EGW, Inc. has the largest selection of bushings that we manufacture in house (Quakertown, Pennsylvania) from bar stock. Bushings are available in Stainless or Carbon Steel. All of our bushings start with an outside diameter of .699”, .7015”, .703” or .705” with a .568” inside diameter – bushings can then be custom bored to your specific barrel and slide dimensions.
Please note that custom bushing orders generally take 2-3 weeks for completion.
- The most common range of barrel diameters is .579” - .581”
After you figure out your barrel diameter, you then need to know how large the opening of your slide is or the inside Diameter of the slide. You can figure this out by taking your dial or digital calipers again and using the inside jaws to measure the front opening of the slide.
- The most common range for this is .700” - .702”
Once you have figured out the diameter of your slide, the next step is to pick the specific bushing that will best suits your needs.
The chart below displays the bushing blanks that we carry which will be custom bored to your specific specs.
After measuring and picking the I.D. of your slide, you can then choose which flange and material you would like to use. The bore of your bushing will come later.
Bushing |
Flange |
I.D. of Slide |
Barrel/Custom |
Material |
Drop-In |
Govt./
Commander |
Thin/Thick |
.699 / .7015 /
.703 / .705 |
.568 |
SS / Blued |
No – Gunsmith Fit Only |
Govt./
Commander |
Carry Bevel |
.699 / .7015 /
.703 / .705 |
.568 |
SS / Blued |
No – Gunsmith Fit Only |
Govt./
Commander |
Melt |
.699 / .7015 /
.703 / .705 |
.568 |
SS / Blued |
No – Gunsmith Fit Only |
Officers |
CBB/Melt |
.7645 |
.6935 |
SS / Blued |
Drop-In |
Monogram Set |
Carry Bevel |
.699 / .7015 |
.568 / .583 |
SS / Blued |
No – Gunsmith Fit Only |
Govt./
Commander |
All Flanges |
.699 |
.583 |
SS / Blued |
Drop-In |
Note the bottom row of the chart. We offer all of our bushings with drop in dimensions which requires no Gun Smithing making it truly drop-in.
Flanges
- What is the difference between thin flange and thick flange bushings?
All of the bushings we sell start off as a thick flange bushing. Thick flange simply means that the front of the bushing is .125” thick compared to a standard G.I. flange that is .092” thick. If you would like to keep the original look of the G.I. but still would like a custom bushing, EGW, Inc. can face the front of the bushing off to keep that classic look.
- Why use a thick flange over a conventional bushing?
Bushings are key players in the role of accuracy for the 1911. A loose sloppy bushing will decrease accuracy and provide extra wear and tear on the bushing itself. The thick flange provides a larger and stronger surface area for the barrel to rest on throughout the firing cycle of the gun. It also adds strength to the front part of the bushing which has a great deal of force exerted on it in its role of holding the spring plug in the gun.
- What is the difference between the Thick, Carry Bevel, Melt, Monogram Set and Officers Bushings?
The different flanges offer options to personalize your firearm. The Thick flange (link to thick flange bushing) has a square edge, the Carry Bevel (link to carry bevel pics) has a 45 degree bevel placed around the edge and the Melt (link to melt picture) follows the contour of the front of your slide and will need to be blended in. Our monogram set (link to picture) keys into the provided blank, lettered or custom spring plug keeping the plug from rotating maintaining the movement of the recoil spring. This set is a great way to personalize and improve the performance of your firearm.
Bores
- Straight Bore
A straight bored bushing is common and found in most stock firearms which use a bushing. The problem with this design is that the barrel locks up on an angle so you have a cylinder forcing its way up and down inside of a concentric circle resulting in wear and tear on the bore of the bushing. The disadvantage is the contact area is so small resulting in rapid wear. This design is fine for stock bushings which have maximum clearance from the barrel and slide resulting in a fairly loose sloppy fit.
- Angle Bore
We have custom ground fixtures that hold the bushing at the angle of lock up when we bore to your selected size. This allows optimal contact with the barrel reducing wear and improving accuracy. By boring on the angle of lock up, we prevent accuracy robbing flex in the barrel often found in tight bushing setups. The bottom back is relieved for smooth bind free operation. This process is unique to EGW.
Will my current spring plug match up flush with your bushing?
No….A standard G.I. spring plug will be around .092” which should be similar to your original stock G.I. Bushing. We offer two Long Nosed Spring plugs as well as custom size plugs to accommodate any thickness of bushing. This allows everything to sit flush and true creating a better contact area between the spring plug and bushing. It also looks pretty darn good too!
