still having slide stop issue

[xmanpike]

Well, I have a colt 1911 that is fairly new and all of a sudden started having issues with slide stop releasing when I reloaded a new magazine. It has nothing to do with the magazine, because I can lock the slide back with no mag in and hit the bottom of the gun and have the slide release. It takes just a touch of my thumb for the slide to release from lock. Any ideas?

Should I buy an aftermarket slide stop from Wilson, etc.? Would this possibly fix?

On a separate note, I just read an interesting thread concerning barrel bushings and noticed that mine is VERY easy to turn both around the barrel and in the slide. Should I be looking at an aftermarket bushing from EGW?

This is a Brand New Colt Gold Cup Trophy SS, and I expected better craftmanship. Slide is not real tight on frame, but not terribly loose either. Accuracy is okay I guess. I don't really know what to expect out of a pistol, as I have always shot rifles and anything over 1 MOA was not even close to acceptable. Obviously I wasn't expecting that and shooting from a sandbag with good factory ammo shot about 3" at 50 ft. What do you guys think?

 

[Jolly Rogers]

I would bet there is some damage to the slide stop notch in the slide. If the angle doesn't match the edge of the stop that hits the slide (it is springloaded after all) it may not take much of a jolt to disengage it.
There have been several posts about this issue with Colt 1911's lately.
Joe

 

[xmanpike]

The angles to the slide stop and the slide stop notch DEFINITELY different. Are they supposed to be completely flush?

 

[Drail]

From what you describe the magazine follower or the cartridge nose is hitting the slide stop. The slide stop lug can be filed down slightly to allow a magazine to be inserted without touching the slide stop. The portion that rides on the spring plunger can be dimpled slightly to hold the stop in place so it is not affected by inertia. Very few 1911s that I have worked on have matching angles on the stop/ slide recess. Actually all of my competition 1911s have had the slide stop modified to never lock back on empty unless manually pushed up with a thumb. I have seen shooters blow a match because the stop locked the slide back with rounds remaining during a match. I don't really care if the slide locks on an empty gun anyway. In competition you learn to count your shots and never shoot the gun to slide lock.

 

[xmanpike]

Here is a picture of how the slide stop and and slide stop notch meet. Is this acceptable or should they be flush. This is how the gun has been since day one.

 

[rcmodel]

That looks good enough for goober-mint work.

I'd suggest you lightly dimple the slide stop just at the point the plunger is making contact at the bottom of travel now.

A Dremel with a little round carbide dental bur will do the trick.

There is a tool sold to do the same thing. But not worth the price for only one job.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=7665&st=slide stop drill&s=

I would not replace the barrel bushing on a brand new Gold Cup.

I'd bet my booty the gun will way out-shoot the shooter for a good long while.
Give it some time to break in and get the parts settled and it will very likely shoot 50 yard X-Ring scores just like it is.

rc

 

[xmanpike]

Thanks RC I have a friend with a dremel. I will see if that makes the difference. I noticed you emphasized LIGHTLY, so I will start small and keep going form there.

Mike

 

[log man]

The notch in the slide and the slide stop lug are not a good match, the lug is touching the front of the notch and that should only happen when you pull the slide back a little so the front angled area of the slide notch will push the slide stop down, this one is doing it when ever the frame is jarred and the notch is pushing the slide stop down prematurely. I would shorten the slide stop at the front so there is a gap instead of actually resting on it.

LOG

 

[log man]

A word/ thought about accuracy of a shooter and of the gun. I've heard it said that why improve your guns accuracy when you can't shoot as well as it can. That is a true statement and will always be true! So, think about this, say you have a gun that will shoot a 2" group at a given distance from a rest, that's the gun. Now when you shoot that gun from the same distance you shoot a 6" group, that's the gun and the shooter. How big of a group would the shooter shoot if the gun at rest could only shoot a 6" group? The point will always be better is better.

LOG