*

_ , ~
...
- J
MACHINERY
Volume 49 NEW YORK, DECEMBER, 1942 Number 4
*
*
*
* * *
Making a World-Famous
Automatic Pistol
By E. P. HERRICK, Production Engineer
Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg. Co., Hartford, Conn.
Approved for Publication by the War Department
Tried and Tested in the First World
War, the Colt 0.45 Automatic Pistol
is Now Being Manufactured in Larger
Quantities than Ever Before. The
Reputation of This Famous Firearm
has been Established by the Care
and Precision of Its Manufacture
T
HE first successful American automatic
pistol was developed and introduced by
the Colt's Patent Fire Arms Mfg. Co. in
1900. It was of 0.38 caliber, and its construction
was based on Browning's patent, which featured
a magazine feed, recoil ejection of the empty
cartridge cases, and automatic cocking of the
hammer after each shot was fired. It was in
many ways a marked improvement over the re-
mt
illl

MAKING A WORLD-FAMOUS AUTOMATIC PISTOL
volver with bulky cylinder and hammer that had
to be manually cocked before each shot.
In 1905, the first Colt Military Model 0.45
caliber automatic was introduced. After exten-
sive and rigorous tests by the United States
Government, it was adopted with slight modifi-
cations as the standard hand gun for the Army,
Navy, and Marine Corps in 1911. Since that
time, with the addition of one or two refinements
in construction, it has continued to be unsur-
passed as an automatic side arm for accuracy
and reliability of operation.
During the first World War the Colt Govern-
ment Model was used extensively by our Expedi-
tionary Forces, and to supply the quantities
needed, two firms were authorized to manufac-
ture it, besides the Colt's Patent Fire Arms
Mfg. Co. Today it is recognized that the auto-
matic pistol still fills a unique and important
place in the armory of modern warfare. It is be-
ing manufactured in greater quantities than ever
before, and three companies, in addition to the
Colt's organization, have been authorized to en-
gage in its production.
The present Government Model 0.45 Colt auto-
matic is a compact, well balanced pistol weighing
39 ounces. It is about 8 1/ 2 inches long and has
a magazine capacity of seven shots. The action
of the pistol is automatic, except that the trigger
must be pulled to fire each shot. It can be dis-
charged at the rate of five shots per second, the
cartridges being automatically supplied from a
detachable magazine inserted in the handle of
the pistol.
The fifty- three parts of which the pistol is
composed are shown in Fig. 1, and most of them
are also shown in the assembly drawing, Fig. 2.
The materials of which the various parts are
Fig. 1. Fifty-three Diflerent Parts Make up the Colt .1.\utomatic Pistol.
All except the Plastic Stocks are Made of Steel. The Names of the Paris
are Listed in the Table 011 the Opposite Page
Fig. 2. Cut-away Side View
of Assembled Pistol, Show-
ing Receiver, Slide, Barrel,
Recoil Spring, Firing Pin,
Trigger, Hammer, and
Firing Mechanism. Some
Parts are Not Visible in
This View. Loaded Maga-
zine is Shown at Left
*
Material Specifications for Colt Government Model 0.45 Automatic

Part
No.
I !
:\arue Si ze nud Grade tJf Steel 11
I 3
I

I 4
:;
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Receiver .... . ..... . 1 2 1/ 4" by 1", SAE 1035
Barrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . Special Shape, SA E 4150
Slide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1/ 8" sq., Special Grade,
H.R., S A E 1050 Unan-
nealed
Recoil Plate ..... . . I 0.290" diam. Dukane Drill
Rod, Carbon Tool , S A E
1095
Plunge1 Tube . . . . . . 5/ 16" by 3/ 16", SA E 1025
Slide-Stop Plunger . . 0.106" diam., SA E 1115
Plunger Spring . . . . 0.018" diam. Music Wire AA
Safety-Lock Plunger 0.106" diam., SA E 1115
Slide Stop . . . . . . . . . 7 / 16" sq., S A E 1075
Rear Sight . . . . . . . . Special Shape, SA E 1020
C.D.
F1ont Sight .... ... 1" by 0.057", SAE 1020 C.R.
Barrel Link . . . . . . . 7/ 8" by 0.135", SA E 1095
Barrel-Link Pin . . . . 0.155" diam. Dukane Drill
Rod. Carbon Tool. S A E
1075
Bane! Bu,;hing . . . . 1 1/ 4" diam. , SA E 1075
Recoil Spring . . . . . . 0. 043" Mus i c Wire AA
Recoil-Spring Guide. 13/ 16" diam., SA E 1045,
H.R. , Annealed
Recoil -Spl'ing Plug. . 17 / 32", SA E 1025
E:xtl'actor . . . . . . . . . . 9/ :l2" diam .. SA E 1075
Ejector ........ . . .. !i / 8" by 7/ 32", SA E 1075
Ejector Pin
Firing Pin
0.063" diam. Dukane Drill
Rod, S A E 1095
21
22
I
Sp1ing . .
f nmg--Pm Stop ... .
l / 4" diam. Dukane Drill
Rod. S A E 1095
0.026" Music Wire AA
3/ 4" by 5/ 32" plus or mi-
nus 0.002" , SA E 1075
230 1
24
2:;
26
I
I
Hamme r
13/ 16" hy 3/ 8", S A E 1075
Hamme r Pin .. .. . . 0.180" diam. Dukane Drill
Rod . SA E 1095
Hammer Strut .. .. . 2 3/8" by 0.105", SAE 1095
Hamme r-Strut Pin .. 0.095" Dukane Drill Rod,
Carbon Tool, SA E 1095
27 Mainsp1ing- . . .. . . .. I 0. 045" Music Wire AA
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44 I
45 )
46
47
48
49
50
51lt
51L
53

Mainspring Cap
Mainspring-Cap Pin
Sear
Sear Spring
Sear Pin ...... . . . .
Disconnector . ... .. .
Trigger ... ... .. ... .
Grip Safety . .. ... . .
Safety Lock . .. ... .
Mainspring Housing
Mainspring-Housing
Pin .. .. . ... . ... . .
Mainspring-Hous ing
Pin Re taine r . .. .
Lanyard Loop ..... .
Lanyard-Loop Piu . .
Magazine Tuhe . . .. .
Magazine Base .. .
Magazine- Base Pin . .
Ma gaziue Spl'ing ...
Magaziue Followe1 ..
Magazine Catch ....
Magazine-Catch
Spring . . . .. .. . .. .
Magazine-Catch
Lock ... . .. .. . . .. 1
Stock. Ft.H. . .. . . , .
Stock, L. H . .. . . .. . .
Stock Scr e w Rushing
Size nd Grade of Steel
0.278" diam., SA E 1120
C. D.
0.109" diam., S A E 1120
C.D.
3/ 8" sq., S A E 1075
19/ 32" by 0. 030", S A E
1095
0.134" Dukane Drill Rod.
Carbon Tool, S A E 1095
5/ 16" sq., SA E 1075
3/ 4" by 3/ 8", SA E 1020
3/ 4" diam., SA E 1020
3/ 4" by 5/ 8", SA E 1075
13/ 16" by 21/ 32", SA E
1020
0.155" diam. Dukane Drill
Rod, Carbon Tool, S A E
1095
0.275" diam. , SA E 1120
C. D.
0. 106" diam., SA E 1120
C.D.
0.092" diam. Dukane Drill
Rod, Carbon Tool , SA E
1095
Special Shape, S A E 1050
Special Shape, S A E 1020
0.0625" , SA E 1120 and
SA E 1115 C. D.
0.047" Mus i<: Wire Regular
17/ 32" by 0.042", SA E
1020, C. R. , Soft Annealed
17/ 32" diam .. SA E 1020
0.023" Mus ir Wire AA
0.28 1" d iam. , S A E 1120
C. D.
Colt Rock Plasti c
Colt Rock Plasti c
SA E 1120
301
made are listed in the accompanying table. This
article will deal chiefly with the machining oper-
ations on the three main parts-the receiver, the
slide, and the barrel.
Machining Operations on the Receiver
The receiver is the main body of the pistol into
or on which are fitted most of the other fifty-
two parts. One hundred and sixteen operations
are required in its fabrication. The raw stock
MAKING A WORLD-FAMOUS
Fig. 3. Porgings are Tumbled in This
Machine, and are also Cleaned by Sand,
which is Whirled against Them by a Rap-
idly Rotating Wheel. Four Tumbling .'Ha-
chine were Replaced by This One Machine
from which the receiver is made is 2 1/ 4- by
1-inch SA E 1035 steel. This is cut into 7 1/ 8-
inch lengths, which are hot-forged into rough
shape. The rough forging is than finish-forged,
trimmed, and subjected to a grain refinement. A
second trimming operation is followed by the
punching out of the guard for the trigger.
The forgings are then taken to a Wheelabrator
Tumblast (made by the American Foundry
Equipment Co.), which is shown in Fig. 3. Here
they are charged into a drum in which they are
tumbled about by rotating action, and are also
subjected to the continuous impact of very fine
shot. This shot is not propelled by compressed
air, but is discharged from above on a rapidly
rotating wheel from which it is thrown with con-
siderable centrifugal force against the forgings.
The combined action of tumbling and shot im-
pact rapidly removes all rust and scale.
Only eight to ten minutes is needed to ac-
complish in this one machine what formerly re-
quired three-quarters of an hour to an hour in
four tumbling machines. After cleaning, those
forgings that require a slight straightening are
given a cold strike, and then are ready for the
first machining operation.
Five receiver blanks, mounted together, have
their top outlines milled on a heavy-duty Pratt
& Whitney horizontal milling machine, as shown
Fig. 4. To Lighten the
Receiver, a Rectangular
Opening is Cut through
the Handle. Ttvo Slots
are Spline-milled to Form
the Rough Opening. The
Two Small Holes in the
Blank have been Previ-
ously Drilled for Locating
the Piece in Subsequent
Operations
*
AUTOMATIC PISTOL
Fig. 5. First il'l illing Operation on Re-
ceiver is Profiling of Top Outline. Here>
Seven Distinct Surfaces are being lU illed
on Five Blanks in One Operation. Blanli
with Finished Profile Seen at Left
in Fig. 5. Seven distinct edges or surfaces are
milled on each receiver in this operation with
one pass of the interlocking cutters. (The blank
with finished profile, shown at the front of the
machine, has also had several subsequent opera-
tions performed on it.) The next operation is to
drill and ream two holes which serve as position
locators for subsequent machining operations.
This is followed by profile milling of the front of
the grip or handle, the bottom and front of the
trigger guard, and the bottom of the forward
part of the receiver up to the muzzle end.
The first operation in forming the magazine
cavity is the cutting of a hole through the end of
the handle with a deep-hole drill. This is followed
by the drilling of a large hole in the barrel end
of the receiver, which will eventually form part
of the recoil - spring housing. A rectangular-
shaped opening is cut through the handle on the
side to lighten the weight of the receiver. This
opening is formed by two spline milling opera-
tions. Fig. 4 shows the second operation.
In this operation, a milling cutter is fed into
each side of the handle, and both cutters are then
traversed to form a slot type of opening. After
cutting to full depth, one cutter is retracted
slightly, so that the other may be plunged deeper
to cut away the metal separating the two cavi-
ties, thus forming an opening through the
Fig. 6. The Curved Back
Surface of the Rough Mag-
azine Cavity in the Re-
ceiver Handle is Broached
to a Flat Surface. Two
Receiver Blanks Showing
the Cavity Outline before
and after the Broaching
Operation are
above the Work-holding
Fixture
*
handle. Each cut is about 2 3/ 16 inches long and
0.770 inch deep. A similar operation on another
machine forms a slot into which this slot opens,
completing the rough shape of the opening as
shown in the finished blank in Fig. 4. Also shown
in both finished and unfinished blanks are two
small holes previously drilled, which serve as
position locators for subsequent operations.
The top and bottom of the magazine hole
through the end of the handle are next spline-
milled to enlarge the cavity, after which each
piece is gaged. The inside of the opening through
the side of the handle is then rough-profiled. In
the finished gun, this opening is covered by a
plastic stock on each side. The rough-profiling
is followed by a low-temperature anneal to break
down the glaze formed by milling.
The rounded back of the magazine cavity is
broached to form a square, flat surface in a
Lapointe broaching machine, as shown in Fig. 6.
The work is located in the machine by two studs
bearing on the top of the receiver, which is held
tightly against a pad at the left side. A 28-inch
broach is used, and the cut taken is 5 inches long
and 1 3/ 8 inches wide.
The inside of the opening through the side of
the handle is now finish-profiled and both sides
of the receiver are disk-ground. Following the
rough and finish cam-milling of the inside of the
MAKING A WORLD-FAMOUS
Fig. 7. Profile Milling the
Contour around the Ham-
mer Guard of the Receiver.
A Receiver with Finished
Hammer-guard Profile is
Shown at tlte Front of the
llachine
*
trigger guard, a profiling cut is taken on the
right and left sides of the guard, and the outside
of the trigger guard is also rough-profiled.
The succeE:.ding machining operations on the
receiver include rough-milling a slot at the rear
of the handle to form a recess for the mainspring
housing; milling a slot in the hammer guard,
finish-milling the top and bottom of the receiver;
finish-milling the slot for the mainspring hous-
ing; drilling, reaming, and countersinking sev-
eral small holes on both sides; and disk-grinding
both sides of the receiver.
Next, another profiling cut is taken around
the hammer support to form a profile that will
blend with the outline of the rear of the slide
when it is in place. This operation, which is
performed on a Pratt & Whitney two - spindle
vertical milling machine, is shown in Fig. 7. A
Fig. 8. Shaving a Slot in
Top of the Receiver to
Form a Square End for
Barrel Stop. Of the Two
Receivers Seen at lite
Front. the One with the
Finished Cut is on Top
*
AUTOMATIC PISTOL
small curvature is then rough- and finish-milled
on the rear of the grip.
Following this, the slide ribs or ways are
milled on the right- and left-hand sides just be-
low the top edge of the receiver, and the rear pro-
file of the trigger guard is cut. The upper wall of
the recoil-spring hole is removed by cutting in
from the left side on a hand milling machine and
then breaking off the thin top piece, leaving an
open channel. The sides of this open channel,
which forms a seat for the rear portion of the
recoil spring, are then milled to flat surfaces.
The next operation is the milling of the hammer
slot.
As may be seen by referring to the assembly
drawing, Fig. 2, the rear loop of the trigger ex-
tends back to the firing mechanism. The groove
in which this trigger loop slides is milled in the
next operation. Following this, two profiling cuts
are taken to provide a seat for the grip safety,
which is at the rear of the handle just below the
trigger guard. The second of these two cuts is
shown being performed in Fig. 9.
Next the barrel seat is milled and the discon-
nector hole counterbored. Various other holes
are drilled and reamed, and then begins a series
of shaving operations, one of which is shown in
Fig. 8. In this operation, the top hollowed por-
tion of the receiver just back of the recoil-spring
Fig. 9. lH illing out a Recess in lite Rear
of the Receiver for the Grip This
Cut is Taken well up Inside the Hammer
Guard. r\ Receiver with Finished Recess
is Sl10u:n at the Front of the J1nchine
Fig. 10. To Facilitate Machining, Each Trayful of Parts is Cleaned nfter
Every Operation in an Automatic Washing !tlachine. Here a of Receivers
is Seen being Removed from the Chamber of the u ashing .'Wochine
channel is cut further back to form a square end
for the barrel stop. This operation is accom-
plished on a shaving machine with automatic
feed, which was built by the Taylor & Fenn Co.
to Colt's own design.
Because there is a slight hollow in the top of
this middle section, the depth of the cut is not
uniform, and ranges from about 1/ 4 inch at t:ach
edge to about 1/ 16 inch in the center. The feed
is about 1/ 64 inch. The receiver is located in the
machine by a block bearing against the top and
by two pins which fit into two locating holes pre-
viously drilled in the receiver blank.
The remaining machining operations on the
receiver consist in providing slots, holes, or
recesses for the parts that fit into the receiver.
One of the practices followed at the Colt plant
to make certain that all parts will be in suitable
MAKING A WORLD-FAMOl
Fig. 11. Two Slide being
Shaddle-milled to Form a
Curved Top Surface and
Straight Sides. Each Slide
is Held by Pins which
Fit into the Barrel-bushing
Hole. lite Recoil-spring
Hole. and the Centered
Hole at lhe Rear End
*
condition for machining is to clean them afte
every operation in a Colt automatic washing ma
chine. Fig. 10 shows one of these machines witl
a tray of receivers just emerging from the wash
ing chamber, where they have been sprayed witl
a hot soda solution. This particular model ma
chine has a washing chamber 8 feet long
through which a loaded tray will pass in abou
fifty seconds. The machine is operated continu
ously for approximately twenty-three hours, anc
then is shut down for an hour to permit the re
moval of accumulated waste and chips. When
tray of parts has passed through this
chamber, the parts are thoroughly cleaned anc
ready for the next machining operation.
Wooden trays similar to those shown in Fig. 1C
hold about thirty parts. From the time the tray
is loaded with blanks for the first machining op-
Fig. 12. Two Locking
Grooves are being Milled
at lite Top of lhe Inside
of the Slide just in Front
of the Carriage Outlet. A
Small Cutter is Used at
the End of a Long Spindle
Supported an Arm
*
AUTOMATIC PISTOL
Fig. 13. ,..\ Double Curva-
ture is Milled on the End
of the Slide b ~ Using a
Concave Cutter to Form
the Vertical Crtrvatun>
and a Rotating Action of
the Work-holding Fixture
to Generate the Horizon-
tal Curvature
*
eration up to the point where each receiver is
assembled with a slide, the pieces in each tray
travel from one machining operation to another
together. A serial number is assigned to every
tray and a record is kept of the machinist who
performs the operations on each part.
During the various operations on the parts,
most of the gaging is done only by the operators
themselves. Each operation is checked, however,
about once an hour by floor inspectors, and the
piece last finished at the time of the inspection
is gaged to make sure that the operation is being
conducted correctly.
To prevent later difficulties in assembly, each
part is carefully checked for "skipped opera-
tions" before leaving the machine shop. Parts
that have been rejected because some dimension
falls outside of the established limits are also in-
Fig. 14. Locking Slots are
.Willed on the Top of the
Breech Section of the
Barrel by the Use of a
Rotating W ork-fi:dure. The
Front Slot is Cut Shallou:
to Allow for Blending with
the Barrel Section Contour
*
spected and sorted into scrap and salvage. The
latter go to a special group of workmen who re-
claim such parts by skillful hand work, thereby
saving valuable machining time and material.
The most thorough gaging and operational in-
spection of each part is made as it proceeds
through final filing and finishing operations. In
addition to company inspection, the finished
parts are, of course, subjected to a complete and
thorough gaging and visual examination by U. S.
Army inspectors.
Function of the Slide
The slide is that part of the automatic pistol
which rides on top of the receiver, enclosing the
barrel and the firing pin. When the pistol is
fired, the pressure of the powder gases drives
the bullet forward, and at the same time, forces
the slide and barrel together toward the rear.
After a short distance of travel, the barrel,
which swings on a link pivoted on the receiver,
moves downward and disengages the slide, so
that the latter is free to continue its rearward
movement. In so doing, the slide cocks the ham-
mer, extracts and ejects the empty shell, and
compresses the recoil spring. After completing
its rearward movement, it is driven forward
again by the compressed recoil spring, and in its
forward movement, carries the barrel back to the
firing position and also forces a fresh cartridge
from the magazine into the chamber.
Fig. 15. Final Finishing
of the Bore before Rifling
is Accomplished with a
Square Reamer. A Wooden
Guide is Placed against
One Side of the Reamer
to Hold the Cutting Edge
Steadily and Firmly against
the Work
*
The initial operations on the slide are similar
to those performed on the receiver. They consist
of hot forging, annealing, shot-blasting, trim-
ming, and "cold striking" where straightening is
needed. The first machining operation is to
straddle-mill the bottom and the ends of the
slide. This is followed by the drilling of the hole
for the barrel with a deep-hole drill and disk-
grinding of one end.
A heat-treating operation is employed to re-
move the hard glazed surface formed by the pre-
vious operation. At this point the slide is sub-
jected to a preliminary gaging before subsequent
machining.
Following this, the rear end is center-drilled
and reamed, and a hole is drilled and reamed in
the lower abutment at the front of the slide to
receive the recoil-spring plug.
Milling the Contour of the Slide
In Fig. 11, the sides and top of two slides have
just been cut to the proper size and contour in a
straddle-milling operation. Each piece is located
by pins which fit into the barrel-bushing hole,
the recoil-spring hole, and the centered hole at
the rear end. The operation gives the slide a
rounded top and straight sides.
Then follows the rough-milling of a slot along
the bottom of the slide, which extends down into
the barrel hole and lengthwise to the rear of the
slide. This provides a recess in which ribs will
l<' ig. 16. To Form the Opening in the Trig-
ger Slide through which the Magazine Passes.
a Spline-milling Operation is Used. The
Finished and Unfinished Pieces are Shown
in the Left Foreground
Fig. l 7. Rifling Two Coli
U.45 Automatic Barrels.
Tlte Cutters are Shown
Retracted below the Sur-
face of the Rifling Head.
Ready for Return to Starl-
ing Position. A.t Each For-
ward Stroke 0.0001 Inch
of Sloe/, is Removed
*
be later cut to match similar ribs along the top
of the receiver. The abutment underneath the
front end of the slide is next milled along both
sides of the bottom, and ornamental cuts are
milled on each side to form a pleasing contour
where the top of the abutment joins that part of
the slide surrounding the barrel. Another slot is
milled on the bottom for the receiver and the
ejector, and a clearance is milled on the bottom
to allow room for the top of the magazine.
Ribs are now cut inside the slot previously
formed to accommodate the top of the receiver;
these ribs provide ways which fit into grooves
along the outside edge of the receiver, permitting
the slide to move easily backward and forward.
A recess is drilled for the extractor with a
deep-hole drill, the recoil hole is countersunk,
and the first cut is taken on a spline milling ma-
chine to form the cartridge outlet opening. Clear-
ance for the linking arrangement which connects
the barrel with the receiver is provided by a
shaving operation. A seat for the cartridge head
is also produced by a shaving cut, and a second
cut is taken on a hand milling machine to enlarge
and shape the cartridge-outlet opening, through
which the empty shells are ejected.
Milling Locking Grooves Inside the Slide
Rather a difficult operation is that of milling
the transverse locking grooves into which fit
matching ribs on the barrel. This is accomplished
Fig. 18. Automatic Screw Machines are Vsecl
in Making Some of the Smaller Paris. Here
a Recoil-spring Guide is Turned, Drilled,
Formed, and Cut olf. The Rough Stock and
Finished Piece are Shown in the Foreground
on a hand milling machine. Since these grooves
must be cut well up inside the slide, a small mill-
ing cutter mounted on a long spindle is used,
which can be inserted through the barrel hole, as
shown in Fig. 12. The outer end of the cutter-
spindle is supported by an arm, as shown. In
this operation, the slide is located from the front
of the cartridge-outlet opening, which is held
firmly in contact with a locking pin by pressure
exerted through a thumb-screw at one end of the
holding fixture.
This operation is followed by the milling of
the cartridge-head seat and the barrel clearance,
and chamfering of the cartridge outlet. A seat
MAKING A WORLD-FAMOUS AUTOMATIC PISTOL
is reamed and counterbored for the extractor,
the function of which is to remove the empty
shell from the barrel before it is ejected through
the slide opening, and the breech block and the
slot extending the length of the slide along the
bottom are finish-milled. The hammer slot is
milled in the rear of the slide and the firing-pin
hole drilled with a deep-hole drill.
In Fig. 13 is shown the milling of the double
curvature on the rear end of the slide. A concave
milling cutter forms the vertical curvature, while
the horizontal curvature is generated by the ac-
tion of the cutter as the work - holding fixture
rotates the end of the slide across it. A roller at-
tached to the front of the work-holding fixture
is shown in contact with the front push member,
which is mounted on a reciprocating cross-slide.
This front member rotates the work for the cut,
while a similar member at the rear end of the
slide moves the work-holding fixture back into
position for reloading after the cut has been
completed.
Following this, profiling cuts are taken for the
firing-pin stop, safety-lock and slide stop, and
the angle on the rear of the slide-stop notch is
formed by shaving. The front end is then faced
and milled to receive the barrel-bushing locking
nut.
Various filing, reaming, and burring operations
are followed by a preliminary inspection. Both
sides of the slide are then ground, and the verti-
cal serrations that provide a grip to pull the slide
backward in the initial loading operation are
milled. The top curvature of the slide is ground,
and the front end is finish-milled.
Succeeding operations provide for the location
of the recoil plate, sights, and disconnector, and
the rolling of the name and model designation on
the side. The slide is then hardened for a length
of 2 inches from the bore end, and after this,
it is tempered at 850 to 900 degrees F. Before it
is "butted up" with the receiver in a test assem-
bly, it is thoroughly cleaned electrolytically. This
process consists of a three- to four-minute dip in
a hot soda solution through which an electric
current is passed, a three-minute dip in a dilute
muriatic acid solution, a cold water rinse, an-
other three-minute dip in the electrolytic soda
solution, followed by a hot water rinse and dry-
ing under air blowers. After cleaning, the barrel
receptacle and spring holes are given a final
reaming.
The slide is then fitted to a receiver in the
"green state." A working barrel and recoil
spring are used. After filing to the desired fit,
the slide is tried or "butted up" with thirty dif-
ferent receivers in succession to test its inter-
changeability.
Following a rigid inspection of all critical di-
mensions of the slide, it is polished, stamped as
having passed inspection, and the front sight is
mounted at the muzzle end.
Although all of the parts of this automatic
pistol were at one time finished by bluing, most
of them are now Parkerized. In this finishing
operation, the slide is first cleaned in an alkali
bath, then sand-blasted with flour grade sand,
rinsed in warm water, and placed in the Parker-
izing solution for about fifteen minutes. The
bluing operation took five hours. After Parker-
izing, the slide is rinsed in hot water, dried, and
a coating of oil applied to prevent rust.
Fig. 19. The Mainspring,
which Actuates the Ham-
mer when Trigger is Pulled,
is Produced on the Auto-
matic Spring-making Ma-
chine Illustrated. The
Finished Spring Must be
Held within Close Limits
for Weight, Length, Di-
ameter, and Deflection
for Given Load
*
MAKING A WORLD-FAMOUS AUTOMATIC PISTOL
Forty-Two Operations Required
on the Barrel
The making of the barrel for the Colt 0.45
automatic requires forty-two operations. A modi-
fied S A E 1350 steel in the form of a special
shape is used, and this is cut to length, normal-
ized, hardened and drawn, and then pickled to
remove scale.
The first machining operation is the straddle-
milling of the ends and bottom of the barrel, as
well as the front and back of the barrel-link lug.
The butt end is turned down for chucking, and
the bore is drilled with a deep - hole drill to a
diameter of 0.430 inch, after which it is reamed
to a diameter of 0.439 inch.
The breech and muzzle sections are turned to
different diameters, and then the muzzle section
is ground to 0.580 inch diameter, and the breech
section to 0.696 inch diameter. The working slot
in the link lug is next milled, and this is followed
by the straddle-milling of the sides and top of
the link lug. The curved surface of the barrel
that lies directly adjacent to the link lug is then
rough-finished in a rotary milling operation. In
the finish-grinding operations, an eccentric ar-
rangement on the rotating head oscillates the
work-piece. The rear end of the link lug is milled
and faced, as well as the breech end of the barrel
itself.
The transverse ribs which interlock with the
grooves on the interior of the slide are next
milled around the top of the breech section, as
shown in Fig. 14. Three slots are milled with a
tolerance of 0.002 inch on the width and depth
of each cut. The front slot, which is to be blended
with the contour of the muzzle section, is made
0.004 inch shallow for finishing. The fixture
shown holding the barrel in the illustration is
rotated as the cutters are engaging the work,
thus generating the grooves. The milling ma-
chine on which this operation is performed is
one of Colt's own design.
The hole in the lug which holds the link pin is
next drilled, reamed, and burred. After two fur-
ther operations on the link slot, the barrel bore
is given a first and second finish-reaming. The
first finish-reaming brings the diameter up to
0.4420 inch plus or minus 0.00025 inch. The sec-
ond finishing operation, performed by a square
reamer, takes off about 0.0015 inch of stock and
increases the diameter to within 0.4435 to 0.4440
inch. For the Government Model the diameter
should preferably be within 0.4435 to 0.44375
inch. Approximately 0.0005 to 0.00075 inch of
taper from the breech end to the muzzle end is
allowed.
As can be seen in Fig. 15, the square reamer
is backed up on one side with a wooden guide,
which holds the reamer's single cutting edge
firmly against the surface of the bore, and at the
same time, prevents two of the other edges of the
reamer from rubbing against the bore wall. The
reamer consists of a 0.220-inch square head
about 8 inches long, welded to a 0.250-inch shank
about 20 inches long, with a chucking arrange-
ment at the end.
Rifling the Barrel
Following inspection of the bore for diameter
and surface condition, the barrel is subjected to
a lead polishing operation, and then goes to a
Pratt & Whitney small arms r ifling machine.
This machine has two rifling heads, as shown in
Fig. 17. Each is 0.4415 inch in diameter, and
has a hooked cutter about 0.158 inch wide, which
is pushed up through a small opening in the head
into cutting position on the forward movement,
and drops back below the surface of the head on
the retracting movement.
As the cutter moves forward, the barrel is ro-
tated, so that a helical groove is produced. About
0.0001 inch of stock is removed at each cut, and
thirty-five cuts are taken on each groove, bring-
ing the bore diameter from bottom of groove to
bottom of groove up to 0.450 to 0.451 inch at the
muzzle end and 0.451 to 0.452 inch at the breech
end, with a 0.001- inch taper from breech to
muzzle end. Six grooves are cut, the barrel being
indexed after each pass of the cutter.
The next operation is chambering. The rear
end of the barrel is countersunk, and about 0.02
inch of stock removed by rough-reaming. A sec-
ond reaming operation removes 0.003 to 0.004
inch of stock. Following this a burnishing reamer
removes up to 0.001 inch, and finally a ball-seat
reamer forms a small curved seat at the junction
of the bore and the chamber in which the lead
bullet is seated. The machine on which these op-
erations are conducted is a Pratt & Whitney
chambering machine, made to a special Colt's
design.
Returning to the outside of the barrel, the
breech section is milled, and this is followed by
a straddle-milling operation which blends the
contour of the remainder of the barrel with the
breech end. Following this, the rear bottom edge
of the chamber is chamfered to facilitate intro-
duction of the cartridge from the magazine. The
311
312
MAKING A WORLD-FAMOUS AUTOMATIC PISTOL
muzzle end is form-milled to a rounded contour
and polished, and the breech end is filed to a
square shoulder. The bore is reamed to remove
any burrs formed by the rifling cut, and the
barrel is inspected, washed, and swabbed with
oil.
The barrel is then "proof shot" with a cart-
ridge developing 25 per cent greater breech pres-
sure than an ordinary cartridge. Thus, while the
ordinary cartridge develops a breech pressure of
from 12,000 to 16,000 pounds, the "proof cart-
ridge" tests the barrel at a pressure of about
20,000 pounds.
After "proof shooting," the barrel is again
cleaned and oiled, the cartridge entrance is pol-
ished, and a final cleaning and polishing brings
the barrel to the point where it can be assembled
with the link and pin which will connect it with
the receiver. The cartridge incline cut is now
chamfered and polished, and the barrel' is ready
for final finishing.
The barrel cannot be Parkerized, as are most
of the other parts, since the action of the solution
used would impair the accuracy of the highly
finished bore. Instead, a bluing process is used,
which produces a smooth, rust- resistant finish
without resorting to preparatory sand-blasting.
The final operation on the barrel is to roll the
designation Colt 0.45 Auto on the side.
Operation on the Trigger Blank
As shown in Fig. 2, the finger grip of the trig-
ger is part of an oblong slide which extends
back to the firing mechanism. When inserted in
the handle, the magazine extends through the
trigger slide. To provide for this, a large open-
ing is milled out of the trigger blank, forming a
loop with relatively thin connecting sides which
fit into and slide along the trigger grooves in the
receiver. The cutting of this opening is accom-
plished by a spline-milling operation, as shown
in Fig. 16. The cut is 0.230 inch deep and a little
over 1 1/ 2 inches long. By utilizing a spline-
milling machine, two triggers are cut at one
time, as hown.
Several of the small parts which enter into the
pistol mechanism are turned out on automatic
screw machines. One of these-the recoil-spring
guide- is almost completely machined on a
Greenlee multi-spindle automatic screw machine,
as shown in Fig. 18. Five stations are utilized to
turn, drill, form, and cut off the finished piece.
The rough stock is in the form of 144 - inch
lengths of 13/ 16-inch diameter S A E hot-rolled
and annealed steel rod, which is turned down on
one end for chucking.
At the first station, the small diameter of the
piece i rough-turned. At the second station, the
large diameter, forming the disk, is turned and
the front end of the piece spot- faced. At the
third station, the piece is drilled to a 17 / 64-inch
diameter for a depth of about 3/ 8 inch and a
45-degree chamfer is cut on the disk end. At the
fourth station, the depth of the hole is extended
to 3/ 4 inch and the rear side of the disk is faced.
At the fifth station, the drilling is completed
through the piece and it is cut off. The finished
piece is 1. 760 inch long, within plus 0.000, minus
0.020 inch, and has an outside diameter of 0.336
inch, plus 0.000, minus 0.003 inch, and an inside
diameter of 0.265 inch, plus 0.006, minus 0.000.
Springs play an important part in the opera-
tion of this automatic pistol. They vary in size
from the slide-stop plunger spring, which is
about 3/ 32 inch outside diameter and 9/ 16 inch
long when fully extended, to the magazine
spring, which is 1 1/ 4 inches outside diameter
and 7 1/ 2 inches long when fully extended. In
each case, diameter, length, weight, and deflec-
tion for a given load must be held within close
limits. All of the springs in this pistol are made
by Colt's.
In Fig. 19 is shown a mainspring, which actu-
ates the hammer when the trigger is pulled,
being produced on a Torrington spring - making
machine. This spring has 21 1/ 2 coils of 0.045-
inch diameter AA music wire. It must have an
external diameter of 0.273 inch, within plus
0.000, minus 0.006 inch. Assembled in the gun,
it will have a load of 18.05 pounds placed upon
it when the hammer is not cocked. A load of
26.02 pounds would be required to compress it
to a solid position.
The last operations on the pistol, which cover
preliminary and final assembly, require a good
deal of careful bench work and exhaustive
gaging and testing. All parts must work together
smoothly and exactly. The test of this is the
"proof shooting" given every assembled pistol.
One final inspection follows, and the automatic
then receives its "V.P.," or verified proof of its
accuracy and reliability.