Just picked up a used 5904 - Stripped slide off more or less normal but a bit of resistance at start. Pretty clean as it was so I lubed per SW instructions and started to reassemble. Slide goes on fine to first lever on left (Ejector & Magazine depressor) - depress that and it goes to second lever (firing pin safety lever) depress that and it hangs til you wiggle first lever. Then goes to beginning of sear release lever and hangs up like hard stop. Push sear release lever down and wiggle other levers but still like a hard stop. Take recoil spring, guide, & barrel out of slide and exact same problem so its not the recoil spring or barrel.

Make sure the magazine is out. Take a small wooden dowel, or ice cream stick and lay it across all three levers. Depress them and push the slide on - don't force it.

Also make sure the guide rod collar is securely seated in its notch in the bottom.

Good luck! Hope this helps. Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

On any 9MM I have owned, my fingers are enough to press down on the levers. On the 4566 I just got, my fingers aren’t enough. I use the slide stop lever to press them down.

I found that when I tried to put my 639 back together... as long as the hammer was cocked the third lever wouldn't depress, so I had to hold the hammer and let it down in a controlled manner until the pressure was off of the lever, then it went down OK. Could you be experiencing the same thing?

Froggie

Hammer has to be down at rest to re-assemble, can't do it with the hammer cocked.

Also, what grips are on the frame? Some wood and aftermarket grips impinge on the drawbar which is shoved downward when you depress the sear release lever. If the grip is blocking the free downward pivoting of the drawbar, you'll play hell getting the slide back on.

Cheers
Bill

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Because they don't make a .46

+1

Me too... ever notice how the end of the slide stop pin is flat?

Could it be that's what S&W intended it to be used for, or maybe just a coincidence that it works. Either way, it's great to have an "onboard" tool for depressing those levers.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

Early 5904 (1989) - Standard S&W Grips (old style before the recall to replace grips). Hammer down (not cocked) - cocked and fired once with slide off. Have tried pushing sear release lever down with punch - much resistance but it goes down below surface. Still feels like a hard hit - not friction, but something blocking movement back.

YIKES!!! Do not dry fire with slide off, the hammer will beat the top edge of the receiver, which can raise a bur and potentially crack the receiver. To lower the hammer with the slide removed you need to hold the hammer and control its drop.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

No force - hammer down easy - point being hammer was down not in cocked or half cocked position noted as potential problem.

I have found that reassembling 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation S&W semi-autos is sometimes easier if you turn the frame upside down first.

It should not require any significant force to depress those levers. I have never had to use any tool or implement other than my thumbnail when reassembling one of these weapons.

It sounds like something is binding up so I would advise not forcing it as you're liable to damage something. Rather you need to identify what & where is the source of the binding problem.

I'd start with simply taking the grip off and work the ejector and sear release levers independently and observe the movement of the drawbar and also note any gritty or crunchy feel in the movement of either lever

Both the ejector and the sear release lever when pushed down flush with the frame top depress disconnector. The disconnector in turn pushes down on the rear of the drawbar pivoting that part downward out of engagement with the hammer & sear. The sear release lever while depressing the disconnector also at the same instant, pushes forward on the top of the sear pivoting the sear out of engagement with the hammer.

If nothing stands out manipulating those levers with the grip off I'd go ahead and detail strip the frame then clean and inspect it along with each component part. It very well could be just a tiny piece of debris or junk caught up somewhere at fault.

Cheers
Bill

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Because they don't make a .46

Have removed grips - all seems to move normally but Sear Release Lever still does not go all the way down flush - it goes almost all the way then stops.

You might also check the face of the angled foot at the bottom of the sear release lever. This is the point where the sear release lever interfaces with the sharp edge at the top of the sear when the decocker is rotated down, pushing the sear off of the SA cocking notch.
There is always visual evidence of this sear contact on the lever, and sometimes, a nasty burr at the end of the contact mark. Check to verify that the angled cut on the bottom leg of the sear release lever is free of burrs....particularly in the area of the contact mark.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer