Hi all, new to the forum and hoping to get some insight. I have had sd9ve for about 4 month and it has been flawless through 900 rounds but, I have noticed, when racking the slide for dry fire practice that the slide feel real gritty and sticky. When I first got it the slide was decent but seems like the more rounds it gets the worse it gets. It has not caused any problems yet but, it is a concern. I tried grease and oil, both light and then heavier applications and it doesn't seem to matter. It feels as tho it is the rear rails because on disassembly the rear of the slide is real smooth coming off the front rails and it also feels smoother if I use the front cocking serrations. Any ideas? Thanks for any insight.
Sd9ve slide "grit"
- Thread starter Snub405
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Would you say it feel notching? Does it feel gritty before you dry fire or after? Try removing the firing pin and check if smooths out.
I believe as the slide rides back, the firing pin catches the sear giving it a gritty feel. If that's case, I would say its normal. You can try to polish the contact areas.
I believe as the slide rides back, the firing pin catches the sear giving it a gritty feel. If that's case, I would say its normal. You can try to polish the contact areas.
Thanks clenceo, I tried that this morning and it still feels gritty. Might have to try the polish you suggested. I also noticed that the frame is getting chewed up in front of the take down fron the recoil spring, thinking this might be what I feel.
Frame being chewed up"
By "take down" I assume you mean the barrel stop, the bar you have to move down when you want to remove the slide assembly.
In any case, it's hard to visualize a properly installed spring coming down to the frame. Maybe you can clarify what you are observing.
By "take down" I assume you mean the barrel stop, the bar you have to move down when you want to remove the slide assembly.
In any case, it's hard to visualize a properly installed spring coming down to the frame. Maybe you can clarify what you are observing.
CaptRon956
Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2014
- Messages
- 646
- Reaction score
- 548
Before doing anything I have to ask a simple question....
Have you field stripped the gun & cleaned it?
Have you field stripped the gun & cleaned it?
Frame rubbing issue
The first thing I see is that the green leaf spring which holds your barrel stop (take down lever) is completely off-center. It should be aligned with the frame and right in the center throughout it's length.
Be sure that the lateral notch in the barrel stop is towards the rear of the gun. There is a sort of hook on the barrel that catches in this notch.
You might try removing the barrel stop by depressing the green spring and then trying to see where it starts. The rear end, down in your picture, should be centered and seated in a notch in the barrel stop. The front part (upper end) of the spring should be centered in the gun. How did it end up this way?
If you need a picture I can take one.
The first thing I see is that the green leaf spring which holds your barrel stop (take down lever) is completely off-center. It should be aligned with the frame and right in the center throughout it's length.
Be sure that the lateral notch in the barrel stop is towards the rear of the gun. There is a sort of hook on the barrel that catches in this notch.
You might try removing the barrel stop by depressing the green spring and then trying to see where it starts. The rear end, down in your picture, should be centered and seated in a notch in the barrel stop. The front part (upper end) of the spring should be centered in the gun. How did it end up this way?
If you need a picture I can take one.
Last edited:
Spring position and cleaning
Once you get the green spring aligned properly, be sure to look at the way you put the recoil spring assembly in. There are example pictures in the owner's manual that show how it should look. You will have to use a little pressure to get the rear end up to proper alignment. I would venture a guess that the whole issue started with an improper install of that recoil assembly.
That green spring will hop out when you remove the barrel stop so keep something over it (small flat-blade screwdriver works) while you slide the stop out horizontally. Then release it gently.
About cleaning, there is clearly excessive grease everywhere in the photo, but it won't hurt anything but would, over time, collect power residue. The only places that need grease (or oil) are the tops and bottoms of the 4 slide mounts (whatever they are called.) I do, however, put a little grease inside the slide slots in the slide itself. Not required but it just makes me feel good.
Once you get the green spring aligned properly, be sure to look at the way you put the recoil spring assembly in. There are example pictures in the owner's manual that show how it should look. You will have to use a little pressure to get the rear end up to proper alignment. I would venture a guess that the whole issue started with an improper install of that recoil assembly.
That green spring will hop out when you remove the barrel stop so keep something over it (small flat-blade screwdriver works) while you slide the stop out horizontally. Then release it gently.
About cleaning, there is clearly excessive grease everywhere in the photo, but it won't hurt anything but would, over time, collect power residue. The only places that need grease (or oil) are the tops and bottoms of the 4 slide mounts (whatever they are called.) I do, however, put a little grease inside the slide slots in the slide itself. Not required but it just makes me feel good.
Capt Crunch
Member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2012
- Messages
- 321
- Reaction score
- 105
Any metal parts that touch each other get a little Mothers polish in mine, seems to have taken away the grit.
gwpercle
Member
Take it apart and clean out every nook and cranny. Use a spray de-greaser, a soak in kerosene, scrub everywhere with an old tooth brush. You want to totally remove all dirt grime built up residue and old grease.
Then re-lube it with your favorite gun oil. Grease tends to pick up grit and it hangs on to it. So use it very sparingly, doesn't take much.
Gary
Then re-lube it with your favorite gun oil. Grease tends to pick up grit and it hangs on to it. So use it very sparingly, doesn't take much.
Gary
Last edited:
The problem is not lubrication. It is improper placement of parts in the area of the barrel stop. Wait until he takes care of that and then see what happens.
Everyone, please look at the photo he posted. It's clearly a mechanical assembly issue. Deal with lubrication after the gun is properly assembled.
Lack of lubrication will not make the slide dig into the frame as seen in the picture he posted.
Everyone, please look at the photo he posted. It's clearly a mechanical assembly issue. Deal with lubrication after the gun is properly assembled.
Lack of lubrication will not make the slide dig into the frame as seen in the picture he posted.
Last edited:
I hope you're making headway with the gritty feel. If you still are not making progress, I would try taking the firing pin, barrel and spring off the slide. Remove the trigger and the trigger block. It should most definitely be smooth. If it's still gritty, remove the rear sear block. After that, you may need to send it back. The front rail may be twisted slightly.
Gritty
Has no one looked at the picture showing the misplaced parts that are causing the problem?
Has no one looked at the picture showing the misplaced parts that are causing the problem?
PeterPocket
Member
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2014
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 21
How to CLEAN and PREP your slide
What Glock calls the SLIDE STOP, S&W calls the TAKEDOWN LEVER.
"Slide lock" is a far better name as it describes what the gun does with it. "Takedown" describes what you do with it, and grammatically-speaking, it is an oxymoron because you are not "taking down" anything. You are esentially pulling down a BARRIER that normally keeps your slide from coming off your gun. But, as you pull the two tabs of the lever down, you are lowering the barrier (like a gate) across which your slide will travel forward and off of the frame.
When you look at the recoil spring and barrel in the slide, you are looking "underneath the chamber of the barrel" (the rectangular box to which is attached the feed ramp and is at the breech end of the barrel, aka the entrance for the bullet).
In front of the barrel chamber are two loops that belong to the BARREL LUG that is used by the Browning system to pull the barrel back and down when the slide retracts, to eject the spent casing, and to bring the chamber feed ramp as close to the bullet in the magazine as possible to make the insertion of the new round easier. Then, when the slide returns to battery and the bullet is fully inserted, the barrel is raised up and back against the frame.
Now, there is a flat area right behind where the back of the guide rod sits. The SLIDE LOCK/TAKEDOWN LEVER (I prefer to call it a takedown plate) catches this part of the barrel to stop the forward travel of the slide as it goes back into battery after every shot.
It takes quite a beating after many shots and cycles, as you might imagine.
There is a leaf spring in both the Glock and the SD9 VE EXCEPT the Bozos at S&W made the leaf spring into an "S" shape instead of a simple "L" shape and dropped the long end of the spring inside of a wide well in the frame - with the result being that the spring will slide from side to side when you are pulling down on the tabs attached to the Takedown Lever that extend (BARELY) past the sides of the frame.
What thry should have done is make a slit in the frame intgo which the leaf spring would be secured.
Buying the Galloway Precision wide takedown lever is a wise investment because the stock one is too narrow and not wide enough from top to bottom as well as from side to side to keep it from wiggling and tipping like a seesaw when you are trying to pull it down.
Putting a layer of Tetra on the flat surface of the barrel lug and also on the takedown plate itself, and working it in will make the slide come off like ripe banana peel.
Nopw, some owners' manuals (for different guns) will tell you to always clean your gun right after shooting it no matter how many rounds you fire. I think it's a good idea.
Your "grittiness" is probably from a buildup of GSR particulates.
When you first got the gun, bedofre ever firing it would have been the right time to prep it - by that, I mean polishing the metal slide, and especially the two long grooves on either side and also the four rails in the frame. Then, get yourself a 1oz. tube of Tertra gun grease - a white litium lubricant that is to your gun like a Mother's Milk is to her Baby. It is the best lube on the planet. Hands down.
The secret to using it is to put little dabs on metal surfaces or thin lines in metal grooves, and work them into the metal surface with a microfiber cloth. The grease fills up the microscopic pores in the metal like it had little litium ball bearings, and when you're done, you'll have a thin, dry surface that will be as slicker than Teflon.
It is a must for any two parts that are both metal, but you can also use it where metal meets polymer.
I use M-Pro Bore Cleaner, a nontoxic, odorless, biodegradable cleaner for the inside of my barrel and also to clean off other parts inside my gun. For the slide and frame rails, yhou can spray them to clean them, wipe them dry with one microfiber cloth, and use another clean one to rub a thin layer of Tetra on it. No need to rub it in. Just a thin layer will do.
You can also use Hoppes wipes or cotton wipes that don't shred.
I also use the Tetra gun oil that I poured into a syringe to make it into a pinpoint oiler. I also use M-Pro gun oil as well. The Tetra oil is higher in viscosity than the M-Pro. In fact, I think they mixed some Tetra lube in with the oil because I've seen them separate inside the syringe. Pulling the plunger back and shaking it well remixes them. If you apply it straight from the plastic bottle, you would also need to "Shake it Well" before use.
I use the oils for springs and pivot points like those found on the trigger, trigger bar, slide release, etc.
That should get rid of the grittiness.
NOW, if you should feel or hear any grittiness coming from the trrigger pull, then your best friend will be powered graphite sprinkled on the bottom of the curved trigger pivot and also on the sear. I forgot to mention to put a dab of Tetra in between the little notch on the trigger bar where it hooks the notch on the sear to pull it back.
Hope this helps.
What Glock calls the SLIDE STOP, S&W calls the TAKEDOWN LEVER.
"Slide lock" is a far better name as it describes what the gun does with it. "Takedown" describes what you do with it, and grammatically-speaking, it is an oxymoron because you are not "taking down" anything. You are esentially pulling down a BARRIER that normally keeps your slide from coming off your gun. But, as you pull the two tabs of the lever down, you are lowering the barrier (like a gate) across which your slide will travel forward and off of the frame.
When you look at the recoil spring and barrel in the slide, you are looking "underneath the chamber of the barrel" (the rectangular box to which is attached the feed ramp and is at the breech end of the barrel, aka the entrance for the bullet).
In front of the barrel chamber are two loops that belong to the BARREL LUG that is used by the Browning system to pull the barrel back and down when the slide retracts, to eject the spent casing, and to bring the chamber feed ramp as close to the bullet in the magazine as possible to make the insertion of the new round easier. Then, when the slide returns to battery and the bullet is fully inserted, the barrel is raised up and back against the frame.
Now, there is a flat area right behind where the back of the guide rod sits. The SLIDE LOCK/TAKEDOWN LEVER (I prefer to call it a takedown plate) catches this part of the barrel to stop the forward travel of the slide as it goes back into battery after every shot.
It takes quite a beating after many shots and cycles, as you might imagine.
There is a leaf spring in both the Glock and the SD9 VE EXCEPT the Bozos at S&W made the leaf spring into an "S" shape instead of a simple "L" shape and dropped the long end of the spring inside of a wide well in the frame - with the result being that the spring will slide from side to side when you are pulling down on the tabs attached to the Takedown Lever that extend (BARELY) past the sides of the frame.
What thry should have done is make a slit in the frame intgo which the leaf spring would be secured.
Buying the Galloway Precision wide takedown lever is a wise investment because the stock one is too narrow and not wide enough from top to bottom as well as from side to side to keep it from wiggling and tipping like a seesaw when you are trying to pull it down.
Putting a layer of Tetra on the flat surface of the barrel lug and also on the takedown plate itself, and working it in will make the slide come off like ripe banana peel.
Nopw, some owners' manuals (for different guns) will tell you to always clean your gun right after shooting it no matter how many rounds you fire. I think it's a good idea.
Your "grittiness" is probably from a buildup of GSR particulates.
When you first got the gun, bedofre ever firing it would have been the right time to prep it - by that, I mean polishing the metal slide, and especially the two long grooves on either side and also the four rails in the frame. Then, get yourself a 1oz. tube of Tertra gun grease - a white litium lubricant that is to your gun like a Mother's Milk is to her Baby. It is the best lube on the planet. Hands down.
The secret to using it is to put little dabs on metal surfaces or thin lines in metal grooves, and work them into the metal surface with a microfiber cloth. The grease fills up the microscopic pores in the metal like it had little litium ball bearings, and when you're done, you'll have a thin, dry surface that will be as slicker than Teflon.
It is a must for any two parts that are both metal, but you can also use it where metal meets polymer.
I use M-Pro Bore Cleaner, a nontoxic, odorless, biodegradable cleaner for the inside of my barrel and also to clean off other parts inside my gun. For the slide and frame rails, yhou can spray them to clean them, wipe them dry with one microfiber cloth, and use another clean one to rub a thin layer of Tetra on it. No need to rub it in. Just a thin layer will do.
You can also use Hoppes wipes or cotton wipes that don't shred.
I also use the Tetra gun oil that I poured into a syringe to make it into a pinpoint oiler. I also use M-Pro gun oil as well. The Tetra oil is higher in viscosity than the M-Pro. In fact, I think they mixed some Tetra lube in with the oil because I've seen them separate inside the syringe. Pulling the plunger back and shaking it well remixes them. If you apply it straight from the plastic bottle, you would also need to "Shake it Well" before use.
I use the oils for springs and pivot points like those found on the trigger, trigger bar, slide release, etc.
That should get rid of the grittiness.
NOW, if you should feel or hear any grittiness coming from the trrigger pull, then your best friend will be powered graphite sprinkled on the bottom of the curved trigger pivot and also on the sear. I forgot to mention to put a dab of Tetra in between the little notch on the trigger bar where it hooks the notch on the sear to pull it back.
Hope this helps.
Last edited:
I fixed the spring and no change there. Took out the striker and no change. So I took and field stripped it and put back one piece at a time and it was all fairly smooth until I put the recoil spring and guide rod back then it got to feeling all sticky and gritty again.
Ou1954, there is a lot of grease. I use excess to try to smooth it out. Btw, hasn't worked.
Ou1954, there is a lot of grease. I use excess to try to smooth it out. Btw, hasn't worked.
Gritty
Is the slide, or some part of that assembly, still gouging into the frame? Sounds like the problem is linked to that.
You can do the reverse of what one does with a black magic marker on the stainless areas in question. Clean off the grease and put some whiteout, temporarily, on the frame and see where it is rubbed off.
I fixed the spring and no change there. Took out the striker and no change. So I took and field stripped it and put back one piece at a time and it was all fairly smooth until I put the recoil spring and guide rod back then it got to feeling all sticky and gritty again.
Ou1954, there is a lot of grease. I use excess to try to smooth it out. Btw, hasn't worked.
Is the slide, or some part of that assembly, still gouging into the frame? Sounds like the problem is linked to that.
You can do the reverse of what one does with a black magic marker on the stainless areas in question. Clean off the grease and put some whiteout, temporarily, on the frame and see where it is rubbed off.
In a team effort to try to figure out the grit you feel, I attached some pics of my pistol.
The left pictures are the Galloway 22lb steel guide rod, and the right pictures are the factory 17lb polymer guide rod.
I wonder if the area where the guide rod sits is too narrow, and as the spring compresses its binding on the walls. Or the polymer guide rod is just too weak and its deforming under tension.
The left pictures are the Galloway 22lb steel guide rod, and the right pictures are the factory 17lb polymer guide rod.
I wonder if the area where the guide rod sits is too narrow, and as the spring compresses its binding on the walls. Or the polymer guide rod is just too weak and its deforming under tension.
