Fitting a New Plunger Tube on your 1911

A loose plunger tube can prevent your 1911 from firing

Fitting a New Plunger Tube on your 1911

By Tim Lau

One of the great things about the 1911 is that every part on the gun is replaceable. The downside is that stuff wears out and/or comes loose. Combine this with the proliferation of sub quality parts common with many manufacturers, and this can be a recipe for disaster. I have found that current production Kimbers are plagued with plunger tubes that give way sooner rather than later. If the stakes give way and the tube is not properly supported by the grips as originally designed, the plunger tube can work itself far enough from the frame to prevent you from being able to disengage the safety and fire the pistol. This isn't typically regarded as a good thing.

Here I will discuss how I fit a new plunger tube. Done this way, I have yet to experience one of my stakes come loose (and I have done a few.) You will need the following (Brownells P/N's provided for your reference):

10-8 Performance Plunger Tube (http://www.10-8performance.com/products/Plunger-Tube.html)

Loctite 638 Retaining Compound 532-000-008

Gun Runners Plunger Tube Staking Tool 634-000-001

Crescent Wrench

Bench Vise

Remove the loose tube with the help of your vise

The first order of business is to remove the loose plunger tube if it hasn't fallen off already. After removing the grips and thumb safety, I will clamp the loose tube in my bench vise and lightly tap the frame with a nylon faced hammer to separate the frame from the plunger tube. Once you have done this, clean the staking holes and the portion of the frame that contacts the plunger tube with acetone or your favorite degreaser.

A drop of Loctite 638 retaining compound on each stake will help reinforce them

Take your new plunger tube and wipe it off with some degreaser. I place a drop of Loctite 638 Retaining Compound on each stake prior to attaching the plunger tube to the frame. The stuff is viscous and significantly stronger than "red" Loctite. Next, install the tube into the frame. Remember the smaller diameter end of the plunger tube faces the muzzle end of the pistol.

The Gunrunners Plunger Staking Tool 

There are several plunger tube staking tools on the market and many of them work well. I prefer the one from Gunrunners. The one fashioned from vise grips works okay as well. I have also used the one from EGW but that one has the least amount of control as far as the quality of the stakes. It works but the Gunrunners one works best for me.

The Gunrunners tool consists of a staking point and a bolt that is mated to a spot faced bar that holds and reinforces the plunger tube. First place the reinforcement bar on the tube and then align the staking point with the stakes on the plunger tube (which should be in the frame by now). The bolt should align with one of the round recesses on the outside of the reinforcement bar. Hand tighten and then tighten with a wrench until reasonably tight. Repeat with other staking point.

Align the staking point with the staking hole on the inside of the magazine well.

Once both stakes are set, be sure to wipe off any excess retaining compound. Check your stakes. They should be strong and even. See below:

Nice strong stakes on both points.

Double check your work by trying to wiggle the plunger tube. Reassemble and check for function. Remember that properly designed grips will support the plunger tube and keep it from coming loose and failing even if the stakes give way. This built in failsafe is gone if you choose to install thin grips or any grips with a differing design than the original.

I prefer full width grips that properly support the plunger tube like these from VZ Grips.

Once you have confirmed function, you can pat yourself on the back and have a beer. Good work!

Resources:

Brownells.com http://www.brownells.com

VZ Grips http://www.vzgrips.com

10-8 Performance, LLC http://www.10-8performance.com

Rotate Your Carry Ammunition

Winchester Ranger RA45TP with Multiple Hard Primer Strikes, but No Ignition

Just wanted to put out a quick reminder to everyone to periodically rotate carry ammunition. Recently, there was an advisory from Gwinett County (GA) PD regarding an incident where an officer found himself in a deadly force encounter only to discover that the chambered round in his duty pistol would not fire. Fortunately, the officer's training took over and he was able to successfully clear the malfunction and end the encounter.

The round in question was examined by the manufacturer, who discovered that the primer mix had been knocked out of the primer when the round was cycled through the firearm multiple times. Two cases of the same ammunition (presumably from the same lot) were tested and functioned normally.

Recently, one of my Detective partners and I were teaching at the range when three carry rounds failed to fire. We examined the firing pin strike and saw they were solid, centered strikes. We are now in the process of rotating all officers' duty ammunition, which we typically do once a year.

Federal, Remington and Winchester all recommend that cartridges should not be chambered more than twice before being discarded. Bullet setback can cause pressure spikes and primers can go dead. In an AR or M4 type carbine, this is even more critical as the chambering process is very hard on the cartridge.

In the end, I wouldn't lose a ton of sleep over this, but it is good practice to regularly rotate the ammunition in your duty sidearm or carbine. This is not the area where you want to go cheap.

Be safe out there!

Tim Lau
10-8 Consulting, LLC