teach me about slide stops...

[c1skout]

I've had a RIA 38 super for the last year and a half or so. I bought it very lightly used and have put maybe 2000 rounds through it so far. It's had the annoying habit of locking the slide back on the next to the last round occasionally for as long as I've had it. Now and then the slide stop will be missed completely and the slide will close on an empty gun, trapping the tip of the follower under the slide. I have 4 mags for it and they all will do the same thing, and it also doesn't seem to be picky about bullet nose profile because changing that hasn't helped either.

Tonight I swapped out the slide stop for the one from my Springfield 45 and all the troubles went away. I shot 2 full boxes plus a few random left over reloads from testing without any issues. Searching on the web shows that 45 and 38 use different stops, but when I compare mine they aren't very different looking. I thought the 38 one would stick farther into the mag well but that isn't the case, the only difference I see is the radius of the part that the follower strikes.

What should the difference be between the 2 calibers?

Might my original 38 stop be from a 45?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

When asked how he'd like to be an astronaut a fellow declined, saying, "I wouldn't want to try to get to the moon and back riding on thousands of parts all supplied by the low bidder." The moral to the story being that the 1911 has been produced by so many different makers that there's bound to be a certain amount of parts incompatibility, and actually it's remarkable that there's really not very much. Here you've got one part made in the Philippines and another made in Brazil. It sounds to me like you've solved your problem, and just need to put the defective slide stop away and order a new one. If the .45 part works, order another one.

[charlie b]

Yes, your original might be from a .45, and yes, a worn .45 part can allow what you describe. They are cheap, buy a couple made for the .38

[22cf45]

One problem which can arise when swapping slide stops around is that part of the barrel lock-up is controlled by the slide stop pin. Using a different diameter slide stop pin will change the lock-up.
Phil

[MtGun44]

Never had one do that on me. Try another part.

[Greg S]

The difference in slide stops are caliber specific. The only difference is the size of the lobe that goes in the window. 45s have a smaller or to be correct not as wide of a lobe. The problem with the slide locking back early can be shooter, mag or slide stop induced. If your grip is solid and nothing is touching the slide stop start looking at the rounds in the mag. If the top two are cartridges are centered in the mag then it is time to look at the lobe itself. Sometimes as a round is stripped from the mag and the rounds elevate by mag spring pressure, the left side of the bullet will strike the lobe lifting it causing early slide stop engaugement. This can be caused by large ojives that are bullet specific and the lobe needs to be tailored for that specific style of projo. Another reason recalling the NASA theory, measure the difference of the original part, the 45 part. To measure look at the length difference from the bottom of the arm protruding through the window that the slide stop rests on and to the tip that engauges the mag follower shelf. It could be as the original was to long and a tolerance stack is causing early engaugement or the mag followers. I don't have my Kuhnhausen books with me up here at this time to give you the pertinent numbers but you have a few things to look at.

For in use diagnosing, look for powder fowling removed or copper from the jacket transfer on the lobe or load up some dummies and manually cycle them through as you look into the top of the gun as you draw the slide back. With your problem pay close attention the last three rounds of the mag. If you are going to replace it, I personally only use Wilson. Ed Browns are usually warped from heat treat and you need to spend time straightening them out.

As far as changing lockup. Yes it could on a bulleye or hardfit barrel install. With a production gun you shouldn't have a problem. If you do, alittle jb bore paste on the bottom lugs should shooth things out.