a round file, and made a mess. so this time i removed the rail (thanks for the suggestion!!!), put it in a vice with aluminum jaw covers, and used a flat file until the sides were square, and the bottom looked uniform. nest step is to see if it works!
i absolutely agree with you. i have never (until today) removed a rail from a 1911. i have never taken one apart all the way, and re-assembled it. one thing i have learned though, is it's better to look like an idiot and ask what apparently is a simple question, than to not ask, only to learn later on that i 