Question about the 39 dervived series guns

Kavinsky

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Now while I do know this is a blank firing conversion gun it has odd issue that I've seen on actual live firing model 39's while browsing the auctions for one out of curiosity

S%26W645_DJohnson_MVice.jpg


now take a look at the back end of the slide and the frame where they meet by the hammer, the slide is sitting back ever so slightly that a fraction of the frame is vissbile from the top, like the back end of the slide and the frame arent properly lined up so the frame is vissbile and exposed when it shouldnt be at all

now my question is this, what is causing this and is it anything serious? is it a sign the recoil spring or the spring in the slide stop need to be replaced?


also when it comes to recoil spring replacement, if the spring is dragging on the guide rod when you try to take it off to replace it is there any sort of trick to get it off without it maring up the guide rod?

like is there some sort of a tool that you can use to grab the ends of the spring that are sitting on the guide rod and pull it away from the Rod to safely get it off without marring it up?
 
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so is this anything serious I mean does anyone know what causes this on the model 39 based guns and the model 39 itself?
 
Most likely it's from having a different barrel installed than the original. The slide stop pin is engaging the barrel lug in a different spot, it locks up further forward than it should for a proper fit. Shouldn't cause any problem, more cosmetic than anything.
 
thanks kcphelps

so its just a minor fitting issue then? nothing really worth worrying about?

and what about the dragging recoil spring thing, is there any sort of gunsmith tool to prevent that from happening if the spring is old and dragging at the end of the spring on the guide rod?
 
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Typically, one end of a non-captive recoil spring is made to tightly fit the guide rod so that they don't separate during field stripping. There is no need to periodically remove the spring from the guide unless you're replacing the spring. This is intended to minimize the possibilty of losing parts and the drag is supposed to exist. The guide rod is going to experience surface wear during normal operation. Don't worry about "marring the finish".

When a pistol is properly fitted during the assembly process, the back of the slide & frame usually align. In your case, the slide is slightly forward. This could be the result of parts mixup where several pistols were apart at the same time. It is also can result from normal wear of various bearing surfaces over time. The amount of mismatch shown on the photo isn't a serious issue yet. When you see about twice that mismatch, consideration should be given to barrel and/or slide stop replacement.

Like any mechanical device, guns wear and parts may require periodic replacement.
 
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Alright that explains alot and thanks for the info, I didnt know that the 39 based series spring was rigged up in that way as with most guns nowadays it seems like the springs are rigged up to easily come off for replacement.
 
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