Probably a stupid question...

[WaltherP38]

What are these plastic thingees that come with springfield pistols? I dismissed mine as a simple bit of plastic junk when I got my first 1911 and forgot about it but I saw one recently in the EE forum and it aroused my curiosity.

mine

one I saw in the EE forum

 

[2katz]

You could use it as a chamber flag but I think Springfield ships thier firearms with it so as not to have the slide fully closed during shipping. I think it is in case the box is dropped they don't want to have the slide and frame to make contact at its fully closed position. Both my Springfieds and one Colt came with that installed in thier chambers.

 

[motoman]

i called springfield about that it is a barrel flag you stick in the end of the barrel to show the gun is empty

 

[sunray]

"...to show the gun is empty..." Exactly.