Curious about plunger tube w/ metal plate

[MrIzhevsk]

The 1911 my dad owns came with pachmayr grips. He has replaced those with some custom wood grips but the plunger tube had this metal plate extend upward over the serrations on the slide. It used to say Pachmayr on it but I had it filed away and his initials engraved on the tab for a Christmas present. Is there any functional reason that this plate exists? Or is it just so that the Pachmayr name could be put somewhere?

Thanks,

Here is an example of what it looked like but it was blued steel not stainless...

 

[Oro]

It is designed to protect the thumb when using a "high hold" grip.

 

[Drail]

And to keep the thumb from slowing down the slide.

 

[MrIzhevsk]

ahh Ok I see. That makes sense now. I used to think it was there to frustrate me on a cold day trying to rack the slide.

 

[Jason_G]

I used to think it was there to frustrate me on a cold day trying to rack the slide.

Exactly why I would never put one on mine. Imagine if you were "adrenalined up" and had to get the slide racked to clear a jam. I shoot thumbs forward with a high grip, thumb on the safety, and I've never gotten my thumb in the way of the slide. If someone had that problem, I think the better solution would be a wider safety. JMHO.

Jason

 

[Drail]

The IPSC shooters who use these guards all grasp their slide from the front to cycle it. Most of these guns use fairly light recoil springs so it's not too hard to grip it and move it back. This is also why 1911 makers suddenly all started milling front cocking serrations on their slides. When competitors all started using dot scopes/sights everyone added a cocking handle where the rear sight used to be and cycle their slides with that. All you following all this silly crap? One advantage of the thumb guard is that some of them were made with an integral plunger tube and the whole thing would attach to the frame at the upper grip screw. No more poorly staked plunger tubes coming off.