The Art and Science of Keeping Your 1911 Running

[03RN]

Okay, bare with me on this. I could show you in five minutes, telling someone on the internet may not work as well.

A slide stop pin diameter of .200 is spec and should help provide contact with the lower barrel lugs. That even contact gives repeatable lock up for better accuracy and more consistent feeding. Many pistols are standing on the link, using it for support instead of the lower lugs.

Easy test is to see if you have contact, remove the barrel, mark up the lower lugs. Reassemble and handle cycle the pistol 15-20 times. Remove the barrel and check for contact. Look for uneven contact, or no contact. No contact, too long a link. You can either go to a shorter link, or larger diameter ss pin. If you shorten the link, measure your upper lug engagement. Between .040 and .050 is ideal. Uneven contact is a barrel fitting issue, and requires work on the barrel to address.

Measure the slide stop pin to check the diameter and see what you have. A pin gauge can show you the max your frame will accept.

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What's the difference between standing on the pin and providing support vs the lower legs?

[bofe954]

What's the difference between standing on the pin and providing support vs the lower legs?

My limited understanding is that:

1. It isn't as secure in stopping the barrel from rotating (from the torque caused by the bullet engaging the rifleing)
2. It changes the timing of locking and unlocking the gun, moves the barrel more during locking and unlocking that can cause feed issues. Just imaging an absurd long link and how much the barrel would move vertically. It can be enough to cause feed issues.
3. All of the movement can cause the holes in the link/barrel to get wallowed out and make all of the above worse with time.

[Shorikid]

What's the difference between standing on the pin and providing support vs the lower legs?

Standing on the link, the link itself is what holds the barrel up into battery. The link passes top center slightly, so upper lug engagement isn't maximised and lock up is inconsistent. That leads to suboptimal accuracy and reliability. There is wiggle and play there that you don't need or want.

If the lower lugs/barrel feet are riding/resting on the SS pin, the lock up is consistent, repeatable, and accuracy is improved.

The SS pin with has the barrel link riding on it to provide lock up, or the barrel legs/lower lugs. One is consistent, repeatable, and can be well controlled. The other, while it can work is not optimal.

You can set up a 1911 to work riding the link. And before aftermarket barrels with oversized dimensions riding the link was a way to fix barrel lock up. We don't have to do that anymore.

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[Shorikid]

My limited understanding is that:

1. It isn't as secure in stopping the barrel from rotating (from the torque caused by the bullet engaging the rifleing)
2. It changes the timing of locking and unlocking the gun, moves the barrel more during locking and unlocking that can cause feed issues. Just imaging an absurd long link and how much the barrel would move vertically. It can be enough to cause feed issues.
3. All of the movement can cause the holes in the link/barrel to get wallowed out and make all of the above worse with time.

All of those are issues riding the link can cause. For me, repeatable lock up for accuracy and feeding consistency are issues. Link wear can cause all sorts of reliability issues.

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[Eyesquared]

One thing to look at is that the slide stop pin hole in the link should be below the flat of the barrel legs when the link is positioned as if the gun is in battery. If the link hole is proud of the legs it will make it impossible for the barrel leg flats to contact the slide stop. The other issue is with slide to frame fit. People like to say that slide to frame fit doesn't matter as much as barrel to slide fit, but if you have significant up and down play in the slide to frame fit, you can think through how that would affect the relationship between the barrel legs and slide stop pin.

[Trukinjp13]

Ditto this question.

I have 2011 project I'm going to work up soon and want to try the Nighthawk drop-in with.

Well I ordered one up. I may need to throw a new grip safety in as well, but we shall see.


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[awp_101]

Well I ordered one up. I may need to throw a new grip safety in as well, but we shall see.


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Thanks for taking one for the team!

[SW CQB 45]

my issued 2005 MCOP had a .196" factory slide stop pin.

I purchased a hardly used .200" EGW slide stop.

It dropped in (except I had to fit the tombstone for proper engagement on the slide stop notch). I have not shot it enough to notice any difference.

I have been having extractor fit issues where I have brass contact.

Many say the WCBP extractor I put on is too long. Something out of spec or tolerance stacking.

I have not returned it to duty use. I ordered an EGW extractor (which are shorter) through an approved vendor, but it's been back ordered for a while.

I was supposed to put some serious rounds through it last week, but work got in the way. HA!

[awp_101]

I’m just going to leave this here.

3D printed .22lr 1911 (with printed slide)

Printer jam jokes inbound in 3…2…1…

[NPV]

my issued 2005 MCOP had a .196" factory slide stop pin.

I purchased a hardly used .200" EGW slide stop.

It dropped in (except I had to fit the tombstone for proper engagement on the slide stop notch). I have not shot it enough to notice any difference.

I have been having extractor fit issues where I have brass contact.

Many say the WCBP extractor I put on is too long. Something out of spec or tolerance stacking.

I have not returned it to duty use. I ordered an EGW extractor (which are shorter) through an approved vendor, but it's been back ordered for a while.

I was supposed to put some serious rounds through it last week, but work got in the way. HA!

Had a similar issue with my old Baer and a Wilson extractor. The EGW should cure it but be ready to spend some considerable time fitting it, every dimension is oversized and will need to be addressed.