"Stepped" breech face on SW1911; problem?

[ScratchnDent]

I'm pretty new to 1911's, had this one for about a year.

It's a government sized Smith & Wesson. Functions fine, but leaves an annoying 'shelf' on the heads of my precious brass.
There is a high spot on the breech face, opposite from the extractor, maybe a few thousandths taller than the rest of the breech. It looks like they missed a finishing cut when milling the slide.

I don't have a picture at the moment, but I can take one tomorrow and post it if anyone wants to see it.

As I said, it functions flawlessly, but beating up my brass bugs the heck out of me.

Should I be concerned about the gun or the brass?

 

[Spartacus451]

Pretty much every S&W 1911 ever made has it. It doesn't hurt much.

If you check the top and bottom of the serrations on the front strap you will find that they are uneven. Also on almost every S&W 1911 ever made. I have three of them. :banghead:

 

[ScratchnDent]

Dagnabbit, you made me look closely at those serrations, and you're right!

 

[1911Tuner]

Yes. It's a problem. Send the slide back to have it correctly machined.

 

[ScratchnDent]

Yes. It's a problem. Send the slide back to have it correctly machined.

Sigh
Guess it's time to call S&W

Thank you!

 

[1911Tuner]

If they try to give you the runaround, remind them that repeated uneven loading on the breechface from the recoil forces slamming into it will stress one side more than the other, and that stress fractures will develop...and machining the slide is a lot cheaper than replacing one...and that if the slide should fail suddenly and allow the case to back out of the chamber and burst...that a lawsuit to compensate you for your blindness is much more costly than both.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have read about this before, it is not just YOUR S&W mutant 1911.

I suspect they will throw it away and put on a new slide, CNC is cheap, handwork to repair a flaw is labor intensive.

They are real good about the style of Customer Service in which they sell a defective product and make you feel like they have done you a favor to fix it.

 

[ScratchnDent]

Thanks everyone! I had not even considered possible damage to the slide from uneven presure!
I hope they fix this one rather than replace it, it's just starting to develop ome good 'character', lol.

Looks like I will be dusting off my plastic .45 for a few weeks.