[Ned Christiansen]

Some time ago, I posted about the method I have used for inserting feedramps with steel, in aluminum frames. I said at that time that I would make pics available of the job I was doing at the time. I stopped posting for a while (was posting as ciao-kapow at the time). That job came and went. Here are some pics of another one:

1. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1514448&a=11442751&p=48482593

2. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1514448&a=11442751&p=48482596

3. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1514448&a=11442751&p=48482598

I have given the links rather than post the pics so as not to prolong the download time for those who maybe don't care to see the pics.

Anyway-- although this method is a lot of work, it is tight, secure, positive, and.... hey, what the... this forum doesn't even have a thesaurus feature!?

Pic 1 shows it installed. The frame has been colored red for contrast. Pic 2 shows the insert all by itself, pic 3 shows the pocket for the insert. As you can see, the insert goes into sort of a modified "T" slot that is parallel with the magazine chute. It is held from coming back up by (besides being pretty much a light press fit) a 5/64 pin which runs fore/aft. This pin hole starts on the surface upon which the barrel's bottom lugs bang-off, goes through this area of the frame, and into the insert. The hole steps down to 1/16 before it breaks through to the rear of the insert (which break-through ocurrs well below any part of the ramp that would ever be touched by a feeding round). This way, the pin could never move rearward and fall into the mag chute. In the front, it gets staked in, which you could say was kinda redundant since the barrel bottom lugs would not permit it to come forward enough to fall out. The pin itself is somehat redundant as the insert, even it it were loose, could not move up far enough to come out as it does comprise part of the barrel bed; the barrel contacts it and would tend to encourage it downward. I believe the light press fit would probably do the deal, as the round feeding up does not impart much upward force on it but of course we don't want to be betting somebody's life on that (dry-cycling with no pin in place, it doesn't move; I will live-fire this one just for the hell of it and come back to fess up if it moves).

The hole in the bottom of the pocket for the insert is just for knocking-out the insert during fittein etc. That hole is .070 and terminates in the top of the trigger track.

The insert is made out of a prehardened tool steel (40 Rockwell).

I still have not seen the other method(s) of inserting and I'm sure they're fine... and probably less work...but this was my solution.

 

[George Smith]

Looks good Good to see someone elses take on the idea. From the top of the rail in our experience we want the ramp to be .430 deep
so if you have 8 rounds and an agressive hollow point it comes up after it hits the insert.
We differed in that we used a set screw in from the slide stop (actually under the slide stop so you do not see it) to secure it.
As you may plate or anodize you will want to take it out and reinstall it.

but again clever and good job
geo ><>

 

[Metal Smith]

Hi Ned,
Your feed ramp looks very nicely done, very clever, makes me think wish I'd thought of that. I can see a lot of nice machine work. I'd definite install one on a aluminum frame if I was building the pistol. I've installed a few EGW's with excellent results. I drilled the set screw through the frame and into the ramp and they hold secure and are concealed under the slide stop and works good. Your method is also very clever. Hope it works out well for you. MetalSmith

 

[tim38super]

It's definately more complicated than the EGW style insert but it certainly looks like it will stay put. I also commend you on what appears to be some first class machine work, nice job!

------------------
Tim Bacus
Bacus Custom

 

[Ned Christiansen]

Thanks for the kind comments, yous guys. For a depth I just decided to go to the bottom of your average ramp plus .100, which turned out to be just over the .430 you mentioned, George.

I can't say that I have enough personal shooting experience with the aluminum framed guns to be meaningful, nor that I have seen one that suffered from real feedramp battering or wear; I have done some of these at the request of customers who were worried about it and wanted to be preemptive. How bad can/does it really get? One customer uses a Colt Defender (alloy frame) that gets a fair volume of Federal 165's through it, with no apparent problem, but the anodizing is still very intact on the feedramp. That tells me (since the anodizing is so thin) that whatever probs do ocurr are more from wear than from battering-- is that so? Anybody got a pic of a really bad one?

Thanks
Ned

 

[TEX'N]

Ned, George, Tim, Metal Smith--It's nice to see people of your experience and talents on here. Those of us who appreciate your fine work enjoy your comments too. Guys like you make this a forum where we can trust what we hear.

 

[Ned Christiansen]

Thanks, Tex'n. I sighted this gun in today without the retaining pin in the insert, BTW and it didn't move.

 

[Big Daddy]

Old post I know, but any chance of re-posting the pics and some more details? I'd like to see them.

Thanks,

Josh

 

[Ned Christiansen]

Old indeed! I just responed to another post that asked for feedramp insert info-- I had forgotten all about this one or I'da just linked to it. See:
http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55486

 

[Dave Berryhill]

The links don't work for me - I can't see the photos!

 

[Ned Christiansen]

I checked and where the photos are supposed to be I found only the mouldering bones of photos. Toldja it was an old link!

 

[gcf]

Not trying to troll this post (really!), but inserts look like a lot of work. Not sure of the customer cost involved.

Is there an advantage to this procedure over installation of a ramped / supported match barrel?

Seems like many 1911's need a quality fit barrel anyway. Thanks in advance!

 

[Ned Christiansen]

There's no faulting your logic, gcf. The inserts are a lot of work, especially if a new barrel is indicated anyway. I don't have personal usage experience with ramped barrels but some folks just don't want them. In and of themselves I don't think there's such an advantage to them in anything but .38 Super but in the scenario you mention it makes sense.

 

[George Smith]

The problem lies in aggressive hollow points and the fact that you want the ramp to start around .400+ below the frame rail
A ramp barrel starts around .300 so where the bullet first comes in contact with the Alum. frame is still there and still a problem

that added to the fact that a ramp barrel as Ned mention that in 45 there is no advantage and there a pain.

geo