Coonan 1911 cracked slide??

Agreed with Ben for the most part. Any clue what your neighbor used to weld it? I assume a mig, but was it done at home vs. a shop? I know our 480v welders can really crank the voltage/amperage up. Im wondering if a nice strong burn in pass followed by stitching over it might be the way to go. We have welded some crazy shit at my work before..
 
84ta406 said:
Agreed with Ben for the most part. Any clue what your neighbor used to weld it? I assume a mig, but was it done at home vs. a shop? I know our 480v welders can really crank the voltage/amperage up. Im wondering if a nice strong burn in pass followed by stitching over it might be the way to go. We have welded some crazy shit at my work before..
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The problem your going to get is not the right alloy filler and the weld is going to be harder like a file. The plate is tough but not super hard so it will flex .
From the picture that weld is going to keep break since it's a flex point.
You could take a big rose bud tip to it after welding heat up the area till a magnet falls off then try to control it with the torch letting it slowly cool down . Or toss it in a oven and let it slowly cool down .

When I used to repair cast iron exhaust manifolds I would have a tub sand with with a friend getting if hot with a rose bud tip Z weld toss it in and cover with sand . So it will cool slowly.
 
84ta406 said:
Agreed with Ben for the most part. Any clue what your neighbor used to weld it? I assume a mig, but was it done at home vs. a shop? I know our 480v welders can really crank the voltage/amperage up. Im wondering if a nice strong burn in pass followed by stitching over it might be the way to go. We have welded some crazy shit at my work before..
Click to expand...

Yeah what Ben said makes sense. My neighbor did this in his yard. I watched him do it and it took him like 30-40 minutes if I recall. I think he was just using a mig welder but not sure.

Its definitely a flex point for sure as you guys pointed out. I think it would have held up longer if I didn't shoot it with rifle calibers. I noticed it started cracking in early summer and stopped shooting it with rifle and used it for pistol only. But I think it was too late as 30-06 and 7.62x39 did enough damage to crack the weld and then it was all downhill from there.

I think once I get it welded back, it should last a while with only 9mm - 44 mag hitting it?
 
We have some of those fancy heat retention blankets, wrap the part and come back a few hours later. I used to use them when I had to weld rear end tubes to cast iron center sections with nickle rod.

Been toying with the idea of some AR500 sheets and cutting the shapes I want out at work on the laser.
 
warwickben said:
The problem your going to get is not the right alloy filler and the weld is going to be harder like a file. The plate is tough but not super hard so it will flex .
From the picture that weld is going to keep break since it's a flex point.
You could take a big rose bud tip to it after welding heat up the area till a magnet falls off then try to control it with the torch letting it slowly cool down . Or toss it in a oven and let it slowly cool down .

When I used to repair cast iron exhaust manifolds I would have a tub sand with with a friend getting if hot with a rose bud tip Z weld toss it in and cover with sand . So it will cool slowly.
Click to expand...

Any chance you may able to weld it back for me?? I got plenty of ammo I could trade for your time and supplies [smile]. Or just give ya some $ lol. I wouldn't be in any rush as I have a spare target head. I'm pretty closeby to you I think. But I don't mean to put you on the spot, no worries if you can't. I just thought I'd ask.

I'd ask 84ta but I don't get out to Paxton very often lol.
 
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84ta406 said:
We have some of those fancy heat retention blankets, wrap the part and come back a few hours later. I used to use them when I had to weld rear end tubes to cast iron center sections with nickle rod.

Been toying with the idea of some AR500 sheets and cutting the shapes I want out at work on the laser.
Click to expand...

I'll pay you for a gremlin cut out . Not gizmo the mogwai....
 
The fix is what I thought - nice generous radius on the cut.
I doubt you will see any more trouble with it.

Sent from my C6530 using Tapatalk
 
pastera said:
The fix is what I thought - nice generous radius on the cut.
I doubt you will see any more trouble with it.

Sent from my C6530 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yeah you were right on! I sure hope it won't give me anymore trouble.
 
Well this is getting kinda old. It appears my barrel bushing has developed a crack?

View attachment 160552View attachment 160553

Good thing I decided to clean it last night...

Anyway, I just sent Coonan another email with photos.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the replacement slide they sent me? Maybe the original bushing wasn't the proper size/fit for the new slide? Not sure.

Good thing is that the slide is still holding up well with no cracks! Lol.
 
That bushing looks cracked from something being out of round. From my experience a crack like that occurs when something is squeezed from both sides 90* from the crack.
 
In God We Trust said:
I have been drooling over one of these. I wonder if the design is just not right for a hot round like .357?

Seems to be a manufacturing defect for sure
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Thats what I've wondered but I chatted with guys on the 1911 forums who claim they have 20k rounds through theirs with no issues.

I think I got a Coonan with a bad batch of steel? I am using my warm reloads but nothing more than factory 357 mag.

- - - Updated - - -

84ta406 said:
That bushing looks cracked from something being out of round. From my experience a crack like that occurs when something is squeezed from both sides 90* from the crack.
Click to expand...

Hmm. So maybe I was on to something when I thought it might be a different size/shape for the new replacement slide? It wasn't there prior to the new slide.
 
If you can take some measurments of the bushing for roundess and also where the bushing goes with some calipers. You might find the culprit. That doesnt look like its from a impact or anything.
 
dhuze said:
I'd send the whole thing back to Coonan and have them fix everything. It shouldn't be your job to troubleshoot it. Especially for the money you spent.
Click to expand...

Agreed. If Coonan just says they'll ship me a new bushing I'm going to tell them no I want the whole gun looked at. The whole gun should have went back when the slide cracked.

I just love this gun so much that I keep pressing on with repairs lol. If this was any other average gun, I think most people would give up and sell it.
 
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andrew, have you considered a compensator? judging from you're problems i think that the slide velocity might be the issue. that 357 round is pounding the gun pretty hard. i'll soon have my 1911 back from the smith as a .460 rowland, the conversion cannot be made without the comp. it'll fire a 230 gr bullet at 1300 fps,the caliber has been around for 10-12 years and i can find no complaints prolly due to the compensator.
 
They have a compensated model but this shouldn't happen regardless. I think I got a model with a bad batch of steel? I also think the fact that they sent me a new slide without making sure it's fitted properly might have caused this to happen.

Can't wait to see the Rowland.
 
andrew1220 said:
They have a compensated model but this shouldn't happen regardless. I think I got a model with a bad batch of steel? I also think the fact that they sent me a new slide without making sure it's fitted properly might have caused this to happen.

Can't wait to see the Rowland.
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You should probably just get rid of it. I suppose I can take it off your hands.....lol.
 
Update:

Just got off the phone with Mark Dante of Coonan (head gunsmith from what I gather?)
I was surprised to get a call this late from them (from Minnesota) though I told him it was much appreciated. Says he likes to work late due to traffic and reaching customers in other time zones.

Anyway, on to the details. He asked me how many rounds I have through the gun which I estimated to be no more than 1500. He said they haven't seen a bushing fail like that especially with that small round count. He thinks I just happen to be the "lucky one" to get a "lemon" of a bushing. He says you crank out tens of thousands of parts and you'll end up with one bad part getting into the mix.

I did ask him if the new/replacement slide needed to be fitted with the frame and bushing and he said no. He told me I would feel resistance/have difficulty installing the bushing if that were the case.

Needless to say he will be shipping out a new bushing tomorrow and said not to worry that the integrity of the rest of the gun has been compromised. Says I simply got a bad bushing and apologizes for this happening.

Well I'll hold him to his word and if something else happens he's going to get a mouthfull from me.

But he was a really nice guy. When he was confirming my address on file, he had no idea how to pronounce Gloucester. Glockester? Glochester? No it's Gloucester [laugh]
Anyway, he told me to feel free to call him anytime with questions or just to talk about guns.
 
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andrew1220 said:
Update:

Just got off the phone with Mark Dante of Coonan (head gunsmith from what I gather?)
I was surprised to get a call this late from them though I told him it was much appreciated. Says he likes to work late due to traffic and reaching customers in other time zones.

Anyway, on to the details. He asked me how many rounds I have through the gun which I estimated to be no more than 1500. He said they haven't seen a bushing fail like that especially with that small round count. He thinks I just happen to be the "lucky one" to get a "lemon" of a bushing. He says you crank out tens of thousands of parts and you'll end up with one bad part getting into the mix.

I did ask him if the new/replacement slide needed to be fitted with the frame and bushing and he said no. He told me I would feel resistance/have difficulty installing the bushing if that were the case.

Needless to say he will be shipping out a new bushing tomorrow and said not to worry that the integrity of the rest of the gun has been compromised. Says I simply got a bad bushing and apologizes for this happening.

Well I'll hold him to his word and if something else happens he's going to get a mouthfull from me.

But he was a really nice guy. When he was confirming my address on file, he had no idea how to pronounce Gloucester. Glockester? Glochester? No it's Gloucester [laugh]
Anyway, he told me to feel free to call him anytime with questions or just to talk about guns.
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Glad they took care of you, hopefully this is last time you need to contact them.
And it's pronounced gloss-ta....lol
 
11_fingers said:
Glad they took care of you, hopefully this is last time you need to contact them.
And it's pronounced gloss-ta....lol
Click to expand...

I hope so! And yes gloss-ta lol. I didn't pronounce the R to him but he sure did being from Minnesota...
 
Sounds like great customer service. Working in manufacturing, lemons do make it out from time to time. Its just as bad when I was living in Worcester.. lol
 
84ta406 said:
Sounds like great customer service. Working in manufacturing, lemons do make it out from time to time. Its just as bad when I was living in Worcester.. lol
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Yeah I was very pleased to get a call at 715 tonight. I figured they'd be closed.

Interesting that he said "casting". I would have thought these guns (given the recoil/abuse of 357 mag in semi auto) would be forged steel? Forged is usually stronger from my limited manufacturing "knowledge". My Dan Wesson PM9 is all forged and costs about the same as a Coonan so I was surprised to hear the Coonan is casted parts...

Haha yes Worcester is another one out of staters butcher.
 
Been chatting with fellow Coonan owners on the 1911 forums and another guy reported having a cracked slide last night. He also got a call from Coonan last night:

I also got a call from him this evening.
I sent an email to them yesterday concerning a crack in the slide in the same location as yours was. He stated their testing has shown the "crack" is self limiting, that they have seen the crack start on guns as early as after two magazines fired thru them during factory testing. He said they have some guns they have fired upwards of 60K rounds with the "crack" and with no issues from it. He seemed pretty confident about it so I'm not going to worry about now.


It seems pretty crazy for a firearm manufacturer to say something like that like it's no big deal. I feel like Dan Wesson or Smith & Wesson or Ruger etc. wouldn't be so nonchalant about one of their guns cracking. Given the price of these guns especially.
 
I agree. That's a very Colt like response (referring to early Delta Elites which commonly developed a self limiting crack in the frame near the slide stop).
 
peterthefish said:
I agree. That's a very Colt like response (referring to early Delta Elites which commonly developed a self limiting crack in the frame near the slide stop).
Click to expand...

Ohh I wasn't aware of that issue with early Elites. Not like I know much about Colt's anyway.
 

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