Questions
Fun gun to shoot, but I'm having difficulty reassembling after field stripping and cleaning. The recoil spring retainer (recoil spring plug in Colt speak) appears to be protruding a fraction of an inch too high to let my bushing wrench turn the bushing to its proper position to hold the retainer in place. This is my first experience with a Briley spherical bushing, but I don't think the bushing is the issue. I notice the slide moves back a tiny bit when I push the wrench down. Any tips would be appreciated.
First does yours field strip looking like the attached?
If so, to re-assemble, -mine- takes down and goes back together just like any conventional M1911 ... Excepting that the bushing is -so- tight one must apply some determination to get it off/on. Okay, I’ll also mention that the slide-stop fitting is extraordinarily good, such that it snaps straight in. All I just did between the two photos was:
(some inspection and oiling)
Position the barrel into the slide
Press the bushing onto the muzzle
Position the guide-rod on the bottom of the barrel
Press the recoil spring onto the guide-rod
Position the link perpendicular to bore-axis
Position the slide assembly onto the frame
Insert the slide-stop
Align slide stop and take-down notch
Snap slide-stop into place
Press spring-plug into place and lock with bushing
Press spring-plug flush while rotating bushing to straddle the plug
Done
Your -symptoms- read as though something obstructs the spring from full compression OR at full compression the back end of the guid-rod is forward of the barrell lug. The only time I recall that’s happened to me was when I’ve missed the slide-stop pin hole in the link.