Could a new slide lock cause a 1911 to shoot low?

[03RN]

Last night I put a wilson bullet proof slide lock in my loaded. No reason except I had it. Today at the range I was shooting about 8" low at 25 yards.

It could have been just a bad day but my loaded is my most carried, most shot, best shooting hand gun I own. I have shot my best 25 yard groups with it and it's my go to handgun that I've never really shot bad with.

Im going to put the original slide lock back in and retest later.

[Greg]

Take some dial calipers and measure the pin diameter of both slide stops.

Springfield has frequently used undersized pins vs. the blueprint spec of .200". I bet the Wilson part is shoving the rear of the barrel up a little higher into the slide's locking lugs.

8" sounds like a big difference but who knows.

You might want to save the Wilson parts for a properly fitted barrel.

[03RN]

Thanks, I should have stated that that was my theory as well... But it was. :o

I measured them and the wilson is a little fatter. I got it as a spare. At least I know the gun functions.

Any negatives, besides shooting low that I should be aware of from using this? It just lives in my range bag as a backup.

[M2CattleCo]

If the barrel is fit real close to the smaller one it'll be hard on the lower lugs but I doubt it was fit that way.

[Bucky]

Thanks, I should have stated that that was my theory as well... But it was. :o

I measured them and the wilson is a little fatter. I got it as a spare. At least I know the gun functions.

Any negatives, besides shooting low that I should be aware of from using this? It just lives in my range bag as a backup.

8” is a lot of difference. I’m not sure I’d rely on that as a backup.

ETA: It’s good you tried it. How many of us just throw a spare part in the range bag without trying it? I know I’m guilty of that.

[Boxy]

I have changed the barrel link size to increase lock up which dropped the point of impact down requiring front sight height change out.

Stands to reason that the same pushing up on the barrel link with a slightly larger slide lock could create the same affect.

It would be interesting to get a micrometer and measure each of the respective slide locks to compare dimensions.

[Bucky]

I have changed the barrel link size to increase lock up which dropped the point of impact down requiring front sight height change out.

Stands to reason that the same pushing up on the barrel link with a slightly larger slide lock could create the same affect.

It would be interesting to get a micrometer and measure each of the respective slide locks to compare dimensions.

The barrel link should not be what is used to lock up the barrel to the slide (though admittedly, there are probably a lot of 1911s set up this way).

[03RN]

8” is a lot of difference. I’m not sure I’d rely on that as a backup.

ETA: It’s good you tried it. How many of us just throw a spare part in the range bag without trying it? I know I’m guilty of that.

8" is a huge difference with a squirrel gun at 25 yards. With a handgun it's noticable but not a huge deal if I'm aware of it. I'll need to do some testing with both during the same range session to make sure I just wasn't having an off day. At 25 feet it was nearly poa=poi and shots were staying on an index card no problem with now Kentucky windage.

I typically replace small parts with better parts and keep the stock parts as spares. This will at least let me finish a range session or competition.

[Boxy]

The barrel link should not be what is used to lock up the barrel to the slide (though admittedly, there are probably a lot of 1911s set up this way).

This is what is done at Cylinder & Slide 1911 smithing class to increase lockup just a little bit.

[willie]

I think that a sudden 8 inch change at 25 yards is a most significant event. My unqualified opinion is that the slide lock would bind and tie up the pistol before it could cause this much change. Note I said unqualified opinion. Anyway, I look forward to learning the cause.

When military armorers were maintaining 1911's, their task was made simple because parts bins contained parts made to the same specs. Likewise, the pistols were made to similar specs. Tolerance variation was known. Today, none of this is true concerning parts or the guns. Likewise, many do their own thing when working on 1911's.

[Jim Watson]

8" seems like an awful lot to blame on the slide stop.
Where does it shoot with the factory part?

[1986s4]

Take some dial calipers and measure the pin diameter of both slide stops.

Springfield has frequently used undersized pins vs. the blueprint spec of .200". I bet the Wilson part is shoving the rear of the barrel up a little higher into the slide's locking lugs.

8" sounds like a big difference but who knows.

You might want to save the Wilson parts for a properly fitted barrel.

I'm no 1911 armorer but I agree with this assessment. I shoot my pistol at longer ranges, 25, 35 and today it was 42 because I was sighting in my A1 carbine. Low by 8" is an awful lot to me and in my mind would render the spare almost unusable without some modification to the pistol. New front sight, new link or something would seem reasonable.

[TiroFijo]

8" POI movement at 25 yds seems a bit extreme due to a new slide stop...

Not saying that the slide stop change is not guilty of POI change, just that probably the movement due to it was smaller.

[03RN]

8" seems like an awful lot to blame on the slide stop.
Where does it shoot with the factory part?

Poa/poi at 25 yards
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