Upgrade/swap parts/cause & effect!

12/17/11

Subject: upgrade, change or swap parts/cause & effect!

Suggestion: example 1911 45 cal pistol! Single action/
short recoil/barrel link.


First step is determine your purpose for the desired upgrade.

Guns in general have key points: Design/Function/and a proper
maintenance plan.

Your desired improvements to your favored pistol or revolver
is not the end all consideration. You must know the design
and function to guarantee proper action. (Trigger & bow/sear/
hammer.) Metal on metal - positive / negative consideration.

Placing after market parts on the whole will eventually result
in a mulfunction. Dry testing is not the method to determine
proper function. You must go and test fire for proper function.

When you replace parts in your favorite pistol it affects
its function. Consider just a few trouble problems.
Headspace/slide not staying back after first round/feeding jams/
Ejection problems/Recoil spring balance/magazine problems/
Slide not full closed/locked up/Breach face/slide fit/ case
extraction/ Timing affected by trigger bow & sear/tigger
spring weak/cam purs/barrel link short/ ETC.

Suggestion: perform complete tuning-(test all functions
are working properly)

You save your self alot of time/ money/ and increase your
knowledge of your firing arm. Good luck!

Good post! Can't count the times someone brought a pistol to me (mostly 1911s) with problems. 1st thing I asked was " What did you do to it?" Answer was usually "Nothing, just changed a couple of parts. Well DUH!
Unfortunately some folks still think guns are like tinker toy kits...just snap on all the aftermarket parts and it will be better. Don't work that way or everyone would be a "gunsmith".

In the "instructions" which us men folk seldom read...There is usually a little blurb or caveat....

minor "fitting" required...and we all know what MINOR means

That usually solves the issue for me. That's Y I try and be friends with a lot of gunsmith's...They on speed dial

a man has to know his limitations....taking apart I handle pretty well...its the re-assembly part I'm challenged on...

"The Colt .45 automatic: A shop manual" by Jerry Kuhnhausen is a must read and study for anybody wanting to do their own mods on a 1911.

So I read the OP.. and was like huh???? ( because it mentions revolvers specifically). I have been having a grand time getting to know the insides of my DW revo(s). I have slicken'd the action on three of them to great effect.

So I am thinking this is more to do with Pistols and revos. Though I am sure one could screw up a revo pretty quick if they tried.

Good post all in all!

AGI puts out a series of 1911 smithing books that go from basic smithing to full blown race gun building... I have often thought about buying this set an a super cheap 1911 an see how good of a shooter I could make it

Drop in parts, usually don't. Why? Because they are manufactured to fit a very wide application to save on costs.

Gun manufacturers usually run within +/- .005, some a little more some a little less.

Many people replace springs and don't give a thought to the timing of the weapon.

Others get the part in and never consider prep work on the part before installing.

I'm all for the home/hobby smith knowing their weapon inside and out. Just want everyone to end up with a safe weapon after the upgrade or repair.

Be extra careful when it comes to fire control parts for safety sake. Remember that's a big swing between + .005 & - .005.