Broken Springfield Stainless Slide!

h_tolley · October 3, 2001, 10:36 AM

Well it happened last Friday. I was at the range with my 2001 SA Loaded in Stainless Steel, I had just shot a round and had the slide lock back when the magazine still had a couple to go. Upon further examination, I found that the slide had broken in half and the front part was down range along with the recoil spring plug and the barrel bushing. There are a couple of people at the 1911forum, who have indicated they've seen similar things with the SA 2001 stainless models, always cracking or breaking in the same part of the slide. Here is a link to two photos of my slide after it had broken:

Broken Springfield Slide

It's a mystery to me how a slide could break in that area especially on a new pistol. For the record, I purchased the pistol new in mid March of 2001, and had put about 700 rounds through it. I have never used handloads or even +P in the pistol, not that it should matter given the place where the slide broke.

Springfield has indicated they will fix everything and make it right, but I would never recommend the purchase of a stainless model in the SA line. I've never heard of problems with any of SA's non-stainless models and obviously have never heard of this problem with any other manufacturer's products.

Watch-Six · October 3, 2001, 12:58 PM

That is terrible. Glad you were not hurt. Watch-Six

George Hill · October 3, 2001, 01:28 PM

Oh this is just freakin Great. Now Springfield will get the Slide in the Eye treatment that Berretta got and still has not lived down. All due to one freak occurance.

Tolley - This is truely bizzare. The Slide just NEVER breaks like that! One in a million chance. More like one in 10 million. Springfield will treat you right. And the pistol you get back will be a better one than the one you first got.

My Springfield has been a real trooper... Its been abused. It's been mistreated. It's been neglected. And its only balked when fed crappy ammo using a crappy magazine.
And it still looks good!

Correia · October 3, 2001, 02:04 PM

Wow. I have never seen anything like that before!

And I am a Springfield fan!

Shake · October 3, 2001, 03:55 PM

Hey, I heard Beretta was manufacturing all of Springfield's slides. That could explain why it split after so few rounds.

I'm kidding.

That is the second picture of a Springfield slide I've seen broken in exactly the same place. The other pic was posted on the 1911forum.com some months ago. I did a search for it there a while back and couldn't find it.

This is all very strange. Let us know how Springfield treats you.

Shake

Irfan · October 3, 2001, 04:12 PM

Here is one more picture:

George Hill · October 3, 2001, 04:19 PM

I just got off the phone with Springfield and was asking them some questions... Had a good talk with several women there. Do any Guys work there or are these fine pistols crafted by Valkarie Goddesses? I'm cool with that. After a few moments of conversation with Kim "Quality Inspector of the Hammers of Thor" she hooks me up to send in the gun. Gives me the RMA number and the UPS account number to ship it back to them over night. Wow. I wasn't looking to send the gun back... but hell, why not? Correia sent his back in and it was returned BLESSED. Okay, Springfield... Your On.

2nd broken slide you have seen? Hmmm. I think I will request mine be returned with a carbon steel slide.

blades67 · October 3, 2001, 06:11 PM

When I saw this thread I called a friend who happens to have a new SS SA1911. He pulled it out of the safe while I was on the phone with him. He said it looked just fine at first, but after fieldstripping it he found a fracture inside the slide just behind the dustcover. He described it as a hairline fracture from the rails to about the middle of the slide. We hung up so he could call Springfield.

Well, I guess Kimber just won the which 1911 will I buy next month competition. I don't feel like waiting for a cease-fire so I can pick up various parts of my gun.

Correia · October 3, 2001, 06:17 PM

I'm going to have to strip mine when I get home. But it is a 1999 model so I don't expect anything, but better safe than sorry.

blades67 · October 3, 2001, 06:20 PM

Good luck Larry.

Alaska Roy · October 3, 2001, 08:25 PM

Way back when in the IPSC days I saw one of the parkerized slides fracture when it fell off the milling machine!
Whoever Springfield was using to harden their parts really screwed up.
Are the stainless slides cast? Still made in Brazil?
Good luck with your new Kimber! Roy

C.R.Sam · October 3, 2001, 09:29 PM

pic failure, sorry.

urban assault · October 3, 2001, 09:48 PM

I'm sorry for your failure, but it makes me even happier that I bought my Para Ordnance. I am very sure the same thing could happen to a ParaOrd though. Good luck to you.

michael

Shake · October 3, 2001, 10:11 PM

Hate to say it, but including the posts over at 1911forum.com I count five instances of this happening (plus blades67's friend's cracked one would eaual six). The ones that have pics all are stainless steel versions. and the other ones are reported to be stainless.

It'll be interesting to see what Springfield does with this.

Shake

lonegunman · October 3, 2001, 11:28 PM

Maybe metallurgy hasnt been perfected in Brazil to the same degree it has been in Hartford.

Quartus · October 4, 2001, 12:01 AM

Can't be sure from a picture, but that sure looks like a broken casting. That's Not Good.

George Hill · October 4, 2001, 01:29 AM

Hmmm.
I am going to insist upon a Carbon steel slide. This is very bogus.
These 5 cases are all different cases or rehashings of similar stories? Are all these cases specifically Springfield Stainless pistols?

OF · October 4, 2001, 02:15 AM

Wow, that's an eye opener. I'm trying to fill the coffers for a stainless SA right now...or I was, that is. Maybe that FAL is just a few days closer now.

Time to do a little research...

- Gabe

George Hill · October 4, 2001, 02:49 AM

This case is maybe only related to one lot that got a bad heat treating... Maybe.

I'll fill you guys in about the new slide type and what Springfield says... I'll probably be sending it in Monday and hearing from them shortly after that Tuesday.

Master Blaster · October 4, 2001, 10:28 AM

I have seen about 5 cases of this on the net all fractures looked similar but I feel confident that it is not the same story being circulated. One poster on 1911 forum reported that Springfield ahd said that it was a bad batch with improper heat treating. The slides had been treated twice, inerror.
So Far no one has been hurt, or killed.

Springfield has not issued any recall though.

Make mine a kimber thanks. I had a V-10 ultracompact which was a hunk o junk in too many ways to describe, poor fit of all parts poor accuracy and it jammed with every kind of ammo, even with a wilson magazine. I traded it for a beretta.

YMMV

h_tolley · October 4, 2001, 11:28 AM

It is not several versions of the same story. I just had mine break last Friday and there were accounts of similar things happening earlier. There is a thread on it at the 1911 forum :

Something I'd never thought I'd see....

I still plan on using SA products, just thought it was worth a mention that some slides seem to be defective.

E. BeauBeaux · October 4, 2001, 12:21 PM

CaptianHoek, I agree with you. It looked like pot metal to me. I've not checked mine but I will now, and I'll also check the paperwork to see if the slide is made from bar stock. Their is no reason for a slide to break where it did [that I can think of now].

Shake · October 4, 2001, 03:04 PM

As nearly as I can tell from dates, handles, pics, etc. there are about five individual cases (six if you count blades67's friend who has noticed a crack) between TFL and 1911forum.com. I can't find one of the threads on 1911forum.com, but I distinctly remember the pictures as I was considering a Springfield at the time and the pictures were somewhat traumatic!

As I said, all appear from pics and descriptions to be stainless steel. There is a chance one of them is being reported by more than one person (ie. the shooter and an observer) since one seems to have happend at a match event.

Shake

F=ma · October 4, 2001, 09:11 PM

Just out of curiosity....Is there any indication of the bottom of the slide hitting the frame/dust cover?

Sambonator · October 4, 2001, 11:24 PM

...this doesn't make me feel good about my brand new 2001 Springfield Armory 1911A1 "Loaded" model in stainless steel... I wonder if they'll "fix" my gun before it breaks and injures someone? Or if they'll do a "recall" on the gun? If they don't recall the gun, it could be a class-action suit... or worse...

October 3, 2001, 10:36 AM	#1
h_tolley Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2001 Location: Orem, Utah Posts: 150	Broken Springfield Stainless Slide! Well it happened last Friday. I was at the range with my 2001 SA Loaded in Stainless Steel, I had just shot a round and had the slide lock back when the magazine still had a couple to go. Upon further examination, I found that the slide had broken in half and the front part was down range along with the recoil spring plug and the barrel bushing. There are a couple of people at the 1911forum, who have indicated they've seen similar things with the SA 2001 stainless models, always cracking or breaking in the same part of the slide. Here is a link to two photos of my slide after it had broken: Broken Springfield Slide It's a mystery to me how a slide could break in that area especially on a new pistol. For the record, I purchased the pistol new in mid March of 2001, and had put about 700 rounds through it. I have never used handloads or even +P in the pistol, not that it should matter given the place where the slide broke. Springfield has indicated they will fix everything and make it right, but I would never recommend the purchase of a stainless model in the SA line. I've never heard of problems with any of SA's non-stainless models and obviously have never heard of this problem with any other manufacturer's products.

October 3, 2001, 01:28 PM	#3
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	Oh this is just freakin Great. Now Springfield will get the Slide in the Eye treatment that Berretta got and still has not lived down. All due to one freak occurance. Tolley - This is truely bizzare. The Slide just NEVER breaks like that! One in a million chance. More like one in 10 million. Springfield will treat you right. And the pistol you get back will be a better one than the one you first got. My Springfield has been a real trooper... Its been abused. It's been mistreated. It's been neglected. And its only balked when fed crappy ammo using a crappy magazine. And it still looks good! __________________ MAD OGRE

October 3, 2001, 04:19 PM	#7
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	I just got off the phone with Springfield and was asking them some questions... Had a good talk with several women there. Do any Guys work there or are these fine pistols crafted by Valkarie Goddesses? I'm cool with that. After a few moments of conversation with Kim "Quality Inspector of the Hammers of Thor" she hooks me up to send in the gun. Gives me the RMA number and the UPS account number to ship it back to them over night. Wow. I wasn't looking to send the gun back... but hell, why not? Correia sent his back in and it was returned BLESSED. Okay, Springfield... Your On. 2nd broken slide you have seen? Hmmm. I think I will request mine be returned with a carbon steel slide. __________________ MAD OGRE

October 3, 2001, 08:25 PM	#11
Alaska Roy Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 1999 Posts: 281	Major Bummer Man- Way back when in the IPSC days I saw one of the parkerized slides fracture when it fell off the milling machine! Whoever Springfield was using to harden their parts really screwed up. Are the stainless slides cast? Still made in Brazil? Good luck with your new Kimber! Roy

October 4, 2001, 12:01 AM	#16
Quartus Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,823	I'm getting a bad feeling about this... Can't be sure from a picture, but that sure looks like a broken casting. That's Not Good.

October 3, 2001, 12:58 PM	#2
Watch-Six Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2000 Location: Utah Posts: 654	That is terrible. Glad you were not hurt. Watch-Six

October 3, 2001, 02:04 PM	#4
Correia Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 1998 Location: SLC Utah Posts: 3,740	Wow. I have never seen anything like that before! And I am a Springfield fan!

October 3, 2001, 03:55 PM	#5
Shake Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 1999 Location: Utah Posts: 1,004	Hey, I heard Beretta was manufacturing all of Springfield's slides. That could explain why it split after so few rounds. I'm kidding. That is the second picture of a Springfield slide I've seen broken in exactly the same place. The other pic was posted on the 1911forum.com some months ago. I did a search for it there a while back and couldn't find it. This is all very strange. Let us know how Springfield treats you. Shake

October 3, 2001, 06:11 PM	#8
blades67 Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 1999 Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA Posts: 6,014	When I saw this thread I called a friend who happens to have a new SS SA1911. He pulled it out of the safe while I was on the phone with him. He said it looked just fine at first, but after fieldstripping it he found a fracture inside the slide just behind the dustcover. He described it as a hairline fracture from the rails to about the middle of the slide. We hung up so he could call Springfield. Well, I guess Kimber just won the which 1911 will I buy next month competition. I don't feel like waiting for a cease-fire so I can pick up various parts of my gun.

October 3, 2001, 06:17 PM	#9
Correia Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 1998 Location: SLC Utah Posts: 3,740	I'm going to have to strip mine when I get home. But it is a 1999 model so I don't expect anything, but better safe than sorry.

October 3, 2001, 06:20 PM	#10
blades67 Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 1999 Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA Posts: 6,014	Good luck Larry.

October 3, 2001, 09:29 PM	#12
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	pic failure, sorry.

October 3, 2001, 09:48 PM	#13
urban assault Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2000 Location: About 30 miles from Portland, Oregon. Posts: 216	I'm sorry for your failure, but it makes me even happier that I bought my Para Ordnance. I am very sure the same thing could happen to a ParaOrd though. Good luck to you. michael

October 3, 2001, 10:11 PM	#14
Shake Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 1999 Location: Utah Posts: 1,004	Hate to say it, but including the posts over at 1911forum.com I count five instances of this happening (plus blades67's friend's cracked one would eaual six). The ones that have pics all are stainless steel versions. and the other ones are reported to be stainless. It'll be interesting to see what Springfield does with this. Shake

October 3, 2001, 11:28 PM	#15
lonegunman Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2001 Location: deep in georgia Posts: 1,724	Maybe metallurgy hasnt been perfected in Brazil to the same degree it has been in Hartford.

October 4, 2001, 01:29 AM	#17
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	Hmmm. I am going to insist upon a Carbon steel slide. This is very bogus. These 5 cases are all different cases or rehashings of similar stories? Are all these cases specifically Springfield Stainless pistols? __________________ MAD OGRE

October 4, 2001, 02:15 AM	#18
OF Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2000 Posts: 2,239	Wow, that's an eye opener. I'm trying to fill the coffers for a stainless SA right now...or I was, that is. Maybe that FAL is just a few days closer now. Time to do a little research... - Gabe

October 4, 2001, 02:49 AM	#19
George Hill Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 14, 1998 Location: North Carolina Posts: 11,546	This case is maybe only related to one lot that got a bad heat treating... Maybe. I'll fill you guys in about the new slide type and what Springfield says... I'll probably be sending it in Monday and hearing from them shortly after that Tuesday. __________________ MAD OGRE

October 4, 2001, 10:28 AM	#20
Master Blaster Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 1999 Location: One of the original 13 Colonies Posts: 2,281	I have seen about 5 cases of this on the net all fractures looked similar but I feel confident that it is not the same story being circulated. One poster on 1911 forum reported that Springfield ahd said that it was a bad batch with improper heat treating. The slides had been treated twice, inerror. So Far no one has been hurt, or killed. Springfield has not issued any recall though. Make mine a kimber thanks. I had a V-10 ultracompact which was a hunk o junk in too many ways to describe, poor fit of all parts poor accuracy and it jammed with every kind of ammo, even with a wilson magazine. I traded it for a beretta. YMMV

October 4, 2001, 11:28 AM	#21
h_tolley Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2001 Location: Orem, Utah Posts: 150	It is not several versions of the same story. I just had mine break last Friday and there were accounts of similar things happening earlier. There is a thread on it at the 1911 forum : Something I'd never thought I'd see.... I still plan on using SA products, just thought it was worth a mention that some slides seem to be defective.

October 4, 2001, 12:21 PM	#22
E. BeauBeaux Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2000 Location: MS, CSA Posts: 377	CaptianHoek, I agree with you. It looked like pot metal to me. I've not checked mine but I will now, and I'll also check the paperwork to see if the slide is made from bar stock. Their is no reason for a slide to break where it did [that I can think of now].

October 4, 2001, 03:04 PM	#23
Shake Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 1999 Location: Utah Posts: 1,004	As nearly as I can tell from dates, handles, pics, etc. there are about five individual cases (six if you count blades67's friend who has noticed a crack) between TFL and 1911forum.com. I can't find one of the threads on 1911forum.com, but I distinctly remember the pictures as I was considering a Springfield at the time and the pictures were somewhat traumatic! As I said, all appear from pics and descriptions to be stainless steel. There is a chance one of them is being reported by more than one person (ie. the shooter and an observer) since one seems to have happend at a match event. Shake

October 4, 2001, 09:11 PM	#24
F=ma Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2000 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 151	Just out of curiosity....Is there any indication of the bottom of the slide hitting the frame/dust cover?

October 4, 2001, 11:24 PM	#25
Sambonator Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 1999 Posts: 218	...this doesn't make me feel good about my brand new 2001 Springfield Armory 1911A1 "Loaded" model in stainless steel... I wonder if they'll "fix" my gun before it breaks and injures someone? Or if they'll do a "recall" on the gun? If they don't recall the gun, it could be a class-action suit... or worse...