1911 Stiff slide release

[Fatelvis]

I've had a whole bunch of 1911s over the years, and I know how much pressure it should take to release the slide, (when locked back after last shot). That being said, I just aquired a series 1 stainless Kimber, and noticed it takes an incredible amount of pressure to release the slide when a magazine is in the well, but take the mag out, and it takes the normal pressure to send the slide home. I tried several different mags, and it's the same with them all. My question is; what can I file, grind, buff, etc., to facilitate the releasing pressure? Thanks Guys-

 

[1911Tuner]

I just aquired a series 1 stainless Kimber, and noticed it takes an incredible amount of pressure to release the slide when a magazine is in the well, but take the mag out, and it takes the normal pressure to send the slide home.

That's the way it's supposed to work. When the empty magazine is locked into the well, the mag spring tension is bearing upward against the slidestop lug.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

There are some trick followers that make it harder.

There are some trick followers that make it harder. There can be a difference between the spring action of a stamped follower and the rotation of an anti-tilt follower.

Wonder what the various assorted magazines here might be?

The magazine follower pushes the slide release up toward the front of the magazine follower.

In some cases releasing the slide requires rotating the magazine follower down in front - up in back around a hypothetical axis - and the trick follower resists such rotation very strongly when new. A little wear, or call it break-in, on the trick follower will make it easier to release the slide. Don't know that this applies to the current case but it is a known issue with those who use trick magazines. This issue has been commonly observed with a brand of new pistols that have a reputation for being very very tightly fitted. This is commonly considered by those who love such tightly fitted pistols to be a feature not a bug.

In other cases an out of spec or poorly specified/made stamped style follower will distort and the split lip will ride over the nub on the slide release and infrequently will lock. Of course as a used pistol there is always the possibilty that the slide release has been inadvertantly swapped as for instance leaving a number 2 slide stop in the frame after mounting an Ace .22conversion or other weird mismatch.

I wouldn't assume a problem and take a Dremel to a new to me pistol.

 

[GoRon]

Does the slide lock back normally every time while shooting?

My buddy has an Auto Ordinance that wouldn't lock back reliably and often the magazines wouldn't drop free.

I'm no gunsmith but know more than him so he asked me to look at it.

When the gun was unloaded, empty mag inserted and the slide locked back I took a careful look inside.

I discovered the magazine was riding right up to and on the backside (toward the rear of the gun when looking in) of the slide stop.

This made (as you described) it harder than normal to disengage the slide stop with a loaded magazine.

It also occasionally bound up the slide stop enough to where the slide wouldn't lock back.

I took a file and removed just enough material from the slide stop so the magazine wasn't rubbing up against it and it has performed properly ever since.

If you take a magazine without a spring and follower installed and put it in the gun with the slide locked back already you will be able to see if the mag body is binding on the slide stop.

I hope you can visualize what I'm talking about. It wouldn't surprise me if Tuner or some of the other regulars have seen this before either. Maybe they could chime in with a better description.

edited to add: hey Fatelvis, we live near each other and both signed up here on the same day!

 

[1911Tuner]

re:

As long as the gun operates normally, it's really a non-issue. It's not supposed to be easy to release the slide with an empty magazine in the well...

 

[ninja45]

Normal operations

1. Slide Lock is engaged once all rounds in magazine is expended.

What to do at this point - remove empty magazine, insert fresh (loaded) mag, activate mag release (or slingshot slide) to chamber fresh round to continue shooting.

OR


Remove empty mag, release slide from lock back, ensure chamber is empty, safely lower hammer, insert fresh mag for a Condition Three pistol.

Ninja45

 

[GoRon]

As long as the gun operates normally, it's really a non-issue. It's not supposed to be easy to release the slide with an empty magazine in the well...

I don't recall ever trying to drop the slide with an empty mag in the gun to tell you the truth.

I have always dropped the mag, rode the slide down and dry fired downrange to drop the hammer at the end of a range session.

Rereading his post I see this only occurs with an empty magazine in the gun, sounds normal.

nevermind

 

[Jim K]

Well, Fatelvis seems to have some experience, so I won't blow him off that quickly. I suggest removing the slide, then putting the slide stop back in and inserting a magazine. With the slide off, it should be easy to look into the mag well and determine if anything is binding.

Sure, in theory, one need not release the slide on an empty magazine, but I sometimes do when storing a gun unloaded, and I suspect others do also. It should not take an abnormal effort to do so.

Jim