Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Wow, that was interesting.

Took my RIA 1911 down to the bare frame today, which was definately a learning experience. The disassembly manual was ...lacking in detail, but youtube and this site helped me out greatly. I now have a better understanding of how the gun works, and it operates much more smoothly after a thorough dusting and re-lube. I'd definately recommend one of these guns to newer gun owners, because the mechanisms are so easy to take apart, and it sheds a lot of light on how the gun (and guns in general) operate.

Also, a word of warning to people who don't know what they're doing. When removing the mainspring housing from the frame, make sure you use cution and keep your fingers from sliding along the rear part of the frame. It WILL lay you open. I should know. I now have a long cut from one side of my right index finger clear across to my ring finger. I didn't even notice until i started bleeding on my walnut grips!!

I'm glad i took it apart as well, as i think i found out why i was having Fail-to-Fire issues with it: the sear was filthy, and so were the catches on the hammer. That's a good cause of (temporary) fail-to-fire issues, right?

As you can tell, i can't truly be happy with a new purchase until it's laying in pieces on my desk. This is the reason i don't think a glock would be the gun for me...

I would also make sure that the firing pin channel is cleaned out good. Any gunk or grit in the there could cause light strikes/failure to fire.

Good point, i'll check into that. Mostly though, the hammer wasn't releasing. I haven't had any light strikes (yet).

Thanks for the tip!

-Aaron

So, you pull the trigger, hammer doesn't fall? Sounds like you might not have had a secure hold on the grip safety. I've put a lot of rounds through mine without cleaning up the internals, and never had crud on the sear/hammer interface cause a problem...

Huh. It's entirely possible, although i had a friend having the same issue. Then again, this is the first firearm i've so much as been near, and my friend has never used a 1911 before. So, I'll keep that in mind the next time it happens, and note my hand position.

I like to tear down guns when I first get one. After that I pretty much just remove the wood/plastic/rubber grips and spray them out with carb. cleaner if I feel they need internal cleaning. Once they dry I spray some rem-oil in to replace the oil in/on the metal the carb. cleaner removed and then use Mobil 1 (used to be 3n1 oil but I've been using Mobil one for a couple of years now) for lubrication of the moving parts. Mine never get really dirty but then I don't shoot 1,000 rounds without cleaning them either. Whether I shoot 14 rounds or 200 rounds in an afternoon I clean it when I get home.

if 1st timer or refresher it is handy to keep this video!
http://youtu.be/4P4XJTKzKEU
and as to that sharp edge that is where a small flat Jewelers file helps , just "Break" that sharp edge.

I recently took the Colt CE down to the receiver here is a picture.

How I would love to learn how to do that. Don't know what tool I need or don't need.

Flat head or hex key for your grips, punch and small hammer for the main spring housing, maybe a bushing wrench depending how tight your bushing is. YouTube search "1911 detail strip" and you'll find tons of info. Any other questions - just ask!

Chingon wrote: Don't know what tool I need or don't need.

For a true 1911 in GI spec, you don't need any tools. The original 1911's grip screws are flat heads so you can use the rim of a .45ACP round to turn them, and if you have a round ended hammer strut (again, per the original design) then it and the firing pin become all the punches needed to strip the 1911.

Seems like I used to use the thumb safety (on my old 1911, before I realized what it was worth for the shape it's in) to push the pin out on the mainspring housing.

Those old (and real) GI .45's are pretty well worn and loose and that does not make them unreliable or that much less accurate that a brand new tight 1911 type pistol. The 1911A1's we had in the army would rattle like a can of loose nuts/bolts when you shook one but you could hit a silhouette target all day with one at 50 yds/meters if you knew how to shoot in the first place.

However, using the parts of the pistol to take it down may result in some marks or wear spots you might not want to see.

I can take one apart and put it back together just fine (been a 1911 guy since 1978 when I shot one for the first time). However, a few years back when I got my new Series 80 Colt Government Model I I brought it home, sat down in the kitchen floor and tore it down. All of the sudden a couple parts dropped out I'd never seen on a 1911 before (those firing pin safeties folks talk about). That sort of threw me since I'd never seen the parts and had no idea how they fit in there or worked. I got it back together after a little tinkering/reasoning about how they worked/fit and put it all back together. We can all have learning experiences. The important thing is to be smarter afterwards (or at least understand things better ).

I now have finished the... Colt for now (see pic)


now the Remingtom R1

After the Colt modification this pic shows the first 2 magazines at 7 yards

Sam Hatfield (Hatfield's Gunsmithing in Manassas) puts on a terrific basic gunsmithing course a couple times a year. You detail strip and reassemble your 1911 several times during the day. More significantly, you learn tricks of the trade including pitfalls of commonly-accepted ways people who disdain gunsmiths do things. For those ready to move to a higher level, he offers intermediate and advanced sessions. The latter aren't for me. Just give me a a ball peen hammer and a pipe wrench.