Looking for longer slide stop plunger 1911

[Busterbugs]

Have an uncommon but not unheard of problem with a new colt gov 1911.
The little plunger, that interacts with the slide stop, to keep the slide stop down while firing, is too short. It just barley touches the slide stop allowing it to flop around freely.
This is giving me some of the expected problems of early lockback and frequent lockback with one round left.

I am wondering if any company sells a longer slide stop plunger, it would be worth it to me to spend 3-5 dollars on a longer plunger to pop in, as opposed to sending the whole gun back to colt and waiting 6-8 weeks.
When I look online all I find are one size fits all plungers and extended slide stops. Figured I would post here to see if anyone had some ideas.
Thanks.

 

[BBBBill]

The problem might also be a short reamed plunger tube instead of a short plunger. Best to download a set of the blueprints at
https://brlcad.org/design/drafting/M1911-A1_REDUX.pdf and compare your parts against the dimensions shown there.

 

[AlexanderA]

The problem might also be a short reamed plunger tube instead of a short plunger.

More likely there might some debris or burr inside the plunger tube that's preventing the plunger from protruding properly. Disassemble and clean it out with a pipe cleaner, or ream it with a hand-held drill bit.

Very possible, with a new gun, that the machining debris was not cleaned out when the gun was assembled at the factory.

 

[Kp321]

If the hole in the plunger tube is ok, the plunger can be given a little more protrusion by chucking it in a drill and moving the shoulder slightly with a file.

 

[Busterbugs]

More likely there might some debris or burr inside the plunger tube that's preventing the plunger from protruding properly. Disassemble and clean it out with a pipe cleaner, or ream it with a hand-held drill bit.



Very possible, with a new gun, that the machining debris was not cleaned out when the gun was assembled at the factory.

a good idea I will look at this when I take it apart today thank you

 

[drband]

Use a proper plunger tube reamer. There’s supposed to be an internal shoulder in the tube. Don’t ream it all the way through with a drill bit!

 

[Ramone]

a good idea I will look at this when I take it apart today thank you

While you're in there, take a pair of needle nose pliers and put a little crimp in the middle of the spring. This will keep it from launching into the void when you remove the safety.

 

[AlexanderA]

Don’t ream it all the way through with a drill bit!

Definitely. That's why I suggested holding the drill bit by hand. You're not drilling, but just using the bit to clean out burrs and debris (that don't come out with a pipe cleaner).

While you're in there, take a pair of needle nose pliers and put a little crimp in the middle of the spring. This will keep it from launching into the void when you remove the safety.

The plungers have little nubs that fit into the ends of the spring, making a complete 3-part assembly. I've found that this doesn't fly out easily. In fact, I've had to use needle nose pliers to remove it.

 

[Busterbugs]

So I just took it apart and tried the drill bit idea, just by hand, it didn’t work, it’s like there is part of that little rivet that holds it to the frame sticking into the tube.
Then the weirdest thing, when I put the plunger back in it now won’t stick out at all!
I put a couple scratches in the frame accidentally in my frustration, so that’s it for me I’m sending it back to colt before I do any more damage.
Just such a weird problem.
Thank you all for the ideas looks like I just got a finicky gun.

 

[Busterbugs]

Hey little update, I reamed the tube with the proper tool from brownells, still had to turn down the shoulder of the little plunger with a drill and file as it still wouldn’t stick out far enough.
Installed a steel mainspring housing, it came with a plastic one.
I will test it out at the range tomorrow but it appears to function fine now.

overall a little disappointed with colt, a minor problem but caused unreliability.
I will say the pistol is very accurate so that is a plus.

 

[Jammersix]

Could be in backwards.

 

[TonyAngel]

The plungers have little nubs that fit into the ends of the spring, making a complete 3-part assembly. I've found that this doesn't fly out easily. In fact, I've had to use needle nose pliers to remove it.

I don't know. That three part assembly quickly becomes three parts that you can only find two of. Kinking the spring is a common practice. If yours doesn't fly out, maybe it's because someone put a kink in the spring.

 

[BBBBill]

Could be in backwards.

Won't fit. The plungers have different diameter tips and the tube has a stepped down hole diameter on the front end.

I don't know. That three part assembly quickly becomes three parts that you can only find two of. Kinking the spring is a common practice. If yours doesn't fly out, maybe it's because someone put a kink in the spring.

The original specs for the spring call for a kink in the middle and a slightly closed coil at each end so that you have to work the plungers into the spring. If the spring is correctly formed the plungers will not fall out nor will the assembly launch out of the plunger tube. Unfortunately many of the manufacturers are either letting some slip through QC or outright not doing that at all. So much so that many folk that are new to the platform don't know that it is wrong.