P-89 Frame wear ???

[2Late45]

My P89-DC has been getting progressively harder to remove the slide for cleaning after a range session. Due to my current love affair with .45's this pistol only sees 1 > 200 rounds per year, for the past 4-5 years. I'd estimate around 20k total since purchased new in 92.

Tonight I had to use a soft mallet to tap the slide off. What I found was a buldge or peening of the channel that the recoil spring guide rod rests against. This in turn was causing the barrel lug,(in the link area), to drag and eventually bind.

Is this normal wear for this low of a round count ? I didn't think my normal loading of 4 > 4.5grs of Bullseye under 115 jhp to be overly hot.

Maybe I should've replaced the recoil spring more often,(twice), but in hind site; I'm thinking a fresher spring would put even more pressure on the guide rod stop/channel area. Thanks for any replies.

 

[roylt]

I'm not a gunsmith but like to think I know my way around the P-guns. Please post a picture of what you are describing so I can compare to my gun.

Thanks,

 

[2Late45]

I have no claim to photography, the slight bulge is where the head of the spring guide rod stops on the frame.

I used a small file to remove the peening and the barrel lug slides freely through the channel, but I'm concerned about future damage.

The first photo shows the small ear where the round head of the guide rod stops when assembled.

The second photo shows the guide rod in place,(but with slide removed).
If you can imagine while looking at the second photo, the peening would have covered a few thousanths more area on bothe sides of the guide rod head.

 

[roylt]

I don't see anything that jumps out at me as wrong or broken. This gun has the old style link and it can pivot pretty easy. How do you take the slide off? Meaning when you pull the slide stop over do you keep the end of the barrel pointing up? If the barrel is pointed down maybe the barrel lug pivots forward and binds on the frame slightly? This is only theory though.

I tried to put a newer style lug in a old style frame and the lug bound up as I mentioned above that is what is leading me to suggest this.

Maybe there is someone else that has an idea?

Good luck and let us know if you figure anything out.

 

[2Late45]

Thanks for your interest. Normally I hold the pistol level and remove the slide. As I stated earlier, after removing the peened surface the slide removes easily.