1911 Barrel Bushing Warping

[Anachronism327]

So, I was doing some maintenance on my KJ MEU and I've noticed that my barrel bushing had bent a little on the portion over the recoil spring stop. Flash back a few days before, and I've noticed the same thing on my friend's TM 1911 with PGC metal kit. The gun fire fine, just irks me upon close inspection. 

 

Any other 1911 users have this issue? If so, other than just replacing it (because I'm cheap), is there a way to prevent it? Both his and my pistols have seen thousands upon thousands of round run through them. 

 

Naturally, I'm gonna order a new barrel bushing and probably run the old one until it break (if it ever does). Any suggestions on what brand to go with? I'd prefer a worth-the-money, drop in, bushing. 

 

Thanks in advance

[ED-SKaR]

With the TM design, the recoil spring cup has a lip on it that prevents it from coming out the front of the slide, on a RS 1911 the recoil spring cup comes out of the front of the slide when you dissasemble it, held in place with the bushing.

 

Essentially on a TM (or copy, like KJ) the barrel bushing is only for holding the outer barrel steady. As long as it keeps doing that, there is no reason to replace it.

[renegadecow]

Real steel actually come in both. The one with the lip is a later invention called a reverse recoil spring plug. In regular plugs the bushing is under constant pressure whereas the reverse merely keeps the bushing from rotating. However, if the plug is just a hair too long then it will be pushing against the bushing and in some cheaper examples, eventually breaks it. If you find the case to be a long plug for you then you can simply file down the front of the plug or put a thin spacer like an o-ring or even a cut up plastic folder on the lip to move the plug back when installed.

 

edit: forgot to mention the option of ditching the plug altogether and use a bull barrel.