poor man's barrel bushing - is this a bad idea?

[RedLizard]

For anyone who might be able to answer this -

What would happen if I carefully wrapped some
plumber's teflon tape to the end of my barrel
to serve as an ersatz bushing.  I realize it wouldn't last
beyond one magazine - but would any damage be done
either to the barrel or the slide?

[IDescribe]

Did you lose your bushing?  Or is this about trying to rig up something to improve lock-up with the stock bushing instead of buying the better CGW 10X bushing?  Or do you have a bushingless P-10C, P-07, or P-09, and you're trying to improve lock-up with a bushingless slide?  You haven't really given anyone enough information to know what you're trying to do.  Not even your gun model. Whatever the situation, however...

Yes, it's a terrible, bad idea. 

If you lost a bushing, buy a bushing.  Period.  That's your only solution.  Buy a stock one cheap.  Or buy a CGW 10X for $60.

If you have a P-10, P-09, or P-07 with a bushingless slide, you're not going to improve on that.

If you have a standard, all-metal CZ with a service bushing, and this was an attempt to improve lockup because you can't shell out for a CGW 10X busing, I'll say this -- IF you can't afford $60 for a 10X bushing, then you can't afford the ammo to shoot often enough to get any benefit from it.  You would already have a pistol capable of shooting under 2 inches at 25 yards, and you would not be shooting enough to see any difference at all between the stock service bushing and the 10X bushing, which might cut group size by another half inch at 25 yards, maybe.  That level of precision shows up more from 25-50, where the wheat is separated from the proverbial chaff.  That 10X bushing is extremely useful for people who shoot a lot and do it at fifty yards, competitively, but for occasional plinking at 10-20, it's pointless.

[Marauderx]

For anyone who might be able to answer this -

What would happen if I carefully wrapped some
plumber's teflon tape to the end of my barrel
to serve as an ersatz bushing.  I realize it wouldn't last
beyond one magazine - but would any damage be done
either to the barrel or the slide?

I give it 2 rounds max, and teflon pressed into any pores of the metal... PTFE cold flows, that is how it seals pipe threads, but it hates heat.

[RedLizard]

Thanks for the feedback.
I realize that I didn't give enough information about my thought process.

I was thinking about plastic/polymer parts in guns, plastic recoil rods, etc.
Since great strides have been made in polymer chemistry, I was just wondering
if some kind of polymer would have the strength to be manufactured into a bushing
that would do the job but also be cheaper to manufacture.

[DWARREN]

Polymer is good for some applications but not for this.

[huskerlrrp]

I thought HK's idea with the barrel o-ring as the "poor man's" match bushing was the most ingenious.

[M1A4ME]

I thought HK's idea with the barrel o-ring as the "poor man's" match bushing was the most ingenious.

I've wondered about this, or a nylon ring, for years.

[huskerlrrp]

I had one on a Mark 23 and a Tactical in 45 ACP. They worked very well. It's a cheap replaceable item if lock up gets "loose". My guess is they were using nitrile since it was green. It's pretty chemical resistant if I remember correctly. I think nylon might take a "set" and behaves differently in moisture but I'm not a polymer expert.
I briefly looked at modifying a CZ barrel, but I'll gladly pay the Cajun boys $60 for a tighter bushing (if needed). The Cajun bushing also very chemical and heat resistant 

[GeneticallySwiss]

I figure if I can afford a CZ, I can afford the correct parts.  I?m not in a dire, field expedient situation and my CZ wasn?t made in a Paki cave.

GS