Slide release hanging in takedown notch

[springer]

(this is my first post - sorry if this is misplaced, don't mind if you relocate it; it seemed the only maintenance troubleshooting forum).

On my Llama IIIa, a miniaturized M1911 clone, when I rack the slide slowly on an empty magazine the slide hangs-up in the takedown notch before it gets to the normal slide hold-open notch. Is this normal? It doesn't seem like correct operation to me. Perhaps the slide release is worn, or the slide takedown notch is too big. I would appreciate any comments.

(I have a couple of pictures but I can't figure out how to post them with this note).


Thanks,

John

[warmrain]

John,

I can't answer your first question, but pictures really do help. How to post photos is answered in the FAQs that you can get to from the top of the page...

[Hunter]

When I cycle the slide slowly and watch the slide release it will start to move into position on the take down notch with an empty magazine in place (due to the pressure the magazine follower is applying) but the take down notch is not near large enough to trap the magazine release and the shape of the takedown notch allows the slide release to slide out then into position to lock the slide open. It could be the notch is wore or out of shape. What sort of magazine are you using? Have you tried a different magazine to see if the one you have could be applying too much upward force on the slide release? Could you compare yours to another that is similar that you know works to see if the takedown notch is the trouble? When you say hang up does it lock the slide open on the takedown notch or can you feel it catch then slide past it? What about on the last round in the magazine? Does the slide lock back like it should when you are shooting it?

[John]

Hunter said it correctly. If there is a mag in place, the slide stop is pushed up by the follower, as it passes the take-down notch. That's normal, as long as it does not bind there.

[1911Tuner]

Look at the area of the slidestop lug that the mag follower shelf bears on when it lifts the stop. If it's angled so as to cause the spring tension to push outward on it, it'll do exactly what you described. You may be able to undercut it slightly so as to cause the shelf to pull it toward the frame, but a little too much and it won't lift the stop enough to lock the slide unless you bend the shelf upward on the edge...which if not carefully done, can break it off.

Correctly designed and made, the follower shelf should have a little upward kink on the edge that works to counter the tendency of the shelf to push out on the stop. Combined with an 89 degree angle on the bottom of the lug, it prevents the occurrence completely. Look at an original USGI mag follower to see what I mean.

I see this happen frequently with cheap or poorly-made slidestops and/or non-standard magazine followers. It goes back to correct specifications.
Likely adjustable, byt possibly not. Can't tell ya who to contact for a new slidestop if yours is too badly out of spec to fix...They stopped making that little gun a while ago, unless they're still in production for foreign markets.
Shame too....I thought they were neat little pistols, and were actually pretty decent quality. Much better than the fullsized 1911 clones.

[springer]

Thanks all. Johnny, ver interesting analysis, I will look carefully at the slide release parts geometry.

I think they still make this gun as the Llama Micromax, although I'm sure some details have changed.

Regards,

j