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  1. #1
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    Default 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    Taurus 1911B, 2007 build date says Taurus' website.

    Problem: When the slide is locked back and I sling shot the slide with a full magazine the slide stop drops approximately half way, preventing the slide from picking up the new round and going into battery.

    If I thumb the slide stop down the slide goes forward and the gun goes into battery.

    I tried both of my Taurus magazines, both resulted in the same problem. It worked with both magazines all previous & last time I was at the range, the only difference is that it was a different day, and I cleaned the gun in the interim. Maybe this is my fault??

    I also dried pulling the slide back with no magazine in it, and there was no positive force pulling the slide stop down and out of the way, I have to thumb it down.

    What should I look for to figure this out?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    It worked with both magazines all previous & last time I was at the range, the only difference is that it was a different day, and I cleaned the gun in the interim. Maybe this is my fault??
    If it worked fine the last time you used it, take it apart and see if anything looks out of place.
    While it's apart check that tube thing (sorry don't know the proper name) just above the grip on the left side that's between the slide stop & safety, this has detents and a spring in it to lock both the stop & safety in place. Also make sure this tube isn't loose, sometimes they aren't installed properly or come loose over time if used a lot.
    If everything seems ok reassemble and try it again.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    Quote Originally Posted by Coils View Post
    If it worked fine the last time you used it, take it apart and see if anything looks out of place.
    While it's apart check that tube thing (sorry don't know the proper name) just above the grip on the left side that's between the slide stop & safety, this has detents and a spring in it to lock both the stop & safety in place. Also make sure this tube isn't loose, sometimes they aren't installed properly or come loose over time if used a lot.
    If everything seems ok reassemble and try it again.
    I examined the tube. It's still good and solid.

    But it got me to thinking, could the single sided safety that I had installed due to the ambi safety separating not be providing sufficient pressure on the plungers and springs in the tube so that it is not enough to force the slide stop down?

  4. #4
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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    Moot:

    I am not familiar with the exact geometry of the Taurus but I do work on 1911's. The slide stop should be pushed down by the slide as the notch travels rearward past the slide stop lever. If you move the slide slowly from the locked position to the rear, you should see the slide stop being pushed downward by the body of the slide. If the slide goes far enough rearward and it shoves the slide stop down far enough then when the slide starts forward the notch should clear the stop. If not, was there any movement in the slide stop lever back up toward the locked position. This should work the same whether the loaded magazine is present or not. It may be that you are not pulling the slide back far enough to drop the slide stop out of the way.

    Just study the action while moving it slowly and you may be able to determine the cause. Removing the recoil spring may help perform this action.

    Bob

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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    But it got me to thinking, could the single sided safety that I had installed due to the ambi safety separating not be providing sufficient pressure on the plungers and springs in the tube so that it is not enough to force the slide stop down?
    Did you do the safety thing just before it starting giving you trouble? If this is the case then that would be the first area I'd look.

    Bob W
    I am not familiar with the exact geometry of the Taurus
    I think it's a basic copy of a 1911.
    And good point about not pulling the slide back enough.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob_W View Post
    Moot:

    I am not familiar with the exact geometry of the Taurus but I do work on 1911's. The slide stop should be pushed down by the slide as the notch travels rearward past the slide stop lever. If you move the slide slowly from the locked position to the rear, you should see the slide stop being pushed downward by the body of the slide. If the slide goes far enough rearward and it shoves the slide stop down far enough then when the slide starts forward the notch should clear the stop. If not, was there any movement in the slide stop lever back up toward the locked position. This should work the same whether the loaded magazine is present or not. It may be that you are not pulling the slide back far enough to drop the slide stop out of the way.

    Just study the action while moving it slowly and you may be able to determine the cause. Removing the recoil spring may help perform this action.

    Bob

    Bob, thanks for the explanation. It got me thinking and the problem solved.

    I had installed some Wilson "Shok-Buff" plastic buffers, and they were preventing the slide from moving far enough back to force the slide stop completely down. I removed the little blue shok-buff, and the problem was solved.

    This time, it wasn't taurus' fault.
    The ambi safety breaking was taurus' fault (I had an ?ed brown? unit installed), as was the poorly peened full length guide rod which unscrewed and the threads were smashed and stripped (my buddy gave me his old kimber f.l.g.r.). For a while I thought it might be the crack in one of the magazines near the feed lips, but that couldn't have been the problem since the working mag didn't work either. At least she's never ftf/fte/ftf


    Do you think I should put the shok-buff in when I take it to the range for heavy use?


    .
    Last edited by Mootness; November 15th, 2009 at 11:28 PM.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    If the "shok-buff" causes reliability issues I'd leave it out. The original design of the platform never had a shock buffer.

    Sid

  8. #8
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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    Do you think I should put the shok-buff in when I take it to the range for heavy use?
    The original design of the platform never had a shock buffer.
    What he said, if a firearm was never designed with a buffer don't install one. They are snake oil

  9. #9
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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    Never add anything to your gun that detracts from the safety and functionality of your gun if it is to be used for personal self defense, a range gun maybe , a 1911 is like a AK or Glock ,best if left alone .

    Nyman

  10. #10
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    Default Re: 1911 slide stop partly dropping preventing chambering when slide pulled

    Quote Originally Posted by Mootness View Post

    I had installed some Wilson "Shok-Buff" plastic buffers, and they were preventing the slide from moving far enough back to force the slide stop completely down. I removed the little blue shok-buff, and the problem was solved.

    Do you think I should put the shok-buff in when I take it to the range for heavy use?

    My comments are not intended to be critical or meant to sound sharp, and in a word, no. Throw the buffers away.

    I've fired the 1911 since the mid-60s, and repaired the 1911A1 as a 2111 (Small Arms Repairman) in the USMC/USMCR in the 70s. In my opinion and experience, the farther away from what John Browning designed with the 1911, the more people ask for trouble. This extends to recoil buffers, full-length guide rods, "extra power" springs, titanium or skeletonized hammers, and all the rest of the aftermarket gadgets and gimmicks offered for the 1911.

    Now, to limit how broad my brush is, I would add that some accessories are worthwhile, like ambi safeties and adjustable triggers, and triggers of varying lengths to match the pull of a particular shooter's finger. Accessorization for either well-intended reasons, or simply for the sake of accessorization can and does lead to unintended consequences.

    There are tens of thousands of 1911s that provided many years of useful service life without a recoil buffer or a FLGR. The most reliably-shooting 1911A1s were the "loosest" guns, in many cases, and given that the 1911A1a in USMC inventory in the early 70s through their replacement by the Beretta M9 in the mid 80s were pretty much WELL used for 30 to 50 years or so. Many 1000s of rounds through these guns and all without buffers. There were many early 1911 frames I saw that had been converted to 1911A1 configuration, for example, still running into the early 80s. These loose and well-worn guns were like the "AK of the pistol world" -- The AK is assembled with intentional loose tolerances for improved functionality, and the old 1911A1s we had were much the same after years of use, repair, and rebuild.

    Tight guns and trick guns can be made to shoot, no question. There is simply less margin for error in those guns. Take for example the Springfield Micro Compacts, Kimber Ultra Carrys and Colt Defenders -- those guns are a fine balance of component mass and spring forces such that action timing takes place in a VERY narrow window. Change one variable, such as a recoil spring or a magazine spring and these guns can be thrown out of timing and start misfeeding. Similarly when springs age or when a gun is allowed to get dirty or run dry, the timing can be thrown off. And that's not mentioning the biggest factor in 1911 functionality, extractor tuning.

    The 5" Govt Model also has precise timing requirements, but is much more forgiving since there's more slide mass and a single recoil spring, etc. My two most reliably-functioning 1911s are a RIA 5" Govt Model and a Norinco "Model of the 1911A1" 5" Govt Model. And oddly, the $350 Philipine-made RIA rivals my Colt Gold Cup for accuracy. That's a different story.

    We firearms enthusiasts are bombarded by adverts for accessories for our toys. Always ask yourself -- what will this do for me, and do I really need it just because some gun writer say so, or this guy on the forum gave it a glowing review. An example: The front-loading EasyMag for the AR -- IMO a poor answer to a non-existant problem. Many accessories are worthwhile, but the majority of accessories exist to separate firearms enthusiasts from their money, and allow those accessory manufacturers to stay in business.

    When purchasing a new firearm, don't buy anything more than ammo before shooting the weapon, and shooting it A LOT.

    JMO, from a gray-bearded old Marine.

    Noah

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