We HiCapa 4.3 plastic midframe flexing.

[siggypoo]

Title speaks for itself. It seems the midframe is flexing, which sometimes causes the slide to bind while shooting, or even manually moving.
The midframe and lower frame are both plastic, I believe. The midframe, for sure. There is often enough flexing that the grip safety pops out from the grip, with a very noticeable gap between the mid and lower. If I grip the top and bottom of the frames to squeeze them together, the gap almost vanishes. I haven't dismantled the lower. Is this common to plastic mid-framed guns?
I considered epoxying the mid to the lower, since both seem readily available on ASC. If I screw the pooch, I should be able to replace it. But would this be a fix or a bandaid?
See pics for great justice; notice the difference in gapping between compressed and unsqueezed. Any advice that doesn't involve me shelling out coin I can't afford for a metal midframe would be greatly appreciated.

[jordan7831]

That gap is caused by the screw holes in the grip being ever so slightly higher than they should be. If the gap bothers you, perhaps you can try another brand of grip. TM hi capa grips pop up on here fairly frequently.

The gap is caused by the hammer spring pushing the grip and frame apart. If you want to mod the beaver tail, it is possible to use some aluminum shims to give the grip safety a little more length so it stays tucked under the main spring housing.

[siggypoo]

Bothers me because the grip safety slips out and the slide binds.
Is it the grip I should search a replacement for, or the midframe? Or both?

[jordan7831]

Well the midframe is plastic. I would look for one of those first. The most cost effective ways to get one of those would probably be to buy a fixer hi capa off the classifieds and use the metal frame from that.

[siggypoo]

That's my hope, but they are über-popular, and pricey. I appreciate your input, but assuming I can eventually get a metal midframe, what would best work in the meantime?

[HackD]

My suggestion would be to buy another brand pistol, of same general size/dimensions.

I had the same one come to me as a broken parts gun, along with a BNIB WE 4.3. I didn't look all that hard at it while in my hands, but the frame/grip assembly was entirely fractured in that area - it was a throw-away, good for only springs and miscellaneous components.

That pistol had been around the block a few times - very well used.

I was looking for a gun of those dimensions as a compact carry. I use the 4.3 as a computer-room plinker, and picked up a KJW Sig P229 instead for a gamer. No issues whatsoever with that one.

*edit* my bad - it was/is a 3.8.. but plastic frame breakage issue still applies.

[Kos-Mos]

Plastic framed hicapas break across the top-right screw insert/hole.

They are made out of acrylic, and acrylic (also known as plexi-glass) is VERY brittle and crack easily.

Even TM's Hicapa have a metal midframe for that reason.

Unfortunately, it will be cheaper for you to buy a brand new Hicapa with the longer inner barrel/silencer and install the parts you want on it than finding a metal midframe.

I guess at least you have an extra magazine...

[siggypoo]

It still shoots great after I give it a top to bottom squeeze for that gap. Since I'm a chairsofter myself, I suppose I'll look for another HiCapa and keep this for parts. It's perfectly functional most of the time. Would the slide and barrel fit a We 1911? Since I shop almost exclusively on ASC's classifieds, knowing that would help expand or restrict what I keep an eye out for.

[Kos-Mos]

Yes, the slide should fit a WE 1911.

Or you can find a TM/KJW midframe. There is really nothing special about the WE 4.3. It's a regular Hicapa...

And usually they don't break, so finding a frame alone is hard.

You can contact Illusion, he might be able to help you.

[siggypoo]

It's not that the We HiCapa is so particular to me; it's just the first that I happened to get, and after my G39C an Scar-L, I was confident We would be a wise purchase for a HiCapa. Thanks much for the advice. I'll do some research and window shipping.
Again, in the mean time, would an adhesive fix this gapping issue or complicate it?

[Kos-Mos]

Originally Posted by siggypoo

It's not that the We HiCapa is so particular to me; it's just the first that I happened to get, and after my G39C an Scar-L, I was confident We would be a wise purchase for a HiCapa. Thanks much for the advice. I'll do some research and window shipping.
Again, in the mean time, would an adhesive fix this gapping issue or complicate it?

It will hold until you shoot.

Tried with CA, epoxy and urethane adhesive. Nothing held.

[siggypoo]

Hey, that's great, lol!
I've some Glasbed left over. Betcha that'd work. It's not being used for anything else, so why not?

[Styrak]

Hicapas were never meant to have plastic midframes, that's why TM made it metal.