Fusion Gold->38 Super

[sqlbullet]

Of course I can't ever just leave well enough alone.

Loving my new to me Fusion Gold 9mm I couldn't help but think it would be "super" if it had the option of having a bit more "oomph".  So I ordered a Fusion 38 Super match grade barrel and a barrel bushing to I could fit a caliber conversion to the gun.

Got the barrel on Monday. I have fit one other 1911 barrel to a gun and that project is still under-way (maybe another thread on that). All the instructions I have found suggest starting by fitting the barrel hood to the slide.

It didn't start great.  The barrel only made it about 1" into the slide before it came to a stop.  Marking fluid showed it rubbing on the top of the barrel chamber about 11:00, but that seemed like the wrong place to start removing material. My google-foo didn't turn much up - either I was the remedial student or this is an uncommon problem.

While I stewed on this the first night I fit the bushing to the slide. It took minimal fitting to be nice and tight to the slide.

So, I started checking.  The barrel dropped straight into every other 1911 slide I tried:  Para, STI, Remington Rand, RIA, Ruger. It was a tiny bit tight on the STI and the Ruger passing through the muzzle end of the slide.  This made me think I had a "max" spec barrel chamber and a "min" spec slide tunnel and I was not sure which should be clearanced or where. Default thinking was clearance the barrel, but where.

I contact Fusion CS and explained my issue in detail with measurements, etc. Within 24 hours I had a response from Tyler Serva with specific directions to ignore the rubbing on the top of the barrel and to clearance the barrel foot on the opposite side of the rubbing. With that information I had the barrel passing fully into the slide in about 15 minutes.  Very impressed with the Fusion support.

Now that I had reached familiar ground I centered up the barrel using the Brownells alignment guide and clearanced the sides of the barrel hood into the slide.  I didn't count strokes but recall about 15-20 strokes on the ejection port side and about 4-5 stokes on the other side of the barrel hood. I used my jewelers file set and a wide flat jewelers file. I removed maybe .003-.004" total for a tight but smooth fit.

Clearancing the face of the barrel hood so the barrel could lock into the lugs was next. I could force the barrel into the lugs so I knew it didn't need much. I put sharpie on the face of the hood and just kissed it with the file until the sharpie was gone.  Did that three times and it was moving smoothing but tight into the lugs.  Engagement was .048" so I didn't have to fit the pads of the upper lugs at all.

I then installed the Brownells 1911 barrel holder and installed the barrel/slide to the frame to check the lower lugs.  They were perfect out of the box - The thumb safety would "just" clear and engage if I firmly closed the action.

I measured and based on the math I needed a #3 link, which is the "stock" or "spec" size.  Installed the link in the barrel, put some sharpy on the lower lugs and assembled the gun. First time in my live have had to use a bushing tool, but there was no moving it with my fingers.

The slide stop pin was similarly tight going in the first time. Cycled the slide about 30 or forty times by hand the then took the gun down.  I used the "slide off" method instead of the standard GI method to avoid rotating the bushing when it is in lockup.  The lower barrel lugs showed the perfect engagement pattern with rubbing at lock-up evenly across both lugs right on top. No contact once the action unlocks.

I then installed the barrel in the frame with the slide stop pin and examined the barrel to frame engagement.  It was textbook.

Reassembled the whole gun and checked feeding from a magazine.  It fed empty cases, dummy HP's and dummy SWC's loaded to max COAL.

This weekend I should get some range time, but all indications are I have a 1911 in 38 Super ready to go.  After confirming function with live ammo it will all come apart again for a final polish of any remaining tool marks I left behind.

Very impressed with the Fusion barrel and bushing.  Already thinking about ordering a 10mm barrel.  I have long wanted a frame ramped 10mm 1911 and this gives me that option for the cost of a barrel, plug and spring.

[The_Shadow]

This sounds like a great project well done!    Good luck with the range testing...

I know I had to do many of the same task when I fitted the Bar-Sto 40S&W & 9x25 Dillon barrels to my S&W 1006.