Slide stop with removeable pin

This year at nationals Chris M. showed me a slide stop on one of his guns with a pin (straight portion only) that could be removed and replaced with a larger diameter one as the barrel wears.

I was wondering if anyone else was familiar with this modification, would care to share pictures and explain. What gunsmiths perform this modification? I am curious and would like to educate myself, thought others might be interested.

Not sure it would be effective since the holes in the frame wear at a different rate.

I think the wear of the holes in the frame (if the lower is quality steel and not an old usgi) is negligible compared to the wear of the contact surfaces of the barrel and lower lugs, slowly decreasing the pressure of the barrel against the slide stop. But I could be wrong. Hopefully the experts will chime in.

Many gunsmiths do this. They build a jig that guides a narrow file in the middle of the pin only the ends stay at maximum diameter. Taking it down .194/.195 allows the pin to be replaced a couple of times before it reaches max diameter again. National Championships have been won with guns using this technique.

I'm familiar with the modification you are describing, what im talking about is specifically cutting the pin off of the slide stop portion (lever) and making the pin portion replaceable with a hardened steel insert. That way you are not replacing the entire slide stop, just the pin portion that wears. I don't think I'm doing a good job describing it, hopefully Chris will chime in eventually.

sorry for my confusion. I see your title stated removable. That seems like a 'smith came up with their own method to reduce the pin size and achieve the same result as filing the pin only where the lugs rest.

Pachmayr made those slide stop pins for their pistols. I have one in a box. They used a C clip to retain it in the frame.
Jon

Greetings Jon,

Unable to visualize how the Pachmayr stop is made.

Perhaps you could post a photo of it?

Cheers,

Dave

Jon,
Please do post a photo, I'm intrigued. I'm curious what your opinion is on the concept as well.

I’ll dig it up later and post pics unless someone beats me to it.
Jon

If memory serves think of a 2 piece slide stop like a 22 conversion. It was held in place by a C or E clip on the right hand side. Never owned a signature series 1911 but always lusted after one in the 70s..  they had some interesting features

A picture would be great Jon.

I don’t understand why the c-clip would be necessary, doesnt the detent in the lever portion and the tab riding inside the slide prevent the whole assembly from walking out?

jglenn21 wrote:If memory serves think of a 2 piece slide stop like a 22 conversion. It was held in place by a C or E clip on the right hand side. Never owned a signature series 1911 but always lusted after one in the 70s..  they had some interesting features

A picture would be great Jon.

Jimmy is correct. The clip prevents the pin from backing out. On 22 conversions the recoil guide rod holds it in place when tightened so it cannot back out.
Jon

Is this a right one?    It is a quiz, folks.   AP

Nope
Jon

Well, of course, Jon is correct.  Pictured is slide stop from TT33, which is using elongated c-clip for locking.  I hope this one is the correct one, although it is for airgun
- AP

Smokin   check out the marvel.22 conversion slide stop for non lock back slides.. 2 piece..

Took some serious digging.

Greetings Jon,

Thanks for digging and photographing the part.

It gives me some food for thought.

Cheers,

Dave

Jon,
Thanks for sharing, interesting part.

I was thinking of 2 possible benefits to that style pin:
1) pin portion can roll as the gun cycles, spreading lower lug wear around it 360 degrees

2) pin portion can be easily replaced w/oversize, without needing entire slide stop pin (forged ones cost $50). Could save the lever portion, especially if it had cosmetic value (master blue, armory-kote or cerakote, etc) and replace the pin with a cheap piece of .200" tungsten carbide drill rod.

What do you think about the concept?

Reducing the diameter of the pin that makes contact with the bottom lugs is a great idea.  USMC has been doing that for years.  If you make a .195 pin for the entire length of the slide stop pin it's going to wobble around in the receiver on the right side where it comes through the receiver.  Need to keep the "major" diameter of the pin fitting the receiver correctly and then you can reduce the area that makes contact with the lower lugs.

Thanks KC. My 'smith learned the trick on your guys' armorer van at Perry. SSGT Goodman around '97/98, I think. Meidinger won it all that year. 

I'm still a little perplexed what problem this C-clip setup fixes, nobody has mentioned why this exists?

This exists because Pachmayr had a slide tightening device that mounted under the frame dust cover and used the slide stop pin for mounting. They are oversized and used a special wide link that was as wide as the bottom barrel lugs. Just another wY to build a gun.
Jon

in it's day the Pachmayr Signature model was highly thought of and pretty pricey..

only picture I could find of one on the web. notice the slide tensioning piece pivots on the slide stop pin. Also had a unique barrel bushing if memory serves.. maybe like a Briley

http://www.lsbauctions.com/2096/pachmayr-signature-model-custom-accurized-45-acp-semi-auto-pistol-1911/


wide link Jon mentioned.

http://www.lsbauctions.com/2096/pachmayr-signature-model-custom-accurized-45-acp-semi-auto-pistol-1911/

always interesting to visit the many ways old smiths worked to find the right combination to accurise  the 1911