Failure to lock slide back on last round

[FJC]

I bought a brand new Colt New Agent earlier this week, and ran into a few problems while testing it yesterday. Some discussion regarding this has taken place in the thread with my range report in the Colt forum, but I figured it would be best to move the discussion here.

In a nutshell, the two 7-round compact magazines supplied by Colt (and made by Check-Mate, with their patented bull-nose follower) fail to lock back the slide on my New Agent after firing the last round. One magazine fails 100% of the time, the other magazine fails roughly 80%.

A Check-Mate branded 7-round full-size stainless magazine was also tested. It was used the same number of times as the others, and the slide would lock back successfully 100% of the time. It seems the problem is only with the Colt-supplied magazines.

When using those magazines, after the last round is fired the slide is not locked back, and the follower in the magazine has jumped over the slide stop. As a result, when this occurs if I press the magazine release, the magazine does not drop out - it requires that I grab the base and pull it out.

Note that if I simply insert an empty magazine in the pistol and pull back the slide, it will lock fine - it seems to only be under recoil that the follower jumps over the slide stop.

Thoughts, or things I should check? Here's some pictures of the slide stop. Note that it looks to have some very rounded edges. Again, this is a brand-new pistol...

http://www.condron.com/pics/colt/na/slidestop_2105.jpg

http://www.condron.com/pics/colt/na/slidestop_2106.jpg

Two magazines compared. The top is one of the Colt supplied magazines that fails to lock the slide back - the bottom is the Check-Mate which always locks the slide back correctly.

http://www.condron.com/pics/colt/na/twomags_2092.jpg

The Colt-supplied magazine's follower:

http://www.condron.com/pics/colt/na/badfollower_2098.jpg

And the Check-mate magazine's follower:

http://www.condron.com/pics/colt/na/goodfollower_2096.jpg

Thanks for any advice - I'd sure like to nail this down, as otherwise the pistol operated flawlessly for the 200 rounds I put through it.

[thelumox]

assuming i understand your post correctly, i would order a couple of those followers that work 100%, and toss the bull nosed pieces in the trash! i am definitely not an expert.

[niemi24s]

Here's some pictures of the slide stop. Note that it looks to have some very rounded edges. Again, this is a brand-new pistol...

http://www.condron.com/pics/colt/na/slidestop_2105.jpg

http://www.condron.com/pics/colt/na/slidestop_2106.jpg That's the sorriest-looking excuse for a slide stop I've ever seen! All of those corners where the horizontal (as installed) surfaces meet should be sharp, and broken no more than 0.015".

Small wonder your followers - or any follower for that matter - can't lift it up reliably.

If that's really a Colt slide stop, Colt owes you one. Call them.

Regards

[niemi24s]

And, just in case this is your first 1911, here's what well made slide stops look like: http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p232/niemi24s/P095230003b.jpgThe one on the left is a casting, the other a 50 year old one machined from a solid chunk of steel.

I have a hunch there may be nothing wrong with your magazines, and wouldn't spend a dime on them until you test them with a proper slide stop.

Regards

[FJC]

And, just in case this is your first 1911...

I have a hunch there may be nothing wrong with your magazines, and wouldn't spend a dime on them until you test them with a proper slide stop.

Regards

Oh, not my first 1911 by far. I have a S&W, Colt Commander, Nighthawk Talon, Wilson Combat CQB, Springfield Armory, and a few others. I had a few other Colts years ago that had problems early on (both suffering from the bad batch of extractors they were shipping back around 2002).

Just saddens me that after giving Colt another try, this is what I get - I either need to deal with them (and likely have to ship the pistol to them), or I'm out another $40 or so if I replace the slide stop myself.

[Baldy]

Might send them pictures to Colt and see if they will send you a new stop. Never know stranger things have happen. Good luck.

[CDogg]

$40 wont hurt you much FJC. You got some high end 1911s lol! I do agree with your thoughts though. You give something one last shot and you get kicked right at the rear. I think, if you send them pics, they will know if you went through that much trouble, perhaps they would send you a new slide stop

[John]

Well, before trying anything with mags, get yourself a real Colt slide stop from Brownells and replace that sorry excuse of slide stop. I've never seen a Colt with such a slide stop before, you sure it was a new gun?

[FJC]

$40 wont hurt you much FJC. You got some high end 1911s lol! I do agree with your thoughts though.

That's the kicker, really - that it's yet another Colt that won't run correctly right out of the box. I love the heritage of Colt, and I keep trying to go back to them. And I'd rather put that $40 toward some Esmeralda grips. :)


I've never seen a Colt with such a slide stop before, you sure it was a new gun?

It was sold to me as NEW by a reputable gun shop. All indications from my inspection were that it was new, i.e. the bluing on the rails and inside the slide where the disconnector rubs was intact.

That's not to say that someone didn't swap out the slide stop, though even that doesn't have much bluing wear on it.

[John]

And I'd rather put that $40 toward some Esmeralda grips.

Good luck finding Esmeralda grips at 40$. Her grips are much too nice to be sold at that price, LoRL!!!!

[FJC]

Good luck finding Esmeralda grips at 40$. Her grips are much too nice to be sold at that price, LoRL!!!!

Ha! No kidding... but I'd be $40 closer if I didn't need a new slide stop.

Any real difference between these various slide stops? I can get the following through Brownells:

Colt - $28
Wilson Combat - $25
Wilson Combat Bulletproof - $46

Is the "Bulletproof" really worth twice the price?

(And of course I can see it now - I'll get a new slide stop, and now the problem will be premature slide lock and I'll have to start filing/testing/filing to get that resolved...sigh.)

[John]

I would go with the Colt part.

And of course, there is a way to avoid all these, just pack the pistol and send it back to Colt. It would probably cost you more, but you won't have to mess with it. Personally, I wouldn't. Get your new slide stop, and take the pistol to the range together with your jeweler's files. You should have everything set up in less than an hour.

[FJC]

I would go with the Colt part.

And of course, there is a way to avoid all these, just pack the pistol and send it back to Colt. It would probably cost you more, but you won't have to mess with it. Personally, I wouldn't. Get your new slide stop, and take the pistol to the range together with your jeweler's files. You should have everything set up in less than an hour.

I think that's the way to go. I'll order a new stop, and if I can't get it working with that, THEN I'll send it back to Colt. Worst case, I have a spare slide stop for my parts bin.

Thanks everyone for all the help!

[1911a1]

FJC, trouble shoot the problem by using a 2 or more of your other pistols slidestops temporarily. try more than one. some 1911s or more forgiving than others as regards to slidestops. I have a colt that got worse at about 500 round count about not holding the slide back on the last round. tried a ed brown part first it still did it. troubleshooted with my cousins kimber slidestop problem solved. ordered another colt slidestop from brownells that one worked.

[kenhwind]

Is the "Bulletproof" really worth twice the price?
Yes in my opinion, but not necessary. I would go for a Colt part.

[FJC]

Ok, I called Colt this morning. Explained the situation. The gentleman on the phone stated that if I wanted to mail in the slide stop along with a letter explaining the problem, they'd replace it. A shame they won't cross-ship to save me some time.

[kenhwind]

Well I kind of disagree with that policy, but on the other hand their are persons that would be happy to acquire a free new slide stop.
Not you of course your slide stop is not finished correctly.
You could return the defective slide stop, and order a Wilson Combat from brownells have one in a couple of days. I know this seems redundant but.....

[niemi24s]

Maybe if you emailed that gentleman at Colt your pic of the slide stop they'd change their policy.

Just tell him you'll send them their junky one when you get a good one from them.

[kenhwind]

FJC;
You might want to consider a Wilson Combat Drop In grip safety, also.

[FJC]

You could return the defective slide stop, and order a Wilson Combat from brownells have one in a couple of days. I know this seems redundant but.....

Exactly my plan - in fact, it has already shipped from Brownells. :)

You might want to consider a Wilson Combat Drop In grip safety, also.

Ha - that has shipped as well. I was going to just round off the edges of the original grip safety, but given the black color I figured I'd have trouble matching it when it came to cold blue. So, I'll keep this part "original" should I decide to sell the pistol in the future, and put in a drop-in Wilson one. I've installed one before, so shouldn't have any issues.

Maybe if you emailed that gentleman at Colt your pic of the slide stop they'd change their policy.

Just tell him you'll send them their junky one when you get a good one from them.

I was going to press the matter, but already had the Wilson Combat replacement ordered anyway. He seemed to be in a hurry, he quickly gave me the address to send it to (no RMA number or anything, just an address).