Hello all, I recently picked up a BNIB melonited 4566. When I tried to clean it I had a hard time removing the slide stop and the slide didn't want to come off. after a little fiddling it slid off but when i went to put it back on I found the sear release lever almost impossible to push down. I got it put back together and it functions correctly. seeing as how the gun is brand new am I to assume that this is normal and it just needs to be broken in or should it go back to smith? thanks.
4566 hard to feild strip
- Thread starter fluffy
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First, welcome to the forum and congrats on your purchase! Would love to find what you did.
Others with more experience will chime in with assistance. However, I recently purchased a little used 457 that was a little more fiddly than my well-used 3913 and 5906. The safety/decock lever was extremely stiff, but a little lube took care of that.
In addition, my sear release lever, and especially my firing pin release lever, took more effort to depress than the same on my other pistols.
Others with more experience will chime in with assistance. However, I recently purchased a little used 457 that was a little more fiddly than my well-used 3913 and 5906. The safety/decock lever was extremely stiff, but a little lube took care of that.
In addition, my sear release lever, and especially my firing pin release lever, took more effort to depress than the same on my other pistols.
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Have you tried it again since you field stripped it and cleaned and lubed it? Maybe spraying the area with a good solvent then blowing it out with compressed air would help. Let us know what you find out.
handgunner356
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I often use a small screwdriver to hold down the safety and decock levers when going back together.
timn8er
Absent Comrade
Welcome to the Forum!
+1 to scwv67 & handgunner356.
My recently acquired 4566TSW is a little bit harder than most of my 3rd Gens as far as field stripping goes. I also use a small flat screwdriver laid across both levers to make it easier. It was a LEO turn in, but it wasn't fired much.
+1 to scwv67 & handgunner356.
My recently acquired 4566TSW is a little bit harder than most of my 3rd Gens as far as field stripping goes. I also use a small flat screwdriver laid across both levers to make it easier. It was a LEO turn in, but it wasn't fired much.
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That's not uncommon... you can do a little "tuning" to make it easier.
On the slide stop lever, take some 600 grit sandpaper and knock the sharp edges off of the notch where the spring loaded plunger from the recoil guide rod engages.
Much of the felt resistance is from that plunger trying to ride over the angular edges of the notch and/or slight burr leftover from machining. Knocking down the edge makes it easier for it ride out of that notch when you pull on the slide stop to remove it, and is why guns with use are easier to deal with.
That slide stop is also the perfect tool to depress the levers while putting the slide on, the flat edge on the end of the pin side pushes the levers flush with the frame... no need to hunt down a special tool, the gun comes with one ;) I start from left to right... with the firing pin safety lever depressed last.
On the slide stop lever, take some 600 grit sandpaper and knock the sharp edges off of the notch where the spring loaded plunger from the recoil guide rod engages.
Much of the felt resistance is from that plunger trying to ride over the angular edges of the notch and/or slight burr leftover from machining. Knocking down the edge makes it easier for it ride out of that notch when you pull on the slide stop to remove it, and is why guns with use are easier to deal with.
That slide stop is also the perfect tool to depress the levers while putting the slide on, the flat edge on the end of the pin side pushes the levers flush with the frame... no need to hunt down a special tool, the gun comes with one ;) I start from left to right... with the firing pin safety lever depressed last.
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nocents
Member
^^^^^what he said....I have done the 600 grit on everyone of my stubborn slide lock levers...but sprayed it with Ballistol then wrapped it around the "pin" part and rotated it about a dozen times and then polished it with Mothers :cool:....but I am a little anal about stuff that don't work right....no more problems with sticky slide stops
I've taken it apart and put it together quite a few times now and its starting to get easier. I guess it just needed to be broken in. Still gonna try some 600 grit on the slide stop, also glad i'm not the only one that used the slide stop to push the levers down. All that's left to do is shoot it.
roughneck6
Member
Great find! I picked up a BNIB 5904 and had the exact same issue. After firing couple rounds and few more field stripping, no more issues. I did take 800 grit and gently hit the frame rails on my 4506-1, then light metal polish, wow runs like butter.
