Andy: You don't mean to sound harsh? Asking if I've fired a gun when I have what I feel to be serious functional doubts, and comparing that to trying to move a car in a way it wasn't designed for, is quite intentionally "harsh." I would think it's more like asking if I've driven a car with a fuel leak. It's a safety question. Would you fire a gun with an obstructed barrel? No. Would you fire one with a bent barrel? No. With a cylinder you weren't sure was lining up? No. Why would I fire a gun with a slide that is nearly seized up, right out of the box? My Delta Elite wasn't this way (a correction from my first post, sold that one a while back and forgot I'd had it). My Berettas weren't this way, and neither was my S&W, my Walther, my Kahr, or any other gun I've had. A piece of equipment that is supposed to be finely machined shouldn't be nearly immovable. Why would I fire a gun I don't trust? I'm no gunsmith, but I do know gun safety. My local dealer agreed that I should sent it in. I've since read postings regarding Baer's fit being extremely tight, but that's at lockup, and that's a CUSTOM GUN. A Mil-Spec IS NOT A CUSTOM GUN. At least, it wasn't represented as such. And it's not tight in a functional way, like at the in-battery position. It's tight in a place that, to me, it shouldn't be. Should I fire it, and, after I pick slide shards out of my face, send it back? Since I'm not a gunsmith, and I have a functional question, I sent it to the professionals. If they send it back with a letter saying "this is fine, we've fired it without a problem" then so be it. I'll be satisfied. My bad. But I'm not firing a gun that I don't trust. Who would?