Problem Solving with Aluminum Frame 1911-Type Pistols

The development of the different materials used in firearm manufacturing is an interesting study. The move from iron to steel in the last century changed the face of the industry. Then aluminum became the wonder metal of the late 1940s. In the 1960s, it was stainless steel. And then came titanium and the synthetic polymers.

World War II brought great advances in aircraft material, and by the end of the war heavy fighters were manufactured from special "aircraftstrength aluminum." This technology quickly spread to firearms. The Colt Commander, with a lightweight aluminum-alloy receiver, was introduced in 1948. Shortly thereafter, Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 39, basically an Americanized Walther P38. The advantage of the aluminumframe pistol, of course, lies in its lighter weight.

The Government Model 1911 with an aluminum receiver weighs 9 ounces less than a steelframe .45, while the lightweight Commander weighs 12 ounces less than the steel-frame Government Model. While the lighter pistol is somewhat more difficult to control, it’s treasured by those with a serious interest in personal defense. Aluminum alloys are strong, though not as strong as steel. Aluminum is more easily gouged and more difficult to work than steel.

Put simply, aluminum will not stand up to the abuse that steel will happily endure. I’ve worked with aluminumframe pistols for over 30 years. It’s been a love-hate relationship, but within their limitations, aluminumframe pistols are perfectly safe and acceptable. During the 1960s, several wellknown writers performed tests on Commander .45s hoping to prove them unsafe and unreliable. One well-publicized test involved 5,000 rounds of Winchester ball ammunition fired successfully in a pair of Colt Commanders.

The pistols held up well, and would probably pass a similar test today. But the problems I’ve seen don’t come from the use of full-metal-jacket roundnose ammunition. With aluminum receivers, the primary issues I’ve dealt with are feed-ramp issues. The problems began when gunsmiths began to throat Commander feed ramps. Remember, they’d been told that aluminum was just as strong as steel.

And this was before the SIG came along. (SIG uses a steel insert in the aluminum frame to prevent the slide from battering the aluminum frame.) There was simply no warning beforehand that trouble might arise. Throating is simply a polishing of the feed ramp and a breaking up of sharp edges. Often, magazines were tweaked as well. When done well, the This photograph was taken just after an extensive test session.

The standard ramp on the right is fine for a steel-frame pistol, but for a hard-working 1911, a ramped barrel is a good choice.

An aluminum frame demands more careful machining and more careful handling. In this example, the cuts are fine and clear. result was a smoother pathway identical to that on a highly polished Government-Model ramp. But when the frame anodizing was removed, sharpnosed bullets often dug into the softer aluminum feed ramp. Rather than "bouncing" along, as is the case with a steel ramp, the bullet can actually dig in and gouge the ramp. Early jacketed hollowpoint designs were the worst offenders here.

Even if the feed-ramp polish is perfectly done, this gouging can occur with semi-wadcutters and jacketed hollowpoints. I am not saying an aluminum feed ramp can’t be properly polished, but knowing what I know now, if anyone brought me a lightweight-frame Colt Commander for a feed-ramp polish I would turn the job down. Today, we have good-quality personal-defense ammunition that will feed perfectly in these pistols. The Winchester SXT is one, and the latest-generation Silvertip is another.

The insert is supplied slightly oversize, so care must be taken in blending it into the frame. The installation requires some straightforward machine work. Special attention should be paid to handling the plunger tube in an aluminum-frame pistol during disassembly and reassembly. These should not impact the feedramp with any chance of gouging, even on the original Colt Commander pistols.

A second cause of feedramp damage is the proverbial "loose follower." We’ve all seen good-quality factory magazines of the previous generation that would allow the follower to slip forward after the last round has fed. These followers will gouge the feed ramp. The results are exacerbated by a feed-ramp polish that has broken the anodizin the Wilson Combat magazine that not only etic follower, it routes the bullet more into the chamber than into the feed ramp.

In my opinion, the original Commander should be used only with Wilson Combat magazines. It simply makes sense to use a magazine that helps to avoid damage. But how do we address the pistol to which the damage has already been done? One choice is to replace the frame. Of course, the new frame is treated as a pistol, and requisite paperwork must be filed. I once owned a Command de from Essex Arms replaced long before l. There

This is the standard steel M1911 frame from Caspian. had been frame issues, and this was when I first became aware that Essex made Commander-length frames. Replacing the original with a steel frame is one option, and I am pretty certain it would be difficult to find anew Commander lightweight frame. There are procedures for repairing the feed ramp; but before considering a feed-ramp repair, I would thoroughly inspect the frame to determine if there is any other damage.

The damage from the magazine follower is one place to check, as it often comes lower than damage caused by blunt-nose bullets. The plunger tube is another area of interest. The pegs that attach the plunger tube to the frame are steel and the frame is aluminum. The plunger-tube holes can become wallowed out. This occurs when the slide stop is forcibly snapped into position, driving the plunger tube to wobble in its pin holes.

When reassembling an aluminum frame pistol, be careful to depress the stud on the plunger tube and slide the slide stop into place rather than forcing the slide stop over the stud. Another problem can occur when an aluminum-frame pistol is detail stripped. Prying out the safety or exerting unnecessary force on the frame can result in a warped frame. If the feed ramp is the only problem, then installing a ramped barrel will cure the problem.

This is less expensive than replacing the frame; and if a quality barrel such as the Wilson Combat barrel is fitted, accuracy and reliability should be improved as well. To the best of my knowledge, all of the lightweightframe 1911 pistols now produced, such as the Springfield Loaded Model Lightweight Government, feature ramped barrels. Secure case-head support and less wear and tear on the frame are all advantages.

When it comes to permanently curing the problem of a washed out frame without re ution Gun Works has given us an opti steel insert for the frame. While the instructions provided with the insert are good, the installation requires the A Word to Our Readers About American Gunsmith’ s Mailing-List Policy Like many other publishers, we make portions of our customer list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services we believe you may enjoy.

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The steel insert is of high quality and is supplied with most of the important angles in place, but some work is needed to properly fit the insert into the frame. The insert and the frame are lightly polished in very cautious steps as the frame insert is worked into place. The real trick is tapping the frame for a setscrew that’s driven from the left to right. This set screw is placed under the slide stop so it is flush and hidden from view as well.

The set-screw hole is drilled .425 down from the slide rail and .140 back from the wall. While the instructions are clear and the installation is straightforward, there is no margin for error here. After first fitting the ramp, it can be removed for refinishing of the affected aluminum frame area. Then, the ramp insert is installed again with Loc Tite, and screwed into place.

You then polish the feed ramp just as you would with a steel frame during the course of a throat job’ lightly and carefully, being certain that the ramp ends about .420 from the top of the slide rail. The bottom of the insert is then blended to the frame. By the time a customer arrives with an aluminum-frame pistol that has a wallowed-out ramp or plunger tube, it’s probably too late to advise him of the special cautions he needs to follow.

Fortunately, there are several options for addressing these problems, and the final result will be a better handgun than the one that originally left the factory. I