slide stop/release stiff

[wayned]

I have a new SR1911 with a slide release that when the pistol is empty is VERY stiff. That's when the slide is fully open. If I slowly push it down a "click" can be heard 1/2 way down. I took the lever out and both the lever and slide appear to have rough spots. I called Ruger and they said that's normal and wouldn't help solve the stiff lever. I asked to buy a new lever and I would buff it, install it and see if that made a difference. They refused to sell me one because I would be "altering" the part. Has anyone else run into this problem?

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

Re-call, give no detail on your "plan" and ask for a replacement part, offering to return the part you remove..........Sounds like you have a part that is not finished correctly in the first place.........

 

[loaded round]

I also ran into this when I bought my new SR1911 two years ago. When I locked back my slide with a magazine inserted, I could not release the slide unless I used both hands, no problem releasing the slide w/o a magazine however. I called Ruger and they shipped me two new mags and had me return the originals back to them (love Ruger's honor system). The replacements weren't any better and placed another call to Ruger. This time I called with one of their technical people who explained to me that this ''lever'' is a slide lock and not a release. However it did release the slide with a loaded magazine w/o difficulty. I just bought a SR1911CDR-LWT in 1/15 and it operates exactly the same way. Wish JMB was still around to explain this to me.

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

YES........... I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU NOTE. WENT THROUGH THE SAME SCENARIO ON TWO RUGER 1911 GUNS. MY THEORY FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH IS THAT THIS SITUATION IS BUILT INTO THE GUN SO AS TO ELIMINATE TO RUGER'S ABILITY, THE SLAMMING OF THE SLIDE AGAINST AN EMPTY CHAMBER. SAME THING OCCURRED YEARS AGO WITH ONE OF THE THEN NEW S&W 1911 45'S I PURCHASED. 8)

 

[loaded round]

FYI, I also just bought a Kimber Eclipse II Target 45 ACP and the slide release operates exactly the same way.

 

[wayned]

Well I guess some lawyers got their two cents worth into that design. I'm wondering if buffing the "slide stop" would help?

 

[loaded round]

Buy a aftermarket slide release and try it. They're cheap enough.

 

[DGW1949]

Uh guys.....
There aint nothing wrong with yall's guns, or your release lever.
Your problem is that if the mag is empty, you're asking the slide release to depress the mag follower in addition to releasing the slide. In simple terms, it weren't designed to do that.
Yeah, you can make it do it, but as you've noted....it takes a lot of force....which should have been a clue that you're doing something wrong.

Drop the empty mag and try the slide release again....works better, eh?

Your welcome.

DGW

 

[Pat-inCO]

Let me see if I understand.
Someone can not just smooth out a part? :shock:

 

[DGW1949]

Let me see if I understand.
Someone can not just smooth out a part? :shock:

Sure you can....so go ahead and polish it to your heart's content....but in the end, you'll still be asking the lever to overcome the additional resistance of depressing the spring-loaded mag follower, which BTW, will become "side loaded" and drag (even more) inside the body of the magazine because it is being pished downward from it's edge.
In other words, the mag follower is designed to utilize spring pressure to push the lever UP. The lever aint designed to push the follower DOWN against the pressure. As a matter of fact, I'd say that if one was to persist in trying to overcome the physics involved with being hard headed about it long enough, he could eventualy cause the little, somewhat thin "ear" on the follower to become tweaked enough that it won't be able to do it's (real) job any longer.

But hey, what do I know?....I'm just a dumb ole counrty boy. :lol: .

DGW

 

[wayned]

Well Hawkeye, it just seems odd that for many years every 1911 I've come across I could release using that lever. Ruger has the same answer as you do and that's fine. I'll just have to re-learn what I thought I knew.

 

[loaded round]

Could it be that possibly Ruger is using much stronger magazine springs. I have 3 Colt 1911 of various models and 2 Delta Elites in 10MM and the slide release will drop the slide with an empty mag in place. I will try Colt mags in my SR1911 as an experiment.

 

[wayned]

Hunter, after market mags do seem to work better. I tried a ProMag mag and it worked. It has a solid follower. Still was stiff but everything is new, and I've never owned a brand new 1911 before.

 

[loaded round]

FYI, my Colt mags work in my two Rugers. They will allow the slide to release with an empty mag inserted.

 

[wayned]

I was thinking that it may be because the followers are "springy" and tend to cant sideways a bit. My ProMag one is a solid follower and does tend to work better.

 

[dlidster]

Well Hawkeye, it just seems odd that for many years every 1911 I've come across I could release using that lever. Ruger has the same answer as you do and that's fine. I'll just have to re-learn what I thought I knew.

Interesting. Most of the 1911s I've come across are difficult to impossible to release the slide with the lever if an empty magazine in place. Same with CZs and Ruger LC9 and SR22. It's a little easier on Beretta 92s because the lever is longer.

What most seem to ignore is the name of the part is Slide Stop, not Slide Release. In the SR1911 parts list it's part number FF03700. All references to it in throughout the manual refer to it as a Slide Stop.

On page 15 of the SR1911 manual the instructions to release the slide are as follows:
"Hold the pistol firmly in the shooting hand but do not touch the trigger. Keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction. With the thumb and forefinger of the other hand grasp the rear of the slide and pull the slide to the rear as far as it will go (see Figure 7, below and “Slide Retraction Warning”, p. 16). When released, the slide will fly forward to strip the top cartridge from the magazine and chamber it."

Similarly, on page 14 of the SR22 manual the instructions to release the slide are as follows:
"With the thumb and forefinger of the other hand grasp the rear of the slide and pull the slide to the rear as far as it will go (see Figure 4, below and “Slide Retraction Warning,” p. 15). When released, the slide will fly forward to strip the top cartridge from the magazine and chamber it."

Th exact same instructions are on page 17 of the LC9 manual.

I participate in USPSA and IDPA matches every week during warmer weather. Of the 30 to 40 skilled participants at each match, I'd say all of them "sling shot" the slide closed.

 

[Precision32]

I have not checked out the blueprints enough but I'll bet you will find that the angles between the slide and slide stop are positive, i.e. tend to lock the slide stop in place so the slide will not "push off" the slide stop.

 

[cas6969]

How's it work with no mag and the slide off the gun? Assuming the hole and stop are in spec... I suppose the stop could be "wrong" and rubbing the frame, or something could be funky with the detent.

Different mags and follower types are probably more tha blame than anything. None of my 1911's feel the same in terms of the slide stop. But every gun is a law unto itself.

The frame and the stop will wear together soon enough, what you'd be gaining by polishing it wouldn't be worth the effort IMO.

 

[SweetWilliam]

This has been discussed on here before. It is the mag.
My 3 Colt 8rd mags have a lighter spring then my 2 Ruger 7rd. mags.

 

[loaded round]

Just said that on the previous page.

 

[SweetWilliam]

Thanks for pointing that out. I felt it needed to be on page 2 also.
No I just didn't see it.

 

[dakota1911]

Releasing the slide with an empty mag is going to be hard on a LOT of 1911s. Playing with different mags and the slide stop will bring you to happiness.

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

Just may be why there are so many 1911's here in the NNW.......... 8)

 

[wayned]

I'm just gonna get used to dropping the mag before the slide.

 

[dlidster]

I'm just gonna get used to dropping the mag before the slide.

You'll find it becomes reflexive in no time.

 

[1911Tuner]

DGW explained it...twice.

When the magazine is empty, the spring is pushing up on the stop. That's why it's hard when the magazine is empty and easy when it's loaded or when the magazine isn't locked into the gun.

And the notion that it's not a slide release is ludicrous. Why does it protrude from the side of the frame AND have serrations or checkering if it's not meant to be used to release the slide?

Actually...not counting takedown...the slidestop has five functions.

It's a slidestop that keeps the slide from flying off the frame when it runs forward.

It's a slide lock that holds the slide open when the magazine is empty.

It's a slide release used to chamber a round after a fresh magazine is inserted.

It's a camming surface that lifts the barrel into the slide

It's an anchor for the link to pull the barrel back out of the slide when the slide recoils.

 

[zippo9]

DGW:
I was wondering the same thing. Understand your explanation and appreciate it. Now I have to find something else to worry about.
Thanks

 

[wayned]

maybe mine will smooth out after some extensive use. I don't shoot THAT much to smooth it out in short order. All the 1911's I've owned before were used, so they may have been "broken in".

 

[sliclee]

Observe-observe carefully the distance the slide travels forward to chamber a new round and strength of it while using the slide lock, observe the distance and strength of the slide lock chambering a round when pulling the slide all the way to the rear and letting go. Maybe not strong enough to fully seat a new round in chamber using slide lock.