Loose slide stop lever causing slide removal issues?

[chain]

Hi,
I'm hoping for some help.

I have 2 P64's so I am familiar with the pistol. 1 is fine. I have difficulty removing the slide on the other. It is insanely difficult to put the slide back on, not because of the recoil spring mind you.

On the difficult one the slide stop lever has more play to it. I can pull it away from the gun farther than I can my good one. It also seems to have more play at the spring. I think this may be the cause of the extreme difficulty getting the slide back on.

I don't think the slide stop lever returns to its home.

Could this be caused by a weak slide stop lever spring? Or maybe a worn slide stop lever?

Any insight would be appreciated!

[juniustaylor]

chain, being that it's an old gun, I could say it could be any of those issues you mentioned at the end. The slide stop lever is secured to the frame by the spring. It's all kind of internal. If the grooves cut in the frame and lever are more loose in standards than your other, that can cause the issue where it pulls away from the frame more than the other does. If the spring seems to snap the lever down when you lightly pull up on it like the mag follower would on empty, then the spring would seem fine. The levers don't really wear out, they just break if anything. On my P-64, I have to make sure the lever is up against the frame because it will pull away from the frame and make it difficult to get the slide back on the pistol. I'm not sure why you'd have trouble getting the slide off...