Colt Sistema Slide Problem

[FPrice]

I bought a 1950's-era Colt Sistema a few months back. It needed a new safety so I gave it to a local gunsmith who is pretty good with Colts. He fixed the safety and the sear spring, but there is one other problem we can't quite figure out.

The slide is very hard to cycle by hand. I replaced the recoil spring with a Wolff 16 lb spring, but this had no effect. The slide will move freely over the frame with the barrel and recoil spring removed so it does not appear to be a slide-to-frame fit problem. And it does not appear to be excess pressure when traveling over the hammer. And the barrel bushing seems to move freely over the barrel with no undue force required.

The gun will fire and cycle normally and reliably with hardball ammo but for the life of us we canot figure out why it feels so hard to cycle by hand.

Any ideas?

 

[gamachinist]

Tuner will probably be along soon to help.
But in the meantime,did this problem occur after the safety was replaced or was it there from the start?
And is it tight all the way back or does it free up after the slide has traveled far enough to unlock the barrel?
I may be way off base,but I'm thinking the link is too long or the hood is binding on the slide.
Please come educate me Tuner!
Robert.

 

[FPrice]

IIRC the problem was there from the start. I don't think it eases up much towards the end of travel, maybe some. I wonder if I should try the barrel from my other Sistema and see if that changes anything?

 

[gamachinist]

Trying the other barrel is worth a shot.
And to eliminate one more thing,does removing the magazine make any difference?
Robert.

 

[1911Tuner]

Slide No Glide

Howdy guys,

Sounds like ya'll are on the right track with the process of elimination.

Is the tight spot right at the beginning of slide travel, or is it constant
for the whole distance?

If it's just at the beginning and gets free past a certain point, it could be the locking lugs' engagement in the slide. Check for a long link. If
somebody dropped in a link that forces the barrel hard into the slide,
it could be a player. Once the link has swung past vertical, it would
be tight, and suddenly break loose. Ditto for the horizontal lug engagement. If the thickness of the barrel lug(s) doesn't allow smooth
engagement into the slide lugs, it would cause it to bind just as the slide starts to move rearward, and just as it goes to battery.

Does it feel the same hammer cocked and hammer down? If it occurs with the hammer down, there might be a rough spot or defect in the mainspring
housing putting the mainspring cap in a bind.

If it feels the same with the hammer cocked, check for hard contact between the hammer spur and the top of the grip safety. The hammer should go past full cock a few degrees before hitting the grip safety. If it
is tightly on the safety at full cock with the safety depressed, it would cause the hammer to drag on the slide.

If this isn't it, try it with the recoil spring removed, but with the barrel
and bushing in place and see if anything changes. If it's easier, you can
eliminate excessive barrel to slide lockup.

Standin' by...

Tuner

 

[1911Tuner]

Another Thing to Check

Sorry..This one came to me later.

Remove the spring plug and leave the recoil spring in the gun. Pull the slide back. If the drag is constant, check to see if there's any sign of
hard contact between the slide and the recoil guide rod head.

Luck to ya!
Tuner

 

[Jim K]

I feel really dumb just asking this, but there is a recoil spring guide in there isn't there? Without it, the gun may work OK, but spring kinking can make the slide hard to move in manual operation.

Jim

 

[Johnny Guest]

Just another possible area to eliminate - -

In a lot of agencies, police and military, there are some SERIOUS penalties attached to damaging or losing parts from one's issue firearm. Might be somebody lost a part and worked out some kinda field expedient replacement. If the sidearm would shoot at all, the issuee (?) might feel it was "close enough for government work."

Right now, I'm thinking of a too-large diameter recoil spring. Or recoil spring guide. Or possibly a too-large mainspring.

Frosty it would be nice if you had a source of standard spare parts - - or just a standard Government Model or USGI 1911 or '11A1 from which to borrow parts. This is one way I frequently diagnose problems: Swap out parts until something definite changes.

Given the recent entries on this board, I'd suggest you do not fire the pistol with a substituted barrel or link without proper fitting, but you could drop in another, just to see if the binding goes away.

(I was lucky - - I had a couple of extra USGI barrels when I got my Sistema Colt with a very pitted barrel. Shot pretty well, but it was a BEAR to clean after shooting cast bullets. Happily, the GI barrel dropped right in and fitted well, using the Argentine link. )

Best of luck - -
Johnny

 

[JeffC]

Does it have a flat bottomed firing pin stop?

If so, Did it before?

The sear spring was replaced, extra drag from the disconnector?

Does the slide rub the top of the new thumb safety?

 

[FPrice]

Well, I changed out everything with another Colt Sistema and from what I can see, the increased drag seems to be associated with the sum of all the parts contained within the slide. Nothing that anyone has mentioned seems to be a key suspect. Unless I am over-looking something or doing something wrong.

I am trying to look at wear patterns to see if I can spot anything unusual.

I appreciate everyone's help, I'll keep trying and see if I can find the problem. I am still guessing that somehow the recoil spring is involved but I can't pinpoint it.

What I am afraid of is that I have done some tiny thing wrong that's causing this, but who knows.

Thanks again for all the suggerstions, I'll continue to keep trying them till something happens.

 

[JeffC]

Sounds like a good candidate for "Tuner's slurry"!

edited: "Tuner's Slurry" is a registered trademarked product of the EastCoast Field Expedients Guild. All Rights Reserved............... jus' kiddin'

 

[1911Tuner]

Keep Tryin'

Okay...Stick with the process of elimination.

Lay the barrel in the slide with the bushing in place. Push it into the
lugs and watch to see if there is any springback.

With the recoil spring out and the bushing installed, push the slide smartly into battery and pull it back about a quarter-inch. See if there is about
.020 inch of clearance between the top of the barrel and the underside of
the slide.

Lay it in the frame and install the slidestop. Push the barrel down and back and check to see if it's all the way down in the bed.
If all is well, proceed to....

Color the whole barrel with a blue felt-tip marker..Chisel point is best.
Be sure to color the upper and lower lugs too...all the way to the muzzle.
Assemble the gun and hand-cycle it several times and check to see where the blue is worn off.

Standin' by...

Tuner

 

[JeffC]

BTT

...any news yet?

 

[Johnny Guest]

HEY, FROSTY - - - -

It's been nearly three days since we've heard from you about your situation.

How about an update?

Johnny

 

[FPrice]

Johnny...

"How about an update?"

You want an update? YOU CAN'T HANDLE AN UPDATE!

OOPS! Wrong movie, sorry.

Okay here's an update.

I just traded a Colt SS MkVI Series 80 for a S&W Model 49 Bodyguard.

AND about $500 off my layaway of two old Colt autos (.32ACP and .25ACP) dating back to the 20's.

Meanwhile my Sistema is till locked up. Maybe this weekend.

 

[FPrice]

Update...

Have not been able to work on or with my Sistema for a bit, but came across a possibly similar problem from another THR member. In thread

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=813650#post813650

jsalcedo reported that his re-arsenaled Sistema was tight for about 500 rounds. I am curious if there is a connection.

 

[1911Tuner]

Slurry That Sucker

Make up a batch of Tuner's Marvelous, Mystical, Magical Goop and coat the
upper and lower lugs, slide rails, barrel and link. Take the recoil system out and leave the bushing in. Hand-cycle it about 200 times, and it'll
loosen up, I betcha.

Rinse it out with carburetor cleaner in a can...A detail strip would be good...
relube it and shoot it.

Luck to ya!

Tuner