[lonyaeger]

Very well done, Dude! We appreciate it.

[Drrhein]

Did the lapping procedure yesterday just as you described. Was amazed to see where the high spots were when changing grits, not at all where I thought. Smooth as butter now. Will go to the range tomorrow and shoot 100 rounds. If the slide doesn't hesitate I'll consider the problem solved. I'm also trying a new ammo, Speer Lawman clean-fire which I've heard is 90% cleaner than wally world ammo. I've also read that the ammo got a bad rep a while back because of overly hard primers. However Speer assured me that that problem was solved so I'm giving that a try. I'll take pics of the Springfield after I'm done. With wally world ammo the first inch and a half back from the muzzle is usually black so we'll see if that improves with the clean-fire.

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by Drrhein

Did the lapping procedure yesterday just as you described. Was amazed to see where the high spots were when changing grits, not at all where I thought. Smooth as butter now. Will go to the range tomorrow and shoot 100 rounds. If the slide doesn't hesitate I'll consider the problem solved. I'm also trying a new ammo, Speer Lawman clean-fire which I've heard is 90% cleaner than wally world ammo. I've also read that the ammo got a bad rep a while back because of overly hard primers. However Speer assured me that that problem was solved so I'm giving that a try. I'll take pics of the Springfield after I'm done. With wally world ammo the first inch and a half back from the muzzle is usually black so we'll see if that improves with the clean-fire.

Drrhein, tell everyone how hard the lapping process was.

Cake walk! And a great job for anyone to do to improve the cycling of your 1911. With the slide lapped-in, you can now experiment with spring weights fine-tuning your cycle time without the friction variable.

[Drrhein]

Took me all afternoon, maybe 6 hours. Arm is still sore. must've taken several hundred cycles per grit before achieving that "grit used up" feeling. This is labor intensive so I can't help but wonder how the factory does it?

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by Drrhein

Took me all afternoon, maybe 6 hours. Arm is still sore. must've taken several hundred cycles per grit before achieving that "grit used up" feeling. This is labor intensive so I can't help but wonder how the factory does it?

Labor (time) intense yes, but other than elbow grease, only medium skillz required.

On most production guns, they don't. (~<$1,500 guns)

I'm sure you have heard of the term "hand fitting"?

Well you now have a slide that's "hand fitted" for your 1911.



Did you get to the range today? Inquiring minds need to know!

[Drrhein]

Finally got to the range today to fire my Springfield 1911A1 Loaded match, after performing Cane's slide-lap procedure..

The difference is amazing!! SSooo smooth, didn't hesitate or miss a beat. Shot 100 rounds and was so pleased I shot another 100. No failures of any kind just workmanlike performance, as it should be right out of the box. Even after 200 rounds, the slide is smooth as butter and the binding, gritty action is gone.

Sadly, the companies that build firearms today have shaved the dime so close that what you get for the thousand dollar mid-range price still needs hand fitting.

Hats off to Cane for this wonderful bit of effort to show us how it's done..

[Wyatt Earp]

Thank you Cane for the informative post. I've thought about lapping my 1911's in the past and I have a couple of questions. I'm sure, as with any good thing, lapping can be taken too far. What signs of when "enough is enough" and if taken too far can accuracy be affected in the negative? I'm worried that I'll just be introducing normal wear faster and would require refitting of the slide sooner rather than later. If my weapons function properly and I don't have any concerns would I be better off leaving well enough alone? Do my concerns make any sense? Thanks for any and all knowledgeable opinions.

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by Wyatt Earp

Thank you Cane for the informative post. I've thought about lapping my 1911's in the past and I have a couple of questions. I'm sure, as with any good thing, lapping can be taken too far. What signs of when "enough is enough" and if taken too far can accuracy be affected in the negative? I'm worried that I'll just be introducing normal wear faster and would require refitting of the slide sooner rather than later. If my weapons function properly and I don't have any concerns would I be better off leaving well enough alone? Do my concerns make any sense? Thanks for any and all knowledgeable opinions.

As a retired engineer I will share with you my well/over used mantra; "Never change a running assembly." What's to gain? You will need to run your scheduled PMs which should include lube and visual inspections. Only make changes when indicated.

[JonM]

very interresting i think even i would be able to do that.

all my 1911's rattle like toddlers in a toys'r'us.

i take i wouldnt need to do that for loose 1911's. i dont have feed issues with any of mine.

sorry if it seems im being dense.

[Wenonah]

Originally Posted by JonM

very interresting i think even i would be able to do that.

all my 1911's rattle like toddlers in a toys'r'us.

i take i wouldnt need to do that for loose 1911's. i dont have feed issues with any of mine.

sorry if it seems im being dense.

I wouldn't worry about lapping a loose 1911 unless it is misbehaving in some way. I would also be hesitant to lap an aluminum frame unless I had someplace already set up to anodize it after it had been lapped. It's probably OK without the anodized finish but I can't help thinking that the additional hardness would help reduce wear.