So I finally got a fancy 1911 (Les Baer Custom Carry). I bought used, but excellent condition. SO my question is about the slide stop operation on a 1911. On all my other pistols, including Sig's, if I insert an empty mag, rack the slide, the slide catch/stop is pushed up by empty mag and holds slide back.

Now the question is in operation at this point after I drop the empty mag. As most of my other pistols have folded sheet metal type hard to actuate slide stops, I tend to overhand the slide, pull back slide, the slide stop/catch now drops and the slide goes home (whether it's loading a bullet into chamber on a new mag, or simply sliding forward empty if I don't put in a loaded mag). This works this way for EVERY other pistol I have when I overhand the slide rather than try to actuate the slide stop with my fingers.

Now on this 1911, the slide stop/catch does NOT drop by overhanding the slide, or at least it does not drop enough to let the slide go past when I let the slide go. The only way I can get it to drop the slide is to physically use a finger to push it down. I am assuming that there is too much plunger tube spring tension on the slide catch/stop keeping it from dropping far enough as I yank the slide back. Do other people's 1911's have this "issue" I'm having?

Now I know many prefer to physically actuate the slide catch/stop on 1911's, but my thumbs are too short, so I have trained myself to always overhand the slides as it works on every pistol except this new fancy one. Is there anything else to check?

What is the barrel length?
If 4.25", a Baer Commanche, their version of a Commander, does not have quite the slide travel to cam the slide stop down. It's not the plunger.


If 5", I don't know, I would have to handle it or at least see it pictured with the slide stop engaged and the slide yanked back and held.

Are you saying that with the slide locked back and no magazine inserted, if you slingshot it, the slide stop prevents the slide from closing?

quote:

Originally posted by pace40:
Are you saying that with the slide locked back and no magazine inserted, if you slingshot it, the slide stop prevents the slide from closing?

Yep. Les Baer Comanche pistol lack the slide travel to properly slingshot.

I never experienced this issue with any five-inch 1911, including several Les Baers over the years. I also prefer to charge a 1911 as you described, OP.

As stated by another member, Commander-length Baers (“Comanche” in LB’s parlance) are noteworthy in their typical lack of being able to be “slingshot.” On the 1911-centric forums, that question often comes up regarding Comanches being discussed or sold: “Will it slingshot?”

FWIW, actuating the slide stop with the strong-hand thumb is a stretch for me on a 1911; however, I do it all the time with the likes of DA/SA SIGs and Browning Hi-Powers.

Well, received email back from Les Baer about the overhand slingshot slide release issue. This pistol is a full 5 inch 1911. The response I received from Les Baer was "ours are not designed to sling shot".

That really throws a monkey wrench into things for me. I have manipulation habits built up already. My thumbs are too short to reach the slide release, even if it had the extended reach tang on it. I'm hoping there may be a shock buff thing in it that I can take out to give a tiny bit extra travel so a slingshot will work. I dont have a bushing wrench yet though (get later today from Amazon), and dont want to shoot my stuff across the room trying to do it without a tool.

1) I've been able to slingshot 5" Baers in the past, so you might have a shock buff in there. Also, is yours a GI guide rod or a full length?

2) If it's a bushing barrel, have you tried this method that's recommended for tightly fit 1911s for field stripping?

This has a full length rod in it. I actually have parts coming from Wilson to swap it to standard GI plug, but uses the flat coil spring instead of standard wire.

quote:

Originally posted by Xer0:
The response I received from Les Baer was "ours are not designed to sling shot".

Ho lee chit!!!

Yet one more thing to learn about some 1911s that I would have said, “Oh, you’re crazy; that can’t be true,” if I hadn’t seen it here (and evidently not just about one manufacturer’s guns). Amazing.

This will sound odd to some, but not to others... just because that's what they told you, don't mean it's true. (Especially from Baer, where every gun is perfect and exactly as it's supposed to be (he said sarcastically))



Honestly when I read your description my first though was "I wonder if it's got a recoil buffer it it?"

Not going to argue pros and cons of them, but they can eat up some space and cause issues at that end of the slide travel. (like what you're saying)

Well, I’m surprised by this response from Baer; I’ve owned a handful from nearly new (600 rounds through when I obtained it, basically the LB-recommended break-in process) to ones that had been well-used before I got them. All of them slingshot just fine. The one I owned the longest and shot the most (10,000+ rounds), I slingshot it at least 99% of the time.

I’ll add that I never used a shock-buffer, and all of the guns were 5” guns with standard / GI-style guide rods as supplied by LB.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by Xer0:
The response I received from Les Baer was "ours are not designed to sling shot".

Ho lee chit!!!

Yet one more thing to learn about some 1911s that I would have said, “Oh, you’re crazy; that can’t be true,” if I hadn’t seen it here (and evidently not just about one manufacturer’s guns). Amazing.

Agreed. I would not tolerate that behavior from a $400 RIA, much less a $2000+ semi-custom. IMO that's unacceptable.

Ok, final disposition. So I got my bushing wrench (thanks Amazon one day!) and got everything apart. Turns out there WAS a shock buff in there! Once I removed it, the slide catch worked properly with the slingshot method.

Not really happy with Baer's response, but regardless of what they said, it appears to work perfectly once the shock buff was removed and the slide was allowed that extra 1/16 inch of travel. I am VERY happy it works now because I love this pistol (except for the full length guide rod, which I'm swapping out).

I was just freaked, because I have never had a pistol NOT work with the slingshot method.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Agreed. I would not tolerate that behavior from a $400 RIA, much less a $2000+ semi-custom. IMO that's unacceptable.

For the Comanche models, it also a way for Les Baer to cut cost because he uses the same frames for the 4.25" and the 5" models instead of cutting the frame rails shorter like Colt and everyone else does for their Commanders.

Now that this is all over, the OP has made one cardinal sin for this thread...

Now if you could just get the same guy on the phone at Baer, ask him if he remembers your call from the other day, then ask him if the gun's supposed to have a shock buffer in it. When he says no, tell him we have a problem then...


(insert Dave Chappelle "Gotcha Bitch!" GIF here)

It might be hard to reach the slide stop with your shooting hand thumb, but it's right there for your support hand thumb.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Watson:
What is the barrel length?
If 4.25", a Baer Commanche, their version of a Commander, does not have quite the slide travel to cam the slide stop down. It's not the plunger.


If 5", I don't know, I would have to handle it or at least see it pictured with the slide stop engaged and the slide yanked back and held.

If your pistol is not 5” Govt, this is long standing “design” issue with Les Baer non-government length pistols.

They will not “service” it because it works as they “designed” it to work.

Essentially, Comanches are just shortened 5” govt. frame models. They are not machined to Colt Commander specs. The specs for Govt and Commander pistol frames are different. That is why some Comanches operate as expected and some don’t. The specs are super tight to allow the slingshot feature you describe if the frame is not cut for Commander/Officer specs. Many will eventually. Many won’t. And some will also have feeding ejection issues.

Me, I eventually sent mine to John Harrison many years ago and he did some milling here and there. Tuned it up. Runs like a top now. Or more specifically, it runs like a commander should.

Sorry about that.

Les Baer 5” pistols are fantastic.

….and I just read the rest of the thread. Oh well, maybe some of that will be helpful to someone in the future.

Years ago when I started instructing LEOs about handling and shooting firearms, I noticed how shooters would release a pistol slide during reloads. Time and again I saw the ones who depressed the slide catch lever have trouble doing that. I literally saw shooters make several attempts only to have their thumbs slip off the catch over and over. As I saw that it dawned on me that if they couldn’t do that reliably in a training situation, what if they had water, mud—or even blood—on their hands? How much success would they have then?

I started emphasizing the pull and release (aka “slingshot”) method of dropping the slide and I’ve never looked back.

(Yes, sometimes pulling manually with one’s hand isn’t possible, so that’s why we learn and practice other methods if depressing the slide catch isn’t working in such a situation.)

But of course if we don’t think anything like that would ever happen to us, or if the pistol is used only for gun games, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.