Springfield 1911 rough muzzle and other issues.

[jmorris]

With the barrel and spring out it glides a lot easier but it is tight, no play between the frame and slide. I normally use hoppes elite oil but have used Lucas and have used tetra gun grease once. It performed the same with all 3.

You can lap them together but it might be better for someone that’s put a couple together to do it. I think valve lapping compound is a bit aggressive (even fine/finishing compound), I have used toothpaste before though. I know it sounds goofy but it has worked for me in the past, when something is really close, just not quite there.

 

[5-SHOTS]

I purchased a new Springfield Armory Range Officer Target in 45acp back in 2019 as my first 1911 and never really noticed the quirks(or flaws) until I aquired several other 1911s since then. The first thing I will comment on is how tight tight the slide to frame fitment is. I know that tight is supposed to be good, but this one is very hard (almost impossible) to rack using my thumb and index finger grabbing it by the rear serrations. I have to grasp the slide with my whole hand and rack it with "authority". Also, the 'racking action' for lack of a better word, is not smooth. I can feel a catch if I ride the slide home instead of just letting it go. Secondly, The slide stop plunger is out of spec, I have to press it in using a tiny flat head screwdriver to press the slide stop back into place. None of my other 1911s are like this so I know it is a flaw. Third, the muzzle looks rough. I didnt notice it in store (poor lighting) but it has tool markings, scratches and a few dings. With that being said it shoots surprisingly well. At 25 yards I can stay in the 10 ring using cheap target ammo such as winchester and fiocchi fmj 230gr. The few times Ive tried shooting it at 50 yards I can still produce 6 inch groups using the same ammo.

I did contact SA customer service back when I first bought the gun and started noticing these issues but told that I should not complain until I had shot it a few hundred times to wear it in. 3 years later, 800 shots in, the slide is still frustratingly tight, the plunger still has to be pressed in with a tiny screwdriver, and the muzzle has the same blemishes and dings.

With that said though, I still really like the pistol and would not part with it.

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I think you are already oriented like this but I will repeat it too: leave everything as it is. I am Italian but there is a saying, I really think American, which says more or less this: if something is not broken, do not fix it. It applies both to things and to people. In the case of your pistol, I don't see anything broken to fix.

 

[JB111]

It is not a “flaw” - it’s standard. As noted, it can be solved by a simple mod to the slide stop, but it is like that by design. I have 17 1911’s (including three SA’s) and every one of them is made the same way. Granted, some are easier to install the slide stop on than others, but there is absolutely nothing “out of spec” about a plunger that doesn’t want to retract without some persuasion. A few minutes with a hand file to cut the channel will solve the problem forever.

The slide isn’t designed to be “ridden” forward. As others have noted, the pistol has some mechanical contact by design so it’s not out of the ordinary to feel the engagement you describe. As far as it being tight, that’s usually the goal for high end 1911’s. I had a Les Baer that was so tight I couldn’t get it off the first time I field stripped it. I thought something was stuck…but it was just tight. It could also be a function of the recoil spring or the hammer spring.Try cocking the hammer before you rack the slide and see if that helps.

Im going to have to disagree with you about it being standard and normal to have to use a tool to reinstall the slide stop. If it requires modification to "fix" then something is out of spec, not made properly or not installed correctly. I only have 3 other 1911's, but this is the only one that requires the plunger to be pressed in using a screwdriver. A few people that I know who also own a 1911, none of them have to use a tool to reinstall their slide stop either. But as I said, its not a big deal to me, and it was never important enough for me to replace parts or send it in.

I didnt really mean to come across like I was complaing or insinuating something was really wrong with the pistol, on the contrary, Im quite pleased with it for the price. The little quirks are part of the package and I quite enjoy shooting it. I just wanted to share some commentary on my experiences with this particular gun.

 

[JB111]

If it’s still hard to rack with spring out of the gun I would look at the lower barrel lugs. Inspect for uneven wear or flat spots on the lugs and the slide stop. I seriously doubt it’s the slide to frame figment. With a run of the mill SA

I inspected the barrel and slide. Took a few pictures. Everything looks about normal to me. The bushing is a lot tighter to turn and remove on this gun compared to the others so I kind of figure maybe that is one reason it is tighter to rack.

Something I did notice about the barrel after taking these pictures which I never really noticed or payed attention to before is the burnt spot in the chamber.

 

[tarosean]

It could just be the angle but it appears the link is not correctly sized, look at the surface area here. Insert your slide stop into the link and see if it moves/cams freely.

 

[JB111]

It could just be the angle but it appears the link is not correctly sized, look at the surface area here. Insert your slide stop into the link and see if it moves/cams freely.

It moves and spins freely. I think it just appears that way in that picture.

 

[Jim Watson]

My SA was bumping hard against the disconnector. FLG found that the center leaf of the sear spring was so sharp and rough that it was actually digging into the disconnector bevel and holding it up harder than intended. He applied a stone to polish the disconnector and put in a Colt sear spring. That might not be your problem but it was mine and I have heard of others.

I would leave the muzzle alone and keep the slide rails and barrel contact areas lubed. Lots of gun makers and owners brag about such tight fits; as long as it functions, you are ok.

The slide stop is meant to snap into engagement with the plunger, tools should not be required.
Common causes are insufficient bevel on the slide stop, insufficient radius on the tip of the plunger, too much plunger protrusion.
The groove is a straightforward fix.

 

[doubleh]

OK, I am going to recommend youtube. There are a couple of very good videos there about fitting the barrel to the slide, fitting the link, and also fitting the barrel and bushing. Fitting is rather fiddly but you will know what to check and how to do it after watching the video. The slide stop thing seems to be fairly common and is an easy fix as already pointed out unless the plunger that holds it in place is too long.

 

[Navy87Guy]

Im going to have to disagree with you about it being standard and normal to have to use a tool to reinstall the slide stop. If it requires modification to "fix" then something is out of spec, not made properly or not installed correctly. I only have 3 other 1911's, but this is the only one that requires the plunger to be pressed in using a screwdriver. A few people that I know who also own a 1911, none of them have to use a tool to reinstall their slide stop either. But as I said, its not a big deal to me, and it was never important enough for me to replace parts or send it in.

The plunger spring is probably just stretched too far. Pull the whole assembly (spring and both plungers) out and compress it a bit. (You could replace the spring but it’s probably unnecessary.) The slide stop plunger should stick out about 1/8” from the housing. If it’s sticking way out, then it’s the spring.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

The slide stop plunger should stick out about 1/8” from the housing. If it’s sticking way out, then it’s the spring.

The forward plunger is preventing from moving forward by the fact that the plunger tube is bored using two different diameter bits. The forward end of the tube is bored to a smaller diameter than the rear end of the tube. You can see the diameter change below.

The spring cannot be too long. The plunger is stopped by the corresponding diameter change inside the tube. The diameter of the rear bore is 1/8" (.125"). A quick look at the prints shows the amount of front plunger protrusion to be about .087". (.267" - .18" =.087")

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It is not uncommon for manufacturers to drill the holes for the plunger tube legs a bit further to the rear than they should. This results in more of the front plunger extending further out of the tube which means the slide stop engagement lug will make contact with the shaft of the plunger instead of the spherical nose which makes it more difficult to seat the slide stop.

Alternatively, the wider diameter hole in the plunger tube can be bored too deeply thus allowing the forward plunger to extend too far out of the tube resulting in the same problem. Or the front portion of the tube is too short.

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