1911 Slides Forged for Performance 

Arbor Metals supplies expertly crafted steel profiles that become the backbone of elite firearms. Our 1911 slides, engineered from premium Zollern hot-rolled steel, are built to meet the exact demands of modern pistol manufacturers. 

We serve professionals who understand the critical roles a 1911 pistol slide plays in recoil control, cycling consistency, and structural longevity. With over 20 years of experience in supplying top-quality alloys to the defense and small arms industries, Arbor Metals guarantees your production line performs as well as the weapons it helps create.

Various professionals rely on Arbor Metal’s 1911 slides for builds in real-world applications; after all, these pieces are crafted for function. Below are just a few examples of the industrial applications of 1911 slides:

• Military and Defense Manufacturing: These slides are built to handle rugged field conditions and high-volume use.
• Custom OEM Production Lines: Precision-cut, match-ready slides are ideal for commercial handgun brands and boutique pistol makers.
• Law Enforcement Service Weapons: Reliable, duty-grade platforms are relied on by tactical response teams and patrol officers. 

With over 300 years of innovation and experience, Zollern knows how to meet the demands of world-class firearm manufacturers. 

Zollern’s cold-drawn profiles are renowned for their precision grain structure and dimensional accuracy—key attributes that make them ideal for high-performance components such as the 1911 pistol slide.

Professionals across global aerospace, defense, and small arms industries trust Zollern’s steel, especially when failure isn’t an option. Arbor Metals is proud to be an authorized distributor of Zollern steel, bringing their legacy of excellence to firearm OEMs who build with purpose. 

Engineers must design steel with extreme care and precision when it is being filled into a slide that absorbs frequent impact. 

The impressive integrity of a 1911 slide starts with metallurgy, and Arbor Metals exclusively sources premium-grade alloys engineered to deliver performance at scale. 

4140 steel is a chromium-molybdenum alloy explicitly designed to perform in high-stress, high-impact environments — precisely the conditions in which a 1911 pistol slide operates.

This kind of steel offers high tensile strength, allowing for structural rigidity while maintaining enough toughness to resist cracking under recoil. 4140 steel also operates quite well under intense thermal stress, giving manufacturers and users ultimate peace of mind.

Arbor Metal’s 1911 pistol slides are designed to reduce production time and deliver repeatable results across high-volume runs and custom builds. Every slide profile we supply offers smooth surface finishes that minimize tool wear, clean edge geometry to reduce prep time, and material consistency that supports high-speed CNC operations. 

Whether you’re cutting optic mounts or adding custom serrations, our 1911 slides give you the foundation to move fast without sacrificing precision. 

And because we ship what we promise –  on time and in spec – you don’t lose hours chasing down supply chain gaps or adjusting for inconsistencies. Instead, you get the slides that fit your workflow in the most efficient manner possible.