RIA 1911 compact- slide lock

[Fat Boy]

Picked up a used 1911 compact by Rock Island- the slide will lock (occasionally) on an empty mag when cycling by hand but will easily dislodge. I have tried this with the Kimber mag included, an Armscor, ACT, and Chip McCormick mag with the same results. Should I start by replacing the slide stop? If so, will a standard size 1911 slide stop work?
Thank you-

 

[rondog]

What's the notch in the slide look like? That can get worn by the shooter using the slide stop to release the slide. It should be released by "slingshotting", or pulling on the rear of the slide to release it into battery.

 

[rcmodel]

Post a good close-up pic of the slide stop notch in the slide, with the slide locked open on an empty mag.

It is also possible the notch in the slide stop that straddles the thin spot on the slide has a bur in the preventing full engagement.

Post a pic!
My crystal ball is in the shop for a wax & buff job.

rc

 

[Drail]

If a slide stop notch gets worn down by a slide stop then that slide is awfully soft. The slide stop should be softer than the slide and should wear out much faster than the slide metal. I have been using the stop to drop slides in pistols for 35 years and have yet to see a notch damaged from doing it. But I have seen a number of guns that will not "slingshot". If the slide stop is not supposed to be used to release the slide why would they have serrations or checkering on the top of it?

 

[BBBBill]

^^^^ What Drail said. I've owned 1911s since 1964. We never heard of "slingshotting" a until the very modern tacticool guys started pushing it as THE technique. Not to say that it is not a valid technique, but it isn't the only correct way to do business. The slide notch and slide stop are areas that should have more attention to fit, but most manufacturers fail to do so. I optimize the fit for maximum contact/bearing surface on my guns. The devil is in the details.

 

[Fat Boy]

I appreciate the responses. Today I worked with the gun a bit more and without a magazine inserted I cannot get the slide back far enough to manually lock the slide stop. I swear I am retracting the slide as far back as it will go...

I think the gun is going back to Cabelas tomorrow for a return/exchange

 

[rondog]

Sounds like something may actually be wrong with it. Might try calling Advanced Tactical in Pahrump, NV. They're the importers and stand behind RIA's very well. https://advancedtactical.com/

Or Armscor directly. https://us.armscor.com/

 

[rcmodel]

Take the slide off the gun and see if by chance there are one or two shock buffs on the recoil spring guide.

If there are, take them off and throw them in the trash.

Rc

 

[Drail]

As suggested remove any buffs if installed. The next thing to check is for spring stacking. Place two small pieces of masking tape on the slide and frame adjacent to each other when the slide is held fully to the rear and make a pencil mark showing where the slide and frame are when fully pulled back - with and without the spring installed. If the slide goes further back with the spring removed than with the spring - it is too long and is stacking into a solid mass before the slide has traveled fully to the rear. Replace or trim a little from the spring.

 

[rcmodel]

Excellent suggestion I hadn't thought off!!!

rc

 

[Fat Boy]

I appreciate all the excellent advice and hope I haven't sent you on a wild goose chase-

I returned the gun to Cabelas today and they were able to refund my money. They did pull the slide (which I had done, looking for shock buffers) and noted that the spring appeared "bent" and stretched, which fits the suggestions here.

Thank you again-

 

[Catpop]

Good thread, I learned something! I've got a RIA compact also, but no issues with it. Nice pistol imho.
Catpop