Kart EZ-Fit barrel

Guns Magazine, August, 2008 by Jacob Gottfredson

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

As a guy marginally useful with tools, I'll often tackle do-it-yourself projects with some expectation of success. I'm fairly adept at wood shaping and metal polishing, but have no formal training as a gunsmith. So equipped, I often know when to stop and ask an adult. Having shot quite a few 1911s, but never actually worked on one beyond the fitting of safeties and triggers, I entered this project with a bit of trepidation, but expecting I'd prevail.

I acquired a late '40's vintage Colt .38 Super, badly overbuffed and reblued, but otherwise unmonkeyed with. It also wouldn't shoot better than 8" to 12" groups at 25 yards. Brownells suggested I swap out the barrel with a Kart EZ-Fit and the firm sent me one PDQ. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, but Kart expects the titter to have a moderate knowledge of how the 1911 operates.

Alas boys, I don't have such general gunsmithing knowledge and after toying with it for awhile, did the sensible thing and took it to Jim Hoag, who has been building 1911s since the late 1950s. One thing I would have been stuck with on my own was the great sloppiness of the slide-to-frame fit. Jim tightened all that up, fit the barrel and I was off to the range.

Smartest thing I've done in some time. Now the best group the pistol delivered at 25 yards was 5-shots into 1-3/8" (3-shots in 13/16") with Winchester 125-grain Silvertips. I can't shoot much better with a handgun, especially one with stock sights. Even the cheap USA 130-grain FMJ, which normally isn't very accurate, gave groups on the order of 2-7/8". The contrast between the black bull's-eye, orange and green of the fresh bullet holes on the Caldwell Orange Peel targets is very good and you can watch a good group form. They peel off the backing and stick on the target board, but I prefer to tape or staple them to the board so I can save them for reference and photographs.

Another big boost was the addition of grips by Carbon Creations. I have to put a strong grip on a handgun these days to get a group and the checkered carbon fiber grips gave me great purchase even though my hands were sweaty. The grips are handsome and come in a variety of colors to match the new finishes available today, checkered or smooth. I prefer the checkered.

KART EZ-FIT BARREL BROWNELLS

200 SOUTH FRONT STREET

MONTEZUMA, IA 50171

(641) 623-4000, WWW.BROWNELLS.COM

CARBON CREATIONS

P.O. BOX 1434, VALLEY CENTER, CA 92082

(888) 757-4747, WWW.CARBONCREATIONS.COM

HOAG GUN WORKS

8523 CANOGA AVENUE

CANOGA PARK, CA 91304

(818) 998-1510

ORANGE PEEL TARGETS

MIDWAY USA

5875 WEST VAN HORN TAVERN ROAD

COLUMBIA, MO 65203

(573) 445-6363, WWW.MIDWAYUSA.COM