I bought a 9mm 1911, but haven't fired it yet.  I found a deal on a 38 Super barrel from Rock Island.  The new barrel has no link installed.  I bought the kit of 5 links from Swenson.  Assuming that I need the #3, I installed it and the pistol locks with normal manipulation of the slide.  Partially, racking the slide, like a press check, for example, leaves the slide out of battery by about a 1/4 inch.  I cannot move it forward manually.  I can fully rack it and it goes back to battery.

The pin is loose, I haven't staked it yet.  Could that be the pin?  

My first thought is the upper lugs on the barrel are just tight.
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Edited after filing the rear of the barrel hood and test firing today.  

The slide still intermittently stops slightly out of battery.  The barrel is stopping the slide in the https://photos.app.goo.gl/fXAcr3NSfUpZ8zdG9corner shown in the picture.  If I push the barrel to the left then the slide closes.  

File down the corner?

(Attaching pictures is a mystery here) Attached File

You most likely need to fit the new barrel/bushing


You usually can’t just drop in new 1911 parts

The bushing has plenty of room, looser than the factory one, but I take your point.

2 things.  First, did you check to see if the "hood" was the proper length to allow the barrel to fit properly in the slide?  If it's too long, it will bind against the breech face, and not allow the slide to close. That's not hard to fix.  A set of calipers and a flat file can do the job. A black "Sharpie" marking pen helps by showing if you're filing level.  A quick down and dirty test is to put the barrel into the slide, and then, while holding it up to the light and looking at it from the underside, see if there is any kind of light coming from where the hood meets the breech face. No light means contact. Then, if you have a depth mic, see how the barrel is fitting into the slide while using a bushing.  Measure the top of the chamber to the top of the slide while locked, then unlocked and the barrel slightly forward.  Optimal difference is .045".  Though, .040" to .050" is acceptable.  If it's less than .040", you may need to shorten the hood to allow it to go fully into battery.
Do that, then deal with the barrel link.  Try going with a #2 link.

You are having locking lug collisions. The barrel needs to be fitted, from the hood to the links.

This is what I would suspect based on OP's description. not sure about the link pin, I wouldn't think it should be wobbly.

Yeah, thinking you need to fit/check the barrel hood.

When I say “loose,” I mean left to right because it’s .154 in a .154 hole, not that it’s wobbling.  I do need to stake it, but didn’t want to until I figured out why the low tension failure to RTB.

Thanks

I will check the hood and lugs when I get back.

I don’t have a depth gauge, but the calipers show that the stock, 9mm hood is 1.314 inches and the 38 Super hood is 1.322 inches long.  I cannot see a light between the hood and the slide when the barrel is locked into the lugs.

I will mark the hood read Kuhnhausen’s dimensions, but I think that the hood to slide fit is the issue.

Thanks

I don’t have a depth gauge, but the calipers show that the stock, 9mm hood is 1.314 inches and the 38 Super hood is 1.322 inches long.  I cannot see a light between the hood and the slide when the barrel is locked into the lugs.

I will mark the hood read Kuhnhausen’s dimensions, but I think that the hood to slide fit is the issue.

Thanks

Ahhh.  That makes sense now.  I will check that too.  Thanks

@bluebayou
The Kart Barrel people have a tool kit, complete with instructions, for fitting 1911 barrels. It's very thorough.
XACT FIT INSTALLATION KIT Look on the right side of the page.

Dude.  Thanks for that link.  There is all kinds of cool stuff to read too.

Added picture in the OP

File the right side of the barrel hood. The only thing that stands out to me now is the inconsistency, which might be from the slop allowing the barrel to tilt left and right (assuming it is ramped, if it isn't ramped then that's fine)

It’s a Clark Para ramp.  
I thought the same thing about the inconsistency.  The factory Tisas’ barrel is steady.

Does the hood have a chamfer/bevel or just sharp 90* edges?

90 degrees
The factory barrels has a slight radius to the edges