Slide Not Locking Back

[Philinsocal]

I recently changed out the recoil spring in my Dan Wesson Commander Classic to a Night Hawk Commander recoil spring set (including guide rod and plug). The gun functioned flawlessly with one notable exception -the slide does not lock back when the magazine is empty. I assume that the new recoil spring is the culprit. Can anyone offer an explanation as to why?

[fmunk]

Recoil spring is too strong (for the ammo you are shooting). Preventing the slide from cycling fully. Change to hotter ammo to verify. Or keep shooting to break in the new spring some. If that does not improve, change spring.

[Philinsocal]

Recoil spring is too strong (for the ammo you are shooting). Preventing the slide from cycling fully.

Thanks. I'll have to give it a try with different ammo or get a lighter spring.

[fmunk]

Is it happening only on empty; i.e. after last round fired?

[Philinsocal]

Is it happening only on empty; i.e. after last round fired?

Yes.

[broadside]

Spring is too stiff for the ammo you are shooting. Try to break in the spring, but that only works if the spring is regular wire and not flat wire.

[Philinsocal]

Spring is too stiff for the ammo you are shooting. Try to break in the spring, but that only works if the spring is regular wire and not flat wire.

Good to know. It is regular wire. I wanted to get a Wilson Flat wire but, they did not have any in commander size. About how many rounds do you estimate it will take to break it in?

[broadside]

Good to know. It is regular wire. I wanted to get a Wilson Flat wire but, they did not have any in commander size. About how many rounds do you estimate it will take to break it in?

I can't give a number, but probably more than you want. Why did you change the spring in the first place? If the old ran fine, just put that back in unless it does not fit the new guide rod

[Philinsocal]

I can't give a number, but probably more than you want. Why did you change the spring in the first place? If the old ran fine, just put that back in unless it does not fit the new guide rod

[fmunk]

If it's only the last round you're having issues with, and no other failure to feed/eject, then you most likely just need to break the spring in. Shoot heavier projectiles. How many rounds? God knows. Just send a few hundred then switch back to your current ammo and see. Rinse and repeat. This is what happens when you stray from factory spec. Or you can contact Wilson and see what they say.

[PLINK]

Probably not the case since you said it functioned fine before the change but if you shoot thumbs forward, make sure your not holding the slide stop/ release down on your support hand.

[teflondog]

Manually rack the slide with your hands while an empty mag is inserted. If the slide locks back, that means the recoil spring is too strong. To save on ammo costs, you can hand cycle the slide a few hundred times to break in the spring. You can also store the gun with the slide locked back for a week so the spring takes a set.

[MarikinaMan]

Thanks. I'll have to give it a try with different ammo or get a lighter spring.

Lock the slide back and leave it like that for a few days. It can wear in.

Then try it again. Worth a shot (see what I did there?)

[NorcalGSG]

I went round and round with this on my CBOB. Even got a factory replacement slide lock and it did the same thing. The head guy there wouldn't admit it but I proved that their slide locks are not built to usgi print specs, and the small tab that goes through the frame for the mag follower to push up on does not protrude far enough. It allowed the mag followers to slip up and around it rather than push up on it to lock slide back for me. Then had to tug on the mag to get it to snap back down and around the tab again.
I swapped it to a Ed Brown of Wilson Combat (don't remember off hand) slide lock and it worked properly, after proving/diagnosing it with other mfg OEM slide locks also working before I bought the new replacement.
So in case yours is failing the same way, hopefully this may help you to diagnose it as well.
It sounds like yours is not doing quite the same thing as mine did, so maybe just replacing the stock recoil spring will do the trick.
DW only has a 5 year warranty and even though I was honest and mine just sat on a shelf (not shot until worn out, legit mfg defect) they wouldn't stand behind their obvious other eff ups and make it right. Very not cool IMHO.
Good luck.

[Philinsocal]

Manually rack the slide with your hands while an empty mag is inserted. If the slide locks back, that means the recoil spring is too strong. To save on ammo costs, you can hand cycle the slide a few hundred times to break in the spring. You can also store the gun with the slide locked back for a week so the spring takes a set.