open17 Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 (edited) 9 Major open guns--eventually a side will crack. I've had a couple crack, and now I'm MAYBE seeing a crack starting on wifes gun. Time to get ahead of the process. What's the current wisdom on the best bald/classic 9/38 slide? I'm a little leery of STI---seen a pile of them crack in the past few years, but they are available. The slide on her gun is a CK--would buy another but no one has them in stock. Caspian QC seems a bit iffy at present. Brazos? Or is it actually a STI? How about Tripp? Suggestions? Edited June 7, 2019 by open17 add options Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 (edited) Tripp all the way. They are manufactured by the same firm than made the slides for JEM. I have one and it was perfect in hole locations, etc. They are a little heavy, but you are going to lighten it up for Open anyway. Brazos uses STI slides. I will NeVER, ever again use STI anything, except gen 2 mags. The last two Caspian slides I used sucked, so they are a last resort. CK Arms slides crack. Cheely won't sell any of his stash. And the North Carolina company who supposedly makes okay slide won't sell in lots of one. If Tripp doesn't have what you want in stock, call Ed at JEM Guns. He is so fed up he is tooling up to make his own. His frames are great, so I'd expect his slides will be also. I'll also say that the very worst thing you could do is buy STI or Caspian from Brownells of other similar suppliers. Manufactures only sell them the dregs. They keep everything good for themselves. BTW, if you lighten it properly it will never crack. Edited June 7, 2019 by zzt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
open17 Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 2 hours ago, zzt said: Tripp all the way. BTW, if you lighten it properly it will never crack. Care to elaborate? What is the proper way to lighten a slide? Always interested in learning new things---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverscooby27 Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 I just noticed 2 cracks in my slide yesterday when cleaning for today’s match. CK slide, which I’m told is really an STI slide. I think a PT slide is next. Put a big dent in my savings for my next open gun, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 9 hours ago, open17 said: Care to elaborate? What is the proper way to lighten a slide? Always interested in learning new things---- Come on, ZZT, don't leave us hanging here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan4147 Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 13 hours ago, open17 said: 9 Major open guns--eventually a side will crack. I've had a couple crack, and now I'm MAYBE seeing a crack starting on wifes gun. Time to get ahead of the process. What's the current wisdom on the best bald/classic 9/38 slide? I'm a little leery of STI---seen a pile of them crack in the past few years, but they are available. The slide on her gun is a CK--would buy another but no one has them in stock. Caspian QC seems a bit iffy at present. Brazos? Or is it actually a STI? How about Tripp? Suggestions? Sounds like you are not considering a budget build, but here is what I did last year on my open gun. I converted my old (excellent custom build) CAN Para .40 open gun to 9mm. I used a new Rem Custom 9 complete top end off ebay, a EGW cone comp. Not a big fitting job at all for a local smith to finish. A few tuning items and done. Maybe I just got lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fo0 Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 14 hours ago, zzt said: Tripp all the way. They are manufactured by the same firm than made the slides for JEM. I have one and it was perfect in hole locations, etc. They are a little heavy, but you are going to lighten it up for Open anyway. Brazos uses STI slides. I will NeVER, ever again use STI anything, except gen 2 mags. The last two Caspian slides I used sucked, so they are a last resort. CK Arms slides crack. Cheely won't sell any of his stash. And the North Carolina company who supposedly makes okay slide won't sell in lots of one. If Tripp doesn't have what you want in stock, call Ed at JEM Guns. He is so fed up he is tooling up to make his own. His frames are great, so I'd expect his slides will be also. I'll also say that the very worst thing you could do is buy STI or Caspian from Brownells of other similar suppliers. Manufactures only sell them the dregs. They keep everything good for themselves. BTW, if you lighten it properly it will never crack. It looks like Brazos is making their own slides now. Plus their old milled slides you can get in STI or Caspian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Hello: I would look for a Caspian slide or a PT slide. Both are made from better steel than some of the other slides out there now. I think alot of the builders are getting the slides from the same place and just rebadging them. Seems odd to me they are breaking in the same spot and the steel looks and machines the same way. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
open17 Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 31 minutes ago, Fo0 said: It looks like Brazos is making their own slides now. Plus their old milled slides you can get in STI or Caspian Are they making the slides in house or are they actually STI? It gets a bit confusing. Lots of slides out there, but who actually makes them. Phoenix Trinity and SV appear to be in-house. Assuming the Ed Brown/Les Baer/Nighthawk slides are STI or Caspian? CK is/was STI? How about Fusion? Looks like STI and Caspian are the available slides at present? A previous thread says that the JEM manufactured slides under whatever name are not availavble until they get their machinery fixed--a few more months? If the Brazos bald/classic is made by Brazos I'll give one a try---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fo0 Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 13 minutes ago, open17 said: Are they making the slides in house or are they actually STI? It gets a bit confusing. Lots of slides out there, but who actually makes them. Phoenix Trinity and SV appear to be in-house. Assuming the Ed Brown/Les Baer/Nighthawk slides are STI or Caspian? CK is/was STI? How about Fusion? Looks like STI and Caspian are the available slides at present? A previous thread says that the JEM manufactured slides under whatever name are not availavble until they get their machinery fixed--a few more months? If the Brazos bald/classic is made by Brazos I'll give one a try---- It is hard to decipher but one post on their Facebook says they got 40 s&w slide from STI and another post says the 40 are made the same as 9/38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echotango Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 (edited) I cracked 2 STI's within a couple months of each other. I now have Caspians with 30k+ on them with no issues. Edited June 8, 2019 by echotango Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
open17 Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 Emailed Bob at Brazos this morning re the source on their bald slides---here is the reply: "Contracted out to our specs – not STI or Caspian." Might have to give one a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Hello: So does that mean that Bob is getting them from the same place as STI, CK and some others are getting them from? Like I stated above get one from Caspian/Foster or PT. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dranoel Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Just a thought. I been using Caspian slides and frames for years and never had a failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Aircooled6racer said: does that mean Bob is getting them from STI Eric, he said "not STI". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIREDgun45 Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 I like the Infinity slides...check with Speed Shooter's Intl, they usually have both bald unique and classic cut slides. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 2 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said: Eric, he said "not STI". Jack, I don't think STI is making their slides any longer. I think they out sourced them like many of the others have. When different makers of pistols that are breaking the slides in the same spot and the grain structure looks the same tells me something. So maybe Bob is getting from the same place as the others are? Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 On 6/7/2019 at 9:59 PM, open17 said: Care to elaborate? What is the proper way to lighten a slide? Always interested in learning new things---- Leave full metal where it counts. Remove metal where it doesn't. Nothing was removed from the hood and barrel lug areas, or the front of the slide where the barrel locks up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Thanks, zzt, that does make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 Yeah, you only get down to 10.5 ounces, bit it will last forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posvar Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 Caspian seems to be rock solid reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Th3Un4givin Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 On 6/8/2019 at 7:49 PM, Dranoel said: Just a thought. I been using Caspian slides and frames for years and never had a failure. I assume these cuts are from Caspian? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_striker Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 On 6/7/2019 at 5:07 PM, zzt said: I'll also say that the very worst thing you could do is buy STI or Caspian from Brownells of other similar suppliers. Manufactures only sell them the dregs. They keep everything good for themselves. BTW, if you lighten it properly it will never crack. Interesting comment about Caspian. I’ve got a Caspian slide on a 9major gun with around 80k rounds on it. No cracks. Of course it’ll prob crack next week now that I said that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 7 hours ago, d_striker said: Interesting comment about Caspian. I’ve got a Caspian slide on a 9major gun with around 80k rounds on it. No cracks. Of course it’ll prob crack next week now that I said that. My point was if you are going to buy a Caspian slide, buy it from Caspian. If it is not correct you have recourse. I've had to send things back twice. If you bought it from Brownell's you do have recourse, and you may well have to use it. I certainly have. From others, you are stuck. I found that out the hard way. So now I won't buy any frame or slide from anyone unless I can get a full refund or exchange if the part turns out to dimensionally wrong or roughly machined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dranoel Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 On 6/10/2019 at 1:11 PM, Th3Un4givin said: I assume these cuts are from Caspian? Yes. That is an ad straight from Caspian's website. Getting ready to order a couple High & Tights for new projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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