Shallow and uneven. Have machine shop... but haven't thought up a good way to set it up.
There is a way to re-cut the recesses. Someone mentioned to me fairly recently that he'd done it, but I can't remember who. I think it was either Chuck Rogers or Bob Rodgers.
Jon, I know that Chuck did one some year back for another smith. Not an easy deal, as the lugs are not parallel to the rails, but are machined IIRC at a 52 minute angle. If it were me and it were a new slide or out of a new gun, I'd ask for a new part.
It's an old one... works, but could be improved, obviously.
Ya, I did it once about 15 years ago. It was a 38 super slide on a Colt built by The Top Name Smiff working at the time. The lug corners were rounding over, most likely due to the slide being a bit soft coupled with Colt's old habit of over chamfering the corners.
Back then I had access to The Best Welder in the World, Allen Patterson.
I had him weld a small bead on the corners using a filler rod that resulted in approx. 40Rc. deposited material.
The set-up was fairly straightforward. Slide clamped to an angle plate at the proper angle (52 minutes).
The actual machining was quite difficult.
I used a boring head with a carbide tipped boring bar that I fabricated.
The original Colt lug cuts were not a true radius. It was more like two radii on two different centerlines. I read the Dykem and adjusted the diameter and location until I matched the original cuts.
The majority of the material removal was done by rotating the boring head by hand and incrementally scraping off a thousandths of an inch at a time.
P.S. I'd like top see Jerry set that one up on the surface grinder!
Turned out... dare I say?... perfect!
Would I do it again? If Allen was still available?
Maybe... sure would not be cheap!
The slide locking lug cuts are prolly the most difficult machining on the 1911 design.
Get a good and true set of blueprints. All of the dimensional info is right there.
I have actually done it before. Not quite as nice as Chuck's setup, but do able with the right stuff.
Using this cutter http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRIT2?P ... rchResults
Ignore the picture its incorrect for the cutter. You can make an arbor using 5/8 drill rod turned down to .600. Drill and ream the end to accept the keyseat cutter.
With the cutter in the arbor, and in the slide, you can turn the cutter by hand and remove enough material to get close. You can then scrape the lugs to final depth.
Time consuming but do able
I was thinking along those lines, CW. Some sort of wheel-shaped cutter. I think I might take a crack is just scraping it a bit. Maybe not fix what ain't broke, might throw something else off fooling with it.
As you know, that's a woodruff keyway cutter. I keep several on hand in various sizes. You would need a way to extend the cutter to the proper cutting depth for a 1911 slide. Again, I am confident you have an arbor attachment that accomplishes this.
Someone said get another slide... I would.