Slide Stop wont seat on magazine follower

[IdahoSkies]

So the slide on my 9mm Witness/Tanfoglio will only lock back on only one of of my mags. (I bought it at a gunshow for $300 with 3 mixed mags, on was actually a .41 AE mag that I have pulled out of circulation). Here are the two mags:



The one with the black follower is a mec-gar mag and is the one that will sometimes hold the bolt open (it started out always, now its sporadic)

The orange follower is a factory Tanfoglio mag. (Made in italy and orange follower like what I have seen for purchase).

When I put the mec-gar mag in the slide stop is pushed up by the follower, but just barely, and if the mag gets wiggled a little bit the slide stop slips down the side of the follower.



With the factory mag, the slide stop slips down the side of the follower like so.



If I wiggle the follower in the factory mag I can get it to sit right but the mag is not seated well and when I give the mag a tap to seat it the follower slips up and out of the way of the slide stop.

(How its supposed to work and look).

I have not had this problem before. Do I need a new slide stop? Do I need new mags? Or do I simply need new mag springs? (I have not changed them since I bought them.) Or is there something else I should be thinking of? Thanks for the help.

 

[4v50 Gary]

If all factory mags are like the orange follower one, buying factory mags are not the answer. You may want to try a CZ magazine. Alternatively, by building up the slide stop by welding on a dot to the end of it, you will extend it such that you won't have the slippage anymore and it will now have positive engagement with the follower.

Before you do that though, take the slide stop and compare it to a new one. Perhaps a gunstore or gunsmith will permit ulyou to do this? Comparison will allow you to determine if your stop needs replacement or modification as suggested above.

 

[BBBBill]

Tolerances sometimes are off from the factory. Slide stops wear. Plastic followers definitely wear. Some 1911 mag manufacturers are now putting an embedded steel contact piece in the follower shelf to minimize/eliminate the issue. I would approach this by:
1. replacing the followers
2. welding and fitting the engagement arm of the slide stop
3. replacing the slide stop

 

[rcmodel]

The wear pattern on the orange follower in the third photo, and no wear pattern at all on the black follower in the first photo makes one wonder if part of the slide stop broke off??

I can't see that orange follower getting that slide stop impression on it with what is sticking off the slide stop now.

rc

 

[Drail]

The wiggle room in the magwell and the wiggle room inside the mag body equals - it don't work. That slide stop lug is ground considerably short than most 1911 followers. I could definitely see how it could miss some mag followers. Maybe someone could put a drop of weld on the lug and refit it.

 

[IdahoSkies]

would having a bit of weld on the end of the slide stop mess up feeding from the magazine to the chamber?

 

[Blue68f100]

Yes if too much. It can also cause premature slide lock too by the bullet pushing it up.

 

[4v50 Gary]

If too much of a dot is welded on, a file will remove it.

 

[Drail]

Remember how guys are always saying that there are no "drop in" parts? This is why. If you want 100% function you either fit everything precisely or sometimes you get lucky. Even with magazines.