Recalibration Results & Range Report (Amigo)

[TucsonMTB]

It will be interesting to hear what the importer says. I don't have any guns with reverse recoil plugs like yours. Hopefully, Greg will weigh in with his greater experience with that type. However, I'm guessing that just being a little more careful to be sure the recoil spring plug is in place properly during assembly will probably be enough to prevent further wear.

Oh, and now that the gun is running well, I wouldn't mess with the extractor tension. 1911's are a little bit like women. Once the relationship is working well, try not to disturb it without an overwhelmingly important reason.

Why, yes, I have been married to the same lady for several decades . . . how did you know?!

[gb6491]

sierrajb,
Could you post a photo of the plug installed in the slide and one of the slide (without the plug) to show how the slide is machined where the plug fits?
Regards,
Greg

[sierrajb]

sierrajb,
Could you post a photo of the plug installed in the slide and one of the slide (without the plug) to show how the slide is machined where the plug fits?
Regards,
Greg

Greg, I left this pic out of the earlier post due to it's focus, but I think it's enough to show you the way things fit. Obviously, the arrow is pointing to one side of the damaged bushing. The other side looks the same way. I don't have a pic of the slide without the plug/bushing, but I can get that after work today. Is a "plug" and "bushing" the same thing? I see some 1911's that have a plug with a closed end that houses one end of the recoil spring, but this gun has an OPEN end. That's why I'm referring to it as a "bushing." Cornfused...

TucsonMTB, thanks for your input, too! Glad I don't need to mess with that extractor just yet, and glad you're a successful husband. Same here....I think. I also thought I may have misaligned the recoil assembly and bushing during the reinstall, especially since the groove on the bushing needs to match the groove on the recoil pin as both hug the bottom of the barrel. Very possible that I am the culprit here.

[TucsonMTB]

Usually, the component at the forward end of your recoil spring is referred to as a "plug".

Some 1911's have a barrel "bushing". That term is usually reserved for a component that guides the front of the barrel. Yours has a heavy, cone shaped barrel that mates directly with the slide. So, it has no bushing.



I suspect you will need to take a couple of new, clearly focused pictures to let Greg see how your bushing fits into the slide, so he can judge the wear properly.

In the meantime, I will go out on a limb and suggest that, other than appearance, you probably don't have a problem. Admittedly, there are several companies (Wilson Combat comes to mind) that make a good living supplying more durable components to replace some of the softer, faster wearing, OEM parts.

Some people obsess over that sort of thing (that would be me!) and replace many of the high stress 1911 parts with expensive, high quality parts from Wilson or Ed Brown. Usually, it is not really necessary.

[gb6491]

Greg, I left this pic out of the earlier post due to it's focus, but I think it's enough to show you the way things fit. Obviously, the arrow is pointing to one side of the damaged bushing. The other side looks the same way. I don't have a pic of the slide without the plug/bushing, but I can get that after work today. Is a "plug" and "bushing" the same thing? I see some 1911's that have a plug with a closed end that houses one end of the recoil spring, but this gun has an OPEN end. That's why I'm referring to it as a "bushing." Cornfused...

TucsonMTB, thanks for your input, too! Glad I don't need to mess with that extractor just yet, and glad you're a successful husband. Same here....I think. I also thought I may have misaligned the recoil assembly and bushing during the reinstall, especially since the groove on the bushing needs to match the groove on the recoil pin as both hug the bottom of the barrel. Very possible that I am the culprit here.

In the 1911 world, "bushing" is generally used to describe a part that fits into the front of the slide and holds/aligns the barrel in place. "Bushing less" guns (like yours) do not have this piece. These guns generally have larger diameter barrels and the front of the slide is machined to hold and align the barrel.
"Plug" is used to describe the piece that keeps the muzzle end of the recoil spring in the slide. On guns with short recoil spring guides, one end of the plug is completely closed. On guns with full length guide rods, there is an opening for the guide rod to pass through, but the muzzle end is closed enough to keep the spring in place. Some plugs install from the front of the slide and are held in place by the barrel bushing. Others (called "reverse plugs") install from the rear of the recoil spring tunnel. Reverse plugs usually have a shoulder on them (Colt did use a tab on the OACP) that mates with the back edge of the recoil spring tunnel to hold them in place.
A reverse plug's shoulder should sit flush along the edge of the tunnel (as in my photo). From your photo, it appears your plug is not sitting flush with the back edge of the recoil spring tunnel. It looks to me like it is flush at the bottom, but not so where your arrow is pointing. If this is the case, I believe your slide is not machined properly. What I guess will happen is that the plug will continue to deform as it hits the frame (BTW, a lighter weight recoil spring will make this impact more severe) until:
1. It reaches a point where the deformation stops
2. It reaches a point where due to continued deformation, it sits entirely flush with the slide
3. It breaks.
A clearer photo, similar to the one you posted, and one of the slide in that area would make for a better analysis.

Regards,
Greg

Edit; I see TucsonMTB has already done a fine job explaining plugs and bushings, sorry for the redundancy.

[sierrajb]

Greg, whatever redundancy you used, it helped the light come on for me. Now I know the difference. I'm calling my "plug" a "bushing"...much like I was using the word "clip" for "mag." Sometimes my ignorance make me laugh, but I'm loving what I'm learning. Everyone on this forum is GREAT to put up with my ignorance and extreme learning curve. Many Kudos!

I just received an email from Eagle Imports, and they want me to send the PLUG back so they can send me a new one (no charge, of course). Before I do that, I will take plenty of good, FOCUSED pictures for you to analyze.

I know the picture shows the plug is out of alignment, but it wasn't that way before the damage. Everything looked pretty tight, smooth, and flush, very similar to your picture above. I'm really hoping that it was MY fault rather than a flaw in the machining of the slide. There was a time or two that I did not put on my reading glasses when I reinstalled the recoil assembly & plug into the slide, so it's possible that the plug was not perfectly lined up with the barrel, therefore not sitting flush with the slide. If the gun will fire at all when the plug is not lined up, then it's my hope that it was shooter's error.

I'm away from my gun and from my camera, but I'll get those detailed pictures to you soon. Can't thank you all enough for your kind help!

[Bawanna]

I'm thinking that the obviously too light recoil spring that came in the gun probably didn't help matters either.

Who can say why it was put in unless they were using very mild loads or they just installed an incorrect spring unknowingly.

Hopefully the new plug along with the proper springs will get you fixed up.

[sierrajb]

Bawanna,
In an earlier post/thread I mentioned that I had read where someone with an Amigo had to change the recoil spring quite frequently "as much as you do socks." I found that thread from the 1911forums.com site. He's shot over 2700 rounds with his Amigo, so check out his findings:

I now have 2700 rounds through the Amigo and I have some additional observations.

1. All but 42 rounds have been 230gr FMJ ball of various makes and quality. No squibs though. Handled all about the same except for 100 rounds of Czech stuff from Cabella's. HATED that! 12 FTE, 4 FTL, and unburnt powder was everywhere.
2. You have to change the recoil spring a LOT! Like when you change your socks. I have put 4 in it so far and I need another. Will look into a double spring setup before I replace again.
3. The reverse recoil spring plug split at 1800ish rounds. I am sure it was do to a worn spring. Replaced it with a stainless plug.
4. This is my primary range gun and since it eats springs, I have stopped carrying it as one of my CC guns - I just don't want to think about where I possible am concerning spring life with a tool I am trusting my life to. I now carry my Para Black Watch almost exclusely and the HK45c when I plan on seriously sweating.
5. Really likes to be clean. Last time I was at the range, I wiped the ramp, ran a bore snake a couple of times and spritzed some CLP on the exposed slide rails after each 50 rounds. Ran great until my 4th recoil spring decided to start coughing and sputtering. Will replace before I go to the range again.
6. The Amigo, like every other Officer's Mdl I have ever had/shot, hates a loose grip. FTE if the grip of my primary hand isn't muscled up.

On the whole, I got a good little gun for the money and it is a platform for me to experiment with handloads, I get to tinker with a 1911 platform a little on my bench at home, I can see immediatly what works and doesn't concerning my grip and stance, and is ideal for training my thick head to concentrate on the front sight.

Apparently, Wilson makes a replacement plug for officer's 1911, and this owner replaced his with one. Says it sticks out a little, but it works better than it looks. Don't relish the thought of an ugly plug that doesn't fit flush. Here's a link for that $15 plug:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/658...tainless-steel

[Bawanna]

Said his plug split at 1800 rounds too. Might be a sign of a poor fit.

I don't know why this particular Officers Model would require springs any more than any other.

Some folks are a little over the top on recoil springs, not that they aren't important but sometimes a new spring will cover up for another issue, IE poor fit, etc.

I'll call on Greg again for his thoughts on this.

At any rate your working and a new piece is on the way, if that fails that Wilson part from Midway or I'm sure Brownell's would have something similar might be in order.

[sierrajb]

Yep! Not gonna lose sleep over it, especially since I've got all of you on KahrTalk to help. One of those tweaking things everyone's talked about. Probably time for me to bond with my trusty PM9 who feels a bit neglected lately.