1911 Barrel/Slide Interface Fix

[vilerk]

I recently finished a NOVA/TM Kimber build for a friend, and every so often, the slide would return forward at a sluggish pace.  This happens when the outer barrel is farther forward than normal, which causes it to rub against the slide.  I've found this issue to be prevalent most on TM system 1911s and Glocks due to the hop up units free floating nature inside the outer barrel.    Anyways, at first, I tried putting a spring over the outer barrel, which was held in by the barrel bushing.  This worked, but added too much additional stress to the action and it didn't really help barrel lockup.  So I experimented and ended up with this:



The o-rings I used were 16mm OD and 1.8mm thick.  It works by reducing the range the outer barrel can tilt, so even if it slides forward, it will not jam against the slide.  

Now the outer barrel does not wobble anymore when in battery and the slide never hangs up, so I think I can call this a success.  Hopefully this mod can be of use to you 1911 owners out there.  

[kenxin]

Nova barrel chambers are too fat and sometimes they can act as you describe. A more traditional solution to this particular nova problem is just sanding the chamber (and the lugs, when necessary) until the problem disappears.

 

Most people just get a steel barrel since Nova barrels are somewhat annoying to fix.

 

Props for such an innovative solution.