1911 barrel bushing

[schick]

Just how much does the bushing and its fitting affect my accuracy?

I notice that I can remove the bushing from my Norinco 1911A1 without a wrench. It easily turns free with little finger tension. I also notice that the barrel has what seems like way too much room to move around in the bushing too.

I haven't shot the handgun too much yet, and don't even consider it broken in yet. I wonder if I should get a new bushing.

From what I have read on the net so far, it seems that a bushing/ slide/barrel fitting isn't something I should tackle.

What does a job like this usually cost? I'd hate to visit a smith in Saskatoon and get screwed by paying too much. Hell, they could tell me anything.

 

[Freedom Ventures]

Barrel / Bushing / Slide fit is important for accuracy, but you can still have decent accuracy without having a super tight bushing. There's a happy medium.

First things first - shoot the gun, see if the accuracy you have now is acceptable. It's not a match grade barrel, and it's not been assembled by a master gunsmith so you're not going to get sub 1", but you should do better than 4-5". If you're getting 4" groups, then maybe the bushing replacement will help.

You have two choices; an (semi) expensive one and a cheap one. The expensive one is to take it to a good pistolsmith (one with a lathe that knows how to use it) and have him fit an oversized bushing. This pistolsmith will also be able to tell you what to expect before you get the work done. Off the top of my head, Smokin' Gun, Armco, RK Custom, DLask are a few with great reps. You'll get the best you can get with them.

The cheaper option is to get a high end bushing like a briley spherical or something else from the brownells catalog. It's not specifically fitted to your gun, but it will be better than what you have. Of course, in this case - if it makes the gun better, bonus - if it doesn't - you have to consider consultation with the pistolsmith to see if anything can be done.