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12/11/2010 10:36:37 AM EDT
i was wanting to know how much you can mill off a slide before the gun is A unsafe or B  non functional ?? i know this a very open ended question but take a 1911 for example. you look at the high end race guns there isn't much left to that slide, if the slide weight is to light wouldn't the gun cycle faster then a round could be loaded in the chamber. does the builder use a lighter spring to help slow down the cycle time of the firearm.  also what about the strength of the slide over time would the metal become weak and break. thanks for any help
12/11/2010 4:48:34 PM EDT
[#1]
It all depends on the spot, a majority of the material removed is not in the critical stress points so it does not become a problem. If you plan on removing material from your slide.... don't.. experienced gunsmith know where and how much material can be removed to be safe, remove too much in one spot and you could crack or break your slide upon recoil.

If a significant amount of material is removed you need a heavier recoil spring to keep the slide from taking too much abuse during recoil (lighter the spring/slide=harder the slide hits when recoiling)
12/11/2010 6:17:49 PM EDT
[#2]
First off, keep in mind that most race guns are in the 9mm major/38 super range for caliber and are running muzzle brakes, so with that in mind, using a standard weight slide, your in looking at somewhere around a 9lb recoil spring range for them to cycle correctly.  

Next is that with the extra weight not needed on the slide (standard 45 recoil spring is around the 18lb mark), all the extra weight of the slide is just creating more recoil through it's movement.


Since the math of keeping the action closed when fired it lock up cam action, the spring tension, and the mass of the slide.  By milling out the unneeded extra weight of the slide in these smaller caliber race guns, you can get the recoil spring up in to the 16lb range, which leads to a better lock up and better feeding as well due to the stronger recoil spring tension.

Now on something like a 45 that needs a 18lb spring, you start reducing slide mass, and it will require a stronger recoil spring to make up for the changed math of the lightened slide.
12/11/2010 9:17:44 PM EDT
[#3]
You can take 10- 20 thou. off the sides of a slide,or take 10 off the side & 30 of the front (BHP) look, to make it cycle faster, but you'r kind'a "riding the lightning"

Pachmeyer, and others fluted the top of the slide to the same effect...Mabe a little safer-stress wise.

If you do , use aproprate springs.

In the persuit of speed, I have done many things that I am not proud of.

I have learned that you can't make a "gov't" model as fast as a "comander" size in practise /vs/ theory.

I realy think that it has more to do with sight radius than slise length.
12/12/2010 3:01:04 AM EDT
[#4]
thanks for the info guys the guinea pig of this experiment is a government 38 super.  i been doing more research on this and i have come to fact that this is going to take alot more reading. but i realy think i am albe to do this with the skill set i have also two of my good friends are machinist.
12/12/2010 11:10:43 AM EDT
[#5]
Just be careful how much material you remove and more importantly where you remove it from. If the slide were to fail and come apart it may become imbeded in your face.
12/12/2010 11:58:06 AM EDT
[#6]
Depending on how, where and the geometry of your cut, you may be adding stress to the material at the entry/exit points of the cut.
12/12/2010 5:26:49 PM EDT
[#7]
a good size end mill will be paramount.
Grizzly may have something up your alley.
12/12/2010 10:05:23 PM EDT
[#8]
This would have made a good project for finite element analysis a few years ago.


Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile
12/13/2010 7:18:53 AM EDT
[#9]
i have been look at the grizzly and the little machince shop.  i am not trying to copy anyones style but but following other companys cuts i think would be a good idea at least for the first try. also found some manufacturers diagrams on milling the rear of the slide to install reddot and such so now i have some numbers to play with. with the help of this site and some others i vist and my friends i am hope to kept my face intact . one thing i think i may have done is the fitting of a cone compensator to the slide.
12/13/2010 10:33:25 AM EDT
[#10]
If you are going to comp, then go with a C more dot instead on a frame mounted rail.

Connecting a red dot to the slide means every time you pull the trigger, you are going to loose sight picture as the slide moves.


Also, take a good look at the Dawson stinger design.   With the pistol comp'd, your not going to need much slide mass, and taking the slide and barrel down to stinger length (4.5" barrel, shortened slide using a full length recoil spring) you will not have any upwards muzzle movement of the pistol when fired, even when producing MPF.
12/13/2010 11:29:17 AM EDT
[#11]
i was going to use the c-more red dot i was just looking at where i could safey remove some mass. i was looking at getting the slide down to 10-10.5 oz
here are some things so far i have desided on 1st would be the bar sto barrel  titanium hammer, firing pin and i would like to build my own magwell just to say i made it.  still undeside on a trigger group. with a slide weight that light and and a compensator to match the slide what weight main spring would be a good start with
12/14/2010 2:08:14 AM EDT
[#12]
Forget the bar-sto barrel titanium hammer, firing pin.  
For what weight loss you gain, you end up with both wanting to stress crack very quickly instead.  Trust me, you can get both in carbon steel that will be just as light, and out last the two by several life times.
12/14/2010 5:27:55 AM EDT
[#13]
ok what about the barrel just kept it stock?
12/15/2010 6:26:03 AM EDT
[#14]
Quoted:
ok what about the barrel just kept it stock?


Depends,

How does it fit the slide now?  Is the lock up solid on the back end, or are you going to have to weld and rework the back end to get that right?  Chamber, is it close to spec, or so oversized that you can bury a cat between the live round and the chamber walls when a round is loaded.  Rifling, does it look clean and gauge fine, or is it over sized and looks like it has been run through the ringer?  The fame to slide does not nee to be solid, but the barrel to the slide does or you are just going to to end up with a pistol that will spray (read pistol should be in the .5 moa at 25 yards if you build it right, even with MPF loads).

Push comes to shove, a Kart barrel is only around $100 with dealer discount through Brownells, and if you are going to ramp the rig (if the current barrel is not ramped), then looks like it's time for a new barrel.
12/17/2010 5:43:45 AM EDT
[#15]
the barrel  locks prettry good it could be better the gun only has about 2k though it and at least half of that was lead reloads. you guys know of any book or good web pages that talk about building of race guns
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