1911 bull barrel / bushingless reassembly

[Lou_the_welder]

Hello all!
How do you reassemble a 1911 slide when the barrel has no barrel bushing- with a two piece guide rod. That is the question.

The way I do it, is unscrew the guide rod. Remove the slide stop. Pull out the slide from the frame, holding the slide with my hand. Slowly let go of the spring and bottom part of the guide rod - then pull the barrel forward.

The way I assemble- i think has always been wrong. Since this setup is not a conventional type 1911 barrel with bushing.

I install the barrel. Put that tube in before the spring. Push the spring in with the bottom part of the guide rod. Hold it in with my hand. Tighten the rest of the two piece guide rod, hand tight. Slide in the frame. Install slide stop. Tighten guide rod with allen wrench. And that's it.

Is this it? Is there any easier way? What say ye'

 

[03hemi]

Hello all!
How do you reassemble a 1911 slide when the barrel has no barrel bushing- with a two piece guide rod. That is the question.

The way I do it, is unscrew the guide rod. Remove the slide stop. Pull out the slide from the frame, holding the slide with my hand. Slowly let go of the spring and bottom part of the guide rod - then pull the barrel forward.

The way I assemble- i think has always been wrong. Since this setup is not a conventional type 1911 barrel with bushing.

I install the barrel. Put that tube in before the spring. Push the spring in with the bottom part of the guide rod. Hold it in with my hand. Slide in the frame. Install slide stop. Finally screw in the guide rod. And that's it.

Is this it? Is there any easier way? What say ye'

As long as you're not giving it an idiot scratch that's really all that matters.
I have many 1911's, but none of mine are bushingless.

 

[Greyman50]

Tried guide rods years ago when they first came out, they sit in my parts box looking as new as when they were installed. Not a fan..

 

[03hemi]

I have both short and long, personally don't see any performance advantage or disadvantage in either other than the long are a little more tedious in disassembling. Probably my favorite three, all long guide rods.

(offline image)

 

[Lou_the_welder]

Last night, I went poking around and stumbled onto the owners manual online. Apparently, the way I've been putting it back together, however messy, is exactly the way to do it.
I did see , that they have guide rods that have holes in em, to make dissembly easier. I don't know if something like that can be adapted. It seems like a neat idea.

Just that, pushing the recoil spring in by hand with the bottom part of the guide rod, without being able to capture it in some way, seems kinda nuts. I end up screwing in the rest of the guide rod , just to get the slide on.
But if that's the way it is, that's the way it is.

Side question now would be , if anyone has adapted a different guide rod system , on a bushingless/ bull barrel, 1911 slide system.

Lou.

 

[03hemi]

Last night, I went poking around and stumbled onto the owners manual online. Apparently, the way I've been putting it back together, however messy, is exactly the way to do it.
I did see , that they have guide rods that have holes in em, to make dissembly easier. I don't know if something like that can be adapted. It seems like a neat idea.

Just that, pushing the recoil spring in by hand with the bottom part of the guide rod, without being able to capture it in some way, seems kinda nuts. I end up screwing in the rest of the guide rod , just to get the slide on.
But if that's the way it is, that's the way it is.

Side question now would be , if anyone has adapted a different guide rod system , on a bushingless/ bull barrel, 1911 slide system.

Lou.

That's how my Wilson/Colt disassembles, it has a bull Barrel but it has a hole through the guide rod to insert a paper clip to hold it back while taking it apart. You can go either way, bushing or bushingless.

 

[Baxter6551]

I have a two piece guide rod in my commander. Sounds like similar process with yours.
If you choose to try another type of guide rod check Evolution gun works or Wilson Combat.

1911 Guide Rod Kits for Gov't, Commander & Officer's | EGW

Improve reliability in your 1911 with a premium guide rod kit from EGW. We manufacture one-piece, full-length kits for Government, Commander, and Officer's models.

egwguns.com

1911 Guide Rods and Plugs - Wilson Combat

Wilson Combat has been the innovator in custom pistols, long guns, and accessories since 1977. Home of the Wilson Combat 1911, EDC X9, WCP320, and more!

wilsoncombat.com

 

[bananaman]

There are videos on the internet on this. I made tools out of a paper clip that hold the spring compressed with the slide opened. then disassemble as usual. I know that I am not giving explanation, but it works. RIA Tactical II in .40. Bob

 

[Rock185]

Lou, with the 2 piece guide rod, I used to do it as you describe. For some years now, I have used an EGW or 10-8 reverse closed end recoil spring plug, and regular GI type guide rod. So no special tools, trick guide rods, paper clips, etc. required. Just pull slide stop, remove slide assy., GI guide rod, recoil spring, plug and barrel. Reassemble in reverse order..

 

[bigggbbruce]

Never mind

 

[cowboy94916]

On my STI Edge they supplied a tool. I had inherited the STI from a close friend and the tool was missing. I didn't realize that until after we had started disposing of things while preping his house for sale. I finally called Stacatto who clued me in when i couldn't get it back together after cleaning. We looked high and low afte that while cleaning out the last of the items from his gun room. No luck. Fortunatly, the customer service at Staccato were able to fix me up along with instructions on how to. After that life was good. Still miss my buddy, great guy he was Vietnam 68-69 Marine, think of him evvery time i shoot that STI.

 

[Lou_the_welder]

Lou, with the 2 piece guide rod, I used to do it as you describe. For some years now, I have used an EGW or 10-8 reverse closed end recoil spring plug, and regular GI type guide rod. So no special tools, trick guide rods, paper clips, etc. required. Just pull slide stop, remove slide assy., GI guide rod, recoil spring, plug and barrel. Reassemble in reverse order..
View attachment 777112

That's it ! Nice 9mm's and bushingless.
Would you recommend going your route? Putting caps and a GI rod?
Would it make assembly easier??
Those are cool setups.

 

[CH4]

Although I have a couple bull barrel 1911, all my others have bushings and GÌ guide rods, not those silly FL jokers.

 

[stansdds]

Lou, with the 2 piece guide rod, I used to do it as you describe. For some years now, I have used an EGW or 10-8 reverse closed end recoil spring plug, and regular GI type guide rod. So no special tools, trick guide rods, paper clips, etc. required. Just pull slide stop, remove slide assy., GI guide rod, recoil spring, plug and barrel. Reassemble in reverse order..
View attachment 777112

Closed end reverse plug for a standard guide rod, I was unaware of these things! If I ever get a 1911 that uses a bull barrel, I'll have to remember this.

 

[SHODriver]

If you want to keep the FLGR and save yourself some headaches you can buy a Toolless guide rod from Dawson Precision. It has a lever that's kept in place by spring pressure that you press up and into the path of the guide rod plug with the slide at full lock. It's way easier than dealing with two piece assemblies or paperclips.

 

[armorer951]

Several years ago, I built a 10mm that utilizes a Schuemann Ultimatch bull barrel and a reverse plug. The two piece guide rod has a small hole that can be used for removal of the guide rod assembly without taking it apart completely, capturing the guide rod, spring and reverse plug so that they can be lifted out after the slide is removed.

When I want to access the individual components, I disassemble the gun the way you describe, removing (unscrewing) the front leg of the guide rod and carefully capturing the spring and remaining components with my hand as the slide is removed.






Carter

 

[Rock185]

Lou, The GI length guide rod and closed end reverse plug make assembly/disassembly very easy for me. I know many owners of 1911 type pistols don't want to mess with bull barrels and associated assembly/disassembly complications; I get it, I didn't like having to mess with that stuff either. But with the method I've described, there is none of that stuff.