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The sideplate that a few of you are referring to; is that the area just below the "serrated bump" found on the frame? How would I know if its damaged? The slide seems to move back and forth freely.[/QUOTE]
Yes. Let's see if I can make this somewhat clear.
1) Remove the magazine.
2) clear the pistol by retracting the slide. The slide will lock back.
3) Leave it so.
4) Turn the pistol upside down, and pointing away from you, depress the small knurled piece at the lower front of the pistol with your left thumb nail, and with the knurled piece still depressed,
5) With your right hand rotate the retaining rod flat end 90 degrees to the right or left, and pull it forward off of the pistol.
6)Turn the pistol right side up and grasp the barrel. Wriggle the barrel from side to side and you lift up on it. The barrel will lift off of the pistol frame.
7) Now, here is the hard part. Insert the magazine back into the pistol but DO NOT SEAT IT. Hold the pistol in your right hand, pull and hold the trigger to the rear, pull the slide slightly to the rear and while you're doing all this, seat the magazine fully by pushing the whole shebang down onto a flat surface such as a tabletop. The slide will release and will come forward off of the receiver.
8) Notice the firing pin. See how it is mounted. It is held in place by spring tension onto the striker release. Grasp the pin and pull it back an up. It will fly off and roll under the filing cabinet. Next time you take it off wrap it in a rag first. Note how it went on 'cause that's what you have to do to get it back on.
9) Remove the grips.
10) Now, holding the pistol frame in your left hand with the handle to the right and the barrel end to the left, put you left thumb gently under the world famous Mauser marked side bar plate by the trigger and your right thumb under the side plate at the rear gently push up. It will lift up and off.
You have now removed the mis-installed (or broken!) side plate. Inside, under the side plate, is the lock work. Don't even try to mess with it! Clean any dirt out with a small brush, and lightly oil the works.
Note the right and left edges of the side plate. You should see and feel beautifully machined male ridges and on the receiver/frame you should see beautifully machined female tracks. Lining everything up gently slide the side plate into its tracks and reassemble the pistol in reverse order. If it goes back together and everything functions..very good. The lockwork is OK. If it goes back together the way it is supposed to...and it doesn't function properly, the lockwork is screwed up and that's a heck of a lot more complicated to fix that I think I can cover with my limited talents.
If the sideplate will not reinstall properly because it's been booger all the heck...put it back the way you found it and punt.
Hope this helps a bit. It's not really as difficult as it sounds.
Best regards and good luck,
Gunny John
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