1911 barrel testing fixture

A while ago I got a Linear rail with 2 carriages with the intent to make a Barrel testing fixture. A few days ago I purchased a new pair of rails with 2 carriages each plus another very wide rail and carriage. So after the Homemade conversion project is complete (it's complete but want to try tungsten firing pin and hammer alteration). Rust Blueing can come later.
 I seen on an Atlanta Arms ammo test what Adam stated was similar to the AMU tester but barrel mounting was not easy to see. Another site I looked at was Jimmy Clark. Their tester was being used to test 1911 barrels, he claimed it to have been made by Marvel, again it was hard to see how barrel was mounted. Rear looked as if a complete 1911 were cutoff at the hood and swiveled to meet the barrel, I seen a Tee handle being tightened to lock the cutoff 1911 assembly in place. No magazine was seen, round inserted in the barrel and removed by hand. Cut-up 1911 was up-side down. They loaded barrel, swiveled the 1911 assembly in place and locked it with the tee handle, cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger. Years ago I did see George Madore's tester, it was bolt action but it was about 50 yeas ago! Kinda forgot quite a bit.
 Anyone know where I can go to see what other testers look like? I have a few ideas and would like to make so I can test conversion barrels. In addition test a few conversion barrels that I use different reamers to chamber. Bentz, Lilja and JGS, possibly others.
 One idea I have is to cut-up a 1911 slide so I have the locking lugs, make a steel scope mount to attach the short slide. Attachment to the tester will be similar to scope rings then I can remove the 1911 barrel and insert a conversion barrel. Assembly to be inserted up-side down.

Two schools of thought come to mind.  One would be to hold it like it was in a pistol (resting on a slide stop pin, held by a bushing, locked in the locking lugs or back of hood..). Or clamp it in a collet (5C?) 
With the latter or even the former, you could just use a block dowel pinned into the fixture base but removable for ease of loading.  The striker could be from a Remington 700 or? Trigger from a 700?

5C collet is quite large, I was thinking of using ER-25 collet in 19/32" ER-32 will work in 15mm size.. Possibly cut the front of a slide off and attach means to close collet on the barrel. Put something to force the barrel into the lugs like a movable slide stop pin. The barrel holding in the Atlantic video looked like an extended scope mount ring, I couldn't see any part of the barrel. My guess was barrel fit sideways. Adam said the AMU "bushing" was vee with 2 screws 90° apart at 45° angle. I don't know how hood side was held.
 One way would be to support the entire barrel like what might be the Atlantic site used, another to support the barrel like it us in the 1911 so results will be similar as to what can be expected when mounted in 1911 slide. Maybe both versions and why I'm thinking of the "Scope Mount" type attachment for the barrel holder, one can also be made for conversion barrel.

Didn't Sams Custom works sell them?

Sams Custom Gunworks LLC

Here is a picture from his old web site in 2015-




Hopefully Jerry Keefer or FC60 will chime in-
Barrel Testing Fixture Question

Unfortunately, Jerry passed back in 2017. We, as a community, are still lessened.

I zoomed the photo as much as possible. hard to determine how it works. Might be similar to what I seen on the Atlantic site. The rear pivoted. The rear section has one cap screw and other side looks bigger. From what I could tell in the Atlantic site was that bigger side was a knob on a pin. Pull that pin and the rear swiveled away from the breech, insert round,return the rear and replace the pin locking the rear in place. Not sure how the one in the photo is fired, pull that rod to the rear back loading the spring and release like the way a pin ball is launched so that firing pin strikes the primer. Adam said AMU uses the AR trigger assembly sold by Brownells shown in the attached photo.
 Atlanta Arms testing site https://youtu.be/C4ZltQsogBY looks similar to the one in shanneba's photo.
 Clark video (25) 1911 Match Barrel vs Factory Barrel Accuracy and Longevity Test from an Al Marvel Barrel Tester - YouTube
 I notice that 1911 rear wobbles quite a bit.
 I don't see anything to absorb recoil, Adam said the AMU tester is mounted on linear rail that are very expensive and very very accurate, New set I purchased would sell for at least 3 or 4 thousand dollars but I got it for pennies on the dollar.

this link points to a home made barrel tester somewhat similar to the Sams.

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/accuracy-testing-of-barrels-by-means-of-a-barrel-test-fixture.963186/

pretty much shows you how it is made.


this is the only other commercial tester I know of

the Wiseman


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_6P5eVSaaA&t=22s

Thanks Jglenn! I keep looking at where the spring loaded balls that push the breech block back are. Can't seem to see them. I also see 2 black round somethings on the firing pin side of that breech block that's possibly where the spring loaded balls are inserted. What looks odd is all the surfaces are painted, probably powder coated. I would think all surfaces that fit together shouldn't be painted! I also see that in the very beginning of the video they are shooting with the tester outside but nothing is done to absorb recoil. At the end of the video they mention going outside to test it but video ends. I did find another video where they were testing outside but it was with an AR barrel tester and it did have recoil absorption. I also noticed that Clark's set-up didn't have any absorption either, I couldn't see any movement but when using the other hotter factory loads that wire near the muzzle jumped. Not knowing how the "bench" Clark was using is made but it seem kinda weak to me. Wooden??? Also had a rest held with 2 "C" clamps, that too looked kinda flimsy
 Be interesting to make a set of blocks to hold the barrel like BillWiseman does plus another maybe made from a cut-off 1911 slide. Guess I have a bit of engineering to do, I'm getting tired just thinking about it!.

Ii have the pleasure to test with the Sams unit. Not mine but a good friend I shoot with. I also have seen the Wiseman. Both units have a breach block that rotates out of the way so you can load the round. The breach is then rotated and locked in place. The barrel is locked in place prior. Firing pin is a spring loaded manually set pin. Similar to many old single shot 22s. Head space is controlled by a moving breach face with the block. Bench is treated the same way as a ransom.(can't make it to stiff) In our case we use a 55 gallon drum filled with sand. 740 lbs if memory serves. Tester is bolted down on a reinforced barrel lid. Really no reason to manage recoil on a pistol round like the 45acp. The only mod we've made to the unit has been a replacement for the front bushing support. Every unit I've seen other than the makers, has a front support added to simulate the bushing. My solution was a portion of an old slide with a real bushing that could be slipped over the barrel and tightened down. As the unit is not mine, I wanted something we could remove without affecting the original unit. We've just begun testing using the front support.

I will say it's a pleasure to shoot verses a ransom

The Wiseman swivels up and don't have the trigger assembly in that block. The tester Atlanta Arms is using the entire assembly swivels away from the breach. Is the Sams unit like the Atlanta Amrs one? As far as recoil I think it's best if recoil was absorbed. Would think that after a while the recoil will loosen the assembly. I will set my tester on the very accurate linear rails. In addition various tests can be made will various recoil allotment up to none. Adam said the AMU unit is like the Atlanta one but set on linear bearing. Yeah they will add quite a bit of expense if purchased but I got a new set dirt cheap. The Atlanta tester holds the barrel the full length, Wiseman \, the barrel sticks out of the holder quite a bit. Fround better Wiseman video, more detail! (30) Pistol Fixture Features - YouTube
 I think I'll build the Wiseman design but make the front longer Then I can use short barrel holding blocks or make longer ones! I like possibly buying a damaged or error machined slide that has barrel lug cut OK and fit it in the tester too. Maybe a couple of them.
 They made a base at my club similar to yours, put a 55 gallon drum in the ground about 1/4 the way then filled it with concrete and attached a 1/2" steel plate on the top.
 Wiseman unit seems to be a stronger design, looks quite solid!
 I have a Lyman All-American 10X target scope I removed from one of my rifles, great shape, I'm thinking of adding it to the tester. A dot can be put on the target holder so after each shot the scope will confirm if anything moved.

Barrel is clamped down in the sams and doesn't move.
Upper lugs are not used. Every sams I've seen has been modified in some manner. most have added a front support for the barrel. Usually a steady rest variation. The AA and Amu units are Sams or at least they started life as one. His unit has evolved over the years based on the manual I saw.

Have fun

I like the Wiseman style. Plan on building it with longer front end. Then put it on linear rails. I like that last video I sent, kinda shows all! Think the electric powered firing pin is not what I want, have to drag out an extension cord to the test barrel! Looks easier to build than the Sams version! As time permits I can make different inserts to hold barrels, make the easiest first! Now to get a block of 4" square tool steel about 16" long. Maybe cast iron.

How well do barrel tester results agree with those obtained from the assembled gun? Or is it just used to screen out particularly bad barrels? I would be suspect that the best load determined via the (free-floated) barrel tester also yields the tightest 50 yd groups from the assembled gun, since you are changing the barrel support structure and thus the barrel harmonics, unless pistol barrel accuracy is only a function of headspace, and then throat, bore and rifling condition. Is this tester mainly for fixed-barrel pistols?

Tester is for 1911 barrels but I will use it for .22 conversion barrel that's fixed in 1911 frame. If you look at the videos linked the barrels are all non fixed pistol type.
Tester is to insure barrel will preform as desired prior to fitting. When George Madore showed me is tester he said he made it after building a Bullseye 1911 and spending hours trying to determine why he couldn't get a good group with it, eventually found that it was the barrel. From then on prior to building the gun he would test the barrel unaltered just as delivered. He claimed that regardless of what top barrel maker's barrels tested he would get 1 or 2 out of 10 that didn't produce a group small enough for Bullseye. Some were outstanding, other were quite good. The outstanding barrels were then put in a top shooters gun. He would return the bad barrels, at first he got a bit of a hard time but eventually they understood and simply replaced the barrels sent back. I also see Atlanta Arms using the tester to check load accuracy, in the one Wiseman videos he claimed Hornady and others purchased the tester to check bullet accuracy.
 I therefore will do the same, test barrels before installing them, test my loads and test fixed conversion barrels as well as chamber reamer types. I guess I can use it to test .22 ammo too. In addition a barrel can be tested when group size increased to determine if barrel was the problem or something else.
 Test will be under ideal conditions, noting will move so the results will indicate the best possible condition then when ammo or barrel is put in a gun any deviation is caused by the assembly. I seen Wiseman did make a pistol tester (Wiseman's version of a Ransom Rest)