barrel links

[Bloodman14]

Did a quick search, but zippo; can anyone tell me the reason for having different lengths of barrel links in an auto pistol (45 ACP in my case)? I understand that they give different lock-ups, but what is the practical use/purpose? Thanks.
Tim

[Frank46]

As I know it the link forces the chamber end of the barrel upwards and allows the lugs on the top of the barrel to mate with the lugs on the inside of the slide. If the link is too short lockup isn't what it should be. They do wear out and when replacing a link you should also replace the link pin. Frank

[TCLouis]

I would think it would make up for extremes in manufacturing tolerances.
Is tighter lockup less movement thus more accuracy?

[MtGun44]

The point is to force the barrel higher at the back, which forces the slide higher and then takes slack
out of the slide-frame rail fit and gives more consistent barrel position at the start of the firing process,
which increases accuracy.

Bill

[Moonie]

A properly fitted barrel doesn't need a longer link, longer links can cause feeding issues. It was fashionable for a while for gunsmiths to install longer links because it was thought that jamming the barrel up into the lugs somehow made them more accurate. Most good smiths do not do this any longer because it causes more problems than it fixes.

[wv109323]

The 1911 pistol/barrel has five points of contact with each other. These points of contact must be maximized or minimized so that there is no clearance or play between them to achieve the best accuracy out of the pistol. The idea is that the barrel returns to the same point after each shot is fired.
Another area that needs to have tight tolerances is the slide to frame fit.
The five points of contact are: 1.) Barrel bushing to Slide fit. 2.) Barrel to Barrel Bushing 3.) Top Barrel Lugs to Slide Lugs 4.) Barrel Hood to Breechface of Slide 5.) Bottom Barrel Lugs to Slide Pin Stop. When all of these tolerances are brought to zero the barrel has to return to battery in the exact same position from shot to shot.
The intent of a longer barrel link was to force the barrel lugs up into the slide lugs for a supposed tighter fit when the pistol was in battery. One of the drawbacks to a longer barrel link is that it forces or moves the bottom barrel lugs up off of the slide stop pin. The force of the recoil spring that holds the pistol in battery and the forces that stop the slide's movement forward now rest on the longer link to slide stop pin instead of the bottom barrel lugs to slide stop pin. It was/is common to break the longer link and wear the slide stop pin.
Also as already stated they changed the geometry of the barrel coming out of battery which can cause feeding problems.
At one time it was thought to be a cheap way to increase a pistol's accuracy given the sloppy tolerances required for military parts interchangeability.. But with the trade-offs it is a way to separate you from your money.
The correct way is to machine the pistol to very tight tolerances and fit the pieces with no play. That is being done by many manufacturers today because they do not have to worry about parts interchangeability as does the military. Also with today's machinery it is much easier to machine to tighter tolerances.