alucard0822
For great Justice
can you see if the barrel is binding due to a bulge? If you're able to clear the chamber and light the barrel from the chamber end, you should be able to see the bulge from the inside as a dark ring halfway up. How about the recoil spring assembly? Definately in the correct way? Put the slide on a sturdy corner(not the barrel) up front and push it as far to the rear as you can with your support hand, then come forward hard with your shooting hand onto the backstrap. Be sure to grip the frame after the strike with your shooting hand so the gun doesn't fall. It could be a primer underneath or something like that. Also, slide the slide back as far as it'll go and take a picture of the underside of the slide at the rear(where the striker is), the front where the barrel protrudes, and inside the mag well, lit up with a flashlight at the underside of the slide with the slide closed. Pictures may show something obvious to those looking for the right things.
edit...i may be reversing what "1/2 way back" means. Is it locked to the rearward position and won't go forward into batteyr, or locked so that it won't open all the way? If the striker is binding on something as the slide's trying to return forward, it may just be as easy as removing the backplate and taking out the striker to allow the slide to come forward and off.
good call.