Slide Racker mounting options on lightened 2011 slide

[NTSDK]

I picked up a lightly used "HPS Custom Match Open" 9x19 open gun. STI 2011 frame and Les Baer slide. The rear portion of the slide is lightened to a degree where i doubt that there is enough material left to mount a Slide Racker. Se pictures below.

I would like to mount a Brazos Zig Racker on it. Any ideas if this would be possible?

Thanks in advance!
Niels

[BeerBaron]

Ordinarily you'd go behind the breach before the rear flat top starts but you've possibly not got enough room there. The second option is to mount in the flat topped portion but your flat top looks pretty deeply cut which likely means not enough meat about the firing pin tunnel to cut the dovetail.

The zig racker in particular needs a deep-ish dovetail for neat mounting.

What you could try is get say a Cheely racker or shooters connection/EGW sidewinder and cut a very shallow dovetail in the flat top and reduce the racker thickness a little. Would probably need to use set screws to retain it (not enough meat to do ball detents).

Some guys basically 'bolt' a racker to the flat top. It's not pretty but it works. Others do as I said and use a combination of a shallow dovetail and perhaps drill and tap 2 shallow holes so the racker actually bolts to the slide (as opposed to just using set screws in the racker to force it hard up in the dovetail).

Good luck. I have a similar problem but fortunately have a bit more meat behind the breach and my flat top is quite shallow.

[MrPostman]

Yep not enough meat there to mount the racker. You could however do the bolt method that Beer Baron suggested. Another option would be to get rid of the cmore and mount and then get a mini red dot like a RTS2 so you can get a good grip on the serrations. Adding a racker adds weight to the slide so just something to think about.

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[NTSDK]

Thanks for your suggestions! I have been running the gun as it is for a couple of matches, but this weekends match saw several unloaded starts and that got me thinking again :-(

I'll give it yet a couple of matches to see if i can get used to it as it is.

[bigboy69]

The only thing you can do is mic from the top of the firing pin hole to the top of the slide to see what thickness is left.

you may have enough to have a shallow dovetail cut into it.

[scottlep]

Maybe instead of using a full dovetail cut, have a good gunsmith drill and tap the slide somewhere so you can "bolt down" a racker to the slide instead of using the set screws to lock it into the dovetail? Use longer set screws and loctite them into the holes. Possibly cut one side of the dove tail into where the swoop starts so you have a solid surface so the racker doesnt try to twist when you use it. See quickie photoshopping below.

Edited May 25, 2016 by scottlep

[kneelingatlas]

The only thing you can do is mic from the top of the firing pin hole to the top of the slide to see what thickness is left.

you may have enough to have a shallow dovetail cut into it.

You could also cut a slot in the middle of the racker and invade the firing pin tunnel, it would be tricky, but it could be done.

[bigboy69]

The only thing you can do is mic from the top of the firing pin hole to the top of the slide to see what thickness is left.

you may have enough to have a shallow dovetail cut into it.

You could also cut a slot in the middle of the racker and invade the firing pin tunnel, it would be tricky, but it could be done.

There are a lot out there that have cut through the top of the firing pin hole. As long as you keep it clean you're fine.

Maybe instead of using a full dovetail cut, have a good gunsmith drill and tap the slide somewhere so you can "bolt down" a racker to the slide instead of using the set screws to lock it into the dovetail? Use longer set screws and loctite them into the holes. Possibly cut one side of the dove tail into where the swoop starts so you have a solid surface so the racker doesnt try to twist when you use it. See quickie photoshopping below.

Screen Shot 2016-05-25 at 11.22.49 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2016-05-25 at 11.23.04 AM.jpg

Some don't like drilling and tapping because if they break it's worse to do the work to get the screws out.

You still can do it that way.