50,000 (now 88K) rounds and counting: Springfield Operator

**rushca01** · 07-26-12, 08:36

Originally Posted by TiroFijo

Good post, Ned

This barrel looks like new, probably because he shoots lead bullets.

On a side note, how important really are the "middle" sections (on the side of the mag well) of the frame rails? It seems to me most/all the slide alignment is done fore and aft, that's why glocks and other polymer pistols onlly have rail sections there. The question is because I have an old pistol with a long fisure at the base of the left rail, from the slide stop window to the end of the mag well, and I'm thinking of just cutting this section.

Colt does this from factory...

**Ned Christiansen** · 07-26-12, 09:38

Yeah, that middle section is pretty much not participating in guiding the slide, but you could say that it helps keep crud out. Indeed Colt has been doing that for years, removing the bridge just over the slide stop window, starting on the 10mm's. The Guncrafter .50GI has them removed completely from the front to the back of the mag well.... no problem.

**TiroFijo** · 07-26-12, 10:11

I'm not talking about the bridge, but removing the entire left rail section from the slide stop window to the rear end of the mag well.

Ned, do you have a picture of the Guncrafter .50GI rails?

**Ned Christiansen** · 07-26-12, 10:16

Sorry, I don't. Might be one on the GI site, guncrafterindustries.com.

You can see in some spots where this was an OD green Operator. In the interest of getting it done and not making a Swiss watch project out of this, after checkering etc. I just cleaned it nice and dry, and put some Brownells Baking Laquer over the existing paint and the bare steel on the front strap and MSH. Seems to have held up OK given the amount of use.

**Heavy Metal** · 07-26-12, 10:21

Originally Posted by Ned Christiansen

Yeah, that middle section is pretty much not participating in guiding the slide, but you could say that it helps keep crud out. Indeed Colt has been doing that for years, removing the bridge just over the slide stop window, starting on the 10mm's. The Guncrafter .50GI has them removed completely from the front to the back of the mag well.... no problem.

I suspect to stop people from calling and complaining the frame rail cracked.

What causes this crack? Frame Flex under recoil?

**TiroFijo** · 07-26-12, 11:09

Thanks Ned, I've found the guncrafter .50 GI picure, no rails on the sides of the magwell

**VooDoo6Actual** · 07-26-12, 11:23

thanks for the post.
encouraging & impressive durability.
Interesting margin on front strap radius by grip. Mine checkers around radius under grips slightly different than that one.

**Norseman** · 07-27-12, 10:18

Mr. Christiansen thank you for posting this up, it is always great to see "real world" use.

If you don't mind I would like to ask a couple of questions; 1) How have the extractors fared during these 50k rounds? i.e. replacement intervals etc. 2) Is the factory ejector pinned?

Thanks again for posting this up, truly awesome.