Para 1911 Slide Locks before Mag is empty??

[g3man]

This is a Para Ordnance 1911 style 45 with a compensated barrel. Some times when fired the slide locks back like the mag is empty. I have tried several other mags. One thing I noticed is that when the slide is locked back that you must release the slide stop to release the slide unlike my Colt 1991 A1 that you can also achive the release by simply pulling the slide back slightly. Has any one else experienced this problem with Para or any other 1911 pistols? Do your 1911s release when you pull the slide back? Thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

[printcraft]

Does your slide stop move freely?
Are you possible pushing up on it with your thumb under recoil?

 

[g3man]

It does move freely. It doesnt feel like my thumb comes in contact. Maybe ill try a bench. I have probably shot a dozen different 1911's over the years and have never had an occurance like this.

 

[OD*]

Try cycling it by hand and see if there is any copper (or lead, which ever you're using) residue on the slide lock's lug, it may be the bullet nose is pushing up on the slide lock.

 

[g3man]

I will check that. Also wanted to note that 4 different shooters of different experience levels and different physical build all had the same result.

 

[60Driver]

OD's suggestion sounds like the most logical problem, given your testing. I have seen this in a few 1911's.

Other possibility is that the slide stop is fitted too loose. Guessing the compensated barrel is aftermarket and slide stop may not have been fitted correctly, so it is popping up under recoil (not by being bumped by shooter's hand).

As for the gun not being able to "slingshot" (release by racking)....are you running a shock-buff in it? These reduce the ammount of slide travel available and will often cause this issue.

Not a smith so just my , good luck getting it running!

 

[Drail]

A couple of possibilities - the slide stop is being bumped up by a round in the mag or the slide stop is bouncing up because of its own inertia when the gun recoils. The only other possibility is a thumb is getting under it. If this gun has an "extended" slide stop it will cause this problem to show up in a gun that will not do it with a standard stop. The extra mass from the extended part will set the stop in motion under recoil. My money would be door No 1 - a bullet is bumping the stop's lug inside the magwell. Five minutes with a file will fix it. I am a retired smith and have seen this many times. In IPSC competition guns a popular modification is to cut the lug back to the point that the gun will NEVER lock back on empty. In a big match having the slide go to lock with rounds remaining can lose the match for you. On the street a premature lock back can get you killed. I never agreed with the lock open on empty concept. Just one more thing to go wrong. In competition you will quickly learn to NEVER shoot the gun dry. If you do you will lose.

 

[g3man]

I appreciate your insight on my problem. It is a standard slide stop so I am thinking that the ammo bumping it when cycling is sounding like a logical answer. Have you seen this problem with the Para line before? Any suggestions on accent parts for my totally stock 1991A1. Looking to do some matte stainless pieces, hammer , slide stop, trigger, barrel bushing. Anything you would tell me to stay away from?

 

[Drail]

It can happen with any brand. It's simply because of tolerance stacking and a one size fits all attitude prevalent in gun manufacturing today. Take your mag and load some of your rounds into it and blacken the bullet of the top round with a magic marker where it faces the slide stop. Insert it into the frame firmly a couple of times. Smack the bottom of the frame with your hand. Now look closely at that top round. If it hit the slide stop's lug you will see it where it rubbed the magic marker off. Just file back on the stop lug a little at a time until it no longer can reach the top round in the mag. Round off any sharp corners you may have created. As far as parts go with the name brands like Wilson, Brown, EGW, McCormick. Be aware that some parts (sear, hammer, trigger, grip safety, thumb safety) need to be fitted to your gun and will not drop in (even though lots of people so this), it's easy to end up with a gun that is not safe to carry, especially cocked and locked. The 1911 is a system and changing one part may affect the operation of several others. A hammer and a sear need to be fitted to each other for a reliable safe long lasting trigger pull and then the thumb safety needs to be fitted to that particular sear/hammer combo. On bbl. bushings your best bet is to look at EGW's parts, if you send them the exact I.D. of you slide and O.D. of your bbl. they can send you a bushing that will fit perfectly and will greatly improve the accuracy of the gun in most cases. EGW makes high quality parts.

 

[Kick]

All of that advise sounds pretty good to me but, before I went filing off the lug, I would try putting a very very slight detent on the slide stop where it meets the end of the plunger tube. AND when I say slight, I mean slight! The smallest detent will make a sizable difference!

 

[Drail]

Absolutely. Thank you for bringing that up. A small detent in exactly the right spot will solve the problem in most cases. If a bullet nose is contacting the stop's lug that should still be corrected.

 

[Local481]

It can happen with any brand. It's simply because of tolerance stacking and a one size fits all attitude prevalent in gun manufacturing today. Take your mag and load some of your rounds into it and blacken the bullet of the top round with a magic marker where it faces the slide stop. Insert it into the frame firmly a couple of times. Smack the bottom of the frame with your hand. Now look closely at that top round. If it hit the slide stop's lug you will see it where it rubbed the magic marker off. Just file back on the stop lug a little at a time until it no longer can reach the top round in the mag. Round off any sharp corners you may have created. As far as parts go with the name brands like Wilson, Brown, EGW, McCormick. Be aware that some parts (sear, hammer, trigger, grip safety, thumb safety) need to be fitted to your gun and will not drop in (even though lots of people so this), it's easy to end up with a gun that is not safe to carry, especially cocked and locked. The 1911 is a system and changing one part may affect the operation of several others. A hammer and a sear need to be fitted to each other for a reliable safe long lasting trigger pull and then the thumb safety needs to be fitted to that particular sear/hammer combo. On bbl. bushings your best bet is to look at EGW's parts, if you send them the exact I.D. of you slide and O.D. of your bbl. they can send you a bushing that will fit perfectly and will greatly improve the accuracy of the gun in most cases. EGW makes high quality parts.

I had this problem with a $1200 1911 and your right it can happen with any 1911