What would cause a Kimber slide stop to fall off?

[BluesBear]

OK I ain't no rocket surgeon, but...

I thought I'd experiment.

By pressing on the slide stop there just isn't any way I could push it far enough out while cycling the slide to get it to come out far enough to clear the slide.

So I just removed it.

Loaded the 8 rd magazine with 6 dummy rounds. (that's the orange that shows through the slide stop opening)
Pulled the slide back as far as the takedown notch and let her fly. This was to simulate the slide stop escaping on the loading stroke.
It went forward far enough that firing would be impossible, stopping either right on top of or just barely clearing the disconnector. I did this four times.

So next, I loaded another 6 in the mag, I pulled the slide fully rearward. This can only be accomplished by pushing down on the barrel through the ejection port. Otherwise the barrel won't drop down to unlock. After pulling if fully rearward I let go. This was to simulate the slide stop dropping like a cheap prom dress on the ejection stroke.
The slide assembly only went about 3/16" past the disconnector. I also did this 4 times.

The photo shows the results of the second test.

So it looks like the slide assembly won't take off for parts unknown but it would be impossible to not realize that something has seriously gone awry.

But the most important thing I learned from this is that I really need to clean the glass on my scanner.

 

[1911Tuner]

The Experiment

BluedBear! Mah fren! Once again you've shown that a logical mind
doesn't simply accpet what is said...It strives for answers, and seeks to
prove or disprove a theory by puttin' it to the test.

I had a heated debate once over whether the slidestop actually STOPS
the slide, or merely positions it. I guess that, after all is said and
done though..."Slidestop" sounds better than "Slide Overtravel Prevention
Device."

My experiment provided about the same results as yours, BTW...

Kudos!

Tuner

 

[BluesBear]

This can also demonstrate why it's bad to drop the slide on an empty chamber.

When I did the same test without a magazine in the gun the slide assembly flew about 2½ feet off the end of the slide.

This demonstrates that stripping a round from the magazine does indeed slow the slide appreciably. The slide slamming on an empty chamber creats a much greater impact that has to be absorbed somewhere.


Note... I only did this test twice and the recoil spring did NOT kink either time.

 

[1911Tuner]

And More...

BluesBear's Observation:

This demonstrates that stripping a round from the magazine does indeed slow the slide appreciably.

yep...And keep in mind too, that with the slidestop absent, the lower lug won't cam up on the pin...which means that since the barrel won't move
upward, the incoming round has a straighter shot at the chamber, and
meets with less resistance than if the pin were there.

To get back on topic, and try to figure out what happened to Richard's
gun...About the only thing that I can figure is that the stop walked out
gradually, and he didn't notice it. At the point that it was barely far enough
in the frame to keep the slide from takin' off, one side of the lower lug
spit it the rest of the way out just as the slide went to battery.

Richard...sorry for goin' off on a tangent here. Check your slidestop
by pushin' on the end of the pin with the gun in battery. If it won't pop
out, the specs are likely okay. If you are touching the pin with your
firing technique, file the radiused end of the pin close to flush with the frame. It'll make it a little more trouble to field-strip, but will keep you
from inadvertently knockin' it out of place during a string.

The court imposes sentence of 10 minutes hard labor with a smooth mill file.

*rap* Next case!

Judge Roy TunerBean

 

[Bainx]

For the life of me I can't even begin to understand why Kimber has done nothing to address their 2 biggest problems:

It's simple. Called the "Quarterly Balance Sheet".

If profits are at a maximum or near, don't do a dog-gone thing!
If profits are down, try to find a new "gimick" or [God forbid], try to find the problem with your product and fix it.

Same as McDonalds. They have tried everything EXCEPT improving the quality of their food.

Go figure

 

[BluesBear]

Further investigation

I noticed the slide hard to rack on the 3rd mag I shot.

The stop could have been working itself loose at that point. It might have moved just far enough to the left to be rubbing the slide. If it stayed in that position for very long the slide would start to "mill" it flat.

It was after the last shot that it didn't lock back and then I noticed it missing.

On the last shot the slide should have departed. Or at least come to rest so far forward as to be obvious.

 

[1911Tuner]

Etal

BluesBear! Good call! Right on target!

TunerBean