Are Baer's too tightly fitted?

6641 Views 44 Replies 32 Participants Last post by sprayboy, May 5, 2002

lchurch

Discussion Starter · Nov 28, 2001

As I've mentioned befor, I have a TRS with about 3000 rounds through it.

I've taken it to two of Walt Marshell's two day classes. For those of you woh don't know Walt, you go through lots of ammo (1300 rounds on one and 900 on the latest -- that's 450 to 650 rounds per day!). I have used PMC, Fiocchi, and Speer 230 grain Hardball.

Toward the end of the day, the cycling gets sluggish and I seem to get more practice with Failure to Feed drills. Toward the end of a 750 round day, I had to switch to my backup pistol to finish the day!

Is my Baer TRS too tight? I think yes.

larry

21 - 40 of 45 Posts

CastleBravo

· #21 · Dec 20, 2001

People mistakenly equate extreme tightness with high quality and accuracy. Past a certain minimum value, slide-to-frame fit is totally insignificant compared to barrel-to-slide fit. Just as an example, my Delta Elite has a drop-in Bar Sto barrel and shoots into 0.8" at 25 yards. So with Colt's famous slide-to-frame fitting in the early 1990s

I can expect to knock on the Les Baer 1.5" @ 50 yard door without even having an oversized Match Target barrel fitted.

Not to knock Les Baer guns per se, just that the extreme tightness by itself doesn't mean that much.

Bluetooth

· #22 · Dec 24, 2001

abnranger,

Try Brownells garnet lapping compound 1000 grit #083-047-010. I installed a .702 OD bushing in a .702 ID slide that was wrench braking tight. After lapping they were still zero/ zero but could be assembled and disassembled by hand. I did the same after peening the rails.

I think Baer Custom machines to a zero tolerance and leaves the lapping step to the first 3000 rnd's, reminds me of the jeans I used to buy in the 70’s.

varitone

· #23 · Jan 9, 2002

Stopped in a local shop yesterday. Saw a Thunder Ranch model. Clerk couldn't get the slide back before he handed it to me. I couldn't get the slide back. The clerk tried again and failed. That's TOO tight!

Cochise

· #24 · Jan 10, 2002

Too tight?

I bought my concept 5 about 4 years ago. I had trouble feeding the "cheaper" ammo. Then I shot mostly Rem and Win and now it feeds really smooth. No malfunctions. I have never experienced the tightness with my pistol as described in thse posts. I just want to say maybe, the problems are exceptions, not normal. I'm very happy with my pistol. I had hell to pay with my better half though, when she saw the money I spent on "one" pistol.

NewToy45

· #25 · Jan 10, 2002

varitone said:
Stopped in a local shop yesterday. Saw a Thunder Ranch model. Clerk couldn't get the slide back before he handed it to me. I couldn't get the slide back. The clerk tried again and failed. That's TOO tight!

How can you load/shoot a pistol if you can't even rack it? What's the point here?

Citizen_Gilmore

· #26 · Jan 14, 2002 (Edited)

varitone said:
Stopped in a local shop yesterday. Saw a Thunder Ranch model. Clerk couldn't get the slide back before he handed it to me. I couldn't get the slide back. The clerk tried again and failed. That's TOO tight!

LOL iv`e had friends try and rack the slide on my TRS by just tugging at it with the same results..They just hand it back and say "somethings broken" or "you need a lighter spring in that thing" I have to put pressure on the slide with my fingers and come down on it with the palm of my hand at the same time and bump it loose.. I CAN do a press check but i have to put so much pressure on it that when it breaks loose it sometimes ejects the round, or worse, it just comes out of the chamber and hangs up.. Hopefully this won`t always be the case.. ~Gilmore

CastleBravo

· #27 · Feb 1, 2002

I'd be interested to hear what the Les Baer folks have to say about this.

mr white

· #28 · Feb 1, 2002

suck it up cup cake!

homefed

· #29 · Feb 1, 2002

I have just received my new Hard Chrome TRS from Les Baer. Although it is very tight, I can do a press check by grasping the front cocking serrations with my thumb and fingers underneath and do a press check. I was also able to do the same thing with my blue TRS I bought a few months ago.

JiminCA

· #30 · Feb 2, 2002

My Stinger, bought several years ago, was this tight when I bought it. 3500 rounds later it's really nice.

At about 1K it got easier to press check. At 2500 rounds it got noticeably smoother.

The more you shoot 'em, the better they get. Don't judge it 'till you have 1K rounds through it. And don't clean it too much- maybe every 5-600 rounds. My theory is that gunked up lube probably laps things in a bit.

jim-.45

· #31 · Feb 2, 2002

Sounds like breaking in a motor, to get her to go the miles and be dependable ?

gkevin

· #32 · Feb 2, 2002

Looks like a lot of people need to go to the gym more often. I have a TRS. I haven't had any problems press checking it or racking the slide. For the first 500 to 1000 rounds, it was very tight. Just go shoot it, it will loosen up.

The Specialist

· #33 · Feb 2, 2002

My Prem II 1.5 was extremely tight on the lock-up when purchased, but after a few hundred rounds and a couple of complete cleanings and strip downs she's now fine to deal with.
Not to tight at all. it's the best 45 I have ever owned.
A magazine full of rounds, at thirty five yards produces one to two raged holes spaced less then three inches apart hand held.
I like it so much I have another on the way!
As I am writing this post I am glancing out the window awaiting Fedex - to take delivery of my new "Monolith Hvy "
We will keep you posted on this baby!

E5MC

· #34 · Feb 2, 2002 (Edited)

You can't soar with Eagles, if you party with Turkeys.. In other words,"get a Glock" Happy TRS owner

The Specialist

· #35 · Feb 3, 2002

Got the Mono Hvy in my hands, and she is definately a fine specimen.
Stripping it down showed the the only dif from my Prem II 1.5. was the Mono has a standard length guide rod, and standard black finish plunger tube.
Fit and finish looks exc.
Slide goes home very tight into lockup, and feels very, very,
" Les Baer "

Love it!

BERGER

· #36 · Mar 20, 2002

Re: Too tight?

Cochise said:
I had hell to pay with my better half though, when she saw the money I spent on "one" pistol. [/B]

Heh, heh, used the old stand-by "just buy it and deal with it later" method, eh?

sprayboy

· #37 · May 2, 2002

Would some kind person please describe "press check" to me?

E5MC

· #38 · May 2, 2002

Press check is pressing the front,bottom,under barrel backwards to check for a live round in the chamber.

sprayboy

· #39 · May 2, 2002

please forgive my nievity, but this seems much more difficult that just pulling the slide by the serrations far enough to check the chamber...what am I missing here? I have both my 19's in front of me, (both have flgr's this might be my problem) and i can't figure out an advantage to doing it that way.

mr white

· #40 · May 2, 2002

my Baer is to tightly fitted!

21 - 40 of 45 Posts

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