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Differences in slide locks for early Colt Automatics?

934 views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  Olle 
#1 ·
I make a reproduction of the slide lock piece used in the .38/.45 Colt Automatics, and I have sold quite a few of them without any issues. Now one buyer is saying that it won't fit his pistol, as the guide rod cut is not deep enough and the pin is in the wrong location. I'm sure the depth of the cut can vary between models and through the years, it's not really a critical dimension as it's just a notch to keep the bar from sliding out. The pin location really puzzles me though. I thought all Colt Automatics used the very same slide lock, and I can't really see any reason why they would change it.

So what gives? Does anybody know if there were any differences in these locks, or could it be that the guy's pistol has been modified somehow?
 
#2 ·
I don't know the specifics of the slide lock he is having trouble with but Colts before WW2 were basically hand made. Lots of parts had to be fitted to individual guns. I just put an extractor in a M1903 Pocket Hammer and it took a lot of filing and several trips to the range to get it right.
 
#3 ·
Yeah, most pre-WWII guns were hand fitted to some extent, but you would think that they could make a simple part like the slide lock (basically just a rectangular bar) fit without any adjustments. Unfortunately, my customer didn't provide any specific details so all I know is that "the pin is not in the right location". I'll try to get some more info from him, it could be that he simply has a buggered slide.

I haven't had too many of these guns in my shop, but most of the ones I have seen had a lot of burrs in the slot. It's a bugger to get the block in there when they are like that, but it only take a few light strokes with a small file to clean them up. It also seems like some people don't pay attention to the direction of the pin, I have seen slides with three extra notches from people trying to pound the block in place with a hammer. I guess there's a reason why those pins break now and then. :rolleyes:
 
#7 ·
They are all the same for the Model 1900, 1902 Sporting, 1902 Military, 1903 Pocket hammer 38acp and the 1905 45. Part #11 It is listed in most catalogs as "slide lock". I've never seen a broken cross bar nor had one fall out when shooting - but I suppose anything can happen. Could the slide be forced to the rear without the slide lock and cause injury? Sure could - but I think it is only an old wives tale IMHO.

As to why it didn't fit. I have seen three variations of the take down plug ( convex some model 1900's which need a paperclip for dissassembly, a long concave take down plug (Part # 28)with an oblong hole for plug and link pin which only requires thumb pressure for dissassembly, and a very few short plugs with a machined horizontal pin to hit on the follower (Part #27) which may have been a prototype or non-Colt gunsmithing.) The problems I most often encounter are: 1)incorrectly installed follower with the large end facing backwards like in a 1911 2) Not having the forward barrel link captured with the takedown plug pin 3) Missing brass recoil plug (Part #25) Gun Trigger Airsoft gun
- although most will still function fine without the recoil plug, 4) Slide lock should be inserted and removed from the left because of the small metal tit which faces towards the rear and must slide through the small cutout on the slide 5) missing follower with only the recoil spring engaging the slide lock.
 
#8 ·
That's interesting... the lock in your picture has a deeper cut than mine (IIRC copied from a Model 1900, see pictures), which is exactly what the guy described. I guess it wouldn't matter though, all that cut really does is to keep the lock from sliding out, so the depth shouldn't matter... right? The pin location appears to be the same, the lock goes in from the left and with the pin facing rearward. I just can't figure out what that guy is talking about, so I hope he gets back with me to describe it better.

Another detail is that your lock appears to be serrated. I can't recall ever seeing that before, so which model did these come on?
 

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#12 ·
Hmmm, that's what I thought. The guy still doesn't want to tell me what the problem really is, just got a short "returning due to fit issues". This also means that he in for a long and fruitless search for one that does fit, and maybe we'll see his pistol on GB one day as "extremely rare slide lock variation". Or could it be that his gun is a Steyr-Hahn, and he hasn't realized it yet? :D
 
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