MEU slide won't lock

[Disco_Dante]

I just picked up a shooter's design MEU, and yesterday it was a dream. The slide slid along its rails like a hot knife through butter, and everything worked perfectly. It was however, full of sand. After completely stripping it down to every nut and bolt, I delubed it and reassembled it with the intention of lubing it later today. This morning when I went to fiddle with it before class, the slide wouldn't travel far enough backwards for the slide lock to pop up and engage. It literally stops just a third of millimeter from the edge of the cut where it would engage the slide. Any ideas?

[Styrak]

Strip it down again and wash EVERYTHING out with water?
Then sit and let air-dry before putting back together?

[Disco_Dante]

It was pretty thoroughly cleaned yesterday, but I did it with q-tips and and old sock. Is water really the best thing to be cleaning a metal GBB with?

[Amos]

Get all the metal parts, wash 'em in really hot very soapy water,

Towel dry 'em then leave 'em to dry completely. Rust isn't an issue when the guns aren't made out of ferric metal

[Disco_Dante]

Actually guys I just fixed the problem. It was correctly identified by Thenooblord as an error on my part when installing the recoil spring. One end was slightly different from the other, and I'd put the wrong end in contact with the plug. Works great now

I'm definitely going to strip it again and wash it though, that will help get rid of the remaining grease before i go to town with graphite lube on it.

Thanks for the help guys!