Well. I did it. I broke my Springer Champion. Again. This time I think it’s gotta go to a gunsmith. Doing some regular testing/practicing after a spring changeout and had a much heavier recoil than normal. Now I can’t retract the slide more than 1/4” or so. When I try, I’m hitting something solid. Annoyingly this is an old gun that’s had a decent number of rounds and been kinda my go-to for carry. This particular generation has a recoil spring plug that is captive and doesn’t come out the front of the slide so I can’t even pull the plug/spring to see what’s going on.  

It did leave the empty in the chamber so at least I’m not taking a hot weapon into the smith to deal with. Sigh. I’m usually able to decently troubleshoot and fix most issues myself but if I can’t get the slide off, I’m limited. I guess worst case I could dremel off the slide stop and drive out the pin and free things that way but that’s kinda drastic.  The most annoying part about that stupid recoil plug being designed the way it is, is that even if I push it back enough to get the bushing out, the plug still isn’t coming out. Just no clearance under the barrel for it.

So off the the ‘smith tomorrow and see what the news is.  God willing it’s not a broken barrel under lug.

Ugly stuff goes thru my mind when stuff like this happens. Questions like, is it time to retire this from carry? THAT would really suck since I just sunk a boatload of money (for me) into machining the slide and mounting an optic specifically to make it better for my old eyes.

Update: gunsmith just called and I hit the jackpot. Lower lug on the barrel is cracked. So now I get to decide should I let him install a new barrel? Buy and install a barrel myself? Never done a barrel before but doesn’t look undoable. Or try cutting down an already owned but uninstalled Kart I bought for another project I never started?

Same thing happened to my 1995 era Champion.
I installed an Ed Brown drop in. If memory is correct I only had to fit the barrel hood.
That was in 1998 or 1999 and I've had no issues since.

If having a smith do the work, I'd have him cut a VIS then install a new barrel.

Another option is shipping it back to Springfield and having them install a new factory barrel.

It’s on its way back to springfield (on their dime no less! ) for an evaluation and estimate. I decided I really don’t have the time to devote to properly fitting a new barrel and I’m just not willing to invest in the proper tools to do it right, especially so since they’d likely get used for this one job and then sit. I did make it absolutely clear I’m the second owner so not misrepresenting myself to get free work.