[imported_Bob Brown]

For several years I've been discussing a small problem with both Walt and Gary at Caspian. The rails on their single-stack cast 1911 frame are too short and require the slide (their's) to be shortened to match the rear of the frame after the barrel has been fit. I don't like to leave less than .100 to .112 of rear, bottom barrel lug remaining to stop against the slide stop and I must cut it to a lot less than that to match up the slide with the frame.
Walt is gone now, and the last time I spoke with Gary about it, he said they were going to "fix" the mold one of these days but didn't consider it much of a problem. My question is: Have any of you guys discussed this with him, or do you consider it a problem?

 

[JJ]

The problem is with the slide not the frame. Put a caspian slide on most frames and you'll get that problem depending on the usual factors. Most everyone I know blends in the back of the slide after getting the barrel fit right. I agree on not cutting the barrel lugs back that far, especialy on a non ramp barrel.
JJ

 

[imported_Bob Brown]

For JJ: Blending the slide is exactly what I've been doing, too, but we shouldn't have to do that to correctly dimensioned parts. I believe the rails are supposed to be 3.550 OAL and Caspian is 3.515. Maybe I'm all wet here and if so, please plumb me up. I've been building these pistols since 1950 and my memory just isn't what it used to be. That's not why I retired from the trade, but it sure hasn't gotten any better. I don't have a Caspian here right now to measure, but those numbers are as I remember them. I cannot remember the dimension from slide stop to rear of the rails, but that's where the shortage is, as I recall.

 

[JJ]

Too late for me to look up specs but try this. Take a Colt slide and a Caspian slide and lay them side by side upside down. Line up the thumb safety cut out and you'll see that everything lines up between the two except the caspian is longer in the back. If you look close you'll also see that the caspian is not the same on both sides at the rear in profile usually. No big deal they're still good slides but I don't think we ought to have to work around this either. Maybe if enough complained they'd change it.