Thread: 1911 Barrel Forging Company

Hello folks, I've been lurking here for a long time and picked up more than bunch of tips, tricks, and new ways of looking at machining.

I'm looking for a 1911 barrel company that will make a custom batch of .22CF caliber barrels. I've been making them from 2" barrel stock but it takes an awful long time and expense. Does anyone know of a barrel forging company capable of doing them? I've tried all the main barrel makers and none are willing to even comment on the possibility of it, all I get is "...we don't make barrels in .22 cal..." A general search on Google has not landed me anywhere, but I'm not exactly computer savvy either so I don't put a lot of credit in my searching skills.

Call Clark Custom. Small company but usually willing to do anything.

no luck there.

How about buying finished .45 ACP or 9mm barrels cheap and then sleeving them to whatever .22 wildcat you are considering. All the exterior machine work would already be done...

These are certainly capable and worth an inquiry: KART PRECISION BARREL CORP: AFTERMARKET BARRELS, GUN BARRELS, ... - Openfos.com
Bar-Sto Precision Machine 1911 :: KKM Precision :: Reliable and Accurate Custom Pistol Barrel Manufacturer

RWO

sleeving them to whatever .22 wildcat you are considering

Because while sleeving is great for .22LR and BP cartridges; high pressure cartridges do not do well in sleeved barrels. At best they work loose over time, and at worst (seen this) the insert launches out of the barrel (not my work).

I've contacted all the majors (bar-sto, clark, STI, Caspian, Wilson, etc...) and none have any interest in doing it. In fact I'm not 100% sure but I don't think any of them actually forge the barrels them self; I'm pretty sure they have an outside vendor make the forgings and they finish them.

For those that are interested this is for the .22 Reed Express, we developed the cartridge about 8 yrs ago, and have been running it in the CZ-52 and T/C with great sucess. I've made some prototype barrels for the M9 and the 1911 and they run great. The problem with the 1911 is the amount of machine time I have to spend to make the barrel from standard barrel stock. It appears that all the majors make them from forgings and would make the most sense, I just need to find out who does it and get a run made.

Did you try Ed Brown? Or try some oversize blanks and bore and chamber for yourself. I would think it would be nothing but a thing to sell you a un-chambered blank, especially those barrels made of bar stock like some of the Ed Brown barrels.

I've spoken to Ed Brown in the past, I'll call them again.

It is my understanding that most pistol barrels being made today are being done on CNC Lathe Mills. (Really nifty machines) like the EuroTech that was at the SHOT Show this year.

They load a bar feeder with a load of raw stock and the machine pretty well does the whole thing. I talked to a shop owner there that was doing SIG barrels, I believe, by the hundreds. They run them lights out all night with out anyone there. If a tool breaks they shut down and call your sell phone.

Because these machines have both milling and lathe capability they can do all the flats, drill the pin holes, do the offsets for locking lugs.

I also understand that some pistol barrels are even bored and broach rifled, chambed and muzzle crowned without anyone handling them. Some of you are shooting these barrel today.

You might look around for a shop with such machines. They usually want fairly large quanities to go to the expense of programing the machine but so will a forge.

Good luck, I will look around for you also.

Lowell

The Browning Hi Power used a 2 piece construction for the barrel, with the breech reinforce, carrying the unlocking cam and locking ribs, brazed onto the rifled tube.

That couple of square inches of brazed joint was going to be far stronger than the barrel itself, which ever direction you'd want to stress it. They certainly seemed to survive a diet loaded for SMG use, so around 40k CUP.

I'm not wanting you to give up anything commercially sensitive, but, I am curious to know what kind of fabrications you have tried and how they failed, what sort of area of bond was being stressed? and how was it being stressed?

Was there a flange formed at the breech end of the barrel tube to provide a mechanical interference in addition to the braze?

Try Pine Tree Castings, Newport, NH. It's actually part of Ruger. They do a majority of the castings for many firearms companies. They may want a sizable order but it's just a phone call to find out.

The Walther P-38/P-1 (post war) uses a sleeved barrel because it is made in about 3 different calibers. The liner is enlarged at the chamber end so that the chamber is completely within the liner. The liner thickness at the muzzle is no more than .075" if memory serves. I'm guessing the liner was a shrink fitted. there was no evidence of any solder or braze metal on the specimens I have examined.

RWO

is there any one who could make a barrel liner in the 22 reed for a .45 1911 barrel, with the .45 acp chamber there would be a step to give the liner a lip to hold it in and not just use the solder to hold it in?
I have a lathe but I don't have a 22 reed chamber reamer, so it some one could chamber a barrel blank I know I could fit it to a 1911 barrel or a cz52 9mm barrel.
would a 223 chamber reamer work if it was not put in to far to make a 22 reed chamber? I do have a 223 reamer.

What case is the 22 Reed Express based on, 223?

the reed company uses 7.62x25 shells to neck down to .22, and I have used 223 shells that had cracked necks to make 7.62x25 shells out of, so I know they are very close, but if you chamber a barrel close may not be safe.

Would a 223 chamber reamer work if it was not put in to far ...

Probably not as you would be using the small end of the reamer instead of the big end, plus you would get the neck and shoulder of the .223 which probably doesn't match.

Originally Posted by Alpacca Fortyfive

The Browning Hi Power used a 2 piece construction for the barrel, with the breech reinforce, carrying the unlocking cam and locking ribs, brazed onto the rifled tube.

That couple of square inches of brazed joint was going to be far stronger than the barrel itself, which ever direction you'd want to stress it. They certainly seemed to survive a diet loaded for SMG use, so around 40k CUP.

I'm not wanting you to give up anything commercially sensitive, but, I am curious to know what kind of fabrications you have tried and how they failed, what sort of area of bond was being stressed? and how was it being stressed?

Was there a flange formed at the breech end of the barrel tube to provide a mechanical interference in addition to the braze?

My Hi Power had a solid one-piece barrel. Of course there were a lot of variations. Mine was an Inglis.

Originally Posted by Eagle_view

It is my understanding that most pistol barrels being made today are being done on CNC Lathe Mills. (Really nifty machines) like the EuroTech that was at the SHOT Show this year.

They load a bar feeder with a load of raw stock and the machine pretty well does the whole thing. I talked to a shop owner there that was doing SIG barrels, I believe, by the hundreds. They run them lights out all night with out anyone there. If a tool breaks they shut down and call your sell phone.

Because these machines have both milling and lathe capability they can do all the flats, drill the pin holes, do the offsets for locking lugs.

I also understand that some pistol barrels are even bored and broach rifled, chambed and muzzle crowned without anyone handling them. Some of you are shooting these barrel today.

You might look around for a shop with such machines. They usually want fairly large quanities to go to the expense of programing the machine but so will a forge.

Good luck, I will look around for you also.

Lowell

The only fly I see in that ointment is IF the barrel blank is bored (but not necessarily rifled) FIRST and the bore used to hold it thereafter. But I'd not expect that...

A phone call should find out...

Bill

My cousin has seen these machines running, spitting out 1911 barrels by the thousands. Only handling required after they come off the machine is degreasing, plugging the bore and vibratory deburring.

A .45 bore 5 or 6" deep shouldn't be any trouble to drill/bore/ream straight enough.

My 80'ish vintage commercial HP has a 2 piece barrel. As does my .40S&W. But the locking lugs are on the barrel, not the breech block, so no huge stress on the brazed joint. Also has 3 lugs instead of 2 (I think, no 9mm handy).