1911 barrels

[bedtoad]

Thirty years ago I bought a 1911 with a WWII slide and an essex reciever. It has been a great gun. The gun is jamming now and on inspection I see that someone has filed the receiver end of the barrel too thin and now it's got a sharp edge which stops the round from entering the chamber. Colt won't sell me a barrel because of the essex receiver. Does anybody know what barrel to buy? Will a 1911 Government model barrel fit?

[haggis]

Welcome to the Forum. Pretty much any 5" 1911 replacement barrel will fit, although some require a little fitting. Go to Brownells' website, and you will find plenty to pick from. Some will be listed as minimal fitting, but be aware that sometimes it's needed. If you can't do that yourself, make sure you have acccess to a local gunsmith who can fit it for you.

Buck

[bedtoad]

Great, Thanks! Should I consider a ramp barrel? Is a stock barrel the best way to do it? Is a Government Model the same as a WW2 1911?

[rhmc24]

You say it has a sharp edge. Why not smooth off the sharp edge and see if that helps. Seems like nothing to lose since you are thinking about a new barrel anyhow.

[haggis]

Great, Thanks! Should I consider a ramp barrel? Is a stock barrel the best way to do it? Is a Government Model the same as a WW2 1911?

A ramped barrel requires that the frame be cut to accept it. Once done, there's no going back.

A GM barrel and a WWII 1911 barrel are the same.

Buck

[bedtoad]

Does the barrel link have to be snug on the slide stop of a 1911A1? My link is a little sloppy--about 3 thousands. I put a new colt barrel in mine, but I get a stoppage every three or four Rds. The lugs appear to fit perfectly. The stoppage occurs about 1 inch from being fully seated. There are no burrs or other problems that I can see.

[rhmc24]

I took a good 1911 in trade the owner complained of stoppage similar to what you describe. He thought he had tried everything. I tried it chambering a round and it would now and then fail to go to battery. Some measurements found the barrel to bushing clearance very close. I opened up the bushing a little which fixed it.

[bedtoad]

Thank You, I think that the new barrel is a little heavier than the original. Who would of thought. Thank You