Another good day at the range and then .......

[Thom9mil]

A good day at the range. Little R51 ran flawless as usual. Was a great time.
Got home and stated cleaning the little fella...my nemesis with the R51.
My fingers slipped on reassemble and the next thing I know I'm wearing a slide on my little finger. So after saying ouch and a few not so polite words I got the dumb thing off. 2 soaked bandaids and an hour later it was back together. Moral of the story....keep all appendages away from that spring and the ejection port.

[lklawson]

Did this happen when you were reinserting the barrel, inserting the Pedersen Block, or putting the slide assembly back on the frame?

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

[1911SHOOTER]

A good day at the range. Little R51 ran flawless as usual. Was a great time.
Got home and stated cleaning the little fella...my nemesis with the R51.
My fingers slipped on reassemble and the next thing I know I'm wearing a slide on my little finger. So after saying ouch and a few not so polite words I got the dumb thing off. 2 soaked bandaids and an hour later it was back together. Moral of the story....keep all appendages away from that spring and the ejection port.

Thom9mil,
     I have gotten more blood blisters from the R51 than any other pistol.  But Gawd! is it fun to shoot.  Do you have a clamp to hold
The barrel when you remove the slide?
Blackie

https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-58100-Quick-Grip-Spring-Clamp/dp/B00OXOA0EA/ref=pd_day0_469_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00OXOA0EA&pd_rd_r=X17W18SBHCF6KHCTZS8T&pd_rd_w=x2iUA&pd_rd_wg=bydiq&psc=1&refRID=X17W18SBHCF6KHCTZS8T

[Thom9mil]

Had the bushing in the cocked position and had inserted the barrel. Not sure how but the next thing I know I'm doing the ouchy dance with the slide hanging off my finger.
Was going to post a picture of my fingert but can't seem to figure out how to put pictures in. I keep getting messages the
message below. the picture file is only 93k so not sure what is going on.

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[lklawson]

Had the bushing in the cocked position and had inserted the barrel.

I'm not sure if I'm reading you right.  I think what I'm reading is that you had the recoil spring inserted in the slide and had the bushing capping the spring.  The bushing was set half way into the cuts in the slide for inserting the bushing.  Then you inserted the barrel and the bushing slipped fully into the channel in the slide, which (of course) slammed it, under spring power, into the barrel which slammed into your fingers.

Do I have that right?

My process is to get the bushing seated half into the cuts in the slide then slip the barrel into the bushing but not push down on the barrel.  I hold the slide in my right hand and use the same (my right hand) to work the bushing.  I take my right thumb and put it on top of the bushing and my right index finger through the ejection port then carefully compress the spring with my right thumb and index finger, pulling back with my whole arm.  Once the bushing is pulled back and slips easily into the channel, I release the bushing.  This also has the effect of helping me keep the bushing "captured" so it doesn't accidentally get launched into the next county (which has happened before).  With my left hand, I keep my left index finger on the feed ramp of the slide, and my left thumb on the other side, sort of "pinching" it so that the barrel doesn't go flying.  Once the bushing is released, often the barrel is not centered in the slide so I use a cleaning rod or the like to center it.  I will double check the center by pressing the barrel slightly forward in the slide to make sure that it can protrude through the barrel cut at the front of the slide. 

When I put the Pedersen block back in, I can either press the barrel forward again, or if my finger is too sore from pressing against the feed ramp, I can lever it in by inserting the barrel side first and pressing forward and down against the Pedersen block until it "clicks" in.

I haven't gotten ouchies in a while doing it this way.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk