drop-in 1911 barrels

You didn't use a polymer Shok Buff...from Wilson Combat or anyone else did you? Those polymer things are known for coming apart and tying up a gun at the worst possible moment.

I've used those things before but I'm not sure they do anything, so I stopped using them. I did have one come out in pieces upon disassembly one time, but it didn't tie up the gun while I was shooting. I didn't have one in the pistol that locked up.
 
I used a Group Gripper in a Colt for a while and did see some accuracy improvement. Oner day, however, the slide locked up and I couldn't pull it back but about a half-inch. Fortunately, the pistol was not loaded. A gunsmith finally managed to open it. Maybe a rare instance, but I haven't used the Group Gripper since.

You didn't use a polymer Shok Buff...from Wilson Combat or anyone else did you? Those polymer things are known for coming apart and tying up a gun at the worst possible moment.

That is a first for me. Have never heard of a Group Gripper locking up a gun. Have seen the Shok-Buffer come apart and tie thing up. Also have seen a recoil spring get twisted and lock one up.
 
That is a first for me. Have never heard of a Group Gripper locking up a gun. Have seen the Shok-Buffer come apart and tie thing up. Also have seen a recoil spring get twisted and lock one up.

Probably some anomaly...never heard of one doing that either. It comes down to anything made by man can break.
 
Decades ago I did try a Group Gripper. Yes, it does improve the rear lock up of the barrel. The Gripper's recoil spring guide rod contains a leaf spring that engages a step on the Gripper's barrel link, pushing up on the link and forcing the barrel up and fully engaging the barrel's top locking lugs with the slide. The downside is reliability. The spring will eventually wear and, although rare, it is possible for it to tie up the barrel link.

I have also used shock buffers. On most 1911's, I think they are a waste of money, they shorten the travel distance of the slide, sometimes enough to affect the slide stop's ability to engage the slide after the last round is fired. The reduced slide travel distance also makes reloading from slide lock nearly impossible via the slingshot method. I think they do have a benefit with 1911's chambered in 10mm Auto as that, in full power form, imparts a lot more rearward momentum into the slide during firing.

Long linking a 1911 barrel will improve lock up, but it also delays unlocking during recoil. The delayed unlocking can result in the edges of the slide's lug recesses dragging on and peening the edges of the barrel's radial lugs. The long link can also result in the bottom lug suffering a hard impact with the receiver's barrel bed, this can cause the bottom lug to crack and break. The bottom edge of the barrel's feed ramp will also be positioned further to the rear at full unlock and this can cause feed jams. I'm not a fan of long linking.
 
Decades ago I did try a Group Gripper. Yes, it does improve the rear lock up of the barrel. The Gripper's recoil spring guide rod contains a leaf spring that engages a step on the Gripper's barrel link, pushing up on the link and forcing the barrel up and fully engaging the barrel's top locking lugs with the slide. The downside is reliability. The spring will eventually wear and, although rare, it is possible for it to tie up the barrel link.

I have also used shock buffers. On most 1911's, I think they are a waste of money, they shorten the travel distance of the slide, sometimes enough to affect the slide stop's ability to engage the slide after the last round is fired. The reduced slide travel distance also makes reloading from slide lock nearly impossible via the slingshot method. I think they do have a benefit with 1911's chambered in 10mm Auto as that, in full power form, imparts a lot more rearward momentum into the slide during firing.

Long linking a 1911 barrel will improve lock up, but it also delays unlocking during recoil. The delayed unlocking can result in the edges of the slide's lug recesses dragging on and peening the edges of the barrel's radial lugs. The long link can also result in the bottom lug suffering a hard impact with the receiver's barrel bed, this can cause the bottom lug to crack and break. The bottom edge of the barrel's feed ramp will also be positioned further to the rear at full unlock and this can cause feed jams. I'm not a fan of long linking.


Like you I have tried the Grouper Gripper and the Shok-Buffer. Neither are in either of my M1911's.
The long link has no lace in a combat/self defense pistol. I have only used them in Bullseye pistols.

I have two M1911 formats both by Colt. One is a 1958 Government in .45 ACP that I use for a carry piece. The other is an original Series 70 Gold Cup . Neither has a need for a Group Griper or the Shok-Buffer. But there are some that will still use them.
 
The vast majority of 1911 owners would never know the difference between a fitted match barrel and a stock one. Most never test their guns for accuracy at ranges which would actually determine the gun's potential accuracy.

You're probably right. It seem many don't do serious bench shooting with handguns so don't really know the accuracy capability of their guns.

I shoot bullseye style, not very well and not competitively. However, after having a couple of 1911s worked over by Clark Custom, I could see a noticeable accuracy difference at 25 yards. I don't think the improvement could be attributed to an increased skill level on my part.
 
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You're probably right. It seem many don't do serious bench shooting with handguns so don't really know the accuracy capability of their guns.

I shoot bullseye style, not very well and not competitively. However, after having a couple of 1911s worked over by Clark Custom, I could see a noticeable accuracy difference at 25 yards. I don't think the improvement could be attributed to an increased skill level on my part.

To find the real accuracy of a handgun a Ransom Rest is the best I have found. My three best are my Colt Series 70 Gold Cup in .45 ACP, my S&W 52-1 in .38 Special and a custom built PPC S&W revolver by A.F. Behlert in .38 Special.
 
You're probably right. It seem many don't do serious bench shooting with handguns so don't really know the accuracy capability of their guns.

I shoot bullseye style, not very well and not competitively. However, after having a couple of 1911s worked over by Clark Custom, I could see a noticeable accuracy difference at 25 yards. I don't think the improvement could be attributed to an increased skill level on my part.
You may be surprised to know how much the mental aspect affects off hand shooting. Confidence in one's equipment plays a big part. Having said that, there comes a point in some people's shooting sessions where the shots are regularly not on call and it is obvious that the shooter is outshooting the handgun. Many years ago this occurred to me while shooting at 50 yards.
 
To find the real accuracy of a handgun a Ransom Rest is the best I have found. My three best are my Colt Series 70 Gold Cup in .45 ACP, my S&W 52-1 in .38 Special and a custom built PPC S&W revolver by A.F. Behlert in .38 Special.
Also, a gun/ ammo combo might shoot really well at 25 yards and be a stinker at 50!
 
You may be surprised to know how much the mental aspect affects off hand shooting. Confidence in one's equipment plays a big part. Having said that, there comes a point in some people's shooting sessions where the shots are regularly not on call and it is obvious that the shooter is outshooting the handgun. Many years ago this occurred to me while shooting at 50 yards.

I appreciate the insight and I agree with your comments, but it may be a while before I'm outshooting my equipment. I only shoot fifty yards occasionally and it's usually a shameful experience.
 
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