Most Important : Avoiding The Idiot Mark

["DoubleAction"]

For those who don't already know about the "Idiot Mark", this a preview.

The "Idiot Mark" is caused by scraping the Slide Stop across the frame upon installing the stop into the frame. There is a Wrong Way and Right Way to do this.

The Wrong Way

The Right Way

The "Idiot Mark" is perhaps the first thing a 1911 owner has to learn about this pistol and how to avoiding this mishap, because it will always haunt your dreams and your lamed excuses of how it there the first place.

Before your leap into field stripping a 1911, know how about putting together.

["DoubleAction"]

The Original Design of the 1911, allowed for the Recoil Spring to be decompressed upon removing the Slide Stop.

Not Anymore

Because of the shorter barrels, full length guide rod systems, and the reverse recoil spring plugs; Some things are changed.

Try holding a camera in one hand while doing this. ;D

["DoubleAction"]

If I know one police officer, that don't how to rack the slide on a 1911, I will bet there plenty of people who don't how to reinstall the Slide Stop. That's reason we have the "Idiot Marks" seen at the used counters.

[MLB]

This is a very useful post DA. Thanks for the info.

["DoubleAction"]

Dec 11, 2009 9:25:02 GMT -5 MLB said:

This is a very useful post DA. Thanks for the info.

ML; I had to back up in time to when I was learning about this. There was a time when we didn't have the Internet and we can to rely on books. I had some instructional tapes on the 1911, about 14 years ago, and noticed how the instructor ( a prominent 1911 pistol smith ) had done it the wrong way. Sometimes I will remember this, but this time I thought about about passing it on. The "Idiot Mark" is one thing that few people won't realize, until it is already done.

Whether it's a five hundred pistol or a four thousand pistol, the "Idiot Mark"
will be one mistake that you will lose sleep over.

It's okay to for anyone to pass it along on other gun forums; The only thing I ask is to pass the link along.

[Callahan]

That is an interesting thread.

I made all my mistakes on a 1911 clone, a Star Model 31P in .40 S&W. I can see where inserting the pin properly, the way you've shown, prevents it tilting and scraping against the frame. I probably left more than a few "idiot marks" on that pistol, since it was my learner.

That reminds me. My SIG P239 had one mark that looked intentional, toward the middle, when I bought it used. It was vertical to the axis of the slide, about 1/4-inch long. Not sure how that happened or why, but now that it's been refinished, I don't have to look at it anymore.

I have a slide stop pin in my Kel-Tec PF-9 that is very persnickity about being in just exactly the right position, with even the barrel having to be pressed down, to get it back in. I'm hoping it gets a little easier to assemble as I shoot it more.

(edited for typos)

[moonclip1]

OOOOPS! Too late.

......moon

[tkdkerry]

One of mine has the so-called idiot mark. Funny, it still shoots straight. I was sure that little mark would have ruined it...

[TMan]

Aug 8, 2010 0:00:40 GMT -5 tkdkerry said:

... I was sure that little mark would have ruined it...

It doesn't really ruin it but on collector's models it will surely devalue what you can sell it for. I have a couple of 1911's that are just for show - limited editions. They will never have the marks as long as I own them because I'll never remove the slide stop i.e. I won't be shooting them.

Noticed this was your first posting - welcome to the forum.

["DoubleAction"]

The reason that I had to refinish my Colt Defender, was the prior owner had made an " Idiot Mark" on the frame.

["DoubleAction"]

The very first picture, of my Colt Combat Government Model has a Idiot Mark from the previous owner, but Its blued. I learned to live the that fact, because it too is a shooter.