Bushingless 1911?

[JES Consulting]

Hello All.

Any info on bushingless 1911. Is it easier to take a part?

Thank you

 

[Scrivener]

I have 2 bushingless 1911's. Not hard to get the slide off at all; it's getting the full-length guide rod out that's the challenge.

One uses a two-piece rod that unscrews; the other uses a cut-off Allen wrench to secure the spring in the compressed position. The whole spring/rod/plug assembly is then removed in one piece when the slide is off.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I don't like the two piece type since they tend to come unscrewed when the gun is assembled, and you can use an improvised tool to tighten them. The one piece type needs a tool but it doesn't have to be a cut off allen wrench - a bent paperclip works just find, and I've even used a single staple (Arrow T50, the type used for stapling cardboard targets to frames) bent into the correct shape in a pinch.

I consider the one piece guiderod to be a bit easier to take apart than a conventional 1911, especially if you have a tight busing on the conventional gun.

I generally get my 1911s "bushingless", however, I'll be making an exception and having a single stack made with a bushing since that's required for USPSA single stack division.

 

[PaulD]

Is it possible to convert any 1911 to bushingless? If so, where can I get the parts?

Thanks.

 

[drgrant]

Two piece guide rods suck. They will unscrew themselves under
recoil, generally speaking.

The one on my bowling pin gun has a hole in the side where you
insert a paperclip into when the slide is locked back; then you
"unload" the thing onto the paperclip; then you carefully fish the
whole thing out from the slide after you take it off the gun.

I think dawson precision? makes a split guide rod that simplifies
all of this a bit. Otherwise, they're definitely MORE of a pain in
the ass to take apart than a bushing-equipped 1911.

Edit: don't take the above the wrong way- I'd rather strip down and reassemble
100 bushingless 1911s before I am forced to rip down and reassemble a ruger MK II/III


-Mike

 

[drgrant]

Is it possible to convert any 1911 to bushingless? If so, where can I get the parts?

Thanks.

A bull barrel or bull barrel w/comp getting fitted and installed will get
you there. You will need to change the recoil spring guide rod and
the plug, more than likely, as well.

Personally I wouldn't even bother with the idea unless it's a special
application or you want to add a compensator to the gun, etc. All
my 1911s shoot way better than I do regardless of barrel.

-Mike

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Otherwise, they're definitely MORE of a pain in the ass to take apart than a bushing-equipped 1911.

Not if you're talking about a bushing 1911 fitted tightly enough to require a bushing wrench.