a question of slide weights and what not...

[38superfan]

This is primarily for long slides.

How much difference its there in feel of a unique cut long slide and a standard profile? To me a standard profile on a single stack frame feels perfect as I like the extra bit of weight out front and the balance of it. How does the unique cut affect that? I know it would be best to find some one that has one to try first but I don't see that as possible. No competitions allow that configuration so I don't think any are around my area. This is for a long slide switch barrel in 38 super and 10mm using ramped, bushing barrels. Also would I be giving up much performance from those rounds if I switched to a 5" set up instead? Atleast that way I could use it in idpa or something else if I wanted too. That most likely won't happen though given my work and school loads though. Thanks!

[Alan550]

To get added weight out front and not mess with all that reciprocating weight in the slide, you might want to consider a tungsten guide rod instead. That gives you the extra weight out front for the balance you want and it's not moving around to slow your follow-up shots.

Just my $.02

Alan~^~

[38superfan]

For this gun its not really about follow up shots though. Its more of a range and woods gun. I really like the longer sight radius of the longer slide. It would be Nice to shoot comps but its not in my cards for several years. I think I should just stick with a 6" slide for this gun and build or buy 40 if I decide to try shooting comps.so how much does the unique slide affect balance and recoil on the long slide? Frame is standard Caspian in stainless.

[rishii]

I've shot a 6" edge with the unique slide, and it felt like swinging a boat anchor, very muzzle heavy,sluggish and I felt like I had to wait for it to cycle before I could fire my next shot

My 6" 40 has a classic slide, ball cut and tri topped and conservatively lightened, and weights 12.4 oz with the sights

It handles and cycles similar to a 5" gun

Which ever way you go get it with a bushing barrel, the bull barrel take down with the 6" slide is a pain

Also unless you're going with a svi slide, I don't know if you can use the same slide for super and 10 or 40

[2MoreChains]

About a year ago I had a .40SW gun built for Limited using a 6" STI unique cut tri-top slide on top of a STI 2011 Tactical frame. I spec'd a Unique slide since the ball cuts on a 6" Classic slide puts the cuts further back than the end of the Tactical's dust cover, but my eventual goal was to have the ball cuts milled into the slide once it was all broken in.

I shot the pistol for a couple of months (matches plus a bunch of practice) while it was still in the Unique form, and comparing the before and after I recall the gun shot flatter as I took more weight off the slide. Not knowing if I was going to like a heavy or lightweight gun, we planned to do additional milling on the slide in steps, and the first thing the GS did was mill the ball cuts to the slide to match the Tactical frame. Later he cut four additional FCS serrations into each side of the slide (this was more to put additional FCS where my hand goes than actual weight reduction), and finally after another three months of shooting I asked him to mill in a coffin cut into the top of the slide (think of the cutouts in a Glock 34/35 or XDM slide). Altogether I think we lost about 1 to 1.5 oz of weight, and the gun weighs in right around 38 oz without magazine. If I need more weight taken off, I could cut out a window in the FLGR/plug tunnel.

So to answer your question, I don't think the difference between Unique vs Classic slides is very much, even on a 6" slide. I think it more depends on which frame you go with. A 6" Unique profile slide coupled with a long FLDC wide frame would result in a pretty heavy pistol IMO, but a 6" Unique slide with a standard short dust cover frame not so much. Personally I like the looks of the classic profile ball cuts, but I would want those cuts to match whatever length dust cover on the frame from an aethetics point of view.

I think it took me a few months to get used to the extra weight of the 6" gun during transitions, but the 6" slide really balanced out the Tactical frame (weight-wise as well as visually). By comparison my 5" 2011 Eagle with short dust cover weighs 35 oz (without mag) and flips a little more in the hand with the same PF loads. But once I got used to the extra mass during transitions I really appreciated the 6" for the additional sight radius and softer recoil.

[38superfan]

I've spoken with the mfg and he says I should be ok. Ramped barrels and the hot loads will be 10mm only. I appreciate the feed back about the swing of the unique. That's what I was worried about. Will stick with the standard profile, bushed barrels. The slide may get some cuts done down the road to reduce weight if needed. I will have separate extractors tuned for each caliber to aid feeding.thanks!