Big Bad Jam

[Richard Jones]

OK, daughter's gun had not one, but TWO Jams From Hell last night when we were sighting in for the SC today at Blackwater. Slide stuck all the way back. Slide can be moved, but it takes considerable effort, like there's a big chunk of something stuck somewhere. Gun must be stripped before slide will operate. As soon as I remove the slide stop pin and move the slide any distance at all, it frees up, but I cannot see anything wrong with the link, etc. Slide stop comes out easily, don't have to drive it out. The only time I've seen something like this before was when a SA sheared the lug foot completely from the barrel. That doesn't appear to be the case here. Plus, this only happens at random, not every shot. This happened several months ago at a match, but I attributed it to a big chunk of brass in the works, as nothing like this had ever happened to the gun before, and zero problems for a couple or 3 thousand rounds 'til now.........

Mag can be removed and slide remains stuck. Not that.

Link pin is tight. Not that.

C-More screws not protruding. Not that.

Slide stop pin has been de-activated. Not that.

Disconnector is functioning. Not that.

Link appears to be OK. ??

Lug feet appear to be OK. ??

Slide stop pin appears to be OK. ??

Ejector pin appears to be OK. ??

I'm guessing something with the lugs, link, slide stop, guide rod, etc., but for the life of me, I can't figure it out.

Any thoughts will be MOST welcome................

Rich (oh wait, my hair is ALREADY gray.........) in VA

[dansy]

Slide or frame crack...I had that not long ago in my case the slide was crack all the way through....... it could be close.....and I did close it 3 time to finish that stage...I was under the inpression I had broke the recoil master and it was stopping the slide somehow....

[Jimmy Z]

A friend of mine had the same type of problems when he first started shooting. We deduced that either he was somehow pushing on the right side of the slide stop during recoil, or friction between the slide stop and link were causing the slide stop to move to the left. When the slide would cycle, the slide stop would start to move through the disasembly notch, and lock the gun up, just as you described. We put a drop of oil on the link, and had him keep his finger away from the frame, and haven't had this problem since.

Good luck.

[Larry White]

Ejector pin appears ok, but is it? Check and see.-----Larry

[Radical Precision Designs]

Do this test.

Remove barrel assembly off the slide. Clean all debris and oil/lube of the frame and slide. Re-install the slide on the frame "dry". Move/slide/stroke the slide back and forth, especially all the way to the back, and look for "hanging" spots.

Sometimes as the slides - frames are fitted a small spot gets overlooked at the very end where it gets tight. Usually a small portion of "small grit" paste can cure this problem, and then make sure you remove it completely.

Often times the ejector "sides" will bind on the slide at lock back position, check that too, and file to fit as necessary.

Also look under the barrel all the way from front to rear for "scrape" marks by the recoil spring plug "collar". If they are there, you must "relieve/flatten" that area. Remember the angle of the barrel moves down upon breech opening, and as the slide moves back that clearance becomes critical, and if not proper will "bind" the works. Also check with the recoil spring guide rod "head" in the concave area that mates with the barrel and frame for bind spots.

Sometimes too, the nearest up size in recoil spring weight can help, as very often a weak spring will allow the slide to really come back too hard and bind up things.

Keep on checking, or otherwise bring your shooting iron to a good smithy, who will be glad to cure your situation and lighten your wallet too.

[Richard Jones]

Well, gun is gone for a while, so hopefully it will get fixed in the interim. She shot the SC today at Blackwater, gun ran fine.

I'll have to wait and see...........

Thanks for the help.

Rich