The military mandated Colt's Manufacturing, with WW1 on the horizon, to produce tolerances that used a go/no go gauge that all manufacturers, even those that were not in firearms manufacturing, would follow to have a supply of weapons that were not manufacturer-specific to a particular firearm. The test was to disassemble two pistols from each maker and put them in a box that was shaken to mix the parts. The pistols were assembled w/o regard to the maker and then test-fired. It worked. The "drop in" parts was born. 113 years ago. God Bless JMB.

Also, note the useful tips in Kuhnhausen Book 1, p.45 on springing and fine tuning barrel tilt with a broach cutter.

Very interesting and a good explanation of why a gun like this is going to have better performance and costs what it does. Not to knock Mass producers like Colt or Springfield but most people don't understand that a custom gun like this versus those it's really two different animals all together

Thank you very much for taking the time to do this video. Please keep doing videos as a lot of other ones are very old and the information may still be relevant but you have a slight modern twist to doing things which I appreciate. Solid tips on the barrel bushing install. This will save me time next time I do one.

Awesome info. I'm trying to build a NM 1911 so this is excellent

Really appreciate this series!

You need a Godfrey Stuck Bushing Driver for when the bushing is too tight and won’t come out of the slide.

One thing i would do is clean and protect your lathe bed from that sanding dust and abrasive powder between use. That turns into lapping compound and destroys the lathe bed

I hear so many supposedly in the know people put down hard fit 1911's as not reliable and extoling the virtues of Colt and god help the, Kimber. they have no idea of the things they have no idea they don't know. I have several hard fit guns and they run flawlessly. Your work, Hard fit Alchemy's by Rob S., My older TRS from Les Baer, and a few others. I'm sorry, but a slapped rattle trap cannot compare or be in the same Universe as these works. Last time I was on my home range my neighbor who had a good looking Colt Got a kick out of my missing the target at his suggested 10 yards. Until he actually looked at the target and realized the entire mag's worth went thru the same hole only slightly out of round. He stopped laughing! ;

I can't wait to receive mine !

Great video with much detail.

Good video… currently fitting a barrel now on a 10mm build

Excellent video. Thanks for taking time to show us how the masters do it.

I am ex military and own several 1911's with worn barrels two of which I am fitting barrels to (an RIA I am fitting an Ed Brown barrel to and a Les Baer I am fitting a Wilson Combat barrel to): *_ Both these weapons will fire for hours without a misfire or fail to feed with reasonable accuracy_*, but they have the same problem; firing pin strikes visibly low on the primer on all spent cases ( I mark the cases with magic marker on the top as I load the magazines). I have all the necessary files from Brownells to fit barrels, but I am out of my element. I am past the points in your barrel fitting 1 & 2 videos. Wish I had found this sooner. I will pay for your time to give me a few pointers. I want to do at least a few barrels by myself now that I am retired.

Was Part 3 ever published??

Part 3?

Great videos your attention to detail is great to see I have a question in regards to barrels and bushings is it worth fitting a new barrel and bushing to a factory gun since the slide is already fit ?

where is part 3

Is Part #3 barrel lug fitment available?

Well, im disapointed. No part 3. You had a perfect oart 1 &2, but nothing on barrel link size, foot width, vis ect, ect. 😢 I was looking forword to that. There is only one video on the subject, that goes in depth anyway, on the internet.

would much rather hear you than the speeded-up footage, when competent speaking is being done do not strive for short videos

Don’t know where you learned to fit barrels but it’s pretty much all wrong