Doughboy Racing
Member
Why would that lever on the side work its way up during firing and lock the slide
1006 keeps locking the slide open with ammo still in mag
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bountyhunter
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Most of the time premature slide lock is caused by the thumb rocking up during recoil.
Another cause is the feed lip spacing on the mags being too wide, which allows the follower to rise too high as the last round is trying to feed and the follower trips the slide lock with a round in the mag.
rarely, the ammo itself can bump the slide lock.
Another cause is the feed lip spacing on the mags being too wide, which allows the follower to rise too high as the last round is trying to feed and the follower trips the slide lock with a round in the mag.
rarely, the ammo itself can bump the slide lock.
handgunner356
Member
Check the slide stop catch plunger in the recoil rod. See if it's smooth on the end and holding any tension on the stop lever. Also check the stop plunger in the end of the stop itself, should move freely and help hold the stop down with tension againest hammer pin plate.
Fastbolt
Member
The common non-gun causes of early slide stop lever engagement are shooter-induced (nudging/bumping slide stop lever) and ammunition (fat bullet profile hitting the lever's tab).
The most common mechanical causes of the slide stop lever engaging prematurely in S&W 3rd gen guns is either a damaged slide stop lever or side plate.
I'd check the guide rod plunger's tension, but the more common problems are the slide stop lever assembly or the side plate being damaged.
A damaged slide stop lever can occur when the plunger and/or its spring no longer exert the necessary tension against the angled portion of the side plate, or when the angle between the lever body and the lever assembly's pin (shaft) pin decreases and allows the lever's tab to reach farther into the magazine and contact the noses of the rising rounds in the mag body. (Recoil forces can act on the slide stop lever and sometimes eventually cause it to acquire a slight inward or
A damaged side plate can occur when the 'legs' (or prongs) of the side plate which secure and anchor it on the head of the sear pin become loosened, bent or even broken off. This can allow improper movement at the top/front of the side plate where the small angled section of the side plate sticks out above the front of the left grip panel and engages the slide stop lever's plunger. If the angle changes it can lessen the tension between the parts and allow the lever to float upward under recoil (and it can also trap the lever's plunger under the bottom edge of the plate if it shifts upward too much).
Improperly installing a grip can damage the side plate. If the person isn't paying proper attention and allows the corner of the grip to snag and catch the side plate, and then applies force to seat the grip on the frame, it can damage the legs. This improper leverage can result in the rear leg (or prong) of the side plate becoming tweaked and slipping over the end of the sear pin, becoming bent and spread too wide in relation to the other leg, or even being snapped off.
If gentle pressure from a finger tip & thumb can wiggle the small angled plate (which sticks out from the front of the left grip) up & down, generally either the side plate's legs aren't securely snapped over the recessed left end of the sear pin, or else the plate is damaged.
No way to diagnose what's happening with your gun, though, unless someone looks at it who's familiar with maintaining and repairing S&W 3rd gen guns.
The good news is that both parts are relatively easy to replace (although replacing the side plate requires knowledge of stripping the frame since the hammer, ejector and firing pin safety lever are held in frame on the side plate's pin).
Both parts still have to be checked for normal fit and function in any particular gun, of course. Every once in a while it's possible to find a slide stop lever that may not drop into a particular gun. The gap between the back of the slide stop lever body and the outside of the frame should be uniform (not narrower at one end or the other). I'm told they use what's called a 'lollipop' gauge to check for this gap during production, but armorers are told to simply look for uniformity of the gap, good function when doing bench checks with dummy rounds and then normal functioning out on the firing line.
The most common mechanical causes of the slide stop lever engaging prematurely in S&W 3rd gen guns is either a damaged slide stop lever or side plate.
I'd check the guide rod plunger's tension, but the more common problems are the slide stop lever assembly or the side plate being damaged.
A damaged slide stop lever can occur when the plunger and/or its spring no longer exert the necessary tension against the angled portion of the side plate, or when the angle between the lever body and the lever assembly's pin (shaft) pin decreases and allows the lever's tab to reach farther into the magazine and contact the noses of the rising rounds in the mag body. (Recoil forces can act on the slide stop lever and sometimes eventually cause it to acquire a slight inward or
A damaged side plate can occur when the 'legs' (or prongs) of the side plate which secure and anchor it on the head of the sear pin become loosened, bent or even broken off. This can allow improper movement at the top/front of the side plate where the small angled section of the side plate sticks out above the front of the left grip panel and engages the slide stop lever's plunger. If the angle changes it can lessen the tension between the parts and allow the lever to float upward under recoil (and it can also trap the lever's plunger under the bottom edge of the plate if it shifts upward too much).
Improperly installing a grip can damage the side plate. If the person isn't paying proper attention and allows the corner of the grip to snag and catch the side plate, and then applies force to seat the grip on the frame, it can damage the legs. This improper leverage can result in the rear leg (or prong) of the side plate becoming tweaked and slipping over the end of the sear pin, becoming bent and spread too wide in relation to the other leg, or even being snapped off.
If gentle pressure from a finger tip & thumb can wiggle the small angled plate (which sticks out from the front of the left grip) up & down, generally either the side plate's legs aren't securely snapped over the recessed left end of the sear pin, or else the plate is damaged.
No way to diagnose what's happening with your gun, though, unless someone looks at it who's familiar with maintaining and repairing S&W 3rd gen guns.
The good news is that both parts are relatively easy to replace (although replacing the side plate requires knowledge of stripping the frame since the hammer, ejector and firing pin safety lever are held in frame on the side plate's pin).
Both parts still have to be checked for normal fit and function in any particular gun, of course. Every once in a while it's possible to find a slide stop lever that may not drop into a particular gun. The gap between the back of the slide stop lever body and the outside of the frame should be uniform (not narrower at one end or the other). I'm told they use what's called a 'lollipop' gauge to check for this gap during production, but armorers are told to simply look for uniformity of the gap, good function when doing bench checks with dummy rounds and then normal functioning out on the firing line.
OP
Doughboy Racing
Member
The pin on the angled piece by the grip still is strong and has good tension, but I do detect some burs around the slide hole this piece enters the gun through, also even if mag is out and you rack the slide back that lever does not move up enough to lock the slide securely. Sounds like a gunsmith issue, does S&W still repair these guns?
OP
Doughboy Racing
Member
Heres a few pics of not fully engaging and engaging prematurely and 1 of the burs around the through hole could that cause my issues?
OP
Doughboy Racing
Member
Well I did somee filing on the back of the release lever where the pin exits towards the gun side and around the hole the lever sits in on the slide and it does seem a little better. Now to fire some ammo and see if all is good.
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