How much does a new SW1911PD slide cost?

Big_Red

Big_Red

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The front sight saga continues. The sight pushing tool came in the mail yesterday and needless to say I now need a new slide. Don't ask. [angry]

I doubt that S&W will replace it for free.

BTW, I bought the "right" tool, followed instructions and took my time.
 
Call S&W, send it in. They'll fix it. Probably not for free since it's not a warranty repair, but they'll fix it. They're the only source for S&W slides anyway. You'll have your gun back in a matter of weeks if not days.
 
Seriously, story and photos please... [smile]

If anything... you'll help the rest of us avoid the same mistakes [grin]
 
S&W site

has a retail parts list, i don't know what gun you have, but for an
M1911 a "slide assy" costs $379....

Call and ask what it costs to fix your slide and compare.

JimB
 
I have twice had to show up at a gunsmith with a pile of parts after not being able to re-assemble a firearm. Don't feel too bad, it happens to a lot of us.
 
Note my thread last week asking if I had done any serious damage by accidentally firing a 9 mil round out of my .40.
Just remember that as we beat you up for this, we've probably all done something dumb as dirt to or with our firearms.
 
rep308 said:
I have twice had to show up at a gunsmith with a pile of parts after not being able to re-assemble a firearm. Don't feel too bad, it happens to a lot of us.
Click to expand...

I had to take a Colt Lawman .357 Revolver to a gunsmith in a paper bag because it was in parts...absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, it happens all the time and keeps gunsmiths in business.

I am sure that S&W can help you out. It will cost a few $$, though.

Mark L.
 
Over the years I've sent a lot of guns back to S&W, they are fantastic.

This how I would handle it. Call them and tell them your front sight fell off and you screwed it up trying to put it back on..

Then write a letter telling them the same thing and the reason you did it was you thought it was a simple thing to do and you didn't want to bother them by sending it back. Put that letter in the box with the gun.. The guy that opens the box has the power to do it for free.

I would say doing it this way, you have a 90% chance of them doing it for free...

For example..

I wasn't paying attention when was putting a new 1911 back together and jammed the guide rod in at a angle and S&W had to hammer it out and fix it.. It was a no charge..

The guy who fixed it put a note in the box on my orginal letter and said.. Thanks for the laugh that was a new one for us..
 
It is probably fine. Who uses the front sight anyways?

Anything can be fixed. Maybe a local gunsmith like Santurri or Derr can remill the dovetail and fit larger front sight to cover the blemish. It is worth looking into.
 
I have just gotten off the phone with SW customer service. They do not sell slides for the 1911PD so I will have to send it in. I have a feeling that this is going to be expensive.

Anyway, here is what happened and no there will be no photos as I am too upset to even look at the gun at this point.

So, after my initial fiasco trying to move the front sight using a punch and a hammer (things that are brass aren't aways brass [frown]) I decided to spend the $$$ and purchased a "universal" sight moving tool from MidwayUSA. The tool I got was the B & J Machine PI Model 500 Universal Front and Rear Sight Tool (photo below).

pi500.jpg


It received good reviews and supposedly was easy to use. I thought that it would solve my problems. Oh, how little did I know.

The contraption you see above may look impressive but it does not work. Well, at least it did not work for me.

This is how it is supposed to work:

1. Put slide into the tool.
2. Secure it in place by tightening three screws on the side.
3. Place sight tip (round of square) on the end of the push screw.
4. Align the push screw with the slide and the sight.
5. Adjust the height and tighten the push screw arm.
6. Slowly turn the push screw to adjust the sight.

Here is how it worked for me:

1. Put slide into the tool - no problem there

2. Secure it in place by tightening three screws on the side - still OK here

3. Place sight tip (round or square) on the end of the push screw - looking good to this point

4. Align the push screw with the slide and the sight - This is where things started to get weird. The round tip was too big for the sight channel so I had to go with the smaller square one. Instructions indicated that I was not to let the tip touch the slide. Since the tip is square I knew that it would start to rotate the minute I started to turn the push screw. Because it is made of steel, I knew I could be in for some trouble of not careful.

5. Adjust the height and tighten the push screw arm. - this part was OK

6. Slowly turn the push screw to adjust the sight. - This is where things went completely down the crapper. Just as I thought, the moment I started to turn the screw, the square tip started to spin and there was no way to prevent that. I tried several times and each time the tip would spin. To make matters worse, the arm holding the push screw is designed to move forward [thinking] [rolleyes] and no matter how much I tighten it, it would still move just enough to make the tip hit the side of the slide channel gouging it.

After several unsuccessful attempts I decided to lower the push tip so that it was flush with the slide (touching it) and tried the procedure again. Again the tip started to spin. Because of the forward movement of the push screw arm, the tip decided to move out of he sight channel onto the front of the slide scratching and gouging it.

I then decided to change the tips and went with the round one. I aligned it up in such a way that it fit the sight channel (although barely). This tip too started to spin but with no sharp corners I figured I would be OK to move the sight. Indeed the sight moved but only after a tremendous amount of force. Of course it moved too far even though I only applied about 1/4 turn at a time. For the longest time nothing happened and then all of a sudden the sight made a cracking sound and jumped to the left, overshooting its designated mark.

So at that point I had a marred and gouged right side of the sight channel, slightly deformed sight (dovetail) and the prospect of having to move the sight back a bit.

I tried the same procedure on the other side of the slide except that moving the sight the other way does not work at all. Every time I tried to apply pressure to the push screw, the left side of the slide would start to come up and out of the sight tool. At one point the sight tip actually slipped off the dovetail and clipped the front of the sight cleanly shearing of the corner.

This is when I gave up.

Where do I stand now?

1. I have a sight that has been moved but too far and cannot be moved back
2. I have a sight channel that is marred and gouged
3. I have a sight with a deformed dovetail
4. I have a sight that is missing one of the corners
5. I have a slide with numerous scratches
6. Front sight needs to be replaced but with the sight channel the way it is now, I am not sure that a new sight can be installed without some milling work done first.

Lessons learned?

1. I SUCK AS AN ARMORER
2. I AM NOT AN ARMORER
3. I WILL NEVER BE AN ARMORER
4. I should have let a professional handle it from the get go. I tried to save little bit of $$$ and now it is going to cost me a lot of $$$.
5. When something says "universal" it most likely is not

So this is my story. I am extremely upset. For the first time in a long time I actually feel like crying. I should have stopped while I was ahead but it is too late now.

For some of you all of this all may seem stupid and superficial but I hold a lot of pride in all of my guns. Especially this one as I had to jump through a lot of hoops to be able to own it and now I f***ed it up. Now I need to get it fixed. I am not sure where the money for that is going to come from but I will cross that bridge once I get the estimate back from SW.

- M -
 
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I don't think that'll require a new slide.

You should have noted to them that the reason you had to do it was because when you got the gun back from it's last service, the sight had been reinstalled improperly. If you tell them that, I'd say a 90% chance they'll fix it free.
 
Doubt it, although surely they have some employees who read or are members here.

Fact is, though, that Big_Red sent his 1911 in for ejector replacement and when it came back the sights were off.
 
Oh, yeah -- I remember that now. No lie -- that's for sure. In any case, I sent my 637 back which *I* destroyed and fully expected to pay big bucks for, and got back a gun with a brand new frame. No charge.
 
I have that same sight tool bought it from Brownell's when they first came out,bought it cause the idea of a hammer and punch is just wrong. Haven't had a need to use it but now I am forewarned on it's use. I'd call Midway,maybe they take it back and refund your money nothing to lose except a phone call.
 
Big_Red said:
Yeah, the tool is going back. I am just not sure how they will react to the fact that it has been used.
Click to expand...

I would suggest a variant of what has already been said. That is, when you send it back, write them a letter (actually you could just copy your long post as it fits the bill) tell them honestly, even at your own (emotional) expense just how you screwed it up, what your thought process was and how it failed (use lots and lots of self deprecating humor-that's important). Make sure you tell them that you're willing to pay for it and accept the blame.

If the story is funny enough and the individual opening the box is in a good mood you might get it done for free. I have used this approach on many many returns (not necessarily to Smith but other companies) and I have had incredible results with it. Now, you don't have anything to loose because if they're going to charge you, there going to charge you and admitting fault won't be a problem.

Throw yourself on their mercy, give them a laugh and take responsibility and you never know what they may do for you. Really, I have:

1 sleeping bag
2 pairs of boots
1 car radio knob
1 Benchmade Reflex Auto spring
1 Apple Ibook

and countless other things I can't remember at this point that have been fixed or replaced with this method.
 
Big_Red said:
Yeah, the tool is going back. I am just not sure how they will react to the fact that it has been used.
Click to expand...
I have found Midway to be pretty good in replacing and or refunding money on things that don't work the way they are supposed to. again,call them to quote a punch line to an old Yiddish joke "it couldn't hurt"
 
Raoul Duke said:
I would suggest a variant of what has already been said. That is, when you send it back, write them a letter (actually you could just copy your long post as it fits the bill) tell them honestly . . .
Click to expand...

+1 on this approach. It just might work, and if it does you'll feel better looking in the mirror than you would making up some story about how it wasn't your fault.

P.S. And don't feel too bad about it. I've buggered up so many things trying to save a few bucks doing it myself that I've lost count.[grin]
 
They might beable to recut the dove tale to a differnt cut.Novack, Heinie cut.Shit happens dont be so hard on yourself.I feel your pain made a few boo boos in my day. Jim
 

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