1911 Colt Commander Issue (slide stop)

[trickyasafox]

I recently picked up a used Colt Commander (pre series 80) that was not all original. The slide stop seems to be a bit too long for the gun- when engaged, there is no travel left in the slide, preventing me from pulling the slide back to disengage the lock. Also, the slide stop does not always engage on an empty magazine (with all my magazines, which makes me think its not the mag springs).

Does anyone know what size Slide lock colt used in the early 80s? my gun was made around 81-83. I need a new mainspring housing anyway, and want to make sure I order the correct slide stop as well.

Any thoughts on this? I love the gun, and it shoots well aside from the slide issue- but I want it to work properly.

edited to add- There is NO buffer in the gun.

[Geraldo]

Is there a shock buff in the pistol? If there is take it out and see if there is a difference.

[trickyasafox]

no buffer- I should have stated that.

[StarMetal]

The only differences in the 80 series is Colt installed the firing pin block/safety system. Of course they made some machine cuts in the frame to facilitate that and also a hole and machining on the under part of the slide. They may have gone back to a standard barrel bushing, but other then that all the parts are interchangeable. I suggest first stripping the slide and putting it back on the frame and see how far back it goes. Sometimes the ejector can be tight riding through the slot in the slide to check that. Your slide should actually go back far enough that the hold open notch is past the slide stop nose. If it works (and try a magazine or two to see if it pops the stop up to catch the slide. If it does then something in the internals that fill the slide are the problem....that is the spring guide, the spring, the spring plunger, maybe even the barrel bushing. Let us know what you find doing all this.

Joe

[bobthenailer]

i have some extra orgional colt slide stops & mainspring housings that were taken off of several 1911s that i built over the years if your intrested ! please send a PM

[Dan Cash]

If the slide stop is after market, it is possible that it is miss made but seems unlikely. If there is no buffer installed check that the barrel bushing is proper. I am thinking that the Commander uses a shorter bushing than the Government model.

[StarMetal]

If the slide stop is after market, it is possible that it is miss made but seems unlikely. If there is no buffer installed check that the barrel bushing is proper. I am thinking that the Commander uses a shorter bushing than the Government model.


Yes a longer bushing meant for the full size 1911 shouldn't be used on a Commander. I mentioned that in my post to check. Let's see what he finds.

Joe

[rond]

Recoil spring may be to long.

[anachronism]

Recoil spring may be to long.

You beat me to it. It sounds like your recoil spring is binding. Do you have the correct Commander spring, or a full sized recoil spring?

[docone31]

He might have a couple of buffers there also.

[HeavyMetal]

Trickyasafox says he has no buffer in the gun.

So the problem is:
1 wrong barrel bushing
2 wrong spring plug, the Commander uses a shorter plug as well as a shorter bushing
3 to long a recoil spring, or perhaps to heavy?? Thicker coils could certainly "stack"
4slide lock is out of spec.

Without handling the gun ya got no way to tell but it could be one or all of the things I listed.

Each needs to be checked but my first thought would be a spring issue. This would be one of two things the amatuer 1911 "bubba" seems to think must be change for bigger and better even before the gun is shot! If some rocking chair gunsmith had a 24LB recoils spring for a full size 1911 he would think he could just cut coils and make it fit!

The other thing these guys always seem to think needs changing is the barrel link!

I have had no less than 4 1911 come into my hands because they wouldn't feed and the D.... automatic's are Jammers!

In all 4 guns some clown installed a longer barrel link before the gun had even been fired. Replacing the link with the standard length link had each one of these guns working perfectly!

Strip it down and let us know what you find out!

[trickyasafox]

So here is what I have found-

the bushing appears to be a generic aftermarket thin GI type- with the bushing installed the slide DOES NOT go back past the slide notch. The spring guide seems short enough to be commander length- but without my micrometer thats an eye ball assessment at best as best as I can tell with the eye and a ruler, the spring guide is 1.25 inches long. the bushing is about .80 inches long.

the gun does feed, cycle, and shoot ball ammo just fine- but it just seemed like something was off with this slide issues. the recoil spring cap measures 1.0 inches on the nose.

[HeavyMetal]

I have a 1911 series 80 collet bushing setting here on my desk. It and the solid bushings are about the same length, .800 long.

A quick glance at my Kuhnhausen 45 book shows a photo of all four bushings, 1911, commander, officers model and the collet style.

The commander bushing is half the length of the Govenrment model bushing or about a half inch long!

I think you got the wrong bushing in the gun!

If you have the skills I'd fit a Commander length target type bushing on your commander. I did one for my wifes commander and the accruacy improvement was very visable!

Other wise you can get a standard commander bushing from gun parts or any other supplier of such stuff such as brownell's.

This should fix your problem.

[trickyasafox]

thanks for all the help!