Need 1911 help; slide stop problems.

[jame]

I know this will sound like an idiot post, but I'm desparate and will to subject myself to ridicule....

I recently made the jump to 1911, after many years of toying with P35's,Glocks,etc, and even a CZ52 thrown in. I have disassembled them all for reasons of maintenance and improvement, and had no problems with reassembly, that I can remember. I've been shooting, cleaning, and maintaning guns for over 25 years.

Then comes the most frustrating thing I've EVER come accross. I can't get the slide stop pushed back into place after a simple field strip. I've depressed the plunger with a fine screwdriver, I've lubricated, tried every thing to a simple slide and push, to a very hearty rap with the palm of my hand. It WILL NOT go back in, and the bottom front of the notch on the frame evem shows signs of peening. A pistol built for the military man can't possiblely be this difficult. Can it?

What am I doing wrong?

 

[wally]

Do you have the slide partially retracted so the back end of the slide lock lever lines up with the half-moon cutout in the slide?

It helps to not have the recoil spring plug in at this point so the spring is uncompressed and the slide will stay where you put it. Once the slide lock lever is in, push the slide fully forward, compress the recoil spring with the spring plug and rotate the bushing back into position.

HTH,
--wally.

 

[jame]

Yup, slide back, nothes line up, recoil spring not depressed.

I am, but the coil spring isn't. :banghead:

 

[1911Tuner]

Stop Woe

Approach the cut with the stop slightly below the assembled position. Push in and up at the same time, and don't be too gentle with it. it should cam the plunger back and snap in.

 

[pete f]

there is supposed to be a slightly champfered edge on the hammer side of the inner part of the slide lock that should help the slide lock slip past the spring detent.

Before you try further, get a nice piece of masking tape and cover the slide or take the slide off and try getting the little motion down to catch the slide between the grip and the plunger and then push it up and in and the same time. The tape or removing the slide prevents the "bubba's arc", that hideous mark of the incompetent when putting a 1911 together, when the slide stop passes the plunger and travels across the flat of the slide with hard thumb pressure leaving a scar on the blueing. usually you can get the plungers to retract enough just using the sldie lock, however, I have had a couple that did need a little help from a feeler guage until i champfered the contact point.

 

[Mad Magyar]

Jame, if all of us were truthful, we would admit having experienced that frustration you're going through...The Tuner's advice is what has worked for me in the past. BTW, this torturous ordeal:banghead: is what has caused more, how shall I say the term, the famous scratch that is named after the lower end of the I.Q. scale...Let us know how you make out....

 

[jame]

Good suggestions, all. I even finally gave my Springer the famous "scratch". But it will NOT go all the way in. Slide off, no problem. Slide on, no go. It almost looks like the bottom front of the notch has peened to a tighter fit. The slide stop looks fine. Is there a possibility of a "soft" frame? I've never seen anything like this........Not trying to pass on the blame for my own ignorance, I just have to ask all the questions to get as much info as I can, objective/subjective or not.

 

[1911Tuner]

Stop Problems

Jame...it sounds like maybe the plunger pin is gettin' caught in the stop's clearance slot after it gets past the first hurdle. If that's the case, use a flat needle file to lightly chamfer the inner edges of the slot...where the pin makes contact.

 

[wally]

A redneck's famous last words...HEY DUDE, watch this!

I always thought it was "Hold my beer and watch this!"

The slide should only be partially back, the notch that locks the slide back should be in between the back of the lever and the thru pin. There is a little half-moon cut out that goes fully thru the slide to let the rounded top part fo the lever slip thru the cutout in the frame. With the slide in any other positon the lever won't go in (or come out when when you shoot )

--wally.

 

[jame]

Done and in, thanks guys.

Now if I could only get the slide to move forward........

 

[wally]

Ouch! Are you sure the cross pin went thru the link? May have to pull it out again and start over.

I often do it in stages, put the cross pin in making sure its thru the link and I can slide the barrel forward into lockup. Then I'll pull the slide back to the half moon notch, partially remove the slide lock enough so I can rotate it into position and then push it the reast of the way home. I often also use a small screwdriver to get the plunger out of the way initially.

Good luck. It gets easier the second and third times.

--wally.

 

[dmallind]

Had the same problem. The way I get past it is to maintain pressure on the slide stop then cycle the slide. When everything lines up right the slide stop will slot right in there.

 

[1911Tuner]

Stop

I think Wally just nailed it. You missed the link with the crosspin. That's important.

 

[jame]

Thanks to all for the help. The Mil-Spec up and back to the typical reliablity that I've enjoyed so far. I've enjoyed every minute I've held this handgun, even if in frustration.

I'm SO glad I finally made the switch to the 1911!

 

[springmom]

so how about with an Ultra Carry II?

HELP! I have a new Ultra Carry II that I've shot about 500 rounds through in three different days. First time, the hubster had to help me because I couldn't get the slide back on. As a matter of fact it took HIM 15 minutes or so and he has a Springfield GI series that he can put back together very quickly. Second time I took it out, I opted for the boresnake cleaning. This time, I took it apart, thinking that it would need the full cleaning (it did).

I cannot get the slide back on. Well, I take that back, it will, maybe 1 out of 100 tries, get past the notch. But if I move it forward at all to see where I am and try to put the slide lock pin in, bam, it's stuck and the only way to unstick it is to take it off again.:banghead:

I read the earlier part of the thread and took the recoil spring tool out, so the recoil spring isn't depressed. But as the previous poster said, I certanly am.

I have arthritis in my hands and working on this all afternoon has them swollen and painful. I just have to wait at this point for the hubster to get home and finish reassembly. But this is a huge downer, that a gun I love to shoot so much is so impossible for me to reassemble.

I have a feeling I'm going to end up trading it in either for a Sig or maybe the whole XD-45 kit. I love this gun but I can't do this again and again.

Any other words of wisdom peculiar to the Ultra Carry II?

Springmom

 

[springmom]

Oh, for heaven's sake

He came home and in five SECONDS had it done. Michael, thank you for your PM, because what he did was what you were suggesting only with a little twist...moving the grip and holding the SLIDE steady rather than the other way around.

So an entire afternoon of trying and my hands hurt and are inflamed, and it takes him five seconds to do it. Sigh. :banghead:

At least it's fixed!

Springmom