Barrel bushing comps for 1911

[OldTengu]

Looking these over. Want one for target shooting. Any experience? Fitting issues?

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[Member 34319]

Have one fitted by a smith, unless you are good at that sort of thing. I bought a couple not knowing anything back in the 1911 days, and let's say my gun went from shooting good groups to missing the barn.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Thread watched, I have a few 1911's
and I too am interested in more info on those who have 1911 bushing comps. I have a lowly PT1911 I want to slap a bushing comp on for fun.

 

[Koda]

Bushing comps dont work, you need a barrel comp to properly channel the gasses.
Barrel bushings are fitted to the gun, so any drop in bushing comp is going to make things worse... and still wont comp the gun.

 

[Member 34319]

Bushing comps dont work, you need a barrel comp to properly channel the gasses.
Barrel bushings are fitted to the gun, so any drop in bushing comp is going to make things worse... and still wont comp the gun.

But the look cool! At least that was what I was going for early on when I was into 1911s. I didn't know what I know now, then.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

But the look cool! At least that was what I was going for early on when I was into 1911s. I didn't know what I know now, then.

Well hell yeah. When you got a few, plenty of firearms.. no other big firearm projects to finish (at the moment).. mall ninja-ing that extra 1911 just starts to look fun.

Do those bushing comps really throw off the POI that much? I didnt even consider that when contemplating the purchase of one.

 

[Member 34319]

Well hell yeah. When you got a few, plenty of firearms.. no other big firearm projects to finish (at the moment).. mall ninja-ing that extra 1911 just starts to look fun.

Do those bushing comps really throw off the POI that much? I didnt even consider that when contemplating the purchase of one.

Most good 1911s have their bushings fitted to their barrel/slide. Tighter the fit, the better repeatable precision at lock up. You can buy an undersized compensating bushing and fit it to your barrel. Or have a smith do it. That way your lock up is more consistent, and is essentially as good as the original bushing.

Buy a general oversized one, that barrel will lock up in battery pointing in all sorts of different directions.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Most good 1911s have their bushings fitted to their barrel/slide. Tighter the fit, the better repeatable precision at lock up. You can buy an undersized compensating bushing and fit it to your barrel. Or have a smith do it. That way your lock up is more consistent, and is essentially as good as the original bushing.

Buy a general oversized one, that barrel will lock up in battery pointing in all sorts of different directions.

Mechanically, that makes sense. And Id assume some of the comp bushing weight tends to also toss it around just enough to shift POI off quite a bit?

 

[Koda]

But the look cool! At least that was what I was going for early on when I was into 1911s. I didn't know what I know now, then.

When I got my first 1911 I specifically got a commander size cause I wanted to add a comp and it wouldnt be longer than a govt size... (I still think that looks cool) but when I started shopping for comps I learned there are two types and how they work, of course the proper comp required a new barrel and gunsmithing and basically a lot of money that doesnt really make a difference unless your building a racegun. In the end I just couldnt go the cheaper route knowing they dont even comp the gun seemed so pointless to me....

 

[Koda]

Mechanically, that makes sense. And Id assume some of the comp bushing weight tends to also toss it around just enough to shift POI off quite a bit?

adding weight out front will help balance recoil but the weight of a comp is questionable. I personaly dont think it would be noticeable. I think now there are companies making quality oversized bushing comps that require fitting so they retain accuracy (might even improve it over the factory bushing) but still, the bushing comp does not comp the gases.

 

[Member 34319]

Mechanically, that makes sense. And Id assume some of the comp bushing weight tends to also toss it around just enough to shift POI off quite a bit?

Nothing to do with weight.

1911 barrels lock up relies on the slide in many ways. It only uses a pin on the frame to assist moving out of battery and that's it. It's lock up consists of groves machines into the top of the slide that interact with matching groves on the barrel. The tighter these groves fit, the more they tend to start jamming. So to assist in lock up, some tolerance is added to assist cycling. The less money spent on a 1911, usually means even more tolerance is given, but not always. So with that slop, the bushing does most of the work to realign the barrel to the same place each time. The bushing needs to be precise on two surfaces. The hole in the end of the slide, and it's hole that interacts with the barrel. Slop in either will allow for the barrel to point where it wants.