4006 slide stop lever cuts holster leather

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Hi, I have a nice 4006 which I really like. Only thing I don't like is how the slide stop lever protrudes from the frame about 4mm in 4 "steps" and the outer edge is fairly thin and sharp. It cuts into my holster leather. I've been thinking of grinding or filing down the lever to about about 3mm (remove the final "step") and smoothing it out. The finish on the filed edge likely will then mismatch but oh well. Is there some other option I should consider before modifying this lever?
 
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Welcome to the Forum!

Many folks (including myself) have filed a step or two off of the slide release and/or safety lever of our various 2nd and 3rd gen pistols to thin them down for concealed carry.

If you would prefer to NOT modify your original part(s), you can buy spares from Brownells, Midway, Numrich, GunBroker, e-bay, etc.

S&W also produced thinned slide stop and safety levers for their early model compact pistols.

Models like the 469, 669, 6906 had the thinned levers and you could search for them.

If you choose to thin the lever(s) yourself, bead blasting or simply touching up the new surface with a Scotchbrite pad will give you the finish for which you are looking.

John
 
John,

What is the interchange, if any, on this? Numrich has the flat levers (three step) for the 1006, 6946, and 4506. The 6946 one also fits the 669.

Welcome to the Forum!

Many folks (including myself) have filed a step or two off of the slide release and/or safety lever of our various 2nd and 3rd gen pistols to thin them down for concealed carry.

If you would prefer to NOT modify your original part(s), you can buy spares from Brownells, Midway, Numrich, GunBroker, e-bay, etc.

S&W also produced thinned slide stop and safety levers for their early model compact pistols.

Models like the 469, 669, 6906 had the thinned levers and you could search for them.

If you choose to thin the lever(s) yourself, bead blasting or simply touching up the new surface with a Scotchbrite pad will give you the finish for which you are looking.

John
 
John,

What is the interchange, if any, on this? Numrich has the flat levers (three step) for the 1006, 6946, and 4506. The 6946 one also fits the 669.

There are three sizes of levers, (actually, the length of the pin that goes through the frame) without regard to the thickness, color, or shape of the lever on the outside OR generation of pistol.

Size number one is for ALL of the single stack, 9mm pistols, full size or compact, standard or TSW, TDA, DAO, or frame decock.
Sometimes called the "small frame".

That would include: 39, 39-2, 439, 639, 3904, 3906, 3913, 3914, 3953, CS9, etc.

Size number two is for ALL of the double stack pistols, full size or compact, standard or TSW, TDA, DAO, or frame decock. Sometimes called the "medium frame".

That would include: 59, 459, 559, 659,469, 669, 5903, 5906, 6906, 6946, 4006, 4003, 6926, 5946, 4013TSW, etc.

Size number three is for ALL of the single stack, 40, 45, and 10mm pistols, full size or compact, standard or TSW, TDA, DAO, or frame decock.
Sometimes called the "large frame".

That would include: 645, 4506, 4516, 4505, 4513TSW, 1006, 1066, 4566, 1076, CS40/45, 4013 single stack, etc.

In summary, just remember:

1) Single stack 9.

2) Double stack 9/40.

3) Single stack 40, 45, 10.

The early compacts had "thinned" thumb pads.

The frame decocker slide stop levers are a little shorter on the thumb pad to help the shooter's thumb clear the decock lever.

That's it.

John
 
Great. The OP should be able to find the early, thinner style pad, slide stops at Numrich. The only issue might be the color as I don't know if Stainless are still available.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. I did see a thinned lever on Numrich, but don't remember if it indicated 4006 or not. I'll likely just file down the slide stop lever that came with the gun as I'm not concerned about being able to restore to original. I wanted to make sure I was not overlooking some other option and was thinking I could not be the first to think that lever stuck out quite a ways.

Am I wrong in thinking that this gun's design is a little rare in that it has a decocker thus allows carrying decocked and then shooting DA/SA? Seems like that may be a little rare these days but I like it.
 
Why get overly complicated.

I machine work it's called 'breaking the edge".

Take a stone and simply round off the sharp edge.

Very quick, very easy. Maybe two minutes and done.

And, nobody is the wiser.
 
It's not the sharpness of the edges so much as the leading flat is very narrow. Have to file off quite a bit a lot of material and get rid of the first one or two steps to have more surface area.
 
Yep, it's a bit more involved than a few swipes with a stone.

I've got a CS9 that I'd like to carry with a minimum-bulk holster,
or even a clip-grip. The slide release and port side safety lever
will need a lot of work, if I hope to not bleed, carrying it.
 
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