ltwguns.com

First of all, I would like to thank the people that created this forum. I have yet to find one with as much information as I've found here. Awesome pictures and an A class collection of members/gunsmiths pooling knowledge together. Just spectacular. Keep up the great work.

Now to my dilemma. I have a Colt 45 Series 80 that I've been slowly tweaking for the past 2yrs. I've recently discovered after a mishap that my frame holes are now way out of spec, and my old slide is now useless. The sear hole now measures .115", hammer hole at .162", and slide stop hole at .205". I've tried to find pins that can fit the new measurements, but I was unsuccessful. Of all the high quality parts I've researched, they are usually made to exact OEM dimensions. They are off by .005" which from what my caliper shows, is alot. What can I do?

Right now, I'm considering on ordering some round drill rods and drill bits from Brownell with the exact diameter and create my own pins. As for the slide stop, I'm gonna cross my fingers and order the EGW slide stop hoping it will fill the hole up tightly.

Here's some pics to show what I've been doing, don't laugh...


This is what it looked like when I first got it.


This is what it looks like now. I did the checkering, by hand at 30lpi, myself. I had to retire my old slide and replace it with the current one now.

I'm all out of ideas, please help.

twong, I suppose you could buy some drill blanks and have someone turn some oversize pins for you, but then you would have to ream the hammer and sear to accept the new pins. The slide stop would have to be modified with the old pin removed and a new one fitted. Trying to bush up the holes and ream them to the correct diameter would not be cost effective assuming you could find someone to do it. The most economical thing is to replace the frame, but given the work you have done on it (and the fact that you busted your a** on the checkering), perhaps you could find a really good welder to buzz up the holes and have them redrilled/reamed to print. I do have one comment though: Are you sure your calipers are accurate? It seems strange that every hole is off by .005! Best,

_________________
Don Williams
http://www.theactionworks.com
http://www.ltwguns.com

My thoughts exactly, Don. Twong, can you maybe find a local shop that would have a set of gage pins to get a more accurate idea of your pin sizes? The smaller the shop the better (less tendencey to turn you away). Barring that maybe a set of number drills that could be used as gage pins, they would give you a decent idea (but gage pins would be the ultimate). Calipers are not ideal for measuring holes, and the smaller the hole the greater the error is liable to be (but usually to the small side).

Welcome aboard TWong. Good to see you here.

As has been pointed out already, if you're positive that you're measurements are correct, search out someone locally that is GOOD with a TIG. A little reaming/drilling afterward, and you'll be able to salvage.

_________________
CT Brian Custom
'Blending Art With Firepower'

I am the rookie here, but.....my advice? Send that bad boy to Don Williams or Chuck Rogers and let them work some magic on it !

Theses gentlemen are absolute PROFESSIONALS! I have had work done by them and swore that the 1911 they sent back was not the same one I sent them..... ...

They were so purdy, I didn't want to shoot'em....(But I did! )

MaceWindu

Great advice on using gauge pins. I would be very suprised if your measurements didnt change using gauge pins. if you find out with the gauge pins that your holes are not as far out of spec as you think now you may be able to use the marvel oversize sear and hammer pins that brownells sells. http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ ... D+SEAR+PIN


Good luck

_________________
RandyAdams
.http://www.firebladesystems.com
Specializing in Custom 1911s,Tactical Shotguns and Performance Glocks.

Thanks for all your responses. I'm glad I wasn't shunned away from getting any advise. I'll strip the frame tonight and remeasure the holes. I'm hoping that I'm wrong.

I did double check the caliper with my micrometer and the measurements were the same though. I will try the gauge technique to measure it this time.

I guess everyone's wondering why the measurements seem so consistently off. Well..., my mishap happened when I was trying to remove the old finish with Brownell Steel White. Apparently I didn't know and the instructions didn't tell me that there was going to be some staining when removing the finish. So after dunking the parts for a while, I couldn't see any finish being removed. So I opted to a more potent solution. Diluted HCl. The solution was so powerful that it actually reduced alot of the measurements by .005" which rendered my slide useless, and of course my new frame dimensions. Luckily the new Caspian slide was slightly oversized so with a little rapping on the frame rails, I was able to get a tight lock up again. All I can say is, "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME."

I wish I could accept my losses and start from scratch with a new frame, but due to my current location, I can't purchase a frame unless it's a completely built and functional gun. I live in NYC.

Thanks for researching this Randy. The two companies I've found for oversize pins are Marvel and C&S. If my holes are actually those dimensions, then neither company would make one large enough for them.

I did find something from C&S that might solve by problem, but I'll have to call them to double check. In their website, they will ream out and install oversize pins for a economical price. I think the cost of welding and redrilling will probably cost more even though it should be the better option to take.

CT: Thanks for the invite. Can't wait till our project is finally in my hands.

Anyways, more research and more measurements.

Another pic on my first checkering. I'm just glad I didn't screw up there.

twong,
That is pretty impressive checkering, especially for your first time!

definately not a bad job of checkering for the first time. looks better than my first.

Thanks for the compliments. I got a tip from someone that you need to be really patient when checkering and not try to do it all in a day. I pretty much forced myself to put down the file after 2hrs each day so I can rest my eyes and regain focus for the next day. I must admit that staring at shiny triangles with a light angled to bring them out did put a strain on my eyes. And you can get lost so easily when you start using the 60degree file to bring out the points. After a week, the patience definitely paid off. Not to mention the satisfaction. I must commend the old fashioned hand checkers out there. It is still an art that I don't think machinery can replace.

Here's another pic of a 40lpi hand checkering I did. It definitely wasn't as hard to do as the front strap was. Too bad it is on the slide I ruined. All that means is more checkering to do.



Well, I stripped everything apart tonight and remeasured the holes with the gauge pins. Sad to say, the measurements are exact. Now that we know definitely what I'm dealing with, what would be the best thing for me to do? As of now, I have three plans of attack:

1) Ream out the frame, sear and hammer and make custom pins,
2) TIG weld the holes and ream them to spec (which I won't be able to do myself),
or
3) Send it off to Don Williams or Chuck Rogers to do some magic.

I like the second option because parts will always be readily available if I need them. The first option seems to be the simple fix, but will cause part replacement problems in the future. Lastly, I don't even know if any gunsmiths out there are willing to take the challenge of repairing my frame.

What to do, what to do?