1911 slide not "closing"

[Calpoly93]

I posted this on some other forums, but thought I'd widen my search..First off, I am no gunsmith, by any stretch. I've changed grips and that's about it!

I have a Colt XSE with maybe 500 rounds through it, and just had some nicer sights put on it. When I got my slide back (I only sent the slide in) with new sights from the 'smith, I noticed that when I put it back together, the slide does not completely close... about 1/32" or less overhang. Enough to block the engagement of the safety, but it will fire.


I've disassembled it, and cleaned it - nothing out of place or damaged to the naked eye- reassembled it several times. I noticed the frame, slide, slide stop and barrel will lock and the safety works. Add the barrel bushing and it won't. Even if I add the spring. What could be the problem?
Thanks in advance!

[Bt Doctur]

The barrel bushing is a bit too long. Been thru this . Had to retrieve my slide from the range floor when the ears sheared off the bushing

[Fjold]

Is the front sight staked? The gunsmith could have left to much material under the sight which is pushing down on the bushing causing it to bind on the barrel.

[SonofWWIIDI]

Did it go back to the manufacturer for the new sights? Or somewhere else?

Is it possible that while clamping it in the device used to hold it that the end of the slide was slightly tweaked? Does it move freely to the rear. (Boy that sounds like a basement question ).

Is there enough lube to allow the slide to move forward all the way? (Had this problem the other night at the range, a bit of lube on the rails fixed it).

And any of the stuff already posted.

Good luck!

[Twystd1]

Did you by chance use a Novak front sight? As you have to drill the slide and add a pin.

Pull the slide and the bushing and look under the front sight.

-T

[Calpoly93]

Hopefully dropbox works..
Thanks for all the responses guys!
I don't see any evidence of anything on the inside of the slide... The slide shows no marks or anything on the inside, or any sign of staking/brazing



t was done by the manufacturer and it is a novak sight. Now I am wondering if they gave me a different slide!

If it is the bushing, it should have been too long before the sight replacement, I would assume.
There is enough lube, i drowned it in RemOil as I read to do in another thread

[ar15barrels]

Now I am wondering if they gave me a different slide!

That would certainly change things.

If you have gauge pins, check the lockup of your barrel and see how far off it is.

[JRJCP]

It was done by the manufacturer and it is a novak sight. Now I am wondering if they gave me a different slide!

Pictures will help, is that your slide? Did they machined the slide or just change the sights?

[Calpoly93]

Pictures (dropbox)

OK, here are some photos of the slide...

[ar15barrels]

OK, here are some photos of the slide...

Did the slide ALWAYS have a dovetailed front sight on it or did the slide originally have a staked front sight?

[Calpoly93]

Mystery solved. A local gunsmith quickly determined that it was a new slide, that the barrel had not been fit to in the hood area.

[gemini1]

Huh? so the manufacturer (Colt) that changed the sight, sent you back a different slide?

[ar15barrels]

Huh? so the manufacturer (Colt) that changed the sight, sent you back a different slide?

That's actually pretty amazing to me that someone would replace a SLIDE without the rest of the gun there to check the fit of the barrel and the frame.

If someone sent me a slide and I was going to need to replace it as part of the job, I would make sure the rest of the gun was in my shop and that I had a chance to check the fit of everything before returning the gun.

The chance of the slide being replaced was EXACTLY why I asked if the original sights were staked on.
The new slide shows no signs of ever having had a front sight staked into it.

[Gunsmith Dan]

Ohh I have seen some really good ones ...... how about a stainless 1911 that went for repair and the factory installed all of the internal parts, trigger and hammer with blued parts instead of stainless.

[hawaii five-0]

Novak did that, or Colt?