Master Blaster
Member
OK I need a new slidestop for a 1911 what do the smiths here recommend?
BTW its a Kimber of course
BTW its a Kimber of course
Last edited by a moderator:
My slide stop shattered into 100 Pieces Darn MIM
- Thread starter Master Blaster
- Start date
- Status
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Slidestop
Colt makes a machined barstock slidestop. maybe available from Brownells
in their factory parts section. Ed Brown Hardcore or Wilson Bulletproof
are also good. The Wilson is dimpled and may require a bit of tweakin'
to get it up and runnin', but is a cure for premature slidelock.
Where did the stop break, if you don't mind me askin?
Luck!
Tuner
Colt makes a machined barstock slidestop. maybe available from Brownells
in their factory parts section. Ed Brown Hardcore or Wilson Bulletproof
are also good. The Wilson is dimpled and may require a bit of tweakin'
to get it up and runnin', but is a cure for premature slidelock.
Where did the stop break, if you don't mind me askin?
Luck!
Tuner
OP
OP
Master Blaster
Member
Thanks Tuner, it only broke in cyberspace, since I could not get a response to my prior post I added some dramatic story telling to get one.
I have only bought one 1911 part which was an ED Brown bushing for my 70 series colt, its worked fine, but with all of the Hoo haa about the mim I wanted to know what parts folks with experience preferred so I could get a spare.
I think I will go with the Brown
thanks
I have only bought one 1911 part which was an ED Brown bushing for my 70 series colt, its worked fine, but with all of the Hoo haa about the mim I wanted to know what parts folks with experience preferred so I could get a spare.
I think I will go with the Brown
thanks
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Cyberspace Slidestop
ROFL...You're a bad boy Blaster!
Bad boy! Bad! Sit! Stay!
ROFL...You're a bad boy Blaster!
Bad boy! Bad! Sit! Stay! Master Blaster
Senior Member
Registered: Dec 2002
Location:
Posts: 980
Thanks Tuner, it only broke in cyberspace, since I could not get a response to my prior post I added some dramatic story telling to get one.
Is this how the myth that MIM had the propensity to fail was started? I think John sniffed this one out anyway since he asked the question he did.
Senior Member
Registered: Dec 2002
Location:
Posts: 980
Thanks Tuner, it only broke in cyberspace, since I could not get a response to my prior post I added some dramatic story telling to get one.
Is this how the myth that MIM had the propensity to fail was started? I think John sniffed this one out anyway since he asked the question he did.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Nahhhh. The Blasterman was jus' havin' a little fun. Bet some of the Kimber honchos that lurk on these boards had a hickey hemmorhage on that one.
Luck!
Tuner
Luck!
Tuner
OP
OP
Master Blaster
Member
Yes I made it up, No attempt to malign MIM, I have actually defended it quite frequently here as a technology on THR.
The reason I titled my post as I did was that my prior post regarding a replacement for my TLEII had not gotten any response from one of the Smith's here after 5 days.
My TLEII has run flawlessly for about 1800+- rounds now, I read a thread that showed a fractured slide stop (which can also happen with machined metal if the heat treating is not correct). I got worried and when I was examining my slide stop I noticed a slight raised line in the finish 1/8" forward of the thumb pad. So I started thinking that I should replace it just in case.
I wanted a suggestion as to what part to use, most notably if the Ed Brown parts were any good.
Thats it
The reason I titled my post as I did was that my prior post regarding a replacement for my TLEII had not gotten any response from one of the Smith's here after 5 days.
My TLEII has run flawlessly for about 1800+- rounds now, I read a thread that showed a fractured slide stop (which can also happen with machined metal if the heat treating is not correct). I got worried and when I was examining my slide stop I noticed a slight raised line in the finish 1/8" forward of the thumb pad. So I started thinking that I should replace it just in case.
I wanted a suggestion as to what part to use, most notably if the Ed Brown parts were any good.
Thats it
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Prior Post
Blaster said:
The reason I titled my post as I did was that my prior post regarding a replacement for my TLEII had not gotten any response from one of the Smith's here after 5 days.
Aw man! Sorry Blaster. I'll take 30 lashes with a MIP noodle for not payin'
attention. I just flat didn't see it. Next time hit me with a PM and say:
"HEY! Blind man! Wake up!"
Luck!
Tuner
Blaster said:
The reason I titled my post as I did was that my prior post regarding a replacement for my TLEII had not gotten any response from one of the Smith's here after 5 days.
Aw man! Sorry Blaster. I'll take 30 lashes with a MIP noodle for not payin'
attention. I just flat didn't see it. Next time hit me with a PM and say:
"HEY! Blind man! Wake up!"
Luck!
Tuner
Well, do a search for Gil Heabard in Illinois, I don't think he has a web and I don't have his contact info handy. You will love the slidestop he carries. It looks like it popped out of the same mold as the Brown to be perfectly honest with you. They have a .200 size on the pin and a nice 30 LPI checkering on the top. Oh, and about half the price of the Brown. I know he has a catalouge available and is also a Bomar and Kart dealer.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Pop
Bill Z said:
It looks like it popped out of the same mold as the Brown to be perfectly honest with you.
If you mean that it's a casting...yep. It's a very good one though...and
it's very possible that they DID fall from the same mould, since Brown
doesn't make them.
I've got Hardcore slidestops in 4 of my hard-use beaters and never had a problem. I've seen Colt's machined stops break the lug off (Recent production) in fewer rounds than any of the Hardcores have taken.
McCormick markets an MIM stop for half the cost of the Wilson, and I've
never had one of those fail, either...which goes to show that MIM can be
up to the task...IF..the QC is on the ball.
Wilson Bulletproof stops are machined barstock, and the price reflects it
at about 40 dollars a copy. (MY price) IMO, the Hardcore stops about split
the difference in quality and durability.
Be of good cheer and ever mindful of your muzzle!
Tuner
Bill Z said:
It looks like it popped out of the same mold as the Brown to be perfectly honest with you.
If you mean that it's a casting...yep. It's a very good one though...and
it's very possible that they DID fall from the same mould, since Brown
doesn't make them.
I've got Hardcore slidestops in 4 of my hard-use beaters and never had a problem. I've seen Colt's machined stops break the lug off (Recent production) in fewer rounds than any of the Hardcores have taken.
McCormick markets an MIM stop for half the cost of the Wilson, and I've
never had one of those fail, either...which goes to show that MIM can be
up to the task...IF..the QC is on the ball.
Wilson Bulletproof stops are machined barstock, and the price reflects it
at about 40 dollars a copy. (MY price) IMO, the Hardcore stops about split
the difference in quality and durability.
Be of good cheer and ever mindful of your muzzle!
Tuner
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
MIM Defined
Howdy TechBrute,
MIM...Metal, Injection Molded. Kinda like the little girl with the little curl
in the center of her forehead. When it's good, it's very good....but
when it's bad, it's horrid. (Well..PRETTY good, anyway)
Kimber gets the credit...or blame...for ushering in the age of MIM in the
firearms industry, 1911-pattern pistols in particular. In reality, powder
metallurgy was around for a long time before Kimber jumped into the
1911 market.
Do a search on MIM on any of the forums...but be prepared to stay put
for a while if you intend to read it all.
Lotta good flame wars have been started over the stuff.
Luck!
Tuner
Howdy TechBrute,
MIM...Metal, Injection Molded. Kinda like the little girl with the little curl
in the center of her forehead. When it's good, it's very good....but
when it's bad, it's horrid. (Well..PRETTY good, anyway)
Kimber gets the credit...or blame...for ushering in the age of MIM in the
firearms industry, 1911-pattern pistols in particular. In reality, powder
metallurgy was around for a long time before Kimber jumped into the
1911 market.
Do a search on MIM on any of the forums...but be prepared to stay put
for a while if you intend to read it all.
Lotta good flame wars have been started over the stuff.
Luck!
Tuner
OP
OP
Master Blaster
Member
Remington, has an entire comapny that makes MIM parts to order for all kinds of applications, the site explains MIM and its uses and limitations, apparently thin sections and tight square corners are a no-no according to them.
http://www.remingtonpmpd.com/default.asp
http://www.remingtonpmpd.com/default.asp
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Kimber
Howdy TechBrute,
The early-production "Clackamas" Kimbers appear to be the best of the lot.
The MIM parts breakages seem to be a more recent issue...and since
Kimber doesn't actually make those parts...it's a vendor problem that they
need to address before the rep for junk small parts puts the company into
Chapter 11.
A friend of mine has one of the early Kimbers. He's never had so much as a
stovepipe failure to eject with it. He was so impressed that he bought a
recent-production Series2...and the fun started within 500 rounds. To
date, I've replaced the slidestop, extractor, firing pin stop, and barrel bushing due to breakages. He had me replace the hammer, sear, disconnector and thumb safety in a pre-emptive move, and he's got a
grip safety on standby.
No problems with the Lawyer Parts yet...so the jury is still out on that
particular question.
Luck!
Tuner
Howdy TechBrute,
The early-production "Clackamas" Kimbers appear to be the best of the lot.
The MIM parts breakages seem to be a more recent issue...and since
Kimber doesn't actually make those parts...it's a vendor problem that they
need to address before the rep for junk small parts puts the company into
Chapter 11.
A friend of mine has one of the early Kimbers. He's never had so much as a
stovepipe failure to eject with it. He was so impressed that he bought a
recent-production Series2...and the fun started within 500 rounds. To
date, I've replaced the slidestop, extractor, firing pin stop, and barrel bushing due to breakages. He had me replace the hammer, sear, disconnector and thumb safety in a pre-emptive move, and he's got a
grip safety on standby.
No problems with the Lawyer Parts yet...so the jury is still out on that
particular question.
Luck!
Tuner
Dave Sample
member
Six Year Old Kimber Tweakin'
OP
OP
Master Blaster
Member
Looks great Dave, what slide stop is that in the fourth picture??
Dave Sample
member
This is a custom touch that I have done for many years that makes the slide stop much more effective. I checker the bottom 30 LPI to make it easier to off load a live round at night when you off load your gun belt after the shift. I have seen it copied here and there but most smiths would not bother with this small tweak. Note the slide stop on EAGLE ONE.
MasterBlaster didn't need to start a thread.
Because that thread already exists here on THR:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=73716
And here's one of the pics showing why Kimber's MIM slide stops aren't all they're "cracked" up to be:
Because that thread already exists here on THR:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=73716
And here's one of the pics showing why Kimber's MIM slide stops aren't all they're "cracked" up to be:
Dave Sample
member
Shocking! But why am I not surprised?
From the sound of everyone's posts, and the way things seem to get blown out of proportion on the internet, it would seem that my Kimbers are some sort of exception and that they should be expected to self destruct in my hand.
No, it really shouldn't happen that often.
Modern materials technology and all, but if it does happen on your Kimber, I'd know exactly where to start looking for answers.
Save a few bucks here and there on the manufacturing process, and all of a sudden 1911 extractors and slidestops need tweaking or replacement. Folks come out with external extractors on 1911 variants to get around the problems with the newer internal ones, when a simple spring steel internal extractor, like those issued to Uncle Sam in his guns all those decades ago, would have sufficed.
Some manufacturing "improvements" work just fine. Although, I'll never get used to a plastic mainspring housing or plastic trigger.
Modern materials technology and all, but if it does happen on your Kimber, I'd know exactly where to start looking for answers.
Save a few bucks here and there on the manufacturing process, and all of a sudden 1911 extractors and slidestops need tweaking or replacement. Folks come out with external extractors on 1911 variants to get around the problems with the newer internal ones, when a simple spring steel internal extractor, like those issued to Uncle Sam in his guns all those decades ago, would have sufficed.
Some manufacturing "improvements" work just fine. Although, I'll never get used to a plastic mainspring housing or plastic trigger.
BluesBear
member
Sadly sometimes the cure IS worse than the disease. :banghead:
Dave Sample
member
All Parts fail: Some fail sooner than others.
Dave Sample
member
"All parts fail: Some fail sooner than others". Add that quote to the "Colonel Story", please.
- Status
