links and link lugs, a question

The gentleman that taught me how to guild guns was a guard armorer for the state bullseye team for many, many years. During my training, we discussed the link lug leg to slide stop pin surface at length. He taught me to prepare the lower legs to have as full of contact with the slide stop pin as possible aka "hard fit" (at least by many definitions of the term). 

One difference he advised is that for wad vs ball guns, the length of the "horizontal" surface should be different. Longer for ball, shorter for wad. One modification that ball gun required was to relieve the hole in the link for slide stop pin clearance when going over the legs as the surface was longer.

Today, on wad guns, I leave the surface as long as possible without modifying the link. As we have at least one other member building a pistol, I thought it might be a good time to start a conversation on this topic as well.

So... thoughts???

Is the idea of "shorter for wad" to reduce friction when the gun is tuned for a lighter load and a reduced power recoil spring is used? Or is there something else behind it?

javaduke wrote:Is the idea of "shorter for wad" to reduce friction when the gun is tuned for a lighter load and a reduced power recoil spring is used? Or is there something else behind it?

yes and no, the wad legs were close to "standard" but the ball legs were left as long as possible (with the modified link) to keep the locked up as long as it could be, considering timing issues.  wad legs were shortened a bit, but there wasn't a "standard" amount.  I'm currently leaving them as long as possible but shorten just enough to allow clearance for the link/slide stop pin to move freely.

Ah, yes, makes perfect sense. But as long as the gun functions properly, I see no reason to differentiate between wad and ball. For example, my ball gun perfectly cycles my wad loads, so I use it for both NRA and CMP matches. The lower lugs are cut just to allow free link movement. That's pretty much how I fit all barrels, no matter if wad or ball. I guess I just don't like introducing another variable if it's not absolutely necessary for a proper gun functioning

I agree that i see no reason for the lug engagement area to be different. I like my engagement area to be as long as possible. Something approaching .100 but generally end up with a bit less.  To this end i no longer modify the link hole. I pick the link that will carry the barrel over the slide stop pin and then engage the flat area missing the transition radius area.. i have adopted the method Jerry Keefer described several years ago in these forums. It involves modifying the slide stop to allow the barrel lugs to drop onto the pin once it has passed the transition area. Cutting the needed depth in the link area of the pin..  sometimes you have the exact length link pin and the above is not needed..  like most folks i have every length link made today.. generally i end up with a 4 or 5 as i like a good bit of upper lug engagement.

Yes i stayed in a Holiday Inn last night so these are just my thoughts as an ameteur 1911 Smith who makes his own pistols and on occasion some of my family's rifles and pistols

article from Mr Keefer on the link mod.

https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t5863-link-length#45625