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Coonan 1911 cracked slide??

DW357

DW357

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Finally got around to cleaning my Coonan classic today. Hadn't cleaned it since a few range trips ago. Anyway I was cleaning the inside of the slide and noticed a crack and a burr/dent below the extractor. I didnt notice this the last time I cleaned it. No idea how this happened but I'm obviously going to contact Coonan.

I realize this isn't your standard 1911 as it has a linkless barrel etc. but has anyone seen a crack and burr in this location before on a standard 1911?

View attachment 151488
View attachment 151491
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Talked with fellow Coonan owners on the 1911 forums and one guy had the same exact issue:

Hey mine developed the same crack at the same place. Sent Coonan a picture they had me send it back for a new slide, had it back in 4 days.

So it sounds like I shouldn't be concerned about this being made right which is great. Wonder if they'll have me send just the slide and not the whole gun. Find out soon.
 
andrew1220 said:
Talked with fellow Coonan owners on the 1911 forums and one guy had the same exact issue:

Hey mine developed the same crack at the same place. Sent Coonan a picture they had me send it back for a new slide, had it back in 4 days.

So it sounds like I shouldn't be concerned about this being made right which is great. Wonder if they'll have me send just the slide and not the whole gun. Find out soon.
Click to expand...

Sorry I couldn't help you but that last pic was just a dick move. It's like you knew I wanted one and just had to taunt me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
jho said:
Sorry I couldn't help you but that last pic was just a dick move. It's like you knew I wanted one and just had to taunt me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

[laugh] I thought you might enjoy that last photo...

- - - Updated - - -

jkelly1229 said:
Try a different forum not gunna get many sympathetic ears behind the iron curtain
Click to expand...

As stated in my second post, someone on the 1911 forums had the same issue and had it resolved within a few days.
 
Took awhile but Coonan emailed me yesterday and is sending me a prepaid shipping label in the mail to send the slide back to them for a replacement. Not sure why they couldn't just email me a prepaid label?? Oh well. Just want it replaced.
 
Looks like bad engineering to me - sharp inside corner on a shock stressed part - Don't care, still want


I would think the replacement will have a radius in that location.
 
pastera said:
Looks like bad engineering to me - sharp inside corner on a shock stressed part - Don't care, still want


I would think the replacement will have a radius in that location.
Click to expand...

Yeah there's definitely a lot more shock stress there than on a .45 1911. I'm somewhat ignorant with certain gunsmithing/machining terminology, by radius, you mean some material will be removed?

Hurry up and grab one as Coonan sent me an email last week that their raising their prices beginning January 1...

[h=1]Act Now and Save up to $200 off 2016 Prices![/h] Hello

As you are a valued customer of Coonan Inc., I wanted to give you advance notice that we have a price increase taking effect January 1st, 2016. We have worked hard to maintain zero increases since 2012 but as we all know too well, costs continue to go up.

If you have been saving up to get a Classic or Compact .357 Magnum, now is the time. We will make every effort to get new orders shipped out to you ASAP. Call or Email me to order.

Don't forget, our New Limited Edition .45 ACP is only available through December 31st, 2015. Pre-Order yours online today.

Thanks again for being a great customer!
 
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andrew1220 said:
Yeah there's definitely a lot more shock stress there than on a .45 1911. I'm somewhat ignorant with certain gunsmithing/machining terminology, by radius, you mean some material will be removed?
Click to expand...

Radius meaning the square inside corner be rounded - no material removal it would actually be adding material.
All of those sharp corners may look high tech but they create areas where the stress concentrates in bad ways.

http://materion.com/~/media/Files/P...t of Stress Concentration on Fatigue Life.pdf

http://www.christiani-international.com/pdf/92903_probe.pdf
 
Apparently this is a somewhat common problem. Just heard from a couple other guys on the 1911 forums with the same issue. Not really thrilled to hear/experience this for such a pricy gun.
Coonan received my slide on Tuesday, so I hope I get the replacement back sometime next week.
 
Finally, Coonan shipped the slide out today and tracking says it will be here on Saturday. About time.
 
mikelawtown said:
Glad to hear, but shipping times have been funky as USPS was supposed to deliver my BCG Tuesday and nada yet , for 2 days it says delivered
Click to expand...

Great. Well it's being sent priority certified mail, not sure if that makes a difference?[laugh]
 
pastera said:
Radius meaning the square inside corner be rounded - no material removal it would actually be adding material.
All of those sharp corners may look high tech but they create areas where the stress concentrates in bad ways.

http://materion.com/~/media/Files/P...t of Stress Concentration on Fatigue Life.pdf

http://www.christiani-international.com/pdf/92903_probe.pdf
Click to expand...

Well I got the slide back yesterday and it appears the new design has more material removed from that area. Also the matte/bead blasted finish on the top of the slide is almost glittery. Must be a slightly different type of steel than before. The flat sides has more pronounced brushed lines which looks okay.
View attachment 153880View attachment 153881View attachment 153882View attachment 153883

Anyway, I hope I can sneak out to the range today to test fire it.
 
glad to hear coonan replaced your slide.

the big question is how the crack occurred. is recoil spring too weak? or perhaps can you run a shock buffer to minimize frame-slide contact?

did they make any suggestions to u for future to prevent?

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mikelawtown said:
Glad to hear, but shipping times have been funky as USPS was supposed to deliver my BCG Tuesday and nada yet , for 2 days it says delivered
Click to expand...

i've never seen USPS report a package "delivered" if it wasn't actually delivered. seems a bit odd but maybe others can chime in.
 
Squib308 said:
glad to hear coonan replaced your slide.

the big question is how the crack occurred. is recoil spring too weak? or perhaps can you run a shock buffer to minimize frame-slide contact?

did they make any suggestions to u for future to prevent?
Click to expand...

I was so eager to get the slide back I didn't ask what they think caused this - which is silly for me not to ask after I dropped that much $ on this gun. But I'll email them and ask once I shoot it and let them know if it's functioning.

I've been talking with guys on the 1911 forums and I think they may be right in that it's a bad batch of metal they got? Because the steel definitely looks different on the new slide. I had an issue when I first got it where it developed a burr in the slide stop notch on the slide. So this all seems like a steel hardness issue? Or just a design flaw as others have mentioned which seems like the most probable cause.
 
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The different finishes on the bead blasting is from the media. when we put new glass bead in our machine it gives a much better/brighter finish than when it has old media in it. The sides being more pronounced are from the time save process and usually indicates a new belt or the machine was set a tiny bit too low causing a more aggressive brush. Looks like to me it was more of a design flaw having the sharp edge right there more than anything as was mentioned in the thread previously.
 
84ta406 said:
The different finishes on the bead blasting is from the media. when we put new glass bead in our machine it gives a much better/brighter finish than when it has old media in it. The sides being more pronounced are from the time save process and usually indicates a new belt or the machine was set a tiny bit too low causing a more aggressive brush. Looks like to me it was more of a design flaw having the sharp edge right there more than anything as was mentioned in the thread previously.
Click to expand...

Ohh okay that makes sense. Ya it probably is just a design flaw. I'll shoot Coonan an email later.

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mikelawtown said:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY..[thumbsup] Andrew
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike!
 
Well I snuck out last minute to the range and shot through 50 of my 125 gr and 158 gr reloads with no issues no cracks.
Though my steel plate wasn't so lucky. Took 3 shots with the Coonan and the weld cracked AGAIN on the steel plate and fell off lol. Maybe my reloads are just too damn potent...View attachment 153915

My neighbor welded it back in April so it lasted a little while. Probably have to call him again.

Since my target was toast, I shot out to 120 yards for the first time with this gun and was surprised how easy it was to hit milk jugs at that distance. The bullets get there fast too.
 
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I would bolt it . Due to different hardness you'll keep breaking the weld . The best way todo it was if the manufacture welded it with the same metal for filler then did the heat treating .

When you weld the weld and metal around it are different hardness then the rest of it.
Heat treating it after welding would make it all the same . Only reason the weld would break then is from it flexing at the weld
 

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