TLDR: After Market Slide got stuck on frame. Frame Rails some how created burrs inside of slide rail channels. Soft slide?

So honestly this was a first for me. I purchased a lonewolf slide on clearance. They claim that it is 17-4 stainless steel. On closer inspection it says nothing about surface hardening/treatment. In the white/bead blasted so to speak.

Anyways things were smooth as butter. I ended up doing something that got the glock slide stuck on the frame (extractor apparently wasn't installed correctly but the striker plunger was) After seeing that I could not rack the slide I  took a different approach. I was able to release the striker, and get the back plate off to remove the stuck slide.

After checking things over and reassembling I noticed there was really bad grit/the slide was no longer buttery smooth.

Apparently the frame rails gouged the slide grooves to the rear and created burs. I have never had this happen with an OEM Slide or even other after market slides. I am now questioning the rockwell hardness of this particular slide. I didnt go hulk on it either. Maybe nitriding has spoiled me.

The frame rails are amazingly fine and have no burs/gouges.

Are there any issues with deburring and polishing the slide rail grooves? It was a tight fit to begin with. I was thinking of taking the 1911 fitting approach with a file and stone. Even if there is a bit more slop, it should still be within glock spec.

I don't think Ill be using this for anything serious regardless.
I'm probably going to stick with Brownells or Remsport for my slides at this point. Those things are pretty damn hard due to the quality of steel and nitriding.

Fortunately I am only out $99. But I am really embarrassed that this happened.




Id like to use this idiotic mistake as a learning opportunity.

I am surprised the steel from the frame rails won out against the steel of the slide. Something doesn't seem right about that.  Are stainless slides normally this soft?

Im confused can you post a couple pics of what you are talking about?

and maybe a better discreption of how it happened and exactly what you were doing and how you were doing it and how you removed the stuck slide. It kinda sounds like gaulling but what you are describing doesnt make sense.

Sorry if its confusing.

Ill get pics when I can.

Here is the only thing that could of caused it.

-The slide locked up on the frame. I gave it a few tugs/pulls and decided not to force it too much.

What I later found out.
- The ejector apparently was not installed correctly when I reassembled the slide
-When putting the pistol back together the loose ejector fell out of the slide when I waa trying to get the slide loose.
-I speculate that the sriker safety plunger prohibited movement of the slide since nothing was retaining it.
-I was able to pull the striker/etc out of the slide by removing the back plate. I was able to access the striker through the magwell.
-I was able to use a very thin piece of rod to push the plunger back into the normal position so I could install the extractor to keep it from falling back out.
-This freed things up and I was able to get the slide off
-After reassembling things correctly this time, I noticed a lot of friction and dragging.
-Oddly enough there is only wear/rough metal in the rail grooves of the slide.

If anything me tugging/pulling on the slide is what caused the gouging/gauling? Ill get pics when I get home.


Not my pic or slide. But the I highlited the area of the side that has the roughness. Most likely from the rear frame rails.

Attached File



Also since I dont have a whole lot to lose on this. I did verify that the steel is pretty damn soft. Atleast softer than my other slides.

Im an idiot for even having this happen in the first place.

Attached File


Sorry if its a bad pic

Ok I "ASSUME" you are talking about the "extractor" and not the "Ejector" on the bolded part above.
I would think if the slide was as soft as you think you would see damage in the safety plunger area too.
I cant see much in that picture but I would be very tempted to wrap a 1000 grit piece of sandpaper in something and see if I could smooth those rails slots out. I have a hard time believing you could gaul 17-4 with hand pressure on something as loose as a glock tends to be.

Now how did you test the hardness of the slide?  because if you have access to a rockwell tester and that slide does not match what they advertise it as you should just send it back with a note that it was tested and what the outcome was.

 

Oops yeah, I meant the extractor. As for testing out the hardness of the slide I havent used a rockwell tester. I am just speculating at this point. I'll give the 1000 grit sand paper a try. You make some really good points there.

if the roughness is where you think it is, the only place you should feel it is right before and right after lockup, the rest of the time the that part of the slide is not on the rails, its behind them.

Did you put the slide together with the frame while stripped or was it assembled when you did it ?

if you put it together stripped it may not have been in contact with the rough part of the rail, when you assembled it with the pressure of the misc parts acting it may have put the slide rails in contact with the grooves in a different manner and especially because of the upward pressure of the uncaptured safety plunger you put upward pressure in places it normally wouldnt be.

Spitballing here because honestly unless the rail is out of spec none of this makes sense, if the rail is out of spec they should replace it or warrant it regardless of being blem.
normally the MFGs put a statement in the advertisement. (functional part cosmetic blem) or such.

you might call and ask before you start messing with it, putting it together is understandable, once you start trying to fix it .... well the MFG is probably gonna tell you to pound sand.