2011 slide not going into battery

[dth122]

I'm having a problem after the final assembly of a new 2011 build using a Rogue Tactical barrel, slide and frame.  I tried contacting RT but it seems they're not in business anymore..???

 

The problem is that after being assembled, the slide does not go fully into battery.  It looks like the barrel is locking up but the slide is stopping about 0.5" early.  Needless to say, after removing the slide stop pin everything moves freely and I can't feel any hang-ups around that area of travel.

 

My question is what to do to troubleshoot and fix.  Normally, I would look at how the lugs are cut.  But in this case, it's one of their primed "ez-fit" barrels that has pre-timed lugs that don't require fitting (per the installation info).  It uses fitment pads at the top of the hood instead.  I could start filing the fitment pads but am hesitant since I already have good lockup.

 

This is my first time using one of these barrels so I'm not sure how to proceed.  I'm open to any advice.

 - Dave

[zzt]

Well, the first think you will learn is that all 'prefit bottom lugs' is sometimes a bogus claim.    I ordered two Ed Brown 1911 45 drop in barrels and I would have had to take a lot off the bottom lugs to get them to work.  They went back.  I bought a Nowlin drop in 9mm barrel and ended up complety refitting the bottom lug.

 

So, yours works with the slide stop out.  You've fit the top lug pads and the firing pin strikes in the center of the firing pin.  The slide hangs up on the slide stop pin.  First question:  what is the diameter of the pin on your slide stop.  If it is .200" or .201" (or even larger for some who think everything should be fit by hand), try a .199" pin.  If that doesn't work, try different sizes.  If you have a numbered and lettered drill bit set you can go from .199" down in small increments until the slide will fully close.  At that point, you know how much you have to remove from the bolltom lugs.

 

Hint:  look at the forward shoulder of the bottom lugs.  I had a Barsto barrel once that would not go into battery.  The front of the lugs hit.  I reprofiled the front for a more gradual slope and everything worked perfectly.  Fitting a 1911 barrel by hand is a PITA, so you have to look at everything carefully.

[Postal Bob]

It sounds like you need a different barrel link. They come in different sizes like here: https://www.egwguns.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=toggle+link

Or like stated above, a different slide stop diameter pin.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Postal Bob

[zzt]

I should have mentioned barrel links.  Too long a link will do exactly what was described.  Cheely Custom makes barrel links in half sizes.  I'd expect finished bottom lugs to come with the correct link installed.

 

If you have .045" of top lug lockup and the firing pin is centered in the primer pocket, you have the tabs filed down enough.  If so, check the link and bottom lugs.  If not, correct the lockup.

[dth122]

The link was actually my first inclination that led me to ask the question.  The fitting instructions (if you follow them) specifically state that the lugs and the link are selected/fit at the time of manufacture and neither should be modified or swapped out.  Of course, this selection and fitting is done without the benefit of having the slide or frame, so YMMV.  I guess my real question was how likely it is that I have to refit the lugs to get everything to work... and I got that answer loud and clear.

 

That's a great idea to try different pin diameters.  I have a gauge pin set which will make that test pretty easy and accurate.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm good on lockup and the  firing pin location, but I'll double check that and then see if I need to move on to the lugs.  That's pretty much validation of my initial thinking... if those are set within spec then I have no choice but to move on to the lugs.

 - Dave

[donnyglock]

How much upper lug engagement to you have? 

[dth122]

I'm measuring it at 0.048".

[donnyglock]

Mark the lower lugs all the way dow to the barrel with a marker and see where the slide stop is contacting the lower lugs. 

[dth122]

That's a good idea.  I did the same thing to check for even contact on the pin but I didn't try the reverse to see where the pin is hitting the lugs.  I'll give that a shot and see what I can learn.

 - Dave

[dth122]

After a very little bit of light dressing on the lugs, the slide now goes fully into battery.  And just as quickly as that was solved, I ran into another snag.  The trigger works fine with no slide, but locks when the slide is installed.  The problem is that the disconnector isn't resetting when the slide is in battery.  There's plenty of spring tension, but it's not aligned with the slot in the slide.  I can see that it's hitting on the ejector side of the slide.

 

My next question is how to address this.  The weird thing is that the slide is aligned on the frame.  It's very well centered.  Even if it wasn't, I'm not sure I could fix it without doing some serious work on the slide rails.

 

I can't expand the notch in the slide because it's on the ejector side and there's very little material to take out.

 

The only thing I can think of is to file the side of the disconnector ball to give it some clearance.  I know that modifying the disconnector is generally frowned upon, especially length (which I wouldn't touch), but I don't think I have any other options.  It's an EGW disco which I know generally run on the large side.  I guess I could try another brand and hope that it's a few 0.001" smaller.

 - Dave

[zzt]

EGW long ball head discos almost always need dressing.  I sand the diameter of the ball to reduce it by a thou or so.  That slicks it up.  Sometimes you have to take a smidge off the top, or reprofile it.  It's no big deal.  Some manufacturers are worse.  If you buy X brand receiver or frame, the only way to be sure your parts fit with no, or minimal fitting is to buy all Brand X parts for the lower.  Failing that, go to Cheely Custom.  If he makes a part, buy it.  It will require minimal fitting.

 

Take a small piece of 600 grit paper, roll it around the appropriate size drill and polish the disco channel.  You can also check for burrs on the underside of the channel.

[Cam73]

Dave-

There are old posts out there on some of the 1911 forums about the Marvel disconnector rail cut, including pictures (look for the ones by Joe C.). You may be able to modify the head of the disconnector similarly to resolve the misalignment issue without negatively impacting function. Like ZZT said, the EGW ball head disconnector takes some fitting. I've heard good things about the EE standard disco, planning to try one next.

 

Do you think the slide is forward enough while in battery for the trigger to reset?

 

 

[dth122]

After some sanding and a tiny bit of filing, everything is good to go.  Disco is running smoothly in the channel and it's activating and deactivating as expected.

 

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, it was a combination of everything involved that got things running smoothly.

 

Incidentally, I remembered that I had a spare Wilson disco so I tried that and ran into the same problem.  So, at least in my case, the problem wasn't unique to the EGW part.

 - Dave