[Monkey White]

Most of my guns have them on the lower part of the lever when I bought them. It is a matter of how bad! I never get one that was really bad. I am sure I may have put in some nasty arcs on them too sometimes, just I didnt notice them right away. So How bad is really bad and the best way to avoid them scratches 100 %? or there is no way to avoid them? How carefull is very carefull?.... I mean we scatch and bruise ourselves all the time, at the same spots even. So What you all think about this matter?

[Sean Smith]

They way you do it is to stick one of your thumbs under the slide stop hole as you push the slide stop in so it can't slide down and scratch the gun.

[Mannlicher]

Best way I know to never scratch your new gun is to leave it in the safe. Of course, why buy it then?

Hey, scratches happen. They don't hurt anything, and show that a gun is loved and used.:D

[Skunkabilly]

I don't mind them even on my pretty guns. I hate the dings that were there because I was stupid though, like the metal lock on my pistol case denting my slide. GRRRR

[P95Carry]

Small scratches? Goes with the territory! I never reckon (much) to be able to consider selling a gun of mine in much better than 90% condition ...... if that! They get used and so get marks .. just same with cyl scratches from cyl latch bolt ... unavoidable IMO.

Now rust and pitting .. different entirely .. that's NEGLECT!

[10-Ring]

Yeah, the first scratch can be tramatic, especially on a virgin gun. But, I'd rather have scratches than not have the time to use it over & over & over again. Don't worry about them & shoot your guns! :D

[Feanaro]

An unscratched gun is an unshot gun. Unless of course you throw it all over the place. ;)

[cool45auto]

Just adds to the gun's character!:D

[George Hill]

He's not talking about the normal wear and tear scratches. He's talking about the "I was forcing the Slide Release Lever putting my 1911 back together" little arch shaped scratch.

That scratch can be had very easily... even if your being careful. It takes just a slip. Just a momentary lack of attention.

Most of my 1911's had them.

[WJR]

One of the best suggestions that I have heard was one I read on the 1911forum.

Use a Q-tip. I take the fuzz off of a Q-tip. I line everything up and put the 1911 on its side. I then put in the slide stop and rest it on the slide stop plunger. Then I depress the plunger with the q-tip, while applying downward pressure on the slide stop. The slide stop will start to slide in and then all you have to do is pull the q-tip out before the stop goes all the way in and catches the q-tip.

I keep a few q-tips with the fuzz taken off in my cleaning kit. I learned this trick after I had put a scratch on my then new Kimber and almost on one of my Colts. Since learning this trick, I have not had any more problems.

WJR

[ftstinyc]

WJR. I do the same thing as you except I use a razor blade. No
problem getting the stop in and pulling the blade out.

[JoeHatley]

Pachmayr.com sells a plastic tool called a Widget, made expressly to prevent those scratches. Works great!!! IIRC I paid about $4 for mine, but that's been a few years ago.

Good Luck...

Joe

[Andrew Wyatt]

feh. don't worry about it.

[OF]

I just got my first 1911 and getting the @#$@#$ slide stop back in was a major hassle....until I figured out how to do it.

With the slide closed, start the slide stop into the slide stop hole enough to fit through the link, but just enough - keep it well off the frame. Then retract the slide so the takedown notch lines up properly and hold it in place. Then put one thumb on the pin and one on the lever with the stop lever sitting on the plunger so that the lever will have to make a 45-degree (or slightly less) trip up and into the hole. Then push with both thumbs up and in and it just snaps into the hole.

Impossible to describe, but it works 100% now. I didn't figure this out before I got 'the scratch' though. Oh well.

- Gabe