PM9 slide won't come back enough to lock

[Carman]

I have a PM9 who slide won't come back far enough where I can engage the slide stop. I would appreciate any guidance I could get on this situation. Thank you

[gb6491]

I have a PM9 who slide won't come back far enough where I can engage the slide stop. I would appreciate any guidance I could get on this situation. Thank you

Welcome to the forums

Can you remove the slide on your PM9?
If so, check that the large recoil spring is installed properly (the end that fits more tightly on the guide rod should be away from the muzzle end).

Check that the end of the guide rod seats easily into the frame.

When seated correctly and the upper reinstalled, the recoil spring assy. should be flush with the front of the slide


On the chance that the slide stop is not functioning correctly, check the slide stop spring for damage


Some folks have installed the slide stop ahead of the barrel lug, but this will lock up the slide a considerable amount.

Regards,
Greg

[Carman]

My slide will come off. My large recoil spring is positioned correctly. The guide rod slips easily into the frame . The Recoil spring assembly fits flush at the front of the slide. Slide stop spring looks to be okay. It functions when I have the slide off and the stop in the frame. I can't draw slide back far enough to get to stop lever. Your picture of the spring assembly sitting down in the frame confuses me. Doesn't it go to the barrel. I'm going through the lug on the barrel with the slide stop. I don't have the slide locking up except it stopped short of reaching position to engage the lock. Thank you for putting up with me this my first time on here and I don't know how to use all this system. I really appreciate the expertise on the subject thank you.

[Carman]

After seeing your picture of the recoil spring assembly seating in the frame I look that over it's it's they're good I was able to look and see it and going from the barrel lug to the frame. I was worried about the spring simply being too long but with the barrel and slide lock out I was able to compress the spring far enough for the slide to come back far enough to engage the lock. With the Barrel in and the spring I was also able to slide it back to where the lock with engage if it were installed. When I put the lock assembly back in it will not come back that last three sixteenths of an inch approximately.

[gb6491]

After seeing your picture of the recoil spring assembly seating in the frame I look that over it's it's they're good I was able to look and see it and going from the barrel lug to the frame. I was worried about the spring simply being too long but with the barrel and slide lock out I was able to compress the spring far enough for the slide to come back far enough to engage the lock. With the Barrel in and the spring I was also able to slide it back to where the lock with engage if it were installed. When I put the lock assembly back in it will not come back that last three sixteenths of an inch approximately.

Do you by chance, have an older PM9? If so, have you changed the recoil spring? I ask because the newer guns have a slightly longer upper. The recoil spring is also longer. The spring I posted photos of is for the older "blunt nose" guns. You can count the coils on it for comparison to your spring.

Regards,
Greg

[dao]

Good point Greg. I just pulled apart my older, blunt nose PM9. If I lay the spring flat on the table and turn the forward end of the spring up, such that the pointy end of the front of the spring is facing up, and I count that pointy end as coil one, there are 13 coils to the closed rear of my spring. I would imagine if I put a newer spring in there with more coils I would have trouble pulling the slide back all the way, if it was even doable, and in fact might end up with the same problem that the OP is facing.

[Carman]

Yes I have an older model. I did count the coils and they match on the spring. I left my Barrel out of the slide put my spring in the frame to the slide and was able to slide it back enough reach where it needed to be to engage the lock. So the spring assembly compressed enough. I also put the barrel and spring assembly in the slide on to the frame and was able to pull it back enough where the slide stop would engage if it were installed. When I installed the slide stop I cannot slide it back far enough to engage it in the slide. I want to thank you again for your advice. And please excuse my terminology sometimes.

[dao]

What is the count of the coils of your spring in the way I described it Carman. I think Greg and I are wondering if you have a newer spring (with more coils), in your older PM9.

[Carman]

I went through things again. I was incorrect on my Spring assembly compressing enough to reach where I could engage the slide lock. I had the barrel out of the equation and the slide stop out of the frame trying only to compress the spring assembly, it would not go back far enough if I had the slide stop installed for it to engage. I believe my coil count is correct. Is it possible the whole assembly is incorrect.

[dao]

I'll have to leave that to someone more knowledgeable (which won't be hard to do). I don't know if the barrels and guiderods are of different lengths between the generations, or not.