I did my first one three or four years ago with one of those diamond impregnated knife sharpening plates. This was while I was visiting a friend who's not a tool person and who had no files, but did have the sharpener.
Basically, on either side of center is a step down to the thinned portion like a side flange that slides into the mating grooves in the slide and extractor. It is notched shorter on the left side to go over the ejector in field stripping and assembly. On the ones I fitted, that flange needed to be thinned from the step side, and its width increased by filing the inner vertical side of the step toward the firing pin hole. I did two others that year, but none since. I don't recall if any flange width had to be decreased again by filing the outside of the ledge to get it past the extractor. It certainly could with some part combinations. In any event, you just put some Magic Marker or Liquid Paper on the flange and try to wedge it in. Where it scrapes off will tell you where you need to file on those surfaces.
Basically, on either side of center is a step down to the thinned portion like a side flange that slides into the mating grooves in the slide and extractor. It is notched shorter on the left side to go over the ejector in field stripping and assembly. On the ones I fitted, that flange needed to be thinned from the step side, and its width increased by filing the inner vertical side of the step toward the firing pin hole. I did two others that year, but none since. I don't recall if any flange width had to be decreased again by filing the outside of the ledge to get it past the extractor. It certainly could with some part combinations. In any event, you just put some Magic Marker or Liquid Paper on the flange and try to wedge it in. Where it scrapes off will tell you where you need to file on those surfaces.
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