[RickB]

I bought a Gold Cup "kit" - everything but the frame - and I'm intrigued by the collet bushing. When the bushing is in the slide, it's loose. When the bushing is on the barrel, it's loose until it gets within about 1/16" of the muzzle, where the slight step-up in barrel diameter springs the collet. When assembled to the slide, the collet is loose even when it is in the "sprung" position on the barrel. When the barrel is somewhat forcibly pressed into lock-up, everything is tight; but there is a distinct springiness. Kuhnhausen says there should be no spring in the lockup; since the collet is a spring, how can it function without some springiness? I'm going to assemble the parts onto a frame, and I'd like to at least experiment with the collet; is mine working as intended?

 

[Rob Longenecker]

Rick,

Some folks have found that the collet bushings can break off a "leg" and lock up the gun. Many people replace it with a solid bushing, whether "drop-in" or fitted.

I assume you have a Brownells catalog (like a phone book full of gun parts.) It's a one-stop shop for all the name brand parts you might want - Wilson, Baer, Briley, McCormick, Ed Brown, Caspian,etc. The prices are good as well as the large inventory.

I think your collet bushing is operating as designed, if I understand your description correctly. :smile:

 

[James]

Rick,

I don't think it is working properly. It should grip fairly tight (not loose) as you describe in lockup. The reason why it shouldn't be springy is that the spring fingers are supposed to "wedge" (for lack of a better term) between teh slide and barrel at lockup. If yours is "springy" it leads me to believe that:

1. The locking lugs on slide and barrel don't fit properly.

2. The spring fingers are worn or fit to a slide with a much smaller ID.

3. The barrel has too small OD or the barrel bushing ID is wrong.

Admittedly, I am not an expert on collet bushings as I tend to use/work on 80 series and typically remove the collets on 70 and early 80 guns. In my experience, it is hard to get them to fit CORRECTLY (not to say that it won't work if fitted incorrectly).

 

[RickB]

Thanks for the responses. I've never handled or shot an S70 gun before (this gun in question is/was an early S80), so can't tell if the thing is working properly, or not. Based on Kuhnhausen, I'd say it's not working properly. Subjectively, it takes quite a bit of force to get it to lock up completely, but when I put the Gold Cup top end on another gun's frame, it hand cycled OK. If I hadn't read Jerry, I wouldn't know to be concerned.

 

[Mute]

Take tonerguy's advice and replace that collet bushing with a solid one. That's what I do with every Series 70 Colt with a collet bushing that I come across.