But of course that did nothing for the key-holing and 14-inch diameter shot spread on the target.
#Walther p1 barrel install
The one thing I did that corrected the four-foot low shot placement was to machine and install a new rear sight that is a full quarter of an inch higher than the original. I also crowned the muzzle, I chucked the barrel up in my lathe and re-cut the crown along with putting in a slight 60° inside bevel. I tried Unique, Green Dot, and Blue Dot powder loads all the way down to where it wouldn't cycle the action. I also tried 0.359" 115-grain cast boolits with no improvement. The barrel slugs at 0.358" and since it will chamber cartridges loaded with 0.358" copper jacketed bullets I tried those, without it changing anything. I compared its dimensions and appearance to another refurbished P1 purchased at the same time and there is no difference between the two pistols except the other one shoots 2-inch groups at 25 yards without being low or key-holing, and mine doesn't. When I first got it and discovered its ills, I slugged the barrel, measured the sights, and basically gave it a good inspection to see what all was wrong. It shoots 48-inches low (yep, a full FOUR FEET low) at 25 yards and it patterns like a shotgun, making a 14-inch pattern at 25 yards with most bullets key-holing. Mechanically it is a real dream to shoot. It operates like a Walther should - no jams or mis-feeds, and it digests everything I have reloaded for it.
![walther p1 barrel walther p1 barrel](http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/images/p38_boxes/p38_2.jpg)
![walther p1 barrel walther p1 barrel](https://www.gunsamerica.com/userimages/4501/906328291/wm_5516870.jpg)
It has all new upper slide parts and a re-lined barrel. Three years ago I bought an arsenal refurbished West German Police Walther P1 9mm pistol.