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Open gun with Cracked slide.


glockman75

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I'm an experienced shooter that has many guns and I have been shooting a long time.  I've never had any issues with guns breaking.  I've had thumb safeties break and that's about it.

So I had an Open Gun custom built to my specifications.  This is not about trashing the builder and I do not want to name any names.  If you figure it out please don't ask or list the name of the builder.

My new open gun that is 6 months old with 15k rounds now has a cracked slide. Its an STI frame and slide.

9mm major.  Major load of 124 grain JHP 6.7 WAC 1.145.  

How often does this happen?

The gunsmith is fitting a new slide, barrel and comp.  I'm paying for the parts and the labor is under warranty.

How does this sound to you guys?

Is this warranty typical for the industry?

I've heard about many cracked Limited and Open slides.  What's the deal?  Seems like it's happening a lot.

 

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Edited by glockman75
Here's the picture of the crack. And a before picture.
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2 minutes ago, Glk21C said:

How much did the slide weigh?   Typically STI would replace a cracked  slide if the weight is not less than a certain amount  (I don't recall that # in oz. but do a search, you'll find it)

 

I recall reading 10.5 oz.

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I'm dealing with the same problem now... I got the gun bought from this forum used it for about 9months and shot maybe 2k previous owners said around 9k.  Noted tiny crack on the right lower ejection port! Original Builder wouldn't cover it! And it'll cost 1.5k - 2.5k for new top end! Sucks

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23 minutes ago, glockman75 said:

How often does this happen?

 

It happens fairly frequently, but 15K rounds is pretty early.  It's hard to say if the builder contributed without some more detail.  Where is the crack?  How much lightening was done and where?  Flat top or tri-top?  Most of the cracked slides I have seen happen just aft of the ejection port.  Tri-topping seems to accelerate that occurrence.  If the crack happened near a lightening cut, the smith may have taken out too much or in the wrong spot or not radiused the corners properly.  Hard to say without pictures.

 

I've had one slide crack behind the ejection port and another at the front of the firing pin tunnel.  The one that cracked at the back of the ejection port was a fairly high round count gun that was tri-topped.  The one that cracked at the firing pin tunnel was only after around 10K rounds, but it's still running and doesn't seem to be getting any worse.  Unfortunately, it's going to happen sooner or later with an Open Gun as slides and barrels are consumables.

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19 minutes ago, brytec said:

I'm dealing with the same problem now... I got the gun bought from this forum used it for about 9months and shot maybe 2k previous owners said around 9k.  Noted tiny crack on the right lower ejection port! Original Builder wouldn't cover it! And it'll cost 1.5k - 2.5k for new top end! Sucks

Sounds like it's time to get a quote from another gunsmith.  With only 11k rounds, the barrel and other parts should be reusable.  A new slide is in the $200 range.  Labor to cut up the slide and refit/refinish shouldn't put you at $1.5K to $2.5K.

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13 minutes ago, tyler2you said:

Unfortunately, it's going to happen sooner or later with an Open Gun as slides and barrels are consumables.

Pretty much everything on an open gun is a consumable.

 

Open major is very violent and very rough on guns. Be prepared to replace basically every part of your gun over it's lifetime.

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I'm dealing with the same problem now... I got the gun bought from this forum used it for about 9months and shot maybe 2k previous owners said around 9k.  Noted tiny crack on the right lower ejection port! Original Builder wouldn't cover it! And it'll cost 1.5k - 2.5k for new top end! Sucks

 

 

That is way too high! Shouldn't cost more than about $600 for just fitting a bare slide to about $900 with a bunch of slide cuts if you reuse all of the slide internals from the cracked one.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, glockman75 said:

 

How often does this happen?

The gunsmith is fitting a new slide, barrel and comp.  I'm paying for the parts and the labor is under warranty.

How does this sound to you guys?

Is this warranty typical for the industry?

 

 

this happens a lot, I only flat topped my last two done. Mine cracked at the guide rod tunnel which is less common.

 

I'd say him covering labor on a warranty basis is unique and generous.  Keep the slide and try to get sti to replace it then you'll have a backup for the next time.

 

To anyone paying 1.5-2k for a top end rebuild find a new smith. It's usually 5-600 in my experience, 200 for a slide and the rest in labor.  Depending on the comp it may or may not need to be replaced.  Cerakote is your friend, it's cheap and by the time it's worn out the slide is probably cracked anyway.

 

in fact the last gun I had done when I was ready to finally get my slide initially coated, after cleaning and blasting it is when I first saw the crack in the tunnel. If you don't want an open gun to break, keep it in the safe, something is bound to break sooner than later if you're shooting it.

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9 hours ago, tyler2you said:

Sounds like it's time to get a quote from another gunsmith.  With only 11k rounds, the barrel and other parts should be reusable.  A new slide is in the $200 range.  Labor to cut up the slide and refit/refinish shouldn't put you at $1.5K to $2.5K.

I was thinking the same thing! 

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There was a time frame where STI put out some faulty slides. When mine cracked at the ejection port Matt said STI would replace it so it cost very little to get the gun up and running again

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30 minutes ago, mitchiepinoy said:

Get that slide, seel it then get ckarms. They have lifetime warranties no questions ask... :) 

I have to question their 'warranty'. I know a shooter that spent $5,800 US on a new CK Arms race gun. It jammed like a mother and it was pretty much unshootable. He wanted to send it back, and their response was that it needs a 'break-in' period and they would not take it back until after it has had 5000 rounds through it. He put the gun up for sale taking a loss. After hearing that, I won't touch them.......EVER! If I spend $5,800 on a new gun, I would expect it to be flawless!

As far as cracked slides, using 9mm major at high pressures WILL break a lightened slide over time. Yes, a lightened slide looks cool, but it will not hold up to the constant pressures of 9mm major. To me, the advantages of a lightened slide does not outweigh its shortened life cycle. Also, if you have a lightened slide, you can also shoot minor at practice (PF 145-155), and major for matches. This is simple and will prolong the life of your gun considerably.

 

Edited by abb1
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18 minutes ago, Sarge said:

There was a time frame where STI put out some faulty slides. When mine cracked at the ejection port Matt said STI would replace it so it cost very little to get the gun up and running again

Sarge is right about the STI slides, they seemed to have had problems with them. You should not need to purchase anything but a replacement slide and be able to reuse all the other parts. I would talk to another gunsmith as it shouldn't be 1.5k , seems a little much.

A gun that is fit and tuned properly should never break the slide, but a slide that was not made properly to start with will always break. There are a ton of variables that go into making a slide such as the metal you start with, how it is machined, the hardening process and how it is lightened to a degree. Open guns push the 1911/2011 platform to its limits and I would say 9 major even more so, but a properly built open gun should never have a slide break. I have seen open guns with over 100k rounds through them with the same slide and frame....no issues when the PF was at 180 and now that it is much lower this shouldn't be an issue at all. A gun that is sprung too light, out of time and basically not fit right will beat itself to death in a very short time.

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50 minutes ago, abb1 said:

I have to question their 'warranty'. I know a shooter that spent $5,800 US on a new CK Arms race gun. It jammed like a mother and it was pretty much unshootable. He wanted to send it back, and their response was that it needs a 'break-in' period and they would not take it back until after it has had 5000 rounds through it. He put the gun up for sale taking a loss. After hearing that, I won't touch them.......EVER! If I spend $5,800 on a new gun, I would expect it to be flawless!

As far as cracked slides, using 9mm major at high pressures WILL break a lightened slide over time. Yes, a lightened slide looks cool, but it will not hold up to the constant pressures of 9mm major. To me, the advantages of a lightened slide does not outweigh its shortened life cycle. Also, if you have a lightened slide, you can also shoot minor at practice (PF 145-155), and major for matches. This is simple and will prolong the life of your gun considerably.

 

$5800 on a CK gun? How?

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49 minutes ago, abb1 said:

I have to question their 'warranty'. I know a shooter that spent $5,800 US on a new CK Arms race gun. It jammed like a mother and it was pretty much unshootable. He wanted to send it back, and their response was that it needs a 'break-in' period and they would not take it back until after it has had 5000 rounds through it. He put the gun up for sale taking a loss. After hearing that, I won't touch them.......EVER! If I spend $5,800 on a new gun, I would expect it to be flawless!

As far as cracked slides, using 9mm major at high pressures WILL break a lightened slide over time. Yes, a lightened slide looks cool, but it will not hold up to the constant pressures of 9mm major. To me, the advantages of a lightened slide does not outweigh its shortened life cycle. Also, if you have a lightened slide, you can also shoot minor at practice (PF 145-155), and major for matches. This is simple and will prolong the life of your gun considerably.

 

Something doesn't sound right about that story. I know of CK, FGW and CCG guns that had problems and were always made right after sending the gun back for diagnosis. 

 And 5000 rounds to break one in? I have always been told 1000.

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3 hours ago, abb1 said:

I have to question their 'warranty'. I know a shooter that spent $5,800 US on a new CK Arms race gun. It jammed like a mother and it was pretty much unshootable. He wanted to send it back, and their response was that it needs a 'break-in' period and they would not take it back until after it has had 5000 rounds through it. He put the gun up for sale taking a loss. After hearing that, I won't touch them.......EVER! If I spend $5,800 on a new gun, I would expect it to be flawless!

As far as cracked slides, using 9mm major at high pressures WILL break a lightened slide over time. Yes, a lightened slide looks cool, but it will not hold up to the constant pressures of 9mm major. To me, the advantages of a lightened slide does not outweigh its shortened life cycle. Also, if you have a lightened slide, you can also shoot minor at practice (PF 145-155), and major for matches. This is simple and will prolong the life of your gun considerably.

 

Never heard anything like that... 

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It seems we hear about STI slides being a little more prone to cracking than other brands.  The cracking comes from the repeated crash of the slide into the frame.  My two best bits of advice for easing abuse on an open gun is to run as much spring as you can and avoid WAC.  

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10 minutes ago, theWacoKid said:

It seems we hear about STI slides being a little more prone to cracking than other brands.  The cracking comes from the repeated crash of the slide into the frame.  My two best bits of advice for easing abuse on an open gun is to run as much spring as you can and avoid WAC.  

 

2 questions,

1) would a shock buff help in any way

2) why not WAC?

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