i have the compact s & w 1911 bobtail 4' barrel.
the small ring inside the bushing , any trick on removing it ? ! the first tare down , if memory serves me correct , i did take it out of the bushing for clean & lube . this time trying all i could think of , all failed to remove it .
dont believe there is anything in the provided info/instructions that address's this either .

If it has the Briley spherical bushing, the gold colored ring is not generally removed from the bushing itself. It is not necessary for ordinary cleaning. The gold ring CAN be removed. Briley's web site states that "instructions" for removal are provided with their bushing. So, there must be a way.

I do not know if it is correct, nor do I endorse the following, but I found this, which supposedly addresses removal of the ring from a Briley bushing, on a web site:

"I have found that the more rounds you have put through the gun the easier it is to remove the "ring," but here is how you do it.
With the slide off the gun and the barrel and recoil spring removed:
1. From the muzzle end of the slide, push on the ring at the 3 or 9 o'clock position so as to spin the ring 90 degrees from its normal location. The ring should now be parallel with the slide's centerline.
2. Pull the ring out of the slide towards the muzzle. It should pop right out.

I hope this helps."

The web site in question is here:

http://pistolsmith.com/smith-wesson-...y-bushing.html

A WORD OF CAUTION: The post quoted above relates to a question about a 3rd Gen S&W NOT a 1911 type of bushing. Whether that makes a difference or not, I do not know.

Personally, I would NOT follow the above instructions without FIRST simply asking Briley for a set of official removal instructions. The possibility of damage requiring a real repair is simply not worth the risk, especially when there is really no reason to remove the gold ring.

If your pistol has the ordinary 1911 bushing, it removes the ordinary way, and if tight, use of a NON-MARRING bushing wrench might be useful.

If it has the Briley bushing, then call Briley. It is apparent from Briley's site that there is a way to remove the gold colored ring. The body of the bushing itself, if that is what you call it, is semi-permanently fitted into the slide on the 3rd Gen autos (I think they are screwed in and then some super-duper form of permanent loctite or similar secures it), and is not to be removed.

In a 1911, however, the gold ring is fitted into the removable bushing itself, so the bushing is removed in the ordinary way.

My recollection of the S&W 1911 pistol you speak of is that it has the unfortunate full length guide rod (FLGR). If that is the case, your difficulty is more likely related to the special procedure necessary to disassemble a 1911 that has the FLGR, rather than the presence of the Briley bushing.

You should obtain a new GI style guide rod and plug of the appropriate size (Government 5 inch or Commander 4 1/4 inch) and then disassembly is like any other 1911. I like the Ed Brown parts, and you can get them from Brown, Midway or Brownells.

Disassembly of a 1911 with the one piece FLGR requires (unless you have REALLY strong fingers) a bushing wrench to depress the open-ended plug which supports the FLGR so that the bushing can be turned. After that, the FLGR comes out the back by lifting and then the barrel removes through the front (remember to fold the link down).

Reassemble with the GI parts and you will never have this trouble again. The FLGR does NOTHING for you, and it makes disassembly more difficult by requiring a tool.

The real reason so many factories put in the FLGR is for liability protection to prevent the "press check" where you pull the slide back by placing your finger under the barrel to pull the slide back just enough to check the condition of the chamber.

With the chamber view port, this is not necessary. If you are in the dark, the forward slide serrations allow you to check the chamber by grasping the slide and pulling back, while your other hand first (trigger) finger feels for the presence of the round.

I would like to expound a bit on this. Some one-piece FLGR have a small hole drilled through the rod. The purpose of that hole is to facilitate removal of the FLGR from the gun by relieving spring pressure. To use the hole, a small portion of a paper clip or similarly-sized object is inserted into the hole after retracting the slide. The spring is then captured, and the spring pressure on the barrel bushing is not present.

If the hole is present and used in this manner to capture the recoil spring, it is very easy to slide the barrel out of battery and turn the bushing. Why slide the barrel out of battery before turning the bushing? To avoid unnecessary wear on the barrel/bushing interface since a significant portion of the 1911's accuracy comes from that interface. If possible, never rotate the barrel bushing of a 1911-pattern pistol with the barrel in battery.

The four-inch barrel means that a Commander-length GI spring plug is too long for this pistol. I would not change to a GI guide and plug in a four-inch 1911-pattern pistol due to the probability of coil bind and functioning issues. I would suggest, if the gun does not have a FLGR with the hole, procuring one for it to make takedown and assembly easier.

__________________
Scott

I don't know about everyone else, but I just never seem to have a paperclip around in the field when I need one.

Also, the S&W in question is a true Commander length barrel (4 1/4 inch), not a 4 inch barrel, so the Commander length parts work just fine.

Easier to carry a paperclip on the key chain than a bushing wrench. Since the pistol in question has a 4.25" barrel, the GI-style Commander guide rod and spring plug will be fine.

__________________
Scott

all on top of it and bless you for the knowledge .

it is a 4 1/4 " barrel and i dont believe the guide rod has the small hole .
with the factory bushing wrench provided i am getting the bushing removed ok ... no problem . i was mostly concerned with small gold ring inside . if there is little to no need for removal , well it will be left in on routine cleanings .
i am debating to swap out the guide for one from bownwells but havent done so as of now . i f there is no hassle in taking out the full length one , i am inclined to leave it in place. i know i could always switch it back but dont really feel the need. leaving the gun as it came from the factory is what i want to do.
i am not concerned about being in the field and needing a paperclip or bushing wrench ..... didnt think i wouldnt ever spend this many $ on a gun and it will have fairly limited round count put thru it . i have other guns for carry and field use and this includes a 1911 model for sure .

AND ... let say , i love this gun !! fun to shoot and pretty accurate ... and a looker for sure ! lady friend , who is a new shooter of handguns , also liked shooting the gun .
to me there are many positives on owning this very attractive , well made s&w pc model 1911 !