Tight barrel bushing on 639

[Edogg]

I just picked up a model 639 and when trying to disassemble it, I found that the barrel bushing is very tight. All the disassembly videos on YouTube showed people rotating the bushing and wiggling it out. But on mine, I had to use a 1911 bushing tool to move it and it’s so tight that I can’t wiggle it out.

Any thoughts on what I could do to remove it more easily? I’d love to be able to pull the barrel out to clean and lube things properly.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I would start with Ye Olde Standby of shooting it, letting it break in.
IIRC a tight fitting bushing contributes to accuracy.

 

[stansdds]

A few years ago there a post here on the forums about stainless barrel bushings that did not fit as drop-in parts. I suspect these might have been semi-finished bushings that got out of the factory, so it may be that you have one that was fit to your Model 639. The other possibility is that someone may have built up the outside diameter of your bushing, then machined it or simply filed it until it had a very tight fit in the slide in an effort to improve accuracy. Fitted bushings are pretty common in the M-1911 world.

 

[Edogg]

Thanks for the education. I’ll hold off on cleaning it for a few hundred rounds and see if that helps. Since I bought it from a dealer on GB, there’s no history on it.

Here’s a picture of the muzzle if that helps.

 

[gmborkovic]

Wait a minute. Is the bushing just tight in the slide or around the straight
cut barrel? If you are worried about cleaning, just run a swab down the barrel. Does the gun function like it should? Edogg, just shoot it and use the 45 wrench. You got a tight bushing. If it bugs you, buy a new one.

 

[Yendor357]

I seldom field strip my pistols. Brush everything out with Hoppes. Let it set for a few minutes. Blast it out with my favorite de-greaser. Lube it up later.

 

[Edogg]

Wait a minute. Is the bushing just tight in the slide or around the straight
cut barrel? If you are worried about cleaning, just run a swab down the barrel. Does the gun function like it should? Edogg, just shoot it and use the 45 wrench. You got a tight bushing. If it bugs you, buy a new one.

I’m not sure where the tightness comes from, whether it’s tight in the slide or around the barrel. I only had the chance to run about 4 mags though it when I picked it up, but it functioned just fine. Given that, maybe the tightness is in the slide.

But it seems that the convention wisdom is that this is a-ok so I won’t worry about it.

 

[Edogg]

I seldom field strip my pistols. Brush everything out with Hoppes. Let it set for a few minutes. Blast it out with my favorite de-greaser. Lube it up later.

I don’t clean my guns very often either. I used to, but the time just isn’t there anymore. But when I get a new gun, I like to strip it to give it an initial once over and lube as needed.

 

[gmborkovic]

Great! now just go shoot it.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Interchangeable parts-won't. Bought some M639/659 barrels off Ebay at a good price-the small radiused cut where the base of the guide rod seats wasn't cut deep enough. Fortunately that seller took returns.

 

[VASCAR2]

Edogg, I’m curious if you removed the slide from the frame before trying to remove the barrel bushing?

The S&W manual for the second generation 439/539/639, 459/559/659 advises to remove the magazine. Cock the hammer then move the slide to the rear to where the slide catch lever can be pushed out. Once the slide is off the frame push the recoil spring/guide rod forward enough to lift free of the notch in the underside of the barrel. Once the recoil spring and guide rod are removed then rotate the barrel bushing. Once the barrel bushing is removed the barrel can then be removed from the slide.


I’ve never tried to remove the barrel bushing on S&W second Gen pistols like you would a 1911. I’m not sure there is enough clearance with the 639’s full length recoil spring guide rod to move the barrel bushing, but it would be difficult even with a bushing wrench.