Slide lightening

[tomjerry1]

Looking for some help on lightening a 1911 slide, I know there are cuts, holes, and some internal methods, but I am interested in how much material can be removed from the external dimensions of the slide, I wish to keep the appearance of the slide. I have found drawings with dimensions internal for a slide, but not external, anyone have any experience?

[MikeBurgess]

Here is a link to a full 1911 drawing set, you should be able to find the dimensions you are looking for on it.

https://www.m1911.org/M1911-A1_REDUX.pdf

 

 

Now to the real question of how much you can remove and where, 1911 slides seem to crack in the area of the ejection port most I have seen are right side front or back of port and left side at the internal step in front of the breach face where the barrel chamber sits.  this would lead me to the conclusion that removing material from either side  in this area would likely be un desirable. We know we can flat top and tri top slides with acceptable results so your most likely road to success lightening a slide while retaining its general appearance would be to lower the top radius by some amount similar to what's removed during a tri topping. Lets say we lower the top of the slide .030" on a 5" slide with a Novak sight cut the reduction in weight should be just under 1 OZ

 

[shred]

Put your lightening well forward of the upper lugs is a good plan as the section of slide from there rearward is the bit that holds the pressure.  I have an open slide that was tri-topped and Beretta-cut with a nice crack straight along across the tops of the lugs.

 

Avoid stress concentrators like right angles.

 

Trying to do lightening while keeping a 'stock looking' slide may be tricky.  You could surface grind the sides down, but that risks thinning the high stress areas.  You could belt-sander some more off the top roundover.