WILSON COMBAT Blue Ext. Slide Release

Wilson Combat components, as always with those I have purchased previously, are 100%. I've yet to find a product that needs to be altered in anyway. They are in my mind, by far, the best aftermarket suppliers you could hope to find.



As this firearm is used in active duty, I've become to expect (and have not been let down) flawless operation. Wilson does that every time. Others, well, not so much and they can expect very poor reviews

I have installed many of these for friends and customers, almost never require fitting. Only negative is that I have had 3 returns due to the "extended" tab breaking off. Left handed 1911 shooters like it so they can release the slide with trigger finger during mag change.

Over the weekend I installed two of these. Both were completely drop-in replacements for the existing slide releases. One went into a Charles Daly officer's model while the other went into a piece I built up from a Fusion Firearms CCO kit. The only fitting required was some modest sanding at the top of the grip panel. Nothing needed on the slide release itself.

Installed this SS Extended Slide release on my Springfield Armory GI 1911-A1. Functions perfectly. Now I don't have to reach far with my thumb and change my grip to release the slide. The item received had quite a few sharp corners and edges that I took care of with a couple passes of a file and then I polished it to match my gun.

Very happy with this buy. Functions perfectly. Looks GREAT on the gun, beautifully designed. The only issue I had, was that I had to modify my grip panel slightly because the extended lever just barely grazed the grip not leaving me enough room to fully insert the piece.

Simple fitting if required.......Over all......Very good product.

This extended slide stop took a good half-second to a second off my reload times...when it worked. It also drove me nuts until I figured out what the problem was.



I installed it on my Springfield 9mm 1911 as part of a small-parts upgrade. The problem: it only locked back half the time. First, I looked at the magazines, adjusted the followers...worked fine cycling the slide by hand, but still locked back only half the time in live fire. Changed the recoil springs...still no joy.



Finally, I noticed it was scratching the side of my gun. Looking at the contact surface on the inside of the slide stop lever, it was a raw casting. There was no finishing at all on the surfaces. I stoned the surfaces smooth, expecting this would solve the problem. Back to the range...still no joy!!



Now, it was time to look closely. I'm so far-sighted, when I take my glasses off, my focal length is less than 4 inches from my face. It's like having a built-in 4X magnifier!



I saw a small dent in the frame rail where the slide stop rides up in a slot. A clue!! Stoning the top edges of that slot in the slide stop, rounding off the sharpness and taking off a casting burr or two, and mirable dictu...perfect performance.



For a name like Wilson Combat to ship a product that not only scars the side of the gun, but also fails to work, is disappointing. The only silver lining is that I learned a lot about pre-examining parts and pro-actively cleaning up rough edges and casting burrs.

I bought this when I was building my competition pistol. At first I was happy with it's drop in ease and what seemed to be "great fit and finish". Unfortunately after only two weeks of use the finish had all but worn off. Shortly after that the part wore to the point that it was causing function issues (it was backing it's self out during firing causing the slide to lock up about half way back) After removing it and a bit of stoning the problem was solved. Or so I thought! Unfortunately after that the extended portion of the part broke off wile I was wiping it down with a rag! This part is junk and unfortunately I had issues with every other Wilson part I have purchased in the last year! I have since removed every single Wilson part I had on my pistol and have never had another problem. I will never purchase a single part from Wilson combat again! All this happened in less than 2000 rounds worth of use!

I have three Kimber 1911's and all of them have this slide stop on them. I haven't run 200 rounds through my CDP II yet and this slide stop broke where it extends from the body of it. Please start making these out of bar stock. I loved it while it lasted. Now i need to replace the other two. The "Bulletproof" model is so small, it is hard to release the slide with it. Back to OEM.

This isn't a drop in for my Ruger SR1911. Upon the first install the slide bound and the mag follower couldn't push it up to lock the slide back. It was so stiff it took a bit of persuasion to get it back out.
If this happens to you, you'll either need to take it to a gunsmith or a set of needle files. Since I'm also a toolmaker I chose the latter. After much filing in 3 different areas and over an hour of file, fit, remove etc it is now as smooth as the factory Ruger one.
It was initially binding on the slide itself. I had to open up the slot between the slide catch hub and the follower engagement knob. Make sure to file on the follower engagement side! VERY important. Next was where it actually engages the slide to lock it open. Smoothing that out on the tapered side and slightly rounding the top edge on the FACE only. Not in the slot. Next was main body where it actually would rub on the frame. Removed all the casting marks and ribbing.
Only problem now is I have bare metal which as we know RUSTS easily. So either I'll pick up a home bluing kit or have it done professionally. Haven't decided yet.

I would have expected a whole lot more better fit and finish from such a reputable name as Wilson Combat.

I bought two of these and they dropped right in one for my rock island and one for my citadel both girls just fine.

It dropped right into my Remington R1 without any fitting. It makes the slide release very easy using only the right thumb.

Good quality piece. Drops right in on my Para GI Expert with no problem. I wish it were a little longer because I still have a little trouble getting the thumb on it good. I'll stick with it though. It's an improvement over the stock unit.

I bought it to go with my new Kimber Eclipse Target II. it dropped right in with no adjustments needed. matches the old release exactly and works perfect. what I would hope from Wilson.

Outwardly, this is a great looking extended slide release, and with the Wilson Combat name on it one would think it would be finished to perfection. Well, not so. My specimen, I believe, is typical. It did drop right into my Kimber CDPII. But, then the problems started. The face of the release, that part which contacts the plunger tube pin, was rough and had a casting ridge in it. It was so bad that none of my magazines had enough spring power to fully push the slide release up into the slide notch. I fixed the problem using 320, 600 and 1000 grit wet or dry, sanding on a flat piece of glass. It took about 20 minutes. Wilson does say that this part may require "minor fitting", but 20 minutes at shop prices is getting up there. So, that problem was fixed. But, there's another problem which I put in the category of "design issue". When the slide release is fully engaged in the slide notch, the plunger tube pin nearly runs out of metal to rest on. In other words, the slide release is too skinny at the bottom. It needs more meat there to fully support the plunger pin. I can see the day when the pin may pop outward and lock the slide in the up position. My factory Kimber release has no such issue and the face of the Kimber slide release is mirror smooth. My opinion is that the standard Kimber slide release is far superior to the Wilson Combat product. Since I prefer an extended slide release I'm going to stay with the Wilson Combat for now. But if it ever goofs up, even once, in the trash it goes. My Kimber slide release will always be at hand in my range bag.

You can see the casting marks in the picture! The paddles tend to snap off on these if you actually shoot the gun much. I Started using the john mason extended slide stop which is rougher but at least they are more durable. Wish Brown would make an extended slide stop.

Im a lefty and have always used my trigger finger to release the slide
This makes it so much easier

Perfect fit in my Springfield 1911 Mil Spec. No problem went right in ( but not so with other parts - see my reviews on extended thumb saftey and trigger).

I see that some needed fitted, but mine did not. Feels perfect, functions flawlessly. I don't think that having to fit a part such as this should count negative. I would prefer to fit it, that way it is perfect and not over fit.

When I installed this on my Colt 1991-A1 series 80 it required no fitting and functioned without any problems and looks great on my pistol. The finish was flawless. Great asset to the pistol.

This is a great product. I am left handed, so this really helps me out a lot. Putting this on my Kimber Custom TLE RL 2 was cake, it dropped right in. When I put it in my Springfield Loaded, I did have to fit the width that rides just inside the slide. It was about a 15 minute job, so also very easy. Anyone can use this slide release but it is very beneficial to lefties

Ordered one of these for a full-size 1911 Philippine clone (this one branded as High Standard). It was a perfect drop in fit and functions perfectly. It was on sale, and is a great value.

I put on my Springfield Armory GI 1911 to give myself easier access to the slide release. i did have to remove .02 of material so that it would slide into place without needing additional tools to remove it, tight but not too tight. the finish is very durable and matched perfectly after fitting was done it doesnt get in the way with any of my concealment holsters, and doesnt catch when drawing. awesome product.

dropped right in to my springfield 1911 a-1 GI model with no problem. nice,perfect, fit and works as advertised, just put it in today so i havent taken it to the range to try it out. i did not even have to modify my grips, this slide stop barely kisses it so no need. i do not have to adjust my grip to press anymore.kinda slim too so it will be good for holstering as well. and shipping was fast! thanx brownells! i will be ordering a new trigger and mainspring housing VERY soon!

This slide release dropped in. No fitting required for perfect function (that doesn't always happen). Couldn't have asked for more.

Ordered for a Kimber Desert Warrior.
Would not allow the slide to "slingshot" closed and had to be manually depressed.

I purchased a Para-Ordnance that came with an extended ambidextrous safety but with a normal slide release.

After a few trips to the range I kept telling myself that I needed to get me one of these. I'm so glad that I did.

I compared it with the factory slide release and the proportions are pretty spot on so this piece installed on my Para 1911 without any modification or fitting required and just worked flawlessly straight out of the box. The finish is very good and it even looks like it came with the pistol from the factory. It matches all the other controls. Shaves some time off my reloads and makes locking the slide to the rear really simple since my hand doesn't move from the grip anymore.

Great product.

I put this in my COLT 1991 A1 without any problems drop right in I have a short thumb & it made a big diffrence if you got a short thumb like me & having problems reaching the slide release drop this in your 1911 & problem solved also you won't have to change grip positons either & that makes a big diffrence if your defending your self

Truely a drop in replacment for the Kimber Ultra Carry II stainless. No adjustment or fitting was required. The customer had a few mags that were really tuff to get the slide to release. The extended slide release was cheaper that replacing 2 of the 7 mags and worked perfectly. Highly recommended. Excellent color match on the Kimber Stainless

This piece went in with no problem what so ever. Only problem I had is the thumb area hits the grips I have, which only means I had to file the top of them down a hair. Works wonders, no need to move my hand to hit the slide release now.

A fine addition to my Colt Commander XSE just what I needed to keep hand-thumb movement to a minimum.

A life saver on my 1911!!!

Even after a little fileing it still would not fit flush to the slide ,tryed my oldest 1911 that had thousands of rounds threw it .I should of listend to the reviews hope I can get my money refunded.

The catch was bent out of the box and did not fit well in my Para GI expert. With some fitting I was able to make it functional. On the 4th slide release, the thumb pad broke! I ground off the thumb pad and now use it on a .45 plinker.

Rubbish MIM part of very low quality, the MIM information should be provide in the item's description. The extension broke off after less than 500 rounds.

I shoot USPSA and IDPA matches. I put this on a stock S&W 1911. I did 2 matches (about 300 rounds total) and then took a class at Sig Academy with it. Halfway through the class I couldn't understand why my left thumb was bleading. The extended part of the lever broke completely off leaving a very sharp peice of metal to cut my hand. This is made out of MIM metal and is NOT a bar stock part. Stay away. Mine lasted less than 1000 rounds of normal use. Great idea! bad quality!

Great looking, and a nice tight fit. Helped speed up my reloads. Works exactly as advertised

installed pretty easy on remington 1911 r1. i did have to trim the top of the grip but no big deal. couple minutes of work and it functions awesome, looks great.

I bought two one for my colt Mk IV 70 series and one for my Rock Island tactical. Fit and functioned flawlessly in both, NO FITTING. I cant hit the release with my right hand without changing my grip, but i just hit it while raising the weapon back to position with my left hand... much easier to hit. I also suggest cutting a detent so it wont catch while shooting... ive never had it happen but best to be safe.

I have had two of these on Springfield TRPs service pistols and broke both of them. Admittedly, it took a couple thousand rounds to break each one, but they still snapped off at the extended portion eventually. I'll still probably buy a third one, just because I really like being able to close the slide with my dominant thumb. The second one I got required fitting.

Been using this part on 1911 builds for 25 years. Never disappointed by Wilson.

As a fan of all things Remington, I was recently thrilled to purchase one of their R1 1911 .45 pistols. My short fingers, however, reminded me of why I had previously had only limited interest in the 1911 format. My thumb simply could not reach the slide stop without a major shift in grip, making it inconvenient not just on the range, but for basic maintenance, cleaning and inspection as well. The gun already has a short trigger and flat mainspring housing, so I went to the catalog for ideas. The Wilson Combat 1911 extended slide release was not the cheapest option available, but in my opinion, it was the best! The part installed easily and snugly with absolutely no fitting required (a big concern) and the function was flawless (a bigger concern). The blue finish (actually a matte black) matched the finish of the Rem. thumb safety better than the original Rem. slide stop did! The serrations on its thumb pad also matched those of the factory safety better than the original part as well, which was checkered, not serrated like the Rem. safety. In short, it just looks right, it matches better than the factory part, and it works perfectly, which to me makes it worth far more than its cost (comparable to a couple boxes of shells). It's just enough of a "boost" to let me reach the slide stop with no shift in grip, and one would have to stare at that pistol a really long time to notice any change of parts had ever taken place! In addition, the Wilson Combat slide stop has better traction, without sticking out from the side of the pistol any more than what the original did. While it is "extended" it is still compact, with no perceptible difference in mass (longer but slimmer), so it does not bounce around or fail to hold the slide back after the last shot. What's more is that it fits so much like the original (if not better) that I can easily and quickly change it back if I ever need to. I have no complaints at all, not even any suggestions for improvement.

this like all of wilsons parts is a quality piece, drop in fit nice even finish... be aware this is a dull blue finish like ,as far as i know, all of wilsons parts are so if youre looking for a high gloss finish you will need to polish and re-blue this but for the money and quality its still worth it!

Ordered for Springfield Loaded. Fit and function were perfect. No more having to adjust my grip to release the slid is a major plus, and it has more leverage then the orignial release. Plus it just looks right.

It´s fantastic for my KIMBER WARRIOR. Simple fit, and excelente product.

I have Crimson Trace grips, the extended part of the slide stop would not clear the edge of the grips. I had to sand a little bit of metal off of the stop to clear the grips. Other than that they work fine and look great.

The extended slide stop made up for having to reach with my thumb for the slide release. Seems tough and although it says "blue" it's black.

fit and functions perfectly. makes It much easier to reach the slide stop without repositioning your hand.

Using a STI TargetMaster, minor fitting required (fine sandpaper only), but once done, you can't get any closer tolerance.

Using a Kimber Team Match II, no fitting required. Have a feeling it tightened-up the position of the barrel (at the rear), due to less play inside of the barrel link.

Previously I had no chance of getting my small thumb onto the slide release without a major shift in grip position (bad, bad, bad). Now, no problem.

Like most aftermarket parts, some minor fitting was required, but 10 minutes with my Dremel & I was in business. I bought this one for my Llama .45 acp & it works flawlessly and after a little hand buffing, matches my pistols finish. A little pricey, but MUCH better quality than most aftermarket slide releases & is easy to reach with my thumb.

I installed this part in a Springfield TRP. I was using it in conjunction with the Wilson tactical extended safety, but now am using a GI-style thumb safety. (My theory is that in the middle of a gunfight the slide release is more important than the safety lever, and the GI safety lets me hit the slide release without interference.) I shoot with my thumbs locked down, so the end of my thumb doesn't rest on the extended slide release and keep it from locking the slide back.

I think people having problems with the slide locking back probably are resting their thumb on it, or else they're using mags with wimpy springs. With a full-length rod and shock buff, I've never had a problem.

If you have short thumbs, there would be no downside to this product at all--even if you did shoot with your thumb on the safety lever. And it would definitely improve your reload speed. It also makes it easier to lock the slide open manually. The lever is slim enough not to snag on stuff. This and the Wilson bulletproof slide stop are my two favorite slide stops.

I bought this for my Kimber CDP. It works much better then the OEM slide stop. I still have to loosen my grip and move my hand slightly to engage and disengage the slide stop. Grip interferes with contact of slide stop. But vast improvement over OEM. Haven't fired the gun yet to see if the slide locks after firing the last round.

Ordered this for my Springfield Loaded. When I installed it and went to function check the pistol, I realized the slide would no longer lock to the rear on an empty mag. Put the original back in, and the pistol functioned like it should.

If you have freakishly long fingers, you may be able to release the slide with your thumb, but I still had to change my grip to reach it. It did look good though, and the finish was nice.

But good looks is not enough to justify buying something that provides no improvements.

I installed this on my Kimber Ultra CDP II. It installed perfectly; no fitting required and blends well with the Kimber silver color. It accomplished my desire, which was to be able to reach the slide release with my thumb without adjusting my grip on the pistol. It also makes releasing the slide easier, as there is greater leverage. Excellent for getting the slide closed quickly for emergency or tactical reloads.