dented cases - The Firearms Forum

tonygrz · 06-19-2011, 12:17 AM

Hi,

I purchased a RIA 45 and took it to the range. Great gun for the price. BUT, all the cases fired came up with dents about a quarter inch below the top. I noticed that the RIA has a strange ejection port - a part sticks out at the bottom of the port. Is that causing the dents?? Can I mill down that part and open the ejection port ??

Thanks for all your advice in advance.

Tony
tonygrz

Shooter45 · 06-19-2011, 07:22 AM

The RIA GI model uses the older style slide.
There are "old" slides and "new" slides. Older slides have the ejection port cutout fairly high in the slide, so the depth of the cutout is just below the dividing line between the curved upper portion of the slide and the flat side. Newer slides have the ejection port cut much lower, anywhere between .465" and .480" to the bottom of the slide. This allows the ejected case an easy exit, and reduces "dings" in the fired cases. Some slides, such as the Colt Gold Cup and the newer "enhanced" slides, also have a clearance cut, or "flare" milled into the rear edge of the ejection port. This is to allow the ejected case to roll over backwards easily as it exits the port. It also reduces the likelihood of a "stovepipe" jam where the ejected case is caught in the ejection port. Not much needs to be done to the newer lowered and flared ejection ports other than polishing the inside lower surface of the port where there is a bevel. If you have an older slide where the distance between the bottom of the port and the lower edge of the slide is more than .480", then it’s advantageous to lower the port to at least that depth. You can have this professionally milled out, or you may choose to do it yourself, using the aluminum oxide grinding wheel of a Dremel tool. With the stripped slide in a vise, move the grinding wheel forward and back along the bottom edge of the port, taking care to take full-length strokes evenly. Let the high-speed wheel do the work; use very little downward pressure. Take great care to keep the successive cuts parallel with the bottom edge of the slide. Do not cut into the lower rear of the port to the extent that you expose the head of the extractor. Once the bottom edge of the port is evenly lowered to .480" or a bit less from the bottom edge of the slide, bevel the inside lower edge of the port at an angle similar to the one that was there when you started. The Dremel grinding wheel can accomplish this easily. Use the wheel or a file to carefully chamfer the outside lower edge a bit so that it is no longer sharp. The rear of the ejection port can now be flared using the conical grinder of the Dremel tool; use photos or a newer slide as a guide, and again, don’t get into the extractor area so as to expose its head. The next step is to polish the inside bevel along the lower edge of the port, the flare area and the outside edges of the port. If you’ve been careful, cold blue can touch up a blued slide, and stainless slides require no refinishing.

carver · 06-19-2011, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonygrz

Hi,

I purchased a RIA 45 and took it to the range. Great gun for the price. BUT, all the cases fired came up with dents about a quarter inch below the top. I noticed that the RIA has a strange ejection port - a part sticks out at the bottom of the port. Is that causing the dents?? Can I mill down that part and open the ejection port ??

Thanks for all your advice in advance.

Tony
tonygrz

If you reload your spent brass, then full lengh re-sizeing will remove the dent. If you don't reload, and the brass is not causing feed problems, then don't worry about it. Fix it yourself as explained so well by Shooter45, or have it done by a professional. If this is just a plinking pistol dented brass is not a problem. If this is a carry pistol I would recomend that you take it to a professional smith, and have it gone through completly. ported, ramped, and accurized. Maybe a good triger job as well, and some really good sights added. Let us know what you decide to do, and how it all comes out.

tonygrz · 06-20-2011, 11:27 PM

It's just a plinking pistol. Shooter 45, that was a great explanation but since I have an over supply of thumbs, I'll let my gunsmith do it. Thanks a bunch.

06-19-2011, 12:17 AM	#1
tonygrz V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Cross Plains, Tx Posts: 90	dented cases Hi, I purchased a RIA 45 and took it to the range. Great gun for the price. BUT, all the cases fired came up with dents about a quarter inch below the top. I noticed that the RIA has a strange ejection port - a part sticks out at the bottom of the port. Is that causing the dents?? Can I mill down that part and open the ejection port ?? Thanks for all your advice in advance. Tony tonygrz -->

06-19-2011, 07:22 AM	#2
Shooter45 Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Contributor Posts: 8,755	Re: dented cases The RIA GI model uses the older style slide. There are "old" slides and "new" slides. Older slides have the ejection port cutout fairly high in the slide, so the depth of the cutout is just below the dividing line between the curved upper portion of the slide and the flat side. Newer slides have the ejection port cut much lower, anywhere between .465" and .480" to the bottom of the slide. This allows the ejected case an easy exit, and reduces "dings" in the fired cases. Some slides, such as the Colt Gold Cup and the newer "enhanced" slides, also have a clearance cut, or "flare" milled into the rear edge of the ejection port. This is to allow the ejected case to roll over backwards easily as it exits the port. It also reduces the likelihood of a "stovepipe" jam where the ejected case is caught in the ejection port. Not much needs to be done to the newer lowered and flared ejection ports other than polishing the inside lower surface of the port where there is a bevel. If you have an older slide where the distance between the bottom of the port and the lower edge of the slide is more than .480", then it’s advantageous to lower the port to at least that depth. You can have this professionally milled out, or you may choose to do it yourself, using the aluminum oxide grinding wheel of a Dremel tool. With the stripped slide in a vise, move the grinding wheel forward and back along the bottom edge of the port, taking care to take full-length strokes evenly. Let the high-speed wheel do the work; use very little downward pressure. Take great care to keep the successive cuts parallel with the bottom edge of the slide. Do not cut into the lower rear of the port to the extent that you expose the head of the extractor. Once the bottom edge of the port is evenly lowered to .480" or a bit less from the bottom edge of the slide, bevel the inside lower edge of the port at an angle similar to the one that was there when you started. The Dremel grinding wheel can accomplish this easily. Use the wheel or a file to carefully chamfer the outside lower edge a bit so that it is no longer sharp. The rear of the ejection port can now be flared using the conical grinder of the Dremel tool; use photos or a newer slide as a guide, and again, don’t get into the extractor area so as to expose its head. The next step is to polish the inside bevel along the lower edge of the port, the flare area and the outside edges of the port. If you’ve been careful, cold blue can touch up a blued slide, and stainless slides require no refinishing.

06-20-2011, 11:27 PM	#4
tonygrz V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Cross Plains, Tx Posts: 90	Re: dented cases It's just a plinking pistol. Shooter 45, that was a great explanation but since I have an over supply of thumbs, I'll let my gunsmith do it. Thanks a bunch.