My R51 was among the first Gen 2 releases that had reconditioned Charlotte frames.
It has never been easy for me to remove the barrel from the slide once the bushing is moved into the notch and the barrel is canted upwards. Getting the barrel back in is equally challenging.
I've seen the videos that make it look easy, which makes me wonder if there is something sticky or edgy in my pistol that makes it more difficult.
Has anyone had a similar experience and been able to come up with a remedy?
Mine is the same setup with the Charlotte frame and I haven't had any issues. There are many ways of making disassembly and reassembly difficult.. it took my a while to figure out any easy way.
I have to believe there is a burr or an edge somewhere that is making it difficult, but metal work was never my gift.
I use the clamp trick Blackie posted to remove the slide, but my issue is the with the barrel coming out and going in.
If there are ways of making this process difficult, I must know them all. I haven't learned the magic words. When you watch the Remington videos, once you get the bushing in the correct position, the pieces virtually fall apart.
Make sure the barrel is not twisted left or right when you try remove it from the slide. The breech end will not come out of the slide otherwise
The Walther PPS was $100 more, it took less time to take it down, clean it, lube it and put it back together than it took to put the ×!#@& barrel back into the slide of the R51. Why did I think this could be a "fun" gun.
The challenge is the fun part. I can break it down and reassemble in about the same time as a 1911, but it did take a long time to figure out how I was making it much more difficult than was necessary.
I think the problem you are experiencing is you are lifting the bushing to high into the notch. If the grooves around the end of the barrel seem to catch just lower the bushing slightly. The same issue pops up when reassembling if the bushing is to high. I usually don't remove the bushing and spring, unless it is really dirty, so it in the right position for reassembly.
Also I keep a small piece of leather handy to push against the feed ramp when compressing the spring. That thing is sharp!
You must be either lifting the bushing too high going in, or your barrel is tilted in one direction or another. I had the same problem the first couple of times. Each time the barrel was tilted and not going in straight. Once I was conscious of keeping the barrel straight up and down, and the bushing going in at the right spot, it went back together just pretty as you please.