Sizing dia.

[CZ93X62]

I agree with the other posters above--I don't think the bullets' finished dimensions are the O/P's problem. There is a subtle flaw someplace.

How does the pistol actually SHOOT? Gotta remember the old GI 1911A1 accuracy standard here--"Minute of #2 washtub at 50 yards". I have a Series 80 Gold Cup in 45 ACP that is superbly accurate with loads it likes, and feeds my usual 45 ACP carry load (WWB 230 JHP) reliably. It's a daisy, indeed. Its 45 ACP bunkmate is a SIG P-220. Not quite as accurate, but CERTAINLY "Minute of B-27 8-bottle at 50 yards". Both are very capable pistols.

Ask yourself 'What do I want from this pistol?' A new barrel, OEM or aftermarket, is always an option. As hobbyists & enthusiasts, we can get wrapped around axles over minutiae and very quickly the wagon is going nowhere. My tendency is toward "If it runs well, shoots well, and doesn't turn itself into a lead mine in 3 magazine loads--it's probably good to go, at least as a carry gun. And--last but not least--you can always opt for jacketed bullets (HORRORS!) or (dare I say it.....) FACTORY AMMO. Awful to contemplate, but there it is there.

To the onlooker--my tongue is not fully lodged in my cheek quite yet. Close, though.

 

[fiver]

heretic... LOL

I'd try the push through a few times to see if a pattern develops.
your already looking where your seeing lead, and your seeing damage from a sample of one so far.
but if it is repeatable and you can pinpoint it then your capable of isolating the problem and working on it.
maybe 453?
maybe like Ian said run the metal over it or give it some bore lap, or do a home made wooden spot lap?
or like Allen suggests throw some copper at it to wear down the sharp edge.

 

[Ole_270]

The gun shoots better than I do, I’m not an experienced hand gunner. Feeds anything I’ve tried in it. At 30 yards a 5” gong is pretty easy with wrists rested on a bag, even for me. Skeet club I belong to is getting ready to open an indoor pistol range, I’ll see how it shoots for a decent pistol shot then. I can put a hundred rounds through it without being too terribly fouled so will probably leave it alone

 

[Ian]

Allen really makes a good point. If it shoots well and doesn't turn itself into a lead (or powder coat) mine in three magazines just shoot the bejeebers out of it and give it a few strokes with a Chore-Boy-enhanced brush after every session, no big deal. Some of my best loads "lead" just a little bit, it isn't the end of the world if they do.

If you're bent on solving the slight leading issue just to solve it, I'd suggest re-reaming the throat to have a .4525" or larger entrance.

 

[Brad]

A tiny bit of scraping shouldn’t give leading.

 

[fiver]

well no but if some gas is blowing around the bullet when it is happening?

 

[Ian]

A tiny bit of scraping shouldn’t give leading.

It can. Little shavings get smeared onto the barrel steel. The giveaway is lumpy deposits near the throat end of the barrel. Gas cutting gives more of a light plating effect.

 

[Ole_270]

I think like was suggested above, that I' ll just shoot it for awhile. What I really need to do is keep it running the lighter 200 gr match type loads and talk Santa into Blackhawk 45 colt.
Haven't spent much time with it this afternoon. Son came over with a rebuilt injection pump, and injectors for his Grandpa's old Allis Chalmers 180 diesel. The thing has been road hard and put away wet, sat for over 10 years after a hard life as feed tractor on the dairy for 30 years. We got the pump on, timed, and put the injectors in, hooked up the lines and it took all of 30 seconds for it to fire and start running. Purrs like a kitten. Now for the rear wheels, tires, radiator, front spindle housings, a couple steel hydraulic lines and whatever else we find to replace.

 

[CZ93X62]

It can. Little shavings get smeared onto the barrel steel. The giveaway is lumpy deposits near the throat end of the barrel. Gas cutting gives more of a light plating effect.

Stuff like this is why I spend so much time on this site. Thank you, Ian.

Fiver, you are quite correct--I am a reflexive heretic. In some past life, I was the guy that the King kept around to be Court Jester, to put the pig's bladder under the Queen's throne seat as a whoopee cushion. Sometimes it earns you the stocks or the dungeon (a certain reloading site comes to mind in this context.....), and more often than not the price is worth it. Here, I do try to moderate my own commentary prior to posting.

 

[fiver]

you shoulda joined in on the floor show in Winnemucca.
it's still runnin..

 

[Ole_270]

just for illustration, here are two images of the transition from the throat onto one of the lands. This land is usually the one with the most fouling "smear" at the muzzle. I rarely see much in the way of fouling at the throat. Lube or PC. It is also the roughest land of the bunch. The high magnification makes it appear way worse than it actually is.

 

[Ian]

Has that been hand lapped? It really looks good to me, no chowder marks, burrs or steps.

 

[Ole_270]

Not as far as I know. Factory Sig 1911 Stainless Target that I had Doug Guy throat. I have run some JB through it a time or two

 

[CZ93X62]

you shoulda joined in on the floor show in Winnemucca.
it's still runnin..

I missed the 2019 Edition. Maybe they will take that show on the road and present it at the November BRGS.

 

[Bret4207]

Compared to some of the posters here, I have relatively zero experience with 1911's or 45's in general and none at all with PCing. But, might this be one of those times where 100 or 200 rounds of hardball might smooth things out a little? You know the drill- shoot 50, scrub the fouling out, repeat. Then look through your borescope and see if there is fouling hanging in s certain area? Just a thought.

 

[Ole_270]

In the pictures you can see a shine build up off one edge of the land, all of them have this the full length. I don't know if it's lead or PC. I've tried lead out cloth patches, JB, chore boy, Bore Tech Eliminator and everything else I can think of without getting it out. I've shot a few jacketed rounds to see if that would work, but no luck. Just been ignoring it.
Ian's mention of how smooth the bore was gave me a thought. Years ago I read of someone who lapped a barrel really smooth and it started leading, he lapped it with a courser grit and the leading stopped. Can you really get too smooth for lead?

 

[Ian]

That's not too smooth.

 

[KeithB]

I remember reading a study years that was done by a turbine manufacturer. The wanted to maximize the life of the journals by finding the optimal level of surface smoothness. They discovered that after they reached a certain level that increasing the surface smoothness actually decreased journal life. They also found that the texture of the surface had a great effect. Small, narrow, relatively deep irregularities that would retain lubricant were found to give a longer life than broad shallow irregularities. It all seemed to be a balance between bearing area smoothness and lubricant retention.

Not sure how much of that is applicable to guns but there it is.

 

[Ian]

I don't know but I've read in books and on the internet from folks who have a reputation for veracity that the bores of front-stuffers can get polished too finely from patch use and at a certain point accuracy suffers. The solution is to swab with valve grinding compound to cut a coarser surface.

I run into surface finish issues when making bullet sizing dies. Too slick grabs the bullet like rubber on glass, so I strive for a 400-grit cut and then lightly polish with 6-ought steel wool to smooth off the microscopic edges but leave the "grooves" cut by the fresh 400-grit. Once the die is lubricated it is slick as snot. Note that "glazed" cylinder walls in an engine will cause it to smoke and use oil, and also that there is a finish specification (in microns) for most engines and it varies depending on piston ring type.

 

[fiver]

you can go too smooth.
I doubt that barrel is even close to that point though.

y'all know what I'd do.
ignore.
shoot.
shoot.
shoot.
maybe look at it or drip some oil in the edge of the slide.
shoot it.
shoot it some more.
then maybe one day go,, you know I remember this gun might need cleaned.