Dave Sample: Hypothetical slide stop question

[Brian D.]

Okay, so I was playing around with my Commander and Defender Colts the other day, and switched top ends around. That made one of 'em a faux "CCO" model, and the other a Lieutenant Commander lookalike I think. Anyhow here's the question:

In doing a top end swap, is it more important to keep the slide stop with its original frame, or barrel/slide? Seems to me to be the latter, but I'm askin' because I could sure be missing something.

Some of you other top-hand pistolsmith types feel free to chime in too. Btw I put the guns back the way they were, it was just an experiment. That 3" slide on the full-size frame just looked wrong.) The "CCO" wannabe felt nice but the dust cover didn't come forward far enough to completely cover up the recoil spring. Oh well.

 

[Dave Sample]

The lower ends come in two sizes really, other than some of the weird stuff around, and they are Commander size and Government size. The Commander size is different in the inside where the barrel locks up and the dust cover is shorter. They will switch to some ugly degree and may even shoot. There seems to be a reason for people wanting "Switch Top 191's", but that kind of reasoning is way beyond me. I never advise it.
Slide stops are generic for the most part. We used to be able to get 38 Super Slide Stops for the IPSC 1911's as they were more magazine follower friendly. I use the checkered ones and they are very nice parts. They are available from Caspian Arms and have a .200 size pin and are not MIM if that would bother the un-informed. They are very hard and I know that because I always checker the lower part of them 30 LPI as I think it needs to be sticky there as well as above.
I like the Commander lower end and Officers top end for a neat carry gun. They mate well and if you know how to build these guns, they run like a stripped assed ape. There are some internal sectrets to making them run and once you know the drill, they are very neat little weapons. One thing that mine need is the King Officers Recoil System that I always use. The stock officers bushings self destruct all of the time and the design that Colt did is very poor. The plug is held in with one little tab that I have seen break at least 5-6 times. No thanks, Colt!
To keep it brief, No, the slide stop does not matter.