1911 Slide lock not locking

[BoogieMan]

I have been having intermittent issues with slide locking open on last round with a 9mm 1911. I have tried Kimber and Wilson mags. I have replaced my recoil spring (it was time anyway) and I have changed my slide lock to a wilson from the kimber. No change at all. If I pull slide back to check chamber with a mag it will lock open. I am down to trying lube.
I do a field strip every other range trip depending on round count. Every few I will clean firring pin and extractor. When I reassemble I put a drop of lucas gun lube (red synthetic 30w) on each side of the slide and I run the slide lock dry as well as the link dry. Should I be using a light grease? Oiling the pin and link?
Give me some idea to try please. Its annoying at the range but its an issue for steel or other comp.

[Adamantium]

Does it always lock back on an empty magazine when you hand cycle it? If that is the case take the old recoil spring, cut a couple links off it and try using that in the gun. Make sure to cut the links off the non-coiled end too.

Also, are you shooting reloads or using a recoil buffer?

[drail]

How many miles do your mag springs have on them? If they have weakened they may not be getting the slide stop up into the notch fast enough.

[BoogieMan]

I have about 3000ish rnds down the tube. But I have 6 mags, 4 wilson, 2 kimber. The old spring is slow to battery so I had replaced it with a new progresive wolf #14 spring

[ScottRiqui]

Do both the Wilson and the Kimber slide stops have the same profile? My Springfield EMP wouldn't reliably lock the slide back on an empty mag, either. I called Springfield, and they sent me a slide stop with a slightly different shape that fixed the problem 100%.

[Rinspeed]

The first thing you need to do is determine which mags it is not locking back with. I would just order a couple new mag springs and see how they work and go from there.

[drail]

Pull the slide off and insert each of the magazines into the frame and watch closely how the follower is contacting the slide stop's lug. If one of them is not reaching far enough to engage the slide stop or just barely touching it you have found your problem. Mark or number the magazines so you can tell which ones are a problem. You can buy a new slide stop and you may get lucky and get one that is longer than the current one. On magazine followers that are metal you can sometimes carefully bend the part of the follower just a tiny bit until it reaches the slide stop. I am still thinking you just have weak magazine springs. I have to replace mine about twice a year ( I shoot a lot) and it always restores 100& function with new springs. The barrel link and pin should have a drop of oil on them. Always.

[Sport45]

Does it work for others shooting the gun? May be your grip.

Try one handed and/or left handed to see if it makes a difference.

[BoogieMan]

This was intermitant now its all the time. Wilson mags are a plastic follower, Kimber mags have a metal ear. I have bent that up and it makes no diference. Possible a burr oe sharp corner on slide or frame thats catching. Maybe on the stop itself.

[Rinspeed]

This was intermitant now its all the time.

All the time with all the mags or all the time with two of the mags.

[drail]

Don't bend the follower up, bend it towards the slide stop. Bending it up will only make it worse.

[BoogieMan]

Lithium (light) greese on the slide made things much worse. I can get 2 rnds in a row into chamber now. I ordered a spring assortment #10-#15. The factory spring is shot and I am concerned that the Wolf spring I got in is not what it says on the package. Slide feels a little stiff. Im still up in the air about slide lube. Lithium greese is ruled out. I have super lube im going to try next.

[Rinspeed]

Kimber mags have a metal ear. I have bent that up and it makes no diference.

Keep trying goofy things like this, maybe you'll get lucky.

[JohnKSa]

I have tried Kimber and Wilson mags.

Good test. If it's happening with all the mags you have, it's not the mags.

I have replaced my recoil spring (it was time anyway)

That should either have no effect, or could possibly make it worse.

I have changed my slide lock to a wilson from the kimber. No change at all.

Another reasonable change. So it's probably not the slide stop.

If I pull slide back to check chamber with a mag it will lock open.

It should always lock open when you rack the slide, even if you rack it vigorously.

sn't I am down to trying lube.

If lube is the issue, then you are running the gun WAY too dry. Frankly, I would be surprised if that's the issue, but lubricating the gun properly can't hurt.

Lubricate the slide rails either with oil or with a very light grease. You don't need much but you do need some. Same with the link.

I would put a very light coating of oil around the front of the barrel where it goes through the bushing and around the lockup points in the slide.

My general rule is to look for shiny spots (wear) and put a light coating of oil or a very small amount of a light grease on those spots.

I have bent that up and it makes no diference.

Take the slide/barrel off and then reinstall the slide stop. Put an empty (and unmodified) magazine in and look to see if the follower is engaging the slide stop properly. If it is, then you're in good shape and you should replace the followers you damaged by bending them.

If it is not, then you can explore the cause of the lack of engagement.

Slide feels a little stiff.

If this is the problem (the slide is too stiff to travel all the way far back enough to engage the slide stop) then a stiffer spring won't help, it will actually make things worse.

Since you say the slide locks open on an empty mag when you manually operate the slide, it sounds like everything is working properly but the slide isn't actually coming back far enough during normal firing to engage the slide stop. If that is true, nothing you can do as far as modifying the mags/changing slide stop/changing springs will have any effect.

You need to find out what is causing the slide not to cycle fully and address that issue. If you're running it really dry, that could be an issue. Running very light loads could be another possible cause. Something binding somewhere could cause it. A too heavy recoil spring could contribute to the problem.

[KyJim]

By any chance, do you use a grip with the thumb near the slide stop lever? Sometimes, riding the slide stop lever with the thumb will cause this. I've had that happen myself.

Were the Kimber and Wilson mags new mags? A weak magazine spring can result in the slide stop not being pushed up with enough force. If these weren't new mags, try a new one or order some new mag springs.

Take the slide off and look to make sure the lip of the magazine follower is actually engaging the follower on the inside of the frame (it should "just" catch it).

[BoogieMan]

Im just reaching for answers now. Like I mentioned the Lith greese made things much worse. Last night it wouldnt even cycle 2 rnds with jamming. I have a couple days before my spring pack arrives.
Its a series 80, any chance the FP block could be foweld or jamming? Had some bad rounds (alum case blowing) go through. Chamber is a tad rough but rnds chamber and drop free when out of the gun.

[Remington74]

You are not using one of those rubber Shock Buffs in there are you?

I tried them once and had the same problems you describe.

[BillyJack3]

Did it do this with the original spring?