Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

How to detail strip a 1911

By John Travis

How to detail strip a 1911

Hunter and I decided to do a slower detail strip tutorial after complaints of the no-tool strip demo being a little too fast to follow.

I opted to use an original/correct 1918 Black Army Colt for the honors…because I thought it’d be cool to use one that old…and because Hunter pissed and moaned for an hour over my using a Norinco instead of a Colt for the no-tool demonstration.

So, without further ado…

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRB33mN ... r_embedded

I use to use the pin on the thumb safety to push the pin for the main spring housing out. One of the legs on the flat spring (trigger return/sear/grip safety can be used to push the firing pin and drop the firing pin block out.

I think I even used that flat spring to unscrew the screw in the magazine release, but won't swear to that, it's been a long time since I felt the need to prove to someone that it could be done.

Oh, funny thing, the 1911 I used for that (still have it) is a Colt 1911 US Army pistol made in 1917.