is some risk of cracking the slide.

That Llama could probably be tightened up without concern, since those are soft and cracking the slide is unlikely.

Jim
 
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