vertical slide movement

[XxR3M0V3RxX]

ive had my sr9c for a while now. i have put about 800 ~1000 rounds through it. i dont know if it came like this from the factory but ive noticed that when the slide is forward i can push down on the front of the slide and there is some movement... it appears to be held in its highest position by spring pressure and i cant wiggle the barrel when its locked forward.

im not sure if the loose slide will cause a reduction in accuracy of if this is normal for production handguns... will this get worse over time.

my main concern is that im grouping very poorly at 25 yards (8"~12") while at 7~15 yards its all within 3" (minus flyaways).
when i first got the gun my groups were smaller although this could be user error.

help me

 

[Remllez]

All but the tightest 1911's have a little bit of play in their slides while in battery. As long as the barrel is locked up I wouldn't worry a whole lot about a little looseness, if you bought the gun new it's probably parts wearing in. Some self loaders have fixed barrels and the slide play doesn't affect accuracy at all.

Accuracy wise if you notice a drastic change, could it be a recent swap to different ammo?
You may well have become lax in the way you are gripping the pistol perhaps a review of your grip will help tighten your groups. You could have a friend try shooting your gun and compare notes afterward.

Of course there is no substitute for trigger time keeping everything equal and concentrating on the fundamentals. Dissasemble and a thorough cleaning will hurt nothing and may reveal a mechanical defect that is the root cause of the accuracy change.

I'm sure you will find and correct what the problem is if you get back to the basics. If not a return trip to the manufacturer will rectify the situation to your satisfaction. Good luck and happy shooting!

 

[9mmepiphany]

... it appears to be held in its highest position by spring pressure and i cant wiggle the barrel when its locked forward.

im not sure if the loose slide will cause a reduction in accuracy of if this is normal for production handguns... will this get worse over time.

This is normal for polymer pistols and is one of the reasons for it's reliability and durability over steel framed pistols. There isn't as much slide to frame contact in polymer pistols.

What is holding the slide up is the lockup between the barrel and the frame. as long as the slide and the frame are consistent in their contact relationship, it will have not effect on accuracy...after all your sights are attached to the slide, not the frame

my main concern is that im grouping very poorly at 25 yards (8"~12") while at 7~15 yards its all within 3" (minus flyaways).

That's about right for consistent dispersion...three times the distance, three time the size of the group.

Bring your target back in to 5-7 yards and work on your grip and trigger press until you're getting centered sub-1" groups. Take a look at the links in my signature to see if you are gripping and pressing the trigger correctly

 

[918v]

This is normal for polymer pistols and is one of the reasons for it's reliability and durability over steel framed pistols.

So polymer pistols are built loose to make them more durable than tightly fitted steel pistols?

I thought polymer pistols are built loose be cause the frames flex so much under recoil the rails would tear off if they were any tighter.

 

[Deus Machina]

I thought polymer pistols are built loose be cause the frames flex so much under recoil the rails would tear off if they were any tighter.

That would be less 'design around limitation' and more 'just bad design.'
Nope, they make them a little looser because 1) it makes them more reliable, under the conditions they may be used and 2) It's cheaper.

They can use cast or stamped pieces instead of machined, they don't have to check it so closely, or hand-fit, and fewer go back from the QC line.

As an example, get me running my mill and I can machine parts to +/- .001", then hand-fit to .0005". I've done it on a few projects and it literally takes all day. Instead, I could blast out parts at +/- .008" as fast as I can turn the handles, and never have to check fit or touch a file.

 

[JDGray]

Are those groups off hand? 3" at 7yrds tells me trigger control needs a little work

And if those groups are off a bag?

 

[918v]

As an example, get me running my mill and I can machine parts to +/- .001", then hand-fit to .0005". I've done it on a few projects and it literally takes all day. Instead, I could blast out parts at +/- .008" as fast as I can turn the handles, and never have to check fit or touch a file.

Right, but the built in looseness is for economy not for durability. I saw a slow motion video of a Glock firing from a machine rest. The top of the frame oscillated so much you'd wonder how this gun lasts as long as it does.