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  #1  
Old 05-27-2020, 3:09 PM
Philinsocal Philinsocal is offline
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Default Slide Not Locking Back

I recently changed out the recoil spring in my Dan Wesson Commander Classic to a Night Hawk Commander recoil spring set (including guide rod and plug). The gun functioned flawlessly with one notable exception -the slide does not lock back when the magazine is empty. I assume that the new recoil spring is the culprit. Can anyone offer an explanation as to why?
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  #2  
Old 05-27-2020, 3:24 PM
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fmunk fmunk is offline
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Recoil spring is too strong (for the ammo you are shooting). Preventing the slide from cycling fully. Change to hotter ammo to verify. Or keep shooting to break in the new spring some. If that does not improve, change spring.
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Old 05-27-2020, 3:26 PM
Philinsocal Philinsocal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fmunk View Post
Recoil spring is too strong (for the ammo you are shooting). Preventing the slide from cycling fully.
Thanks. I'll have to give it a try with different ammo or get a lighter spring.
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Old 05-27-2020, 3:32 PM
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fmunk fmunk is offline
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Is it happening only on empty; i.e. after last round fired?
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Old 05-27-2020, 3:42 PM
Philinsocal Philinsocal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fmunk View Post
Is it happening only on empty; i.e. after last round fired?
Yes.
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Old 05-27-2020, 3:46 PM
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Spring is too stiff for the ammo you are shooting. Try to break in the spring, but that only works if the spring is regular wire and not flat wire.
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Old 05-27-2020, 3:51 PM
Philinsocal Philinsocal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by broadside View Post
Spring is too stiff for the ammo you are shooting. Try to break in the spring, but that only works if the spring is regular wire and not flat wire.
Good to know. It is regular wire. I wanted to get a Wilson Flat wire but, they did not have any in commander size. About how many rounds do you estimate it will take to break it in?
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Old 05-27-2020, 3:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Philinsocal View Post
Good to know. It is regular wire. I wanted to get a Wilson Flat wire but, they did not have any in commander size. About how many rounds do you estimate it will take to break it in?
I can't give a number, but probably more than you want. Why did you change the spring in the first place? If the old ran fine, just put that back in unless it does not fit the new guide rod
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Old 05-27-2020, 4:37 PM
Philinsocal Philinsocal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by broadside View Post
I can't give a number, but probably more than you want. Why did you change the spring in the first place? If the old ran fine, just put that back in unless it does not fit the new guide rod
Needless fiddling. Haha. I may just change it back to the factory spring. I find assembly to be much easier with the nighthawk spring set but, maybe it’s just in my head.
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Old 05-27-2020, 9:51 PM
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If it's only the last round you're having issues with, and no other failure to feed/eject, then you most likely just need to break the spring in. Shoot heavier projectiles. How many rounds? God knows. Just send a few hundred then switch back to your current ammo and see. Rinse and repeat. This is what happens when you stray from factory spec. Or you can contact Wilson and see what they say.
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Old 05-28-2020, 11:26 AM
PLINK PLINK is offline
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Probably not the case since you said it functioned fine before the change but if you shoot thumbs forward, make sure your not holding the slide stop/ release down on your support hand.
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Old 05-28-2020, 11:54 AM
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Manually rack the slide with your hands while an empty mag is inserted. If the slide locks back, that means the recoil spring is too strong. To save on ammo costs, you can hand cycle the slide a few hundred times to break in the spring. You can also store the gun with the slide locked back for a week so the spring takes a set.
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Old 05-28-2020, 12:22 PM
MarikinaMan MarikinaMan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Philinsocal View Post
Thanks. I'll have to give it a try with different ammo or get a lighter spring.
Lock the slide back and leave it like that for a few days. It can wear in.

Then try it again. Worth a shot (see what I did there?)
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Old 05-28-2020, 12:46 PM
NorcalGSG NorcalGSG is offline
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I went round and round with this on my CBOB. Even got a factory replacement slide lock and it did the same thing. The head guy there wouldn't admit it but I proved that their slide locks are not built to usgi print specs, and the small tab that goes through the frame for the mag follower to push up on does not protrude far enough. It allowed the mag followers to slip up and around it rather than push up on it to lock slide back for me. Then had to tug on the mag to get it to snap back down and around the tab again.
I swapped it to a Ed Brown of Wilson Combat (don't remember off hand) slide lock and it worked properly, after proving/diagnosing it with other mfg OEM slide locks also working before I bought the new replacement.
So in case yours is failing the same way, hopefully this may help you to diagnose it as well.
It sounds like yours is not doing quite the same thing as mine did, so maybe just replacing the stock recoil spring will do the trick.
DW only has a 5 year warranty and even though I was honest and mine just sat on a shelf (not shot until worn out, legit mfg defect) they wouldn't stand behind their obvious other eff ups and make it right. Very not cool IMHO.
Good luck.

Last edited by NorcalGSG; 05-28-2020 at 12:50 PM..
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Old 05-28-2020, 1:13 PM
Philinsocal Philinsocal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teflondog View Post
Manually rack the slide with your hands while an empty mag is inserted. If the slide locks back, that means the recoil spring is too strong. To save on ammo costs, you can hand cycle the slide a few hundred times to break in the spring. You can also store the gun with the slide locked back for a week so the spring takes a set.
Thank you. I may try storing it with the slide locked back and then try it again in a week. That’s a good idea.
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Old 05-28-2020, 2:14 PM
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What's the spring weight rated at? I can't find on NH's site for a commander with regular spring coil kit.

Next time at the range, flip flop the combination: old spring with the new rod guide and new spring with old rod guide. This is to test if the rod guide is also not the issue. Reason why, remember shok-buff's, it limited the amount the amount the spring to compress and did not lock back on some guns (even Government length).
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