Dremels Again

"Jeez T-Bolt, I'm sure you can find a tool besides a dremel and carbide bit to cut the underside barrel lugs.  What about a radiused file?  Machinist scraper?  Fine sand paper on appropriately sized metal rod."

Yeah, I thought about that too.  And what did they do before Dremel tools?  What did JMB do?!!!

He made rough barrel lugs, is what he did.  His were loose.  On purpose.  Sure they probably came off the milling machine and jig is better shape than a lot of parts you'd run into today.  At least at his development shop.  And machinist hands were more skilled back then.  You started with a better barrel.

But they are a gun factory.  They can't spend all day making that one over size barrel fit that one slide.  So they accepted some looseness.

And compensated for the variations with the barrel link.  They came in six sizes.  And were easier to modify to get the gun working.  And that gun would run just fine after it passed thought that part of the assembly and moved down the line.

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You have to know...  when you are fitting the underlugs you mark them and see where they contact the slide release.  It might be a sliver in the middle of one lug lobe, and a bigger sliver on one side of the other lug lobe.  You dremel away the silver slivers.  And only the silver slivers.  While keeping the finish looking smooth and straight and square and free of facets.

When the gunsmith does this right in front of you it is a thing to behold.  How does he get it so pretty while I would mung it up?  He's done thousands of these.

Mine are unacceptable.  Worse than factory guns.  Maybe I could make better than factory, yet not nearly as good as Sam's, with a needle file.  I dunno.

Heck I'd need to work on my hand-filing skills in that case too.

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This part of lockup is easily the most important.  Second most  important part of the gun fitment to make it run really well..  First is sear-hammer engagement, second is this.