Looking to get a few spares to have on hand. Are all the stops the same for all three models? Taking the one out of my 5906 is not as smooth as my 5903.

Per the 1999 S&W parts list, these are the following part #s.

5906=23424

5903=23424

5946=23424

659=23424

Thanks. So same part for all.

They made double stack and single stack slide stop assemblies for the 3rd gen 9's. (Two frame widths. )

The also made them in carbon steel and stainless steel assemblies into the early 3rd gen production, and then later on they used stainless MIM with both 'plain' and black finishes.

Now, the finishing (machining) of the levers, and especially the pins, could ... vary a bit.

FWIW, every once in a while I'd find a guide rod plunger that had developed a burred edge at the tip of the plunger (on a side), which might catch/drag on the machined relief notch cut in the middle of the pin.

__________________
Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S A FIT PART.

FWIW, throughout the 4 armorer classes/recerts I did for the 3rd gen guns, the only time anyone ever mentioned "fitting" a slide stop lever assembly was if the angle between the lever and the pin went out of 90 degrees due to the effect of recoil forces.

It was discussed as a potential effect of shooting a steady diet of +P or +P+ ammunition in the 9mm guns. We were told that recoil forces acting on a slide stop lever might eventually cause the lever to acquire an inward or outward "bend".

If inward, the lever's inner tab might start to reach the rising rounds in the mag, and inside surface of the lever might start to really rub against the outside of the frame.

If outward, the plunger in the lever might reach a point where it might slip off the angled plate of the sideplate, becoming trapped and interfering with normal function.

The "repair" back then was taught as putting the slide stop assembly in a vise and carefully adjusting the angle to restore a 90 degree angle between the lever and the pin ... by carefully whacking it with the lead babbitt that was part of the armorer kit.

Well, as time passed they stopped teaching that "adjustment" technique to armorers and told them to simply replace a tweaked slide stop assembly with a new one. Granted, that was when slide stops were easily available (and usually sent to armorers under "warranty").

The other "repair" to a lever assembly might involve replacing the roll pin, plunger and spring if something became damaged. That was when you could call customer service and order the separate parts as an armorer, if you didn't need the whole assembly.

One time I had to do that for a 4006 sent to our armory, from another agency who didn't have a S&W armorer. Among other problems, it had suffered a badly corroded lever plunger spring. Well, submersion in sea water and not reporting it for over a year can do that to a spring.

Rather than order a new lever assembly, which was otherwise in good condition, I called the factory and they sent me a new plunger,, spring and roll pin. Interestingly enough, they also told me there had been a revision of the plunger body, and they were sending me the newest plunger. In later times they'd have recommended newer armorers not dissemble the slide stop lever assemblies, but just drop in a new lever assembly.

The inference I got, when I asked, seemed to be that since armorers are only armorers, and not trained smiths (or factory techs), the factory eventually decided it was probably better if armorers, in general, no longer attempted to "adjust" parts with their babbitts.

Probably not surprising if they'd learned that more parts and assemblies had been damaged by inattentive and inexperienced armorers, than "fixed".

Now, since armorers were still taught that deburring a part to put it within normal spec and condition might be necessary, the occasional burr discovered on a plunger head of the guide rod, or the slide stop pin, might happen.

I'm just talking about 3rd gen's, though, and the later production 2nd gen guns.

__________________
Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

It comes out. Just seems to need a bit of a wiggle. I'm going to swap it and see if it changes things.

Sometimes the engagement surfaces of the guide rod plunger (head), and the curving sweep inside the pin's notch, might be a bit rougher or smoother in any particular combination of parts, in any particular frame.

I've seen some lever assemblies where it looked like the plunger head notch in the pin was a lot rougher than others.

I just took some pics of some slide stop lever assemblies for/from 3rd gen guns. Some new and some old/used. Unfortunately, my pic hosting site seems to be unavailable at the moment, so I can't upload them to post in this thread. Figures, right?

I'll have to save them and try to remember to upload to the hosting service them so I can post them in this thread later.

One of the points I was going to make is comparing the differences in the machining of the pin notches in which the guide rod's plunger fit, as well as some occasional roughness or burred edge of a notch (which would have to compress the rod's plunger, so it could ride over, up and out of the notch as the lever's pin was pushed out of the frame).

Some look nicely smooth ... and some, not so much.

(Hosting service still unavailable. I'll check later.)

__________________
Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Okay, the pic hosting service came back online, so here are some pics of both old and new slide stop assemblies, focusing on the machining of the notch in the pin, where the guide rod plunger rests. In the used levers you can see the worn spots where the plungers rubbed against the surfaces.

Here are some slide stops from early production ('89/'90) 59XX guns (and from a 69XX). Notice how some pin notches were worn more than others, indicating different "contact" wear from guide rod plunger head/lever pin notch engagement.




Here's a new .45 lever (left), and a used lever (right), from a lightly used 4006TSW (late production). Notice how the machined notch size is different on the pins of the two levers.


Here's a new plain stainless lever (left) and the same lightly used TSW lever.


Here are some assorted new levers in plain and black finish. Notice the variance in machining marks, including in the notches. Notice how looking at the notches in the pins of the 2 black finish levers, the "lower right" (in pic reference) edge of the notch on the top one has some rough spots (over which the plunger head would have to rub during disassembly/reassembly). The bottom lever's notch is much smoother at the same spot.


Cont.

__________________
Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Cont.

Here are a couple of newer production levers. Notice the clean machining, including in the notches. No rough edges on the notches over which the plunger head would have to be pushed/pulled.


Here's a pair of new levers, with an interesting one (top). Notice how the notch was machined so there's an uneven, steep bevel on one side. Fortunately, that's on the side opposite where the plunger head would have to ride up and out of the notch as it's pulled from the frame, because I've positioned the slide stops upside down (to see better), and the slide stop is pulled toward the lever side of the assembly. (The plunger head would be pulled out of the other side of the notch.)



Now, while I've ordered some extra new lever assemblies over the years for the various 3rd gen's I own, just in case I might ever need one for repair in the future, I do have a small supply of early production Used 59XX assemblies I managed to collect ... and I think there's a 3913 lever assembly in there, too ... except I don't presently own a 59XX or a 69XX.

__________________
Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer