Pachmayr Widget Assembly Tool 1911 Polymer Blue

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mikemyers

mikemyers

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A relative of mine was talking about a "slide stop tool" that he got for his Dan Wesson. In searching for it, I found several threads about not creating the "idiot scratch" on the slide, which eventually led me to this:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/581547/pachmayr-widget-assembly-tool-1911-polymer-blue?cm_mmc=se_service-_-OrderConfirmation-_-OrderConfirmation-_-ProductLink


I sent him the above link, and he told me if I get one, buy another for him.


So, what is this thing, what does it do, and how does it prevent one from scratching the slide? ....or am I completely mis-understanding this?
 
It really does nothing to prevent the idiot mark.

It just a plastic tool to stick between the slide stop, and the spring & plunger that presses against it.

I can imagine making more idiot marks messing with that thing then just paying attention while snapping the slide stop back in.

If you are terribly worried about it?

Buy a roll of black electrical tape and tape the frame under the slide stop while putting it in.

Then peel the tape off when you get done.

That will be 100% more effective then that $4 buck pry bar.

You only have two hands.
One to hold the gun, and one to put the slide stop in.

So what are you going to hold the widget with??

rc
 
I have used that tool for many years to install thumb safeties (and it works better for that than any makeshift tool I have ever found) but never on a slide stop because a Widget will be too thick for most guns. File a small groove on the inside corner of the slide stop that engages the plunger - the plunger will align and the stop will slip straight in with no chance for causing an idiot mark. You should be able to see a line on the stop made by the plunger sliding across it - that's where you need to file. It doesn't need to be very deep. You can also pop the thumb safety out and remove the plunger and spring, install the slide stop and then reinstall the thumb safety. (and use your Widget for that). You should not need any kind of "tool" to install a slide stop. Just your thumb will do if it lined up correctly.
 
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Ha!

I guess I just bough a pair of fancy blue coffee stirrers!

I can't answer your last question, as I had no idea what this thing was for, or what to do with it - and it's been so long that I forgot about the term "idiot scratch", but it's coming back to me. Thanks!


Edited later, after doing a search:
I found this video that showed me what's going on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-AbK7KXO4Q
The following video showed an even simpler tool to avoid scratches - something from http://1911-ispt.com/index.shtml, but the website doesn't seem to be working.
 
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The Widget is a very handy gadget that is used by a lot of smiths and I always kept one in my tool box. I have a couple that are almost 25 years old. But I don't think it was ever intended for use on slide stops. Of course neither was a screwdriver (which is what I see most guys trying to use). If you really want to "cheap out" just cut a 1/4 inch strip from an old credit card. The best solution is simply to groove the slide stop so it can only align and go in one way (just like inserting a key into a lock).
 
This is an idiot mark.
And if you are doing this with the slide stop?

No blue plastic coffee stirrer is going to do you the least bit of good.

Further, a properly made slide stop already has a bevel on the back of it that pushed the spring plunger in automatically when you push it straight while lined up with the take-down notch.

No tools, or modifications to the slide stop are necessary, or desirable.


image.jpg
 
Good luck on getting one those "properly made" slide stops today. (or a plunger that doesn't stick out of the tube so far it essentially "blocks" the slide stop instead of being easily pressed out of the way and steers the slide stop down the side of the frame). Half of the current slide stops I see have the bevel on the back ground at some odd angle which fights you as you try to press the stop straight in. If the factories aren't going to bother to fit parts like this correctly (and trust me - they're not) then either you can fight it or fit it yourself. Slide stops either drop straight in as RC described - or they don't and if you just keep pressing harder when the plunger diverts it down with all your force on it - idiot scratch. If it won't go in easily figure out why and fix it so it will. Idiot scratches only happen when someone assumes more force is necessary instead of understanding how to get it lined up and easing it in. It really is like a key going into a lock - if the angles are wrong and it doesn't slip in easily then using more force isn't going to solve the problem.
 
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Sorry RC but i have to mostly agree with Drail on this one. Every Slide Stop plunger I have ever seen protrudes way to far for any bevel on a slide stop to overcome.

Hi Mike. you didn't throw your money away, you bought one of the most useful little gizmos on the planet. Our assemblers at Les Baer use them so much they wear them out regularly. You don't need three hands to use one. You can hold the frame/slide in the proper position with one hand, even if the gun has the recoil spring in it. It isn't that hard. Then, they insert the slide stop in the gun and carefully position it. A little nudge with the widget and the slide stop drops halfway into place without being touched.

Practice with a bare frame and a SS. notice how the SS drops into place by itself. Slick, huh.

If nothing else, you can use one to generate laughs at a party by asking if anyone knows what a Medical Dr. uses THIS for.
 
Every Slide Stop plunger I have ever seen protrudes way to far for any bevel on a slide stop to overcome.
Click to expand...
Then either your slide stops, plungers, tubes, or frames are not mil-spec.

If never seen a mil-spec 1911 that didn't go together exactly as I stated.

A GI in a muddy fox-hole didn't need, or have a plastic pry-bar to assemble his 1911 in the dark!!

(Without leaving an idiot mark, if he knew what he was doing, and did it!)

PS: Properly fitting the slide stop pin plunger to the tube was one of the things we always did to insure proper function and easy assembly of the National Match 1911's with the barrel, bushing, spring already compressed & in place in the slide in Army AMU in the late 1960's.

I guess Les Baer hadn't heard of that yet?

rc
 
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I guess I am putting my slide stop in wrong because I do not have the idiot scratches in any of my M1911s.:)

Regardless. The tool looks useful as it there are times a plastic flat blade can be useful for a variety of tasks.

If i remember, I'll have to order one the next time I order from Midway.

RC's electrical tape method beats spending bucks on the feeler gauge set. I always have electrical tape around in my tool box.
 
Now that we've had all this discussion, I do recall the problems I had a couple of years ago, and maybe I wasn't doing things correctly, but it was pretty tricky for me to get all the parts back where they belong. On my new gun, there are no marks - I don't remember if there were any on my Colt, finally on the way back to me, but I like both ideas mentioned up above, black plastic electrical tape, and this new tool, which I'm now quite happy I ordered, even though I had no idea what it did. :)

Gee, I'm not sure if I'd use that line at a party though - I would probably get some VERY strange stares!
 
BTW: Wish I knew how to post a Video on THR.

I made one the other night for a friend in two shots.

First one was 20 seconds to take the slide off & recoil spring & guide out of a tight National Match 1911.

Second one 40 seconds to put it back together and fully operational.

And no tools or tape.
And no idiot marks!

And I used to be faster when I was younger, had stronger hands, and did it all the time. ;)

rc
 
I somewhat agree with Drail. There are a lot of off-spec guns and parts out there. Poorly beveled slide stops, too protruding or too blunt plungers, probably some misplaced plunger tubes. I think I will order a Widget when I next deal with Midway.
 
The most annoying problems with slide stops in my experience has always been Colt stops (on Colt frames). They mill the notch in the stop a little deeper than most other makers which allows the tip of the plunger to snap into that groove as the stop is pushed past it - most other brands slide in under the groove and do not get trapped. If it does then you have to take a very small tool to get the plunger out of the groove - or remove the plunger from the rear. I ain't pointing fingers but "somebody" ain't following the blueprint closely enough. Springfields and Baers and even Norincos won't do it - but Colts usually will:banghead: Over on the 1911 forum (not the Greek one) they have a sticky for the "Logman mod". Check it out. It makes life so much easier. Tark, I am very happy to see you on this forum. I have been admiring your work for many years. If I ever buy another 1911 it will be a Les Baer. I built one for my boss from one of your frame/slide combos and it turned out to be my all time favorite gun.
 
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rc is correct. If all related parts are within spec, the slidestop will snap in quickly and easily.

Assuming proper technique.

Most people I've watched don't know how to get the slidestop in place. They come at the plunger from too far below. This is what causes the idiot mark.

I've had more than a few guys stop by and ask me to tweak their slidestops to get'em to depress the plunger properly. About 7 times out of 10, I was able to snap it in...just by using proper technique.

I've seen shocked faces and responses.

"Wait a minute! How'd you do that??"

After I demonstrated it and walked them through it a few times, they were able to make it happen.

Drail is also correct. Many times, one of the related parts is out of spec...usually the angle on the slidestop lug...and the plunger flatly refuses to move back into the tube. This is most often easy to correct with a few light swipes of a smooth mill file.

It's all in the angles.

When the plunger itself protrudes too far...which, in my own experience isn't very common...the right thumbnail will move it far enough to let the slidestop lug finish the operation.

In those examples...I've had the same responses.

"Wait a minute! How'd you do that??"

Play with it a little until you figure it out. It actually works pretty well.

When it doesn't...break out the file and look at it to see how and how much material to dress. It probably won't take as much as you'd think.

Or, you could replace the plunger tube. The problem is most often the forward plunger's stop shoulder being mislocated.

Good luck.
 
rcmodel said:
BTW: Wish I knew how to post a Video on THR........I made one the other night for a friend in two shots........First one was 20 seconds to take the slide off & recoil spring & guide out of a tight National Match 1911........Second one 40 seconds to put it back together and fully operational.......And no tools or tape.......And no idiot marks!......
Click to expand...


If you'd like to post that video here, just do the following. Presumably the video is on your computer. Create a "YouTube" account like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_y7rrfftbk

When you're all done, look for the "upload" button, click on it, select the video location on your computer, and it will upload. Add a title and a description.

When you're all done, as you play your video which is now on YouTube, copy the "URL" from the top of the web page, as I just did for the creation video, come to THR, and in "advanced mode", click on the button for "insert link", paste your YouTube link there, and everything is done for you.​


If you get stuck, send me a PM. I'd like to see a good video about this, as most of the technical terms people are using here don't yet mean anything to me.... ....plunger...plunger tube.....notches....plungers stop shoulder......:what:
 
"It's all in the angles". Words to live by. I just realized the reason I probably never used a Widget for a uncooperative slide stop was because I have pretty thick fingernails from 40 years of playing fingerstyle guitar - and I also used my thumbnail to press the plunger out of the way without even thinking about it.:scrutiny: Tuner, are you a low down finger picker too?
 
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