Colt National match .38 special mid range

Any one as tested with rest of Colt National Match .38 special mid range.? I own the last model Mark III. I never reach the same result I can do with Smith & Wesson 52-1 with Winchester factory ammunition.

You likely won’t either.  The Colt MR doesn’t lock up in the slide and the barrel isn’t fixed either.  So you have a slide with the sights, “floating” around the barrel, and the barrel “floating” in the frame. And the frame somewhere holding everything in loose formation.  I have one as well and it doesn’t shoot very well either.

Wobbley wrote:You likely won’t either.  The Colt MR doesn’t lock up in the slide and the barrel isn’t fixed either.  So you have a slide with the sights, “floating” around the barrel, and the barrel “floating” in the frame. And the frame somewhere holding everything in loose formation.  I have one as well and it doesn’t shoot very well either.

Why I opted for a Clark Heavy Slide, their kit barrel locks up like a .45 ACP.  Mine will group an inch and a half at 50 yards with a Ransom Rest.

It's a shame that Colt didn't build them right. But there are other fish in the sea.

Colt did sell a "Kit gun" that a gunsmith could build up into a match pistol it had a traditional 1911 barrel arrangement except that the barrel only had one locking lug on the top for the 38 special models.  I know that Bob Chow used those for some of the 38 special guns he build and I am sure others did as well.

Is very interesting about to convert as traditional 1911 with the Colt "Kit gun" possible to have more info about, living in Italy I cannot enjoy the help of a gunsmith of  your country

The kit gun was more so pieces that could be used to build a complete gun You can have a kit frame, a kit slide and a kit barrel show up in various different guns. The history of the stuff is somewhat muddled but it has some basis with Clark (at least most of the Kit guns I have seen have been Clarks, but that is not exclusive). These days you can get a barrel chambered in 38 special and convert a 38 super 1911 (clearly a bit more involved than just swapping out a barrel).

I misunderstanding, for "Kit" I thought you could modify the Colt NM .38 special mid range from fix to traditional 1911 barrel..Sorry.

ser2711 wrote:Is very interesting about to convert as traditional 1911 with the Colt "Kit gun" possible to have more info about, living in Italy I cannot enjoy the help of a gunsmith of  your country

Here's a "38 Kit" barrel.

That 38 kit barrel is sexy with those virgin uncut bottom barrel lugs!
I love my kit guns.....
Jon

A pistol smith I know likes those kit gun barrels, told me they are easier to build a 38 special 1911 for lighter loads.  I would love a 1911 in 38 special but they are a little out of my price range.

Just for my personal curiosity, as for me in Italy is practically impossible to have, this kit barrel is it "a drop in" and still available from Colt? It would be a "panacea" for the owner of the not accurare Colt NM .38 special mid range, MK III

The kit barrels were made basically in 1965. No longer available from the factory and a rare find. They were gunsmith fit.
Jon

Thank you for the information, If I could find a technical drawing my gunsmith in Italy could do it.

If you really and truly want a 38 special, the “easiest way” is to get a 38 super slide and barrel then start from there.  Rechamber the barrel to accept 38 special (use a barrel reamer for proper throating) and fit the parts to your frame.

But rather than do all that, shoot it as a 38super except down load it and spring it to function with a 145-150 grain SWC at 720-750 fps.  Which is the standard 38 Wadcutter load.  All the “benefits” of a 38 with none of the disadvantages,

Wobbley wrote:If you really and truly want a 38 special, the “easiest way” is to get a 38 super slide and barrel then start from there.  Rechamber the barrel to accept 38 special (use a barrel reamer for proper throating) and fit the parts to your frame.

But rather than do all that, shoot it as a 38super except down load it and spring it to function with a 145-150 grain SWC at 720-750 fps.  Which is the standard 38 Wadcutter load.  All the “benefits” of a 38 with none of the disadvantages,

You cannot ream a 9mm or 38 Super chamber to 38 special. The base diameter of the 38 special is smaller than both 9mm and 38 Super. The finish reamer will not cut the entire chamber and you will get bulged brass.
Jon