FAQ for Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa, 2011, 1911, MEU & Detonics type variants

[Slono]

I took some pictures of the chamber and I realized they're different. Is this completely fine? If I understand correctly the notches don't really need to be in the exact same place (on the chamber) because they are only responsible for bringing the slide back. RacingManiac also said the SD barrels work in the Nova slides, so that's proof work, but I want to know if there's any effect on the performance / function of the slide.

Edit: It turns out thhe notches on the chamber don't line up with the slide's notches and is incomptible. RM, didn't you say they were supposed to be compatible?
Edit EDIT: WOW, on second look, they gave me the wrong chamber. It does not look the same as the one advertised on the site AND this chamber+barrel was USED. Both the inside and outside areas were scratched and the barrel had DIRT in it inside. I'm extremely displeased with these two pieces and I will be demanding some sort of refund or store credit.

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by Slono

I took some pictures of the chamber and I realized they're different. Is this completely fine? If I understand correctly the notches don't really need to be in the exact same place (on the chamber) because they are only responsible for bringing the slide back. RacingManiac also said the SD barrels work in the Nova slides, so that's proof work, but I want to know if there's any effect on the performance / function of the slide.

Edit: It turns out thhe notches on the chamber don't line up with the slide's notches and is incomptible. RM, didn't you say they were supposed to be compatible?
Edit EDIT: WOW, on second look, they gave me the wrong chamber. It does not look the same as the one advertised on the site AND this chamber+barrel was USED. Both the inside and outside areas were scratched and the barrel had DIRT in it inside. I'm extremely displeased with these two pieces and I will be demanding some sort of refund or store credit.

They look the same to me, website pic vs actual product. What's different about it? Manufacturers have the right to change their products through the life of the product line. This is common of any responsible manufacturer who monitors and maintains a product line. Changes are almost always functional, and if the major outlook or feature set is significantly changed, it will be advertised. ILLusion Kinetics does this as well. You have a stainless steel chamber with an o-ring, the round indicator notch and .45 ACP markings. That's generally what you paid for, and is what you got. The photo could be 5 years old, and you have a new product.

As for function, it doesn't matter if the lug divots don't line up, because:

1. The lugs in your slide are already mashed up anyways.
2. The main purpose for this swap was to pre-load the action of the barrel with a spring anyways, which completely negates the need for the slide lugs to engage the divots. Correct?

FYI, Most SD chambers I've handled come off the assembly line "dirty". It could be built up dirt attracted to dried coolant from the machining process. If you were expecting a shiny super clean product, then your expectations were unmanaged. While I wouldn't put it past Den Trinity to do something like swap in a used product, realize that Den Trinity is also the domestic distributor for Shooters Design in all of Hong Kong. If anybody has the newest version of a product, it would be them.

[Slono]

Originally Posted by ILLusion

They look the same to me, website pic vs actual product. What's different about it? Manufacturers have the right to change their products through the life of the product line. This is common of any responsible manufacturer who monitors and maintains a product line. Changes are almost always functional, and if the major outlook or feature set is significantly changed, it will be advertised. ILLusion Kinetics does this as well. You have a stainless steel chamber with an o-ring, the round indicator notch and .45 ACP markings. That's generally what you paid for, and is what you got. The photo could be 5 years old, and you have a new product.

As for function, it doesn't matter if the lug divots don't line up, because:

1. The lugs in your slide are already mashed up anyways.
2. The main purpose for this swap was to pre-load the action of the barrel with a spring anyways, which completely negates the need for the slide lugs to engage the divots. Correct?

FYI, Most SD chambers I've handled come off the assembly line "dirty". It could be built up dirt attracted to dried coolant from the machining process. If you were expecting a shiny super clean product, then your expectations were unmanaged. While I wouldn't put it past Den Trinity to do something like swap in a used product, realize that Den Trinity is also the domestic distributor for Shooters Design in all of Hong Kong. If anybody has the newest version of a product, it would be them.

The lugs don't line up with the slide's lugs so the placement of the chamber is incorrect. It sits too far forward in the slide (with the lugs lined up) so there's a noticeable gap between the back of the chamber and the back of the ejection port. Secondly, the spaces between the lugs are not the same dimension as the nova chamber's lugs so it cannot sit against the top of the slide properly so it cannot sit completely flush against the top of the slide like its supposed to. You can clearly see that major fitting has to be done in order for the chamber to fit. I don't believe the lugs on my slide are broken. Perhaps worn, but not completely useless. The nova barrel lugs are able to mate with the slide's lugs which makes the slide lock properly upon return after the blowback action.

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by Slono

The lugs don't line up with the slide's lugs so the placement of the chamber is incorrect. It sits too far forward in the slide (with the lugs lined up) so there's a noticeable gap between the back of the chamber and the back of the ejection port. Secondly, the spaces between the lugs are not the same dimension as the nova chamber's lugs so it cannot sit against the top of the slide properly so it cannot sit completely flush against the top of the slide like its supposed to. You can clearly see that major fitting has to be done in order for the chamber to fit. I don't believe the lugs on my slide are broken. Perhaps worn, but not completely useless. The nova barrel lugs are able to mate with the slide's lugs which makes the slide lock properly upon return after the blowback action.

But the natural state of a spring loaded barrel is to push BACKWARDS, and thus, the slide would only push the chamber only as far as the slide goes - it won't push the chamber further forward. In other words, it would always register with the forward lug that's responsible for returning the chamber to battery.

Try it first, and let me know how it goes.

[RacingManiac]

The gap between the rear of the chamber hood and the slide opening is normal for a Nova to SD barrel fits. And as an usual step for me to fit a barrel to a slide, I would chamfer both the lugs on slide and chamber anyway. For me the better "fit" of a manually fitted barrel to slide, the heavier, more scratch resistent stainless steel barrel is better than Nova aluminum one anyway.....

And I find aluminum barrel like Nova's(especially bare aluminum ones like Nova's) develop stiction through use.....

[Slono]

It does not fit. The barrel bushing wouldn't install because the outer barrel stuck out too much. I tried pushing the outer barrel in while fitting the barrel bushing but because the chamber couldn't sit all the way back so there was no way for me to push the barrel far enough for the bushing's locking system register. Some illustrations...

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by Slono

It does not fit. The barrel bushing wouldn't install because the outer barrel stuck out too much. I tried pushing the outer barrel in while fitting the barrel bushing but because the chamber couldn't sit all the way back so there was no way for me to push the barrel far enough for the bushing's locking system register. Some illustrations...

I'm not following you. I don't understand why the barrel sticking out has anything to do with the installation of the barrel bushing...

[Slono]

Originally Posted by ILLusion

I'm not following you. I don't understand why the barrel sticking out has anything to do with the installation of the barrel bushing...

Ah. The problem is that barrel is too large to fit through the bushing...

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by Slono

Ah. The problem is that barrel is too large to fit through the bushing...

In that case, your inability to install the barrel bushing has nothing to do with the chamber not sitting properly.
If the chamber did sit properly and you could get the bushing down far enough to engage it's lock channel, tell me how the slide is going to cycle if the barrel can't slide through the bushing?


Are you using the SD 1911 barrel? Or the SD Hi-Capa straight barrel?

If you must stick with these parts, the best solution is to ream out the bushing.

[Slono]

Originally Posted by ILLusion

In that case, your inability to install the barrel bushing has nothing to do with the chamber not sitting properly.
If the chamber did sit properly and you could get the bushing down far enough to engage it's lock channel, tell me how the slide is going to cycle if the barrel can't even poke through the bushing?


Are you using the SD 1911 barrel? Or the SD Hi-Capa straight barrel?

If you must stick with these parts, the best solution is to ream out the bushing.

Yes, I realized that.

I'm using the SD Hi-capa straight barrel. The nova bushing is specifically made for the nova barrel that's all. I found that the stock MEU bushing works, though its fit is almost too perfect.

While I had everything disassembled I couldn't find a way to make the firefly hop up rubber to fit like the stock one does. Its longer and wider so when its compressed the circular opening gets deformed. It looks like the hop-up rubber had swelled like ILLusion had said in the other thread. I have never put silicon oil on it, its probably been soaked indirectly somehow.

[RacingManiac]

BTW my Hi-capa straight barrel(in the Kimber) also does not fit in the Nova bushing....but the 1911 one does(in the SFA).....The Kimber is using Hi-Capa straight barrel+Hi-Capa chamber with stock TM 1911 bushing. The SFA uses 1911 straight barrel(black) and 1911 chamber(Nowlin), in a Nova bushing....

If I really want to use a Nova bushing I probably will ream out the bushing like Illusion said....but I won't bother anyway...

[ILLusion]

ILLusion Kinetics now has straight barrels built to Marui spec, and can fit in both Nova as well as Marui bushings (Marui bushings are tightened up with that plastic ring.)

This is just another option, if you want a stainless steel option, especially with a non rocking type barrel for the benefits it offers.

[Slono]

There are scrape marks on the top of the chamber from the cycling of the slide. Is that what's supposed to happen?

[RacingManiac]

yes if you are not using the IK type fixed barrel....Nova barrel will look very ugly very quickly....

[Slono]

Originally Posted by RacingManiac

yes if you are not using the IK type fixed barrel....Nova barrel will look very ugly very quickly....

This is the SD chamer+barrel I installed.