Calling on my Springfield 1911 .45 Mil Spec friends re firing pin stop

[Danko]

Guys, I'm back already seeking additional facts and opinions on the Springfield 1911 .45 Mil Spec model. I settled on buying this model until I began wondering if the grip safety was functional or simply there for appearance sake. Then I wondered if the gun had a firing pin block/stop. The literature on the Springfield Armory site doesn't mention anything about either part. When I searched on google, I found the grip safety is functional like the 1911 A1, but the gun doesn't have a firing pin stop. Soon after I came across two different photos of cracked firing pin stops, one of which I saved to post here. So the gun doesn't have a firing pin stop, yet they're known to crack.

https://www.m14forum.com/threads/1911-cracked-firing-pin-stop.505172/

I think I now understand the possible if not probable problems of MIM parts.

I really can't afford to move up in price very much, but I will to avoid owning dangerous junk. I f*$^ing hate junky products of any kind. It may as well have been made in China!

Now I would respectfully ask for suggestions for a good 1911 .45 like the 1911 A1 around 800 dollars.

A smart guy once said, "nothing is easy. Apparently he knew what he was taking about!

Calling again on my 1911 .45 gun gurus!

[L-2]

-the Springfield-Armory 1911s don't have a firing pin safety.
-all 1911s will have a firing pin stop.

-sometimes a firing pin stop will fracture, but not all Springfield-Armory firing pin stops will fracture.

-https://wilsoncombat.com/accessories/parts-for-1911/1911-firing-pin-parts.html
Wilson-Combat firing pin stops are good for replacements and may require only a very little bit of fitting, if any.

-I generally don't recommend a 1911 to anyone, but if someone insists, I'd recommend Springfield-Armory due to its overall quality coupled with good aftermarket warranty and repair support.

All my 1911s, from $1000 to $3000 guns have needed gunsmithing or armorer work. Now, as I'm now my own armorer, I keep a spare firing pin stop as a spare part among many others. My Springfield-Armory is my lowest round count 1911 with ~9300 rounds and I've not yet broken a firing pin stop, although I've seen other folks who have broken theirs.

[Robinson]

Danko

The Mil-Spec is a very decent basic 1911 that with proper care will last a long time. If you intend to be a casual user who shoots the gun only occasionally, there's not much sense in worrying about parts breakage. If on the other hand you plan to run the gun hard and put a lot of rounds through it then you owe it to yourself to learn as much about the platform as you can as you start your journey. There are some repairs and parts replacements you can learn to do yourself, and at the very least you need to know how to keep the gun properly lubricated. Also learn the intervals for replacing the recoil spring and firing pin spring.

Beyond that, just have fun with it.

I carry a 1911 and shoot my guns regularly. Breaking a firing pin stop is about the furthest thing from my mind. If it does happen, it can be fixed.

[Joe in PNG]

Just shoot it and see what happens. Probably nothing in all honesty.

You have to shoot most guns lots and lots before things start to break. And if something breaks right away during the first couple hundred rounds, it's faulty and they need to fix it.

[Trooper224]

You've made a decision, stick with it. Stop over analyzing, because at this point you don't know what you don't know. You're starting to create problems that don't yet exist. You've made a solid choice. The next step is to buy the pistol. After that learning can occur.

[Danko]

Thank you Mr. Robinson! I thought that the stop may be a quick easy swap, but I don't yet have any gun tinkering experience. You're right, I have no intention of carrying it, or shooting it a lot or often. I plan to only shoot a box or two maybe once a month. My thinking is this, am I going to think about something breaking in my gun every time I shoot it. I want to enjoy my shooting relatively care free. Would you suggest having a forged pin block on hand? That seems entirely practical. I guess it may even be wise to replace it before shooting it the first time. Can you suggest a manufacturer or two?

I began reading The M1911 Complete Owners Guide last night, written by Walt Kuleck, 290 pages. It seems to cover everything with good details. I already read the section on complete disassembly. I don't recall mention of a firing pin stop, as that section may only be about the original models. He may bring it up in a later chapter as the book was written in 2010, after the 1911 began to be souped up. I have a little start on my quest to learn about the gun, and will likely buy at least one other book about it.

[Joe in PNG]

The Firing Pin Stop (FPS) is an original bit of the classic 1911. It's the brilliantly designed flat bit with the hole on the back of the slide that holds the firing pin & extractor in place.
Heck, my 1962 Browning High Power has one, as it also has the older internal extractor.

As noted above, parts will either break right away- and that's where you contact the manufacturer; or they won't until well down the road.

If it's a range toy and not a carry gun, then just shoot it and see what happens. You're not going to shoot it enough to need to freak about replacing parts.

[Danko]

Trooper 224, thank you, that's very likely sound, solid advice. I'm kind of an analytical anal guy who likes to know all his things are in proper working order!

What do you think of buying a forged pin stop to have on hand? Can you suggest a manufacturer or two?

[Danko]

Thank you for chiming in, L-2! That's valuable information you provided. I've heard from three members who have shot the hell out this gun without it falling apart: You, Tots and Trooper 224. I think it's time to finally stop researching and dicking around. It's time to order the gun, learn new things and have new experiences.

Thank you all once again! anytime you help a senior citizen you gain some good karma!

[BillSWPA]

MIM is not necessarily bad. Poorly done MIM is bad, but so is poorly done anything else. Properly done MIM will work quite well.

If you shoot your gun enough, stuff will wear out and/or break. When it does, replace it with a machined part from any supplier with a good reputation. Wilson and Evolution Gun Works are good places to start.

[PNWTO]

MIM is not necessarily bad. Poorly done MIM is bad, but so is poorly done anything else. Properly done MIM will work quite well.

One of the weirdest moments I’ve had in the “gun space” was actually in my old employer’s (aerospace industry) break room. The young engineers, old-timer machinists, and assorted office nerds (younger me included) were BS’ing about gun stuff. Everyone was whinging about MIM parts in guns while they made their paychecks making MIM parts for military birds, commercial airliners, etc.

It’s never a MIM issue, it’s always a QA/QC issue and how motivated the folks on the floor are to verify their products.

[MattyD380]

I don't have a ton of trigger time with 1911s. But I've owned a few. And I've owned a gazillion other handguns over the past 12 years.

I think the Springfield Mil-Spec is a very nice gun. Regardless of price.

It has that intangible sense of quality you get when something feels well made--not in, like, a luxurious way... but in a functional way.

Yeah, it uses MIM. But so do HK USPs. And if it didn't, you and I couldn't afford it. Moreover, everything I've read seems to suggest that Springfield uses high-quality forgings for all the primary components--i.e., barrel. slide, frame. In all likelihood, the forgings still originate from IMBEL in Brazil. I think someone else mentioned Korea, as a potential source. But the machining is nicely done and the fit/finish is excellent. The barrel crown even glistens--like a tactical rainbow--in the right light.

I just can't stand that GI grip safety. As soon as I get a chance, it will be replaced.

[TOTS]

Thank you for chiming in, L-2! That's valuable information you provided. I've heard from three members who have shot the hell out this gun without it falling apart: You, Tots and Trooper 224. I think it's time to finally stop researching and dicking around. It's time to order the gun, learn new things and have new experiences.

Thank you all once again! anytime you help a senior citizen you gain some good karma!
I’m flattered to be included in the above company but folks like they and SW CQB 45 have shot more rounds in one of their 1911s than I have total! I bring him specifically up because he carries a (pair, I believe) Springfield 1911 as his duty weapon. Search his posts and you’ll get a bunch of info on higher mileage Springfield 1911s. I believe he even cracked a FP stop and spoke to replacing it. I don’t think he found it until a visual inspection so the gun still worked with the broken part.

Buy with confidence. I agree with all the above and would add that by the point you shoot out the FPS, you have spent more on ammo for it than the purchase price of the pistol itself. And if not, the manufacturer should take care of it for you. Springfield was once known as a leader in customer service.

[gato naranja]

One of the weirdest moments I’ve had in the “gun space” was actually in my old employer’s (aerospace industry) break room. The young engineers, old-timer machinists, and assorted office nerds (younger me included) were BS’ing about gun stuff. Everyone was whinging about MIM parts in guns while they made their paychecks making MIM parts for military birds, commercial airliners, etc.

It’s never a MIM issue, it’s always a QA/QC issue and how motivated the folks on the floor are to verify their products.

A family member experienced the same thing. One of the more logical participants made a pithy comment about the irony of not trusting the MIM in their firearms while not worrying about the MIM in the birds they were building.

One of my long-term acquaintences is a retired gent of many parts, among which was being the guy where the QC buck stopped. He was the person who finally got me to cease pursuing "bombproof" replacement parts without stopping to think about the wisdom of installing an "unbreakable" $20 component on something like a receiver... which ideally should fail AFTER the semi-disposable and easily replaced component does, rather than BEFORE. This was reinforced by an incident where a slide stop lever let go, and the pistol's owner was asked whether he would prefer to buy another slide stop and get on with life, or buy a new pistol because the receiver fractured or had been battered out of spec by a super-duper, unbreakable slide stop lever.

[RJ]

I did replace the FPS on my Garrison, only because I wanted to experiment with different radius of curvature as per JMB original and the mod that was put into the A1 to allow the slide to rack easier. I bought both a "normal" and "square bottom" FPS from Wilson Combat, and fiddled around with both. The original Springfield FPS was sloppy in the slide, and the extractor was not held very firmly in place. It did work, of course. I slid the Wilson parts in with no drama, or fitting at all. Both fit extremely snugly and firmly into the slot. At the moment I have the flat bottom one in the gun, but lightly polished (as in, with a felt wheel). (I bought the gun to fiddle with parts and have the 1911 experience).

But yeah bottom line the Springfield Mil Spec is a good choice and I'm sure based on the stories of their customer service, will take care of you if you have any issues with the MIM parts (or any other part, for that matter.)



* PS Thread drift, and I know next to nothing about 1911s, but if I was looking for an affordable GI-style model with tool steel internals, I'd go look at a Tisas Stakeout:

https://tisasusa.com/tisas-1911-stakeout-45/

Plus a beavertail grip safety, and that ring hammer is pretty cool. I mean, the Springfield is a solid choice, and I have one and all. But $479 msrp and a street price below that I'd guess, a Tisas it would be a solid option as well. I don't have any trigger time with a GI grip safety but they look awkward and subject to hammer bite, to me, but I dunno.

[Gary1911A1]

I know I'm going to muddy the waters, but look at the Ruger SR1911. I think it has a lot to offer. It's plunger tube is casted with the frame so it won't pull off locking your thumb safety in the on position and can be protected but a good set of grips that partly cover it. The frame is casted like the Caspian Frames out of Pine Tree and are as tough as nails. I have found the thumb and grip safeties to be well fitted in their price range with good triggers and great reliability.

[Trooper224]

Trooper 224, thank you, that's very likely sound, solid advice. I'm kind of an analytical anal guy who likes to know all his things are in proper working order!

What do you think of buying a forged pin stop to have on hand? Can you suggest a manufacturer or two?

Wilson Combat and Harrison Custom have traditionally been my main parts suppliers. EGW has also been making me happy of late.

You could have an endless amount of spare parts on hand and wind up never needing them, or something could break right away. You just never know. Personally, I've never broken a firing pin stop. I've never had an issue with a GI grip safety, although a beaver tail safety is superior. I have experienced a lot of hammer bite with some GI hammer/grip safety combos, but not all. There are many variations, even within "GI" parts.

Just get the gun, fire 500 to 1000 rounds through it, then make decisions.

[Danko]

Thank you all for your fine advice! I realize I'm creating problems before any problem has had a chance to manifest itself. Afterall, I don't yet even own the gun. Thinking things over last night I came to the realization I'm intimidated by the gun because I know next to nothing about handguns, and frankly, I'm also intimidated by the rather extensive gun knowledge many of you posses. I am however grateful you folks are kind enough to offer help. The obvious solution is buy the damn gun, enjoy learning how to shoot it, and if a part happens to fail, I'll deal with it then.

[SoCalDep]

I've put a decent amount of rounds through 1911s over the years, and I've owned more than a few.

The 1911 is not a firearm for the casual user. You might be lucky and get one that runs 100% out of the box. Those pistols exist and are more common than many 1911 haters would like to admit, but problems certainly arise more than the 1911 worshippers would ever admit. As has been mentioned above, I've had cheap 1911s run fine right out of the box and $3,000 custom guns that had to go back to the factory almost immediately. It is frustrating, but it's part of the world of 1911s that makes them so intriguing.

I might have missed it, but just for clarity, the firing pin stop (FPS) is, as was stated by many before, the retainer plate for the firing pin and firing pin spring, a positioning and retention plate for the extractor, and a "profile" that controls (to an extent) the amount of force required of the slide to push back against the hammer. This is part of the timing and proper function of the pistol. As a beginning 1911 shooter you don't need to understand all that... I figured I'd throw it in just to add some more detail to the topic.

The firing pin safety (also known as a firing pin block and some other names as well) is a set of parts in some 1911s such as the Sig, Para Ordnance, and Colt "Series 80" pistols, in which a mechanism physically blocks the forward motion of the firing pin until the trigger is pulled. I have 1911s with and without firing pin safeties. They weren't in the original design, but aren't all necessarily bad. I do prefer my 1911s to be more original and only have a couple with firing pin safeties.

I've cracked two firing pin stops. They were both on my highest round count 1911s with around 10,000 rounds through each and tons of dry fire. One (Springfield Range Officer Compact 9mm) was replaced through warranty because I wanted them to fit a spare extractor just in case. The other (Springfield/Springfield Custom TRP .45) was replaced with an EGW version by the department armorer/gunsmith. I like EGW and have heard very good about Wilson firing pin stops.

This is a good time to bring up that a cracked firing pin stop is not the same as a broken one. From what I've gathered, a cracked fps could potentially go thousands of rounds without actually breaking. That said, I'm not big on letting things that are "cracked" be ignored.

I've also broken a hammer strut (also on the TRP), which was well over 20,000 rounds at the time.

Two weeks ago I broke the extractor claw (forged part) on a Staccato. It's back at the factory now for fixing and a few little "upgrades".

I had a couple ambi-safeties start to fail to function correctly - the precurser to breakage. They were replaced with single-side safeties. For lefties who are going to be using an ambi a lot I recommend the EGW version with the sleeve around the pin section or the Wilson Combat bullet-proof version.

I've experienced hammer-follow several times. A couple times with new guns ($3K Springfield Professional and Les Baer Concept Something) but mostly after replacing parts (usually the trigger). Nothing in a 1911 is likely to be "drop in", and changing anything without knowing what to do, how to check for issues, and how to confirm proper function is simply dangerous.

I've seen a bunch of other issues with other's guns from broken grip safety arms, cracked barrels and lower barrel lugs, broken slide stop lobes, a cracked barrel bushing, and tons of different malfunctions caused by lack of maintenance, poor timing with improper springs and parts, and excessive wear due to poor fitting.

I've fired around 40,000 rounds through an individual M&P without cleaning or lube. You won't get that performance out of a 1911. With lack of maintenance you can get the common functional issues such as sluggish slide reciprocation and failures to feed and eject, failures to extract due to dirty or pitted chambers or buildup in the extractor channel, and other things such as buildup internally that prevents the disconnector from resetting the action. I've had that happen twice on high round count 1911s. It requires a detail disassembly and cleaning and the pistol is right up and functioning again.

All this to say don't buy a 1911 and think you're going to get the same performance as an M&P or Glock without a substantial investment in maintenance, time, and education in the platform.

I still love the 1911. I love the innumerable ways one can replace parts to change function, looks, and feel. It's art to me. Beauty in violence. Add to that the history from development to patenting and adoption in 1911, use in WWI and WWII, Vietnam, Korea, and by special forces such as Marine Expeditionary Units - the MEU(SOC) pistols, USMC Force Recon and evolved units, Army Delta, FBI HRT and SWAT, LAPD SWAT, Long Beach PD, and cops from the end of the wild west through gangster times (Super .38 is the "Original Gangster" - or "anti Gangster" round), and even in to the modern era with 2011s and such.

I don't really shoot 1911s any better than polymer guns, but I like them better. That enthusiasm leads me to want to shoot more... practice more, and makes me better. I'll take that.

As for your Mil-Spec purchase, I think it's a great intruductory 1911. There are certainly other options in similar or even a bit lower price range or if you want the features you could spend just a bit more for a Springfield Garrison. I'm a really big fan of Springfield guns, so I don't think you'll go wrong with the Mil-Spec, but if you want something more WWII authentic I'd look at the Tisas, or if you want more features in a budget gun you could check out the Ruger or Springfield Garrison - even some of the other Tisas offerings. I have a MAC JSOC (Tisas) that has been a great gun for the price and I carry it often.

Discuss mil-spec and what one must, should, could, and have done to them as main guns or base guns.

[Shorikid]

MIM is not necessarily bad. Poorly done MIM is bad, but so is poorly done anything else. Properly done MIM will work quite well.

If you shoot your gun enough, stuff will wear out and/or break. When it does, replace it with a machined part from any supplier with a good reputation. Wilson and Evolution Gun Works are good places to start.Everyone love Glocks for reliability, and they have MIM parts as well.

I started with a Springfield Mil-Spec over 20 years ago. After thousands of rounds I replaced the fps. No because it cracked, but because it was part of learning to smith the gun and I was fitting the fps to the new extractor.

There is a thread here on 1911 operation. Might be worth a read. Yes, some of us a fixing pistols and tinkering, but it is loaded with experience and knowledge.

Sent from my SM-A536U1 using Tapatalk

[Danko]

SoCalDep, thank you for taking so much time to write a lengthy and detailed post with many good facts and opinions. This is the type of information I desperately need. I'm trying to know it all in a couple of months, which is a ridiculous idea. The fact is, I'm already much further ahead than I was last month. My knowledge and experience on and with the 1911 will slowly grow just as it has with everything else I have knowledge on and experience with!

[SW CQB 45]

here is my hard used MCOP.

The photo is from 6 years ago and it was pointed out to me by a forum member viewing this image. I had not a clue it was cracked (see around 7-8 oclock on the FP stop)

My gun was peppered by SACS in 2009 and tool steel action and the WC BP FP stop was installed.

I dont have a clue when it broke. It might have broke close to the photo time frame (2018ish)

on an interesting note, the machined area on the slide underneath the firing pin stop does have a step in the flat surface.

I currently dont have my MCOP (Its enroute to me... hopefully in my hands tomorrow), but I recall the machined step is in relation to the crack.

I also read an article (I would have to search for it) where the hammer does not smack the firing pin stop squarely.

I replaced my cracked FP Stop (if memory serves me correctly) with an EGW squared edge.

https://i.imgur.com/KruwHQRh.jpg

[Danko]

Back again!

[KevH]

...are you trying to bump this thread? I'm confused why there are a bunch of basically blank posts.

All 1911s and 2011's have a firing pin stop. It's what holds the firing pin in place. Look at a parts diagram. It's the part you see when you look at the back of the firing pin in the middle of the rear of the slide. The firing pin stop on a 1911 is considered by most to be a wear item. It get's hit on both sides of the firing pin hole. One side gets smacked by the hammer and the other gets the firing pin smacked into it by the firing pin spring. It also gets vibrated by the extractor depending on the tolerance. That's a lot of abuse for one little part to take. They're all going to develop a crack eventually if the gun is shot enough, but the reality is that 95% of people don't shoot a 1911 enough to crack them.

The reason most people replace them early with an EGW or similar is typically either:
a) They want a super tight fit to hold the extractor in place so it has more tension on the side it should
b) They want a reduce radius to slow the slide down a smidge so they can run a lighter recoil spring
c) They're milling the slide for BoMar, Novak, Heinie, or similar sights and they want a shorter one and don't feel like cutting the factory one and know they'll probably get the benefit of a and b

One very very competent well known smith I knew just used the factory ones and thought a and b were dumb and c was for lazy smiths, but he was all about running the heaviest recoil spring possible. Of the dozens of 1911's I've owned I've had plenty of both types and I can't tell you I see much of a difference. I have one gun setup to shoot really light 185gr SWC loads and it has a Chuck Warner FPS with very little radius and a heavier hammer spring which allows me to run a light recoil spring to have it cycle reliably (the softest shooting 45 ACP I've ever shot).

The Springfield Mil-Spec, like it's name implies, is basically at its core a commercial variation of a late GI-spec 1911A1 with slanted serrations like they AMU slides had and taller 3 dot sights. It's a good base 1911 to play around with. Don't go changing a bunch of parts (definitely don't change any yourself since you don't know what you are doing or how the pistol works yet). When you ask, "What 1911 should I buy? you are basically asking, "What car should I buy?" Everyone has an opinion and they all have their pluses and minuses. For an entry level gun in 2024 the Turkish Tisas guns are actually pretty decent. My advice would be to skip the Mil Spec and buy a Garrison or Ronin if you are getting a Springfield. It will be a much more pleasant gun to shoot.

The grip safety on a 1911 works by blocking the back of the trigger bow. It isn't there for looks. They all have them and unless the guns been messed with they are all functional. The thumb safety block the sear and holds the grip safety in place (and does a couple other things).

I saw on another post you talking about GunBlue490 on YouTube. He seems like a nice guy and reminds me of my now deceased uncle so I find him pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, a lot of what he says is dead wrong. Hilton Yam and Dean Caputo are a couple of the only folks that have decent 1911 video content out there.

The 1911 has been around for 113 years which means there is a 113 years of nonsense and bad info floating around out there. Be careful what you listen to.

[Danko]

...are you trying to bump this thread? I'm confused why there are a bunch of basically blank posts.

All 1911s and 2011's have a firing pin stop. It's what holds the firing pin in place. Look at a parts diagram. It's the part you see when you look at the back of the firing pin in the middle of the rear of the slide. The firing pin stop on a 1911 is considered by most to be a wear item. It get's hit on both sides of the firing pin hole. One side gets smacked by the hammer and the other gets the firing pin smacked into it by the firing pin spring. It also gets vibrated by the extractor depending on the tolerance. That's a lot of abuse for one little part to take. They're all going to develop a crack eventually if the gun is shot enough, but the reality is that 95% of people don't shoot a 1911 enough to crack them.

The reason most people replace them early with an EGW or similar is typically either:
a) They want a super tight fit to hold the extractor in place so it has more tension on the side it should
b) They want a reduce radius to slow the slide down a smidge so they can run a lighter recoil spring
c) They're milling the slide for BoMar, Novak, Heinie, or similar sights and they want a shorter one and don't feel like cutting the factory one and know they'll probably get the benefit of a and b

One very very competent well known smith I knew just used the factory ones and thought a and b were dumb and c was for lazy smiths, but he was all about running the heaviest recoil spring possible. Of the dozens of 1911's I've owned I've had plenty of both types and I can't tell you I see much of a difference. I have one gun setup to shoot really light 185gr SWC loads and it has a Chuck Warner FPS with very little radius and a heavier hammer spring which allows me to run a light recoil spring to have it cycle reliably (the softest shooting 45 ACP I've ever shot).

The Springfield Mil-Spec, like it's name implies, is basically at its core a commercial variation of a late GI-spec 1911A1 with slanted serrations like they AMU slides had and taller 3 dot sights. It's a good base 1911 to play around with. Don't go changing a bunch of parts (definitely don't change any yourself since you don't know what you are doing or how the pistol works yet). When you ask, "What 1911 should I buy? you are basically asking, "What car should I buy?" Everyone has an opinion and they all have their pluses and minuses. For an entry level gun in 2024 the Turkish Tisas guns are actually pretty decent. My advice would be to skip the Mil Spec and buy a Garrison or Ronin if you are getting a Springfield. It will be a much more pleasant gun to shoot.

The grip safety on a 1911 works by blocking the back of the trigger bow. It isn't there for looks. They all have them and unless the guns been messed with they are all functional. The thumb safety block the sear and holds the grip safety in place (and does a couple other things).

I saw on another post you talking about GunBlue490 on YouTube. He seems like a nice guy and reminds me of my now deceased uncle so I find him pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, a lot of what he says is dead wrong. Hilton Yam and Dean Caputo are a couple of the only folks that have decent 1911 video content out there.

The 1911 has been around for 113 years which means there is a 113 years of nonsense and bad info floating around out there. Be careful what you listen to.

[Danko]

KevH, thank you for your input. I'm slowly gaining knowledge on the 1911. I certainly can't speak to the accuracy of claims made by GunBlue490. I was simply happy to view his 1911 videos where he disassembles and reassembles the gun. They're virtually the same as seeing someone do it live in front of me. I've been doing a lot of reading on the gun, but viewing diagrams and photos are no where near as informative and instructive as seeing someone doing it while describing what they're doing. I found his videos very helpful in filling in some gaps in my knowledge base.

I'm not interested in rifles or shotguns as I don't hunt, despite living in Michigan where wildlife is everywhere. I assume much of what BunBlue490 says is accurate because he's an older guy with credentials and addresses virtually every firearm topic. However, he has a video where he repeatedly slams the slide shut on an empty chamber of his Ruger 1911, stating it will not harm the action. He said earlier guys in the military were required to do this as part of inspections. I have no idea if that's true, but I'm never going to slam the slide closed on an empty chamber on any of my guns!