I bwoke my .45 ...

[Sailor]

... and I have no idea how I did it.

The bottom loop of the barrel link broke, separated cleanly into two pieces. I found the bottom half of the loop resting in the frame under the slide stop pin.

My first indication that something was wrong was when the weapon failed to eject a spent cartridge. I worked the slide to clear it and wrote it off to a cleaning issue. When it failed to eject the next spent round I cleared the weapon and put it away until I could get it home and strip it down.

I carried a 1911 as a duty sidearm during my Navy days, practiced with one as often as I was allowed and have owned this one for a while. It's sent between 700 and 900 rounds downrange with no issues.

I'm taking it to a well recommended gunsmith here in VA Beach tomorrow. He says he has the parts to fix it right away but I mentioned I'd like him to look it over "just in case" I fucked something else up.

Damn, and I like that gun.

[Sailor]

Well, the gunsmith replaced the barrel link and checked the weapon over. $5 for the part and $35 an hour labor even for the 5 minutes it took to remove the busted ass part and replace it. All in all, $40 doesn't seem unreasonable (I was expecting worse) and I have piece of mind from having an expert check it over.

He said it looked to him like the link might have been cracked for some time and that he doesn't see this kind of failure as a rule. If it happens again then he recommends replacing the recoil spring with something that has a bit more umph to it to absorb more of the recoil.

DD, if you're interested the name of the company is Coastal Gun Works on Admiral Wright St right off Witchduck Road. It's not hard to find. He doesn't have a big inventory of pieces to sell, more collectors item type long guns.

[101ABN]

Yours is a Springfield Arms, yes?

They're generally pretty damned reliable AFAIK.

Maybe a factory defect.

Glad you got it working again.

[Sailor]

It's an import from the Phillipines under the name Rock Island Armory. The gunsmith said that this failure could be a manufacturing defect in the barrel link, an undetected crack perhaps. He owns an RIA 1911 too that he says has been very reliable.

Overall I'm happy.

I have an old .22 semiauto rifle that my Dad gave me as a Christmas gift back when I was about 14. My brother gave it hell after I left for the Navy so I talked to this guy about looking at it and telling me what it would take to bring it back to usable condition. It's one of those "Sears Catalog" specials that doesn't even have a serial number, probably by Savage or Remington. He warned me that repairs might cost far more than the weapon would be worth, but it can't hurt to find out IMO, it has sentimental value afterall.

[101ABN]

A gun like that?

What it's worth = what it's worth to you.