READ THIS CAREFULLY! We supply this information for informative purposes only. only. The writer does not assume any responsibility for any action taken as a result of this information. If you decide to modify your gun yourself, you alone take responsibility for its safe operation. We recommend that all pistolsmithing work concerning the safeties or the safe operation of the gun be done by a qualified pistolsmith. Safety glasses are required wherever the use of dremel tools or buffing wheels are involved, or the assembly/disassembly of parts with springs under tension.
Introduction Introduction & Acknowledegements Most of our ideas for new products come from our customers. Without a doubt, the most requested product we have ever had has been this book. When I made the decision to do one, I had no idea what I was getting into. This book is the most difficult project I have ever attempted. I am a machinist, tool & die maker, CNC programmer, designer, designer, and pistolsmith. Somewhere along the way, I became an author. author. I don't know really how it happened as I certainly wasn't educated as one. My goal in this book was to present practical facts and photos in a format that one could acquire cheaply, and actually put to use immediately on the the workbench. I sincerely hope that goal has been reached. This book reflects our efforts to supply you, our most valued customer, the best information possible. Inside you'll find valuable information accumulated accumulated from my 30+ years of working with the 1911. I did not go to some secret school or college to learn the information provided therein, but gained it the hard way. By doing, making mistakes, and redoing. The information presented here here should by no means be represented as the only way to do a job. It's just one way we have found that is successful, and will work for most of the people, most of the time. If you have a better way of doing a job, you have probably learned, as we have, the hard way - don't abandon abandon it. I built my business by learning learning how to do the same thing even better better.. Please do not think your way is wrong because we may have shown a different way. way. Although books on the 1911 are rare, there are others, and we do not profess to have studied them all. We may show a different way of doing a job than another book might. Again, do not consider this book to be anything other other than the way we do things. One might wonder why a book like this with so much valuable information should be sold so cheaply. cheaply. After all, one trip to a pistolsmith can easily cost over a hundred dollars. This was my marketing idea. Why not sell the book at nearly cost, so that everyone can share in the information that we have made a business of? It is not our intention to make a profit with the book, but to stimulate the sales of our parts through the inexpensive distribution of information. Now you know why the book is so cheap, you should be able to afford to purchase some parts. If you need anything for the 1911, call us. Ed Brown Products Inc. 43825 Muldrow Trail Perry, MO 63462 Phone: 573-565-3261 573-565-3261 Fax: 573-565-2791 573-565-2791 www.edbrown.com Any project of this size cannot be accomplished without an enormous amount of help. I have been fortunate in that respect to have been been surrounded by the best. best. I start with thanks thanks to all of the employees of Ed Brown Products, Products, who had to make do without me while I spent time on this book, and took time off for various hunting trips around the world. Thanks to my youngest son Wade, who has already shown such a mechanical aptitude for machine work it makes me wonder if there is anything he can't do. Wade is helping out where ever possible in the shop, printing all our packaging materials. My only daughter, Wendy, Wendy, who is already better at computers than I'll ever be, did most of the photo scans and handled the actual computer assembly of the pages of the book. This required numerous rewrites and resetting covering over a year. Thank you for your excellent work. Thanks to my oldest son Travis, who is a better pistolsmith at the tender age of 21, than I was at age 30. When he is not in college, Travis spends most of his time working on guns now, did all the gun work for the book, helped with the photos, and did much of the proof reading. Thanks most of all to my loving wife of thirty-two years, Twylla, Twylla, who has been so supportive of her young husband's hobby, that together we have turned it into a major parts business and CNC machine shop. We We have gone far beyond what we ever imagined possible.
Copyright © 1997 by Ed Brown Products, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form form by any means, electronic or mechanical, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author. author. Inquiries should be addressed to Ed Brown Products, Products, Inc.
DISASSEMBLY
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The 1911 pistol does not require a major investment in tools for disassembly. However, there are a few specialized tools needed. Take this advice first - don't go to the hardware store. Purchase your tools from a reputable gunsmith house. We recommend you contact Brownells, Inc. for a catlaog. They sell mail order and carry only the finest quality merchandise. They are experts in firearms and can offer you technical service as their customer. Brownells, Inc. 200 South Front Street Montezuma, IA 50171-1000 www.brownells.com 515-623-5401
You will need a small plastic or brass hammer, a screwdriver for grip screws (or 3/32" wrench if using our hex head screws), an 1/8" wide flat screw driver, a 1/8" punch, a 1/16" punch, and a 1911 bushing wrench.
Before handling handl ing or working on any 1911 style firearm, ALW ALWAYS follow the proper unloading procedure: 1. Drop magazine FIRST 2. Check chamber for loaded round. 3. LOOK INSIDE CHAMBER!
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Field Strip Main Components Check for unloaded condition. Pull back on slide to align slide stop catch with the takedown notch in the slide. Control the gun as shown in the photo with the right hand and push out the slide stop pin with the left finger. Once it is popped loose, remove the slide stop completely while keeping the slide held back.
NOTE: If the gun has a one or two-piece guide rod installed, see page 1-14 and 1-15 for the slight differences in disassembly.
Now wrap your left hand around the lower portion of the slide to prevent the recoil spring from flying away. Then allow the top assembly to slip slowly forward until it clears the frame. Set the frame aside and prepare to release the recoil spring and plug. Be careful! Remove the recoil spring and plug and set aside.
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The barrel should slip forward easily so you can turn the barrel bushing 1/4 turn counter clockwise. Tight bushings may require the use of a bushing wrench as shown. Now the barrel and bushing can be removed from the slide and set aside. Normally, this is all the take down that’s necessary for routine cleaning. It’s called field stripping, but in all my years of shooting 45’s I have never needed to disassemble one in the field. I hope you don’t try it either. I suggest a well lighted workbench with a clean, smooth floor.
If you need to disassemble the gun further, proceed as follows: Depress the firing pin with a small punch so the firing pin stop can be removed. It should slip straight down with little effort. Be aware this will allow the firing pin and spring to fly away, so prepare to keep them contained. NOTE: Series 80 plungers need to be removed also. See page 1-16 and 1-17 for details of Series 80 disassembly.
DISASSEMBLY Now use a small, flat blade screwdriver to remove the extractor. It should pull straight out from the back of the slide. Be careful not to mar the sharp rear edge of the slide while doing this. The extractor should slip free easily.
Cleaning Tip: Near the bolt face is a common place for grit to accumulate. If left alone, it could build up underneath the extractor and cause a failure to extract. The bolt face can be cleaned with an old toothbrush, and the extractor hole can be cleaned out with a Q-tip and solvent.
Grip Screws and Grips
Disassembly of the frame and all lower parts should be done only on a well lighted workbench. Do not attempt this procedure in the field unless you would like to order replacement parts! Begin by removing the grip screws and grips. Use a proper fitting screwdriver or hex wrench if the gun is so equipped. Stubborn grips may be pried loose by inserting a large flat blade screwdriver inside the magazine well and gently prying on the bottom just above the grip screw bushing. Never pry on the grips from their edges. If you encounter difficulty removing the grip screws, see pages 1-12 and 1-13.
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Thumb Safety To remove the thumb safety, first cock the hammer. Then place the safety in the SAFE position. Gripping it firmly and pulling straight out using a slight twisting motion will usually get them out. Be watchful for the safety plunger and spring. Most of them will stay in the plunger, but some may want to fly out and roll away.
The safety will not come out while it is in the fire position. If the gun is equipped with an ambidextrous safety, remove the extra side first. Remove it the same way, gripping firmly and pulling while slightly twisting. Once the thumb safety is removed, let the hammer down. Do not simply press the trigger and let it slam the unprotected frame. Hold the top with your thumb and let it down gently. The plunger tube assembly inside the plunger tube can also be removed at this point. Pull it straight out toward the rear of the gun. Hammer, Hammer Strut Removal of the hammer is accomplished by simply removing its hinge pin and pulling it out from the top. Note that the pin will only come out one way as there is a slight head underneath the thumb safety.
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Mainspring Housing, Sear Spring The mainspring housing is removed by removing the mainspring housing pin that holds it in place through the bottom of the frame. This is best done by lightly tapping on a punch that will fit inside of the slight countersink area on one side of the pin. It makes no difference which way this pin is installed, but we usually have the countersink side on the thumb safety side. In other words, the pin goes in, and comes out from left to right, as you are looking at the back of the gun.
As the housing is removed, you will notice that the leaf type sear spring is now free from its slot in the back of the frame.
Notice how the sear spring sets freely on top of the sear and disconnector. It is not underneath anything. Take this opportunity to examine how the sear spring interacts with both the sear and disconnector, and how both of these parts are assembled into the frame. You will need this knowledge later during reassembly.
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Sear Pin, Sear, Disconnector The sear and disconnector are removed by simply removing their pin. It is just like the hammer pin, only smaller, and comes out the same way. Internal Mainspring Parts This is another area where the home workman has little need to disassemble these parts. If they get loose they will fly at least twenty feet, and can cause serious eye injury. Examine your need to do this before proceeding. If you need to do the job, get a pair of safety glasses on and follow the directions carefully.
The mainspring housing is disassembled by holding it upside down against a rag placed on your workbench. Hold it firmly, and press a 1/16" diameter punch against the small retainer pin. This should press the retainer pin through where it can be removed and set aside. Now, still holding the housing firmly, press the top of the housing down on the rag so the mainspring and its cap will be caught, and pull the 1/16" punch out. You should have the mainspring, cap, and the mainspring lower plunger all safely inside the rag.
DISASSEMBLY Mag Catch, Lock, and Spring If your gun is equiped with an Ed Brown Oversize Magazine Button, remove it first using a 3/32" hex wrench as shown.
To remove the magazine release you will need a small screwdriver that will fit well into the catch lock’s slot.
First, insert the screwdriver blade into the slot. Then depress the magazine button from the other side and apply a slight amount of pressure counterclockwise to unlock the catch. THIS IS NOT A SCREW. It will come out with no effort at all. Do not apply any force as it is not needed. I have seen dozens of mag catch locks ruined by unknowing workmen trying to unscrew the lock thinking it was a screw. Once the magazing catch is removed, the trigger will now fall out of the rear of the gun.
If you want to disassemble the mag catch lock from the mag catch, simply give it a 1/4 turn clockwise to release it from the retainer slot, and both it and the spring will come out easily. This completes the normal disassembly of the gun. If you are a gunsmith and have a few more specialized tools, then you can also disassemble the grip screw bushings, ejector, and plunger tube if necessary. See specialized disassembly on the next page.
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DISASSEMBLY Specialized Disassembly
Tools Needed: Small brass or plastic hammer, flat screwdriver for grip screw bushings (preferably with special bit for grip screw bushings), pliers, 1/16" punch. Naturally, a well lighted workbench is necessary, and a small bench mounted vise is handy.
Shown is a special bit made especially for removing 1911 grip screw bushings. It is a well fitted screwdriver bit, surrounded with a steel tube to keep the bit centered on the bushing. This is a very helpful item to have if you intend to remove or replace grip screw bushings. They are available from Brownells.
Grip Screw Bushings The grip screw bushings will sometimes come out only with a well fitting screwdriver. I wouldn’t suggest their removal unless it is absolutely necessary.
Be prepared to replace the bushings and possibly re-tap the holes in the frame. Brownell’s stock the correct size tap if you need one.
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DISASSEMBLY
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For years some bushings were assembled to the frame and then staked in place with a punch from the inside of the frame. Expect trouble if you have to remove this type. They usually can be removed without ruining the frame, but frequently the bushing must be scrapped. In our shop, we never stake the bushings, preferring to hold them in place with Loctite. Keep in mind the pistol was designed in 1910 and staking was the only way back then. Thankfully, today we have better means. If you encounter problems with removing the bushings, see pages 1-12 and 1-13.
Ejector Pin, Ejector The ejector may be removed from the frame by pressing out the 1/16" diameter retainer pin. This is an extremely delicate operation and is best done with a small arbor press. However, if you are in a pinch and must remove it with a 1/16" punch and hammer, it can be done. Just be careful of the hammer hits, and drive the pin from left to right so it will get away from the ejector pin as soon as possible. Another professional secret is to invest in several 1/16" punches and cut them in different lengths. Start with the shortest one, and only after the pin starts to move, use a longer punch.
Usually, a 1/16" diameter punch will not reach all the way through the 3/4" thick frame so you will be forced to remove the pin from the right with pliers or a vise. Careful not to mar the frame with the pliers! We prefer to hold the pin in a vise in our shop, but the pliers are shown here. Many pins today are simply the roll type, so pliers or a vise will ruin them on removal. Be prepared with a replacement pin before removing the old one.
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Specialized Aftermarket Parts Scope Mounts Scope mounts of the grip replacement variety are fairly easy to get around. Sometimes they do not have to be removed at all. The type that bolts to the lower dust cover frequently must be removed before you can get the slide off. That is, if the gun still has a rear sight installed. If there are no sights on the slide at all, the slide may be able to slip underneath. Each installation will have to be evaluated to make a judgement before proceeding.
Count on additional work of some type if the frame has a scope mount attached to it. If one does need to remove a scope mount count on it being difficult prior to beginning. Select only screwdrivers, or wrenches that are high quality, and that fit the fastener properly. You will probably also need a clean soldering iron, or small propane torch to heat screws that are held in with Loctite (TM). Three hundred degrees will soften any Loctite product and will not hurt the frame finish or gun steel if confined to the screw area. The soldering iron is great for this spot work. If we use the propane torch, we keep it pointed directly at the screw in question, and hold it there for about 15 seconds. If that doesn't work, try another 15. Do not ruin the screw by twisting its slot out before the Loctite has a chance to soften. Thumb Guards Some designs are simply held on by the grip panel. There are types that replace the entire plunger tube. They would not be easily removed, nor would there be any need to. Neither type usually cause any problems in disassembly. Custom Sights Normally, the home workman should not need to remove the sights for any maintenance work. Such work is best left to the gunsmith, or hobbyist work covered elsewhere in this book. Slide Buffers These polyethylene washers are sort of like a shock absorber on a car. At the point where the slide impacts the frame, they offer a cushion to prevent metal to metal contact. They simply slip over the spring recoil plug between the spring and head with a friction fit. The only caution here is to make sure to check them often for wear or damage. Usually, they last over 1000 rounds, but we have seen occasions where they split and come apart much sooner. If this happens, the loose part could cause a malfunction by increasing slide friction, or worse, wedging in between the slide and frame.
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Problems with grip screws or grip screw bushings
Frequently, the screws are tighter in the bushings than the bushings are in the frame, so both parts come out instead of the desired screw only. The wrong solution is to grab the bushing threads with a pair of pliers and try to force the screw out with a screwdriver. This will ruin the fine threads on the bushing, making it unusable. The older Colts had the bushings staked in place, making them difficult, if not impossible, to remove. These guns seldom had the problem mentioned above, but most gunsmiths prefer the newer type that can be easily removed. There are two simple solutions for this problem. The easiest and cheapest is, of course, the slowest. It amounts to placing a drop of red Loctite on the bushing and simply screwing it back into the frame. When you try to remove the screw a day or so later, the bushing should be held in place with the Loctite, and the screw will probably remove easily. If the screw still removes the bushing, stronger measures are needed, so we will refer to our favorite source of gunsmith supplies, Brownells, Inc. of Montezuma, IA. There we will find a nifty tool called an Impact Driver. This little device is sort of like an industrial strength screwdriver. It is a 3/8" square drive so it can be used with your 3/8 socket set to break loose all types of frozen nuts and bolts. The tool has a dual cam inside so that a sharp twisting motion is transferred to the bolt/nut when the driver is hit with a hammer. This sudden motion is all that is needed to pop the most stubborn screw loose. Remember, the screwdriver bit must fit perfectly to prevent damage to the screw. For this job we need to adapt a screwdriver bit, so a socket drive adapter will be needed. This little adapter has a 3/8 square drive on one end and a 1/4 hex on the other, making possible the adaptation of Brownell’s Magna-Tip (R) screwdriver tips. Incidentally, if you are trying to work on guns without a set of these screwdrivers, STOP! Do not ever try to work on any gun without the proper fitting screwdriver. Brownells has a complete selection of dozens of interchangeable blades and several types of drivers. You need these for most any type of gun maintenance or your gun will soon take on a butchered appearance. Back to the problem at hand. Select the proper size bit to fit the grip screw and tighten up the stuck screw/bushing assembly in the gun. That’s right, I said tighten it up. The screw will not get any tighter in the bushing, but the bushing must be tight in the frame for the next step. Don’t go overboard though, and strip out the threads.
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Now assemble the impact driver with the proper fitting bit and turn the driver so that a single hammer blow will pop the screw loose. The driver will work both ways, so double check that a blow will loosen the screw, and not tighten it any more. Press the driver down firmly on the screw, with the gun held down tightly on a piece of carpet. Then whack the driver with a hammer.
Usually a single blow will do it. If one blow does not, try again after checking to be sure everything is square and well fitted and there is no damage done. Once the stuck screw is out, the bushing can be removed and reassembled to the frame with Loctite. Future disassembly should not be difficult if common sense is used while reinstalling the grip screws. Never use Loctite on the grip screws themselves. As for the installation of your new grips, use a little common sense here also. Many of the custom grip makers use a tighter tolerance on the bushing holes than the factory does. This makes the grips fit tighter. This is desirable, but if they are too tight they cannot be installed and removed easily. The worst thing to do is to force the grips on with a thumb on each side of a snug bushing. I have seen beautiful exotic wood grips broken in half this way. The proper way is to set the grips over a single bushing to check for proper fit. If one bushing will not go into the grip panel, it is for sure that the panel will never go over both bushings. If both bushings will fit easily, but the grips will not go on the gun, there is a slight out-of-location problem that can be easily corrected with a small rat-tail file, or miniature cutter in your Dremel tool. Go slowly here, you can always cut more later, but you can’t put it back. Identify the interference area, and only cut away the tight spots. Do not enlarge the entire hole if it doesn’t need it. Ed Brown Products has available 1911 grip screws that are made with a hex head. They look really nice even though that is not their purpose. They prevent screwdriver slips that could ruin a set of nice grips, or mar the finish of the gun itself. Even if custom grips are not used, they speed up the grip screw removal for routine cleaning.
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Two-Piece Guide Rod equipped gun
Before you even start disassembly, the first step is to loosen the front end of the guide rod with a 5/32 hex wrench as shown and remove it. Then follow the instructions for normal disassembly as described in the beginning of this chapter.
One-Piece Guide Rod equipped gun
One-piece guide rods are probably the most difficult to disassemble. This difficulty is the reason for two piece rods in the first place. About the only advantage they offer is the fact that they will never come apart during firing. A fact that two piece rods cannot brag about. However, their difficult disassembly procedure outweighs their advantages in my opinion.
Pull back on slide to align slide stop catch with the takedown notch in the slide. Control the gun as shown in the photo with the right hand and push out the slide stop pin with the other finger. Once it is popped loose, remove the slide stop completely while keeping the slide held back. This photo doesn't have a guide rod installed, but the procedure is identical.
Pull the top half off of the gun. Normally, it is impossible for the guide rod and spring to come out of the slide at this point, but be ready to catch it if there is an exception.
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With the top assembly removed from the frame, the guide rod head will now slip to the rear enough to allow the bushing to turn when the recoil plug is depressed. PLEASE WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. THE PLUG IS UNDER QUITE A BIT OF PRESSURE AND COULD INJURE YOU IF YOU LOSE CONTROL OF IT. The photo shows how to depress the plug and turn the bushing at the same time. NOT PARTICULARLY THE WAY TO HOLD THE SLIDE. IT IS MUCH BETTER TO POINT IT AWAY FROM YOUR FACE.
Once the recoil plug is free from the bushing it will come out. MAKE SURE IT COMES OUT WITHOUT FLYING AWAY AND HURTING SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. Remove the recoil plug completely and set aside. Then remove the recoil spring from the guide rod and set it aside.
Now the guide rod can be removed from the back of the slide, and the barrel and barrel bushing can be removed from the front as usual. Continue with disassembly as shown in the front of this chapter.
DISASSEMBLY Series 80
Here is a Colt Officers Model to demonstrate the additional parts that are included in all Colt Series 80 guns and also the Para-Ordnance guns. Notice the round plunger and spring. This is what will block the firing pin at all times unless the trigger is pulled. If you will look beside the hammer inside the frame, you will see the lifter that will contact the plunger and lift it up so that the firing pin will pass.
The first additional Series 80 step is to depress the plunger with a small screwdriver and hold it down while pressing the firing pin fully down. As soon as both are depressed as much as possible, let the pressure off of the plunger so that it will trap the firing pin in a down position. Then you can remove the firing pin stop.
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DISASSEMBLY With the firing pin stop removed, you can now depress the plunger again and the firing pin and its spring will now jump free. Make sure it doesn't fly away, or hit you in the face. With the firing pin and spring out of the way, you can now get the Series 80 plunger and its spring out. Note that you will have to pull the extractor back just a bit because a lip inside holds them in place.
This photo shows about the amount you need to pull the extractor back to get the plunger and its spring out. Once the plunger and spring are removed, the extractor can be pulled out. No excess pressure is required for any disassembly procedure. If it will not come out easily, you are probably doing something wrong. Reassemble in reverse order.
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REASSEMBLY Trigger, Magazine Catch
We will assume the grip screw bushings, plunger tube, and ejector are still installed on the frame. We will also assume the magazine catch lock and spring are installed into the magazine catch. Insert the trigger into the frame and drop in the magazine catch. Hold a bit of pressure against the button while gently turning the lock with a small screwdriver so it will line up with it's slot inside the frame. The little tab on the magazine catch lock should engage a small slot inside the frame which will release the spring and hold the magazine catch in place.
Disconnector, Sear, Sear Pin
Hold the frame in a muzzle down position for this entire procedure. Drop the disconnector into it’s hole in the top of the frame and make sure the bottom is resting on the trigger as shown, and not underneath it. Make sure the sear has the polished sharp edge facing toward the top of the gun and drop it on top of the disconnector. The concave area should be facing you.
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REASSEMBLY
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Start the sear pin from the left side of the gun and insert it until it is stopped by the misalignment of the sear. Now take your small screwdriver and lift the tip of the sear slightly until the hole lines up. This will take a bit of maneuvering, but is easy after you have done it a few times. Press the sear pin through the sear, and make sure it goes through the hole in the center of the disconnector as well.
Mainspring Housing There are two pieces that go into the mainspring housing in addition to the mainspring itself. The top one is the mainspring cap, and it’s concave area holds the hammer strut centered in the housing. The one with the pointed end is called the mainspring housing pin retainer. Its job is to hold the mainspring housing pin centered into the frame when the whole assembly is together.
REASSEMBLY
Install the mainspring housing pin retainer into the bottom of the mainspring and insert them both into the housing. Insert the mainspring housing cap in the end of the spring. Also, just start the tiny mainspring housing retainer pin into the housing. Hold the assembly horizontal firmly and depress the spring and cap into the housing with your 1/8" punch. Quickly press the retainer pin in place to hold the assembly together. This is another procedure that seems difficult until you have done it a few times.
Set the sear spring in it’s location slot in the back of the frame. The left leaf should be on top of the sear, the center leaf should bear against the disconnector, and the right leaf is free for now. It will place tension on the grip safety when it is assembled, so sticks out of the frame a bit right now. Making sure the sear spring is in it’s lower location slot, slide the mainspring housing into the frame. Stop just short of flush with the bottom, and then install the grip safety. Holding the grip safety in place, press the mainspring housing home and install it's lower pin. This usually requires a tap from the brass or plastic hammer to seat it fully.
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REASSEMBLY Hammer, Hammer Strut, Hammer Pin
Insert the hammer, assembled with its strut down from the top of the frame. It should go nearly to its final position. It takes a bit of trickery here to make the job easy. First depress the top of the disconnector to make sure the sear is out of the way. Then tilt the hammer towards the muzzle, drop it in, and press down hard on the back of it’s lower area to align it with the hinge pin hole. While holding it in place, press the hammer pin in place. Don’t forget the pin should go in so its head is held in by the thumb safety. Once the hammer is in place, cock it back and leave it.
Thumb Safety, Plunger Assembly Insert the plunger spring assembly into the plunger tube if it isn’t already there. Hold the grip safety firmly into the frame and install the thumb safety. Remember it will only go into the frame in the SAFE position, with the hammer COCKED.
To get it into the final position you need to depress the plunger inside the plunger tube. That small flat blade screwdriver is perfect for this. Depress the plunger and press on the thumb safety. Pull the blade out and the safety should pop into place. If the gun is equipped with an ambidextrous safety, the right hand lever can be installed at this time.
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REASSEMBLY
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Grips, Grip Screws Reinstall the grips and their screws. There is no need to get the screws any more than snug. You could cause grip screw bushing problems by over tightening the grip screws. Don’t worry about them falling out, they will be right under your hand. If you have snug fitting custom grips, press them on only by single thumb pressure exactly on top of the screw hole. I have seen them cracked by placing a thumb on each side of the bushing and pressing.
Extractor, Firing Pin, Firing Pin Spring, Firing Pin Stop Insert the extractor into the slide and align the retainer slot with your large screwdriver. Sometimes I even trial fit the firing pin stop to make sure that it will fit easily. Make sure the firing pin spring is secure on the firing pin. The small end of the firing pin spring should be placed on the firing pin so it is secure.
Insert the pin/spring assembly into the slide and hold it in place with your 1/8" punch. Replace the firing pin stop and the firing pin will pop through the hole and hold it in place. Again, be aware of parts under spring pressure. Wear safety glasses and use caution! NOTE: Series 80 guns: see pages 1-16 and 1-17 and follow the instructions in reverse order.
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Final Top Assembly This final assembly procedure differs considerably from standard factory manuals. It is the way most all custom pistolsmiths assemble guns, and we feel it is a much more reliable method. Just one of the advantages of this method is the fact that you never have to turn a tightly fitted match bushing against the barrel when it is locked up under the tension of the recoil spring. This one advantage alone is worth the hassle of learning to squeeze the recoil spring into the slide and assemble the gun in two major components.
Barrel, Barrel Bushing, Recoil Plug Insert the barrel and barrel bushing into the slide. Turn the bushing clockwise as far as it will go to allow the insertion of the recoil plug from the front of the slide. Insert the recoil plug and turn the barrel bushing back counterclockwise to it’s final location as shown below.
This photo only shows the slide with the barrel, bushing, and recoil spring plug in place, ready for the addition of the recoil spring and recoil spring guide.
REASSEMBLY
This step is the most difficult, but as we have said before, once you have done it several times, it becomes extremely simple. First, assemble the small end of the recoil spring over the guide portion of the recoil guide. Now cram the recoil spring down into the slide and hold both the spring and guide in place against the barrel. This is easiest with the muzzle held straight down against a workbench.
As the recoil spring and guide head get pressed into the slide, the other hand wraps around and holds them in place. The head against the folded up link is sufficient.
Now holding this top assembly firmly, begin to slip it onto the frame. As it slides along the rails, the fingers holding the recoil spring and guide head will meet with the dust cover on the front of the frame. At this point, press down on the top of the barrel hood with a spare thumb, or base of a finger. This will force the barrel into a unlocked position, and prevent the link from unfolding past center.
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REASSEMBLY
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Continue to release your fingers from their spring grasp as they go past the dust cover, and continue to push the assembly onto the frame. Once the frame has the spring completely covered, you should now be able to hold the slide assembly and frame all with one hand. Adjust the slide location so that the slide stop notch is aligned with the front of the plunger tube. Now look inside the slide stop hole to insure the link hasn’t unfolded. It should be easily visible in it’s proper location. If it has somehow unfolded during the process, all is not lost. Continue to hold the assembly in place and reach inside the slide stop hole with your small screwdriver and flip it towards the muzzle. Reinstall the slide stop in it’s hole and CAREFULLY press it in place. Do not use this opportunity to swing it on it’s radius and mar up the side of the frame. Occasionally, the plunger will not easily retract into the tube to allow the slide stop to go home. This will require additional help by depressing the plunger with the small screwdriver.
Additional Instructions for a two-piece guide rod equipped gun Follow the same instructions for normal reassembly with three additions: 1. Make sure the two-piece rod is disassembled in two pieces. 2. Be sure to use the special recoil plug included with the two-piece guide rod when the instructions call for reassembly of the recoil plug into the slide. 3. After the very last instruction on reassembly, be sure to reinstall the front end of the two-piece guide rod using a 5/32 hex wrench as shown.
REASSEMBLY
CHAPTER 2
PAGE 2-9
Additional instructions for a one-piece guide rod equipped gun
First of all, if you're gun is not equipped with a two-piece guide rod, we strongly recommend that you get one, as they make disassembling and assembling the gun much easier, faster, and safer. This following procedure is in my opinion the most hassle of any 1911 chore.
Install the barrel and bushing in the slide and fully turn the bushing clockwise .
Install the guide rod and head only from the rear. Note the spring cannot be in place at this time.
Install the recoil spring from the front and press it down on the rod, then slip the recoil spring plug on the spring with the small end facing outward.
REASSEMBLY Depress the recoil plug and spring into the slide. You will notice that this may be quite difficult due to the spring tension. One easier way is to press the plug and spring into place by pointing the assembly away from yourself, and pressing the plug against the edge of the workbench until it is flush with the end of the slide. Then, while holding it in place against the workbench, tap the bushing over the edge of the plug with a plastic hammer, or screwdriver handle. This will hold it until you can press the plug down with the bushing wrench, and turn it into final position. You may need to manipulate the rod a bit on the rear to get this accomplished. Please wear safety glasses in case of a slip, and keep the assembly pointed away from your face.
While keeping pressure on the plug, turn the bushing into a locked position. The guide rod will slip far enough back against the barrel lugs to allow this.
Installl the slide on the gun by folding the link up aginast the barrel and slipping it on. If the link wants to unfold before reaching its location, a bit of pressure on top of the barrel will prevent this. Hold the slide in place with one hand and reinstall the slide stop with the other, making sure the slide stop goes through the hole in the link. Refer to the photo on page 2-8 if necessary.
CHAPTER 2
PAGE 2-10
MAINTENANCE AND PROPER HANDLING
CHAPTER 3
PROPER CARE OF YOUR 1911 Keep the pistol well lubricated. Break-Free, FP-10, LSA, and others are specially formulated to keep your pistol lubricated. This is an area overlooked by many shooters, and they wonder why their gun operates poorly. Would you start your car engine without lubrication? Lube all parts that move against each other, especially in the barrel fit area and slide to frame fit area.
Unfortunately, our guns don't have a crankcase, so the oil seems to get away. If you overlube, a messy hand is the only problem. If you underlube, a worn and unreliable gun is the result.
Here are some photos showing a few areas that need constant attention. No need to drench it. One drop in each area does better than a squirt in only one place. Attention to detail and common sense are what's needed here.
Don't over do it! One drop inside each side rail and one drop in the center of the slide will suffice for this area of the pistol. Lock the slide back and place one drop on the barrel in front of the bushing. If the gun has a guide rod, one drop on it helps too.
PAGE 3-1
MAINTENANCE AND PROPER HANDLING
CHAPTER 3
PAGE 3-2
BARREL LEADING All bullet makers brag about how hard their bullets are. Trouble is, almost all bullet makers offer a bullet that leads the barrel. No properly hard cast bullet will lead a barrel when fired at 45 ACP velocities. See the loading chapter for more detailed information. When your barrel does get severely leaded, a good way to remove the fouling is with a Lewis Lead Remover. This little item is indispensable for this particular job. The trick is a rubber plug which forces a brass screen against the bore. The plug is pulled through the bore in the same direction as the bullet and the screen picks up the lead in only a few passes. There is no chance of damage to the bore. Lewis Lead Removers are available from Brownell's and are a necessary item for any handgun shooter that uses lead bullets.
GENERAL CLEANING
I suggest cleaning the gun after every shooting session. I don’t mean a complete tear down, but a simple field strip cleaning will take very little time and add years to your guns life. A gun has no way to retain oil when it is being fired so be sure to replace what was lost during firing and cleaning. Oil all the parts that move against one another with a drop or two of your favorite oil. A shortcut to extractor death is to never remove it for cleaning. If you will examine the design of the gun, you will notice the extractor fits into a round hole in the slide. But, the extractor shape is somewhat oval, which leaves a gap on the outside. This gap allows burnt and unburnt powder to enter and eventually work its way around in front of the extractor. If left unattended long enough, the crud forces the extractor hook away from the bolt face and you get a failure to eject. The solution is simple. Remove it and run a cotton swab through the hole. You might be surprised what comes out.
MAINTENANCE AND PROPER HANDLING
CHAPTER 3
PAGE 3-3
GUN HANDLING Even though the 1911 design has been around for over eighty years, there is a constant flow of new shooters who have not yet learned the few tricks that successful handling can contribute. Probably the most important item to learn is how to save the all important trigger pull. Rule one is never to drop the slide without a round being fed from the magazine.
There are two important reasons for this. While the pistol is normally being fired, cycling takes place while the trigger is being pulled fully to the rear. This allows the sear spring to move the sear into position to catch the hammer and thus prevent fully automatic firing. The resistance of the cartridge moving from the magazine and underneath the extractor, also slows the slide somewhat and allows it to feed the round and seat it in the chamber. WRONG!
The biggest difference in loading the gun, and the gun loading itself during firing is the position of the trigger. During firing, the trigger is held back while the gun cycles and feeds itself. This presses the disconnector to the rear, and allows the sear to catch the hammer freely. During loading by hand, the trigger is free to bounce backward. And bounce backward it will when the slide slams home. A round fed from the magazine will cushion this action a bit better than slamming an empty gun, but not as good as easing the slide quickly home by hand. If the gun is slammed shut, the trigger can bounce rearward and hit the sear, knocking it free of the hammer. Now the hammer is able to fall and will hit the half cock notch. At least you better hope it hits the half cock notch. This could possibly ruin the precious sear angles and your great trigger pull. But if it somehow misses the half cock notch, the gun will fire accidentially, and none of us want to talk about that scenario. Heavier recoil springs only serve to aggravate this problem.
Lighter triggers have been recommended for many years as one solution to trigger bounce. A lighter trigger will accelerate more slowly against the same sear spring tension than a heavier one. The most popular material is light weight aluminum, and then holes are drilled in them to reduce the weight even further. Colt has furnished a different sear arrangement with a buffer spring and lever to stop the heavier Gold Cup trigger from bouncing. Jim Clark offers a special four leaf sear spring to assist this problem. My solution is simple. Never slam the slide shut on an unloaded gun. Hold on to it firmly, close it gently, and let the hammer down.
MAINTENANCE AND PROPER HANDLING
CHAPTER 3
PAGE 3-4
A frequently recommended loading practice is the suggestion to hold the trigger to the rear while pressing the slide stop. I admit this does solve the problem of trigger bounce, but the sequence must be: Seat the magazine, press the trigger, and press the slide stop. If under the stress and pressure of a missed reload, the shooter should reverse steps two and three, the result is an accidental discharge. My suggestion is, first, never run your gun dry. If you don’t know how many rounds you have fired, you are already out of control. Second, load only by seating a magazine, then pulling the slide to the rear and sliding it back home. It’s easy to see if it is fully seated when you flip the safety to the on position. If you should happen to run the gun dry during an action match, keep trying and complete the match, but do so at a slower, more controlled pace. You will learn more by watching the front sight than you will by slamming more magazines in the gun and wildly firing trying to make up time. My suggested method of SAFELY loading a 1911 handgun goes like this. First, insert a loaded magazine into the well and press it firmly home. An audible click can be heard as the magazine catch engages the magazine slot. I'll assume that you have the gun in your firing hand and your finger out of the trigger guard. Second, grab the slide rear serrations with the opposite hand and pull back to disengage the slide stop, and simply let it go forward. You can let it go completely, however, I have long preferred to retain my grip on the slide while it is traveling forward because it eases the slamming just a bit more. It is simple to see if the slide is all the way home because the thumb safety won’t go on if it isn’t.
CORRECT LOADING PROCEDURE
MAINTENANCE AND PROPER HANDLING
CHAPTER 3
PAGE 3-5
Another thing you should never do is drop a round into the chamber by hand and drop the slide on it. This springs the extractor out of position and can ruin it. Always feed rounds from a magazine.
NEVER SINGLE LOAD A ROUND INTO THE CHAMBER!
Another cause of malfunction is the failure of the shooter to hold on to the gun securely. The 1911, and most all other auto pistols are recoil operated. This means that the only thing the gun has to push on to unlock is the shooter himself. How many times have you seen a shooter whose gun seems to work perfectly in freestyle, croak during the weak hand stages. This is probably caused by too heavy a recoil spring, or too weak a grip. Make certain that your grip is firm. You should see the imprint of the checkering in your hand after releasing your grip. Following these few principles of maintanance and proper handling will extend the life and reliability of your firearms for years of shooting enjoyment.
SWAGE ON FRONT SIGHT
CHAPTER 4
PAGE 4-1
The original manufacturer, be it Colt or whoever, broaches a square or rectangular hole through the slide. Into this square hole fits the tenon, or lower part of the sight. This tenon is longer than necessary to reach fully through the slide and the excess is swaged, or peened over to prevent its removal. Sort of like peening a rivet. In the early days it was customary to install target sights with a higher sight radius for bullseye shooting. This required a higher front sight and thus more weight and stress was placed on the small tenon. Sometimes they loosened, and sometimes the tenon would simply break off sending the sight flying away. To complicate matters, some manufacturers never provided enough of a recess area to swage the tenon into, allowing the small swage to give up and only loosen the sight. You didn’t loose it, but you couldn’t hit anything either. Then in the late seventies, IPSC first became popular, and heavy loads were the norm for most 1911 guns. Many pistolsmiths were only learning to install sights on 1911’s, and as you can imagine, they had a lot to learn. A lot of sights were lost due to poor gunsmithing. Colt responded to the problem about 1988 with what we call the ‘wide tenon’ sights. Here, they broach a square hole through the slide that is the whole width of the front sight. This has all but eliminated breakage, but occasionally there is some loosening due to insufficient swage on the bottom. Or more specifically, not enough countersink inside the slide to swage the tenon into. All swage on front sights require special installation techniques, and require special tooling. For years I have used the MMC swage tool with excellent results. Brownells sell this tool and before you get a case of sticker shock peeking in the catalog, let me warn you. The tool costs nearly 100 bucks. However, mine has paid for itself many times over. Most hobbyists will not want to spend this much money for the tool, so one could argue that this section could be logically omitted from the book. On the other hand, you might just want to learn how it is done thinking perhaps someday a bit of sideline gunsmithing might be in order.
SWAGE ON FRONT SIGHT
First, one needs to know which type of front sight is installed on the gun. To learn this, look inside the slide with the bushing removed and inspect the swaged area. Even though it has been swaged flat against the inside of the slide, one can still make out its shape with a strong light. If it is square, it is probably wide, and a rectangular shape indicates the older style narrow tenon which will catch all the other guns.
The first gunsmithing step is to remove the old front sight. I usually grab the air grinder with a 1/8" ball nose carbide burr, and grind away the center of the tenon from inside the slide. Don’t worry about bumping into the slide itself a little around the sight tenon edge, we are going to increase the size of this countersink later anyway.
CHAPTER 4
PAGE 4-2
SWAGE ON FRONT SIGHT
CHAPTER 4
PAGE 4-3
After most of the swage is gone, place the old sight into a smooth faced vise and then pull straight away with the slide. A little wiggling will pull most of them loose. If you should get one that will not come out this way, a well placed tap with a 1/16" punch on the bottom of the tenon will pop it out. As soon as you get the old sight out, it is clearly visible how much of a countersink you have inside the slide. Deepen it so that there is about .030 minimum on all sides. We want plenty of room to swage metal into. Now try your new sight on the slide and check carefully to see that the base of the sight will fit absolutely flat on your slide. Most will not. Many slides do not have enough of a flat for the sight to set on. Now this is an absolute must. Either file a small notch on the rear of the sight to clear the slide, or machine a larger flat on the slide. Whichever way you choose, remember the sight MUST fit absolutely flat on the slide. The next trick is to fill the slot with Loctite. Use the best grade you can buy. We use Red 271. Install the new front sight and wipe out any excess Loctite from the inside of the slide. Now insert the MMC tool in the slide and tighten up the screw on top of the sight. This will hold it firmly in place while the tenon is swaged over. Make sure the tool is installed perfectly straight, and the front sight is absolutely straight, or you can start over later with a new sight.
Once you are certain everything is square, begin tapping the high speed steel swage tool in the slide. As it goes in, it swages over the tenon better than factory, plus, now with the added advantage of a deeper countersink and Loctite. Remove the tool and inspect the job to make sure it is absolutely square. Nothing looks worse than a cockeyed 1911 front sight. If it is only slightly off, carefully place it in your smooth faced vise and gently straighten it. Recheck your barrel bushing fit. Sometimes you need to carefully file the swaged lump down a bit.
DOVETAIL REAR SIGHTS
CHAPTER 5
PAGE 5-1
Drifting or removing completely a rear sight is a common operation. Sometimes it is even done correctly. More often however, it is not. The tools needed are a small brass hammer and a brass or aluminum punch. Brownells has these and I would suggest their purchase. My favorite punch is the steel one with the replaceable brass and nylon tips. One of these will last you many jobs and save the finish on the side of the sight. You will also need a solid bench mounted vise to hold the slide properly. Disassemble the upper half of the gun so that all you have to work with is the slide. Mount it in a padded vise. You can use cardboard, shoe leather, or whatever to pad the jaws. Select a material that will not compress like rubber would. Moving a sight with a drift punch depends on the rigidity of the clamped slide.
Before attempting to move the sight, take note of exactly where it is on the slide. You have to know if you have moved it or not. Sometimes it is possible to scribe a small mark on the dovetail where it will be covered when the sight gets moved. This is the most foolproof way to get it right the first time.
It might be pertinent here to mention again that one always moves the rear sight the direction you want the bullet strike to go. If the gun shoots to the right, you want the bullet to go to the left, so you would move the rear sight to the left. Once you have moved the sight slightly, reassemble the gun and get back to the range and verify the results. Don't be afraid to start over and adjust again. Seldom does anybody get it exactly perfect the first time.
DOVETAIL REAR SIGHTS
CHAPTER 5
PAGE 5-2
If you want a fixed sighted gun to shoot higher or lower, it is a bit more work, but still possible. One needs to keep in mind that the front sight adjustments work opposite of the back. That is, if you want the gun to shoot higher, the front sight needs to be lower. This is the easiest to adjust, because you can remove metal. So that is exactly what you need to do. Reduce the front sight height by filing or machining it down.
First, measure exactly what the front sight height is. It makes no difference how this is done, as long as it is done the same way each time. What we are trying to accomplish, is a way to keep track of our progress as we file or machine.
Remove the excess metal the best way you can. If a file is all you have, that will work satisfactorily, but be careful to keep it flat. You don't want a front sight that is out of square, or rounded off. Also, try to keep the front sight top surface angled toward the front. This will force the eye to see the top rear of the sight only, instead of the whole front sight.
As with the rear, retire to the range for another test session to determine the results of your work. Once the gun is shooting where you want it, refinish the sight with cold blue.
DOVETAIL REAR SIGHTS
CHAPTER 5
PAGE 5-3
Assuming the gun needs to shoot lower, you will have to remove the front sight and reinstall one that is taller, and then adjust the height of it as this text advises. There is one other way, and that is to reduce the height of the rear sight. This way is not especially recommended, but you may find it useful occasionally, if the needed adjustments are small. Proceed as you would with adjusting the front sight. Measure the height before beginning so you can see your progress, and file carefully. This will be difficult to do, which is why I really can't recommend it. It's far better to install a higher front sight and reduce it's height.
Some guns have the rear sight held in place with a set screw, instead of dovetail pressure. This is the way we install fixed rear sights in our shop, and makes the job of adjusting them much easier, because there is little or no pounding with hammers and punches. We have reprinted the fixed sight instructions here.
STANDARD REAR SIGHT ADJUSTMENT
The fixed rear sight on your gun is held in place by the set screw only. We install them this way so you do not have to hammer on the rear sight to move it in the dovetail. Take a bottle of Loc-Tite and an Allen wrench with you to the range. Sight in the gun as you usually would. Now you can move the rear sight with only finger pressure, or perhaps a light tap with a plastic screwdriver handle. When you are satisfied the gun shoots where you want it to, carefully remove the set screw and fill the hole with Loc-Tite. When the screw is replaced, the Loc-Tite will flow between the sight and dovetail, locking it in place. Shoot the gun once more before the LocTite sets to ensure the sight is where you want it. We use Loc-tite's red 271 and have always had excellent results.
TRIGGER
CHAPTER 6
PAGE 6-1
One of the finest shooters I ever knew was Mike Dalton. I recall a conversation we once had about the subject of triggers. His opinion was that a three pound pull was the minimum safe, reliable pull for the standard 1911 design. He felt that under the stress and pressure of IPSC competition, anything less was detrimental. As Mike put it, "With the increased adrenalin flow in a shootoff, it’s the manual dexterity that goes first. This usually causes extra pressure on the trigger leading to an accidental discharge". Serious shooters are probably fussier than anybody about trigger pulls. It has to be just so much weight, just so crisp, and just so much overtravel. Most all shooters want the pull lighter than it should be for the utmost reliability. Bill Blankenship once told me that John Browning’s original design called for a 7 to 9 pound weight of pull. The NRA calls for a 4 pound pull minimum to be legal in the Service Pistol event for a Leg match. Today’s top shooters cringe if their pistolsmith offers them any more than a three pound pull. I won’t even mention what some shooters are trying to use. The point is, do not pressure your pistolsmith into doing an extremely light pull in an attempt to raise your scores. Generally such practices will backfire on you at the most inopportune times. The hammer/sear contact area is extremely small and subject to enormous pressure and wear. This is an area that should be examined closely during each cleaning session. Have your local pistolsmith point out the areas to watch, and examine them with at least 4 power magnification to spot wear. This practice will allow you to eliminate any problems before they even arise.
The installation of a long trigger is a common modification. Most all 1911 type autos, other than the new “factory customs”, have the original short trigger installed. Since most shooters feel they can benefit from having the trigger reach a bit farther out, the original trigger is replaced with a longer one.
Perhaps a more significant advantage to replacing the trigger, is that the aftermarket triggers all have an overtravel stop installed. This is simply a small set screw that will bear against the magazine release catch to limit the travel of the trigger. We want the trigger to have a limited movement because we intend to do a trigger job on the gun at a later date.
TRIGGER
CHAPTER 6
PAGE 6-2
Most pistolsmiths require an adjustable stop be installed in the trigger if a trigger job is to be done. A greatly simplified explanation of a trigger job is as follows: On most guns, when a trigger job is done the sear angles are changed slightly and the hammer hooks are trimmed. This gives the shooter a crisper pull since the engagement surfaces are smaller. In some instances the reduction of these two areas can allow the trigger to be pulled past the point where the disconnector can function normally. In this case, the sear is prevented from freeing itself from the disconnector and doing its job of springing free and catching the hammer after a shot is fired. The result is a double discharge, or in extreme cases, the full automatic operation of the gun. Definitely not what we are looking for. A longer trigger will not effect trigger pull. The trigger pull is determined mainly by the sear, hammer, and sear spring; not parts we will be changing at this time. On the other hand, a long trigger may FEEL so much better in the shooters hand, that a better trigger pull may be perceived. One other thing I might mention is that most aftermarket triggers are made from materials like aluminum. The reason is weight. No 1911 1911 pistolsmith would ever recommend that his customer press the slide stop down and allow the slide to slam shut. On the other hand we all know that it happens, and when it does, the slide hits home and the force causes the trigger to bounce in reverse, as if it was being pulled. Since the spring tension and sear angles have been reduced, the trigger can actually knock the sear out from under the hammer hooks and allow the hammer to fall. And when it does, the half cock notch slams down on top of the carefully prepared and stoned sear angle. This could possibly ruin the trigger pull job. Therefore we want the weight of the trigger itself to be as light as possible. In the Gold Cup pistols which have a wide heavy trigger, Colt added a small part known as a depressor and a spring to a special sear. This depressor and spring act as a shock absorber to prevent trigger bounce.
Shown in the photo is a Videki long aluminum trigger with three holes drilled through, and an overtravel screw already installed. There are many on the market to choose from and Brownell’s catalog lists most all. The instructions that follow should work for any brand.
TRIGGER
CHAPTER 6
Completely disassemble the gun down to the bare frame and remove the old trigger. Try to drop the trigger in place and note any areas that seem to be snug. If you have a set of calipers, a quick comparison of the dimensions of both can be useful, but not necessary. Do not force the trigger in any way. The trigger bow is thin and easily bent out of shape. On most of the brands I have installed, there is a bit of stock on the height, and none anywhere else. You will probably determine that the top and bottom surfaces will need a little metal removed. Hold the trigger firmly, firmly, as shown in the photo, and slowly file some material away. Go slowly and keep the surface flat and even. Remove about the same amount from the bottom and retry the fit.
You can check your progress by pressing the trigger in gently, and holding the frame up to a strong light source. You should be able to see a slight crack on each side, and no light from above or below. below. Keep working and note any areas which show that they are rubbing, or holding the trigger out of the frame. Continue working until the trigger will move smoothly in and out without any binding. A good check for trigger operation is to hold the frame muzzle down and lift the trigger and let go. It should drop fully forward under its own weight without binding.
PAGE 6-3
TRIGGER
CHAPTER 6
PAGE 6-4
As with most jobs, the first thing to do is gather all necessary tools. This particular job only requires a good sharp file about 3/ 4" wide and a shot of Loctite. Naturally the screwdriver that fits the grip screws, another for the mag catch lock and a punch to remove the pins will be used. When you are satisfied with the fit, go ahead and install the overtravel stop screw with a single drop of Loctite. A good starting point is to have the screw protrude from the rear of the trigger about 1/16 of an inch. Install all the internal parts except the grip safety. Pull the hammer back and retain it with your thumb as shown in the photo. Pull the trigger and let your thumb follow it down. Do not snap the gun and let the hammer hit the frame, keep your thumb on top.
If the hammer will not go all the way down, or if you can feel the hammer rub the disconnector, the overtravel screw is too tight. Back it off. off. If nothing can be felt after the release, you can tighten the overtravel screw about 1/4 turn and try again. I usually tighten the screw until a slight rub is felt, and then loosen the screw about 1/8 to 1/4 turn.
Now disassemble the lower housing and replace the grip safety and thumb safety. safety. Since the grip safety blocks the trigger bow, and this part has been replaced, we need to check for proper operation. Look inside the frame through the left hand grip panel to see that the grip safety will properly block the trigger bow. bow. Some aftermarket triggers have slightly longer bows, so the foot on the grip safety that blocks the trigger may need to be adjusted slightly. Again, go slowly in this area and be sure to keep all the angles the same. In the rare event the grip safety foot is too short to reach the new trigger bow, you may be able to peen the foot slightly, or bend a small area back on the end of the bow with needle nose pliers. The areas that may need attention will become apparent to you as you look inside the gun with the grip off. Remember, the point here is to return the gun to its original condition with respect to its safety operational features.
Finally, reassemble the gun fully and thoroughly check out the operation. All systems should operate exactly like they originally did, only now you have the benefit of a trigger that fits your hand better and has an overtravel stop as well.
ADJUSTMENTS
CHAPTER 7
The hammer and sear spring are all shown in this chapter because of their close relationship with each other. You really can't work on one without effecting the other. The thumb safety is also effected, but is covered in another chapter due to the fact that you can install a thumb safety without effecting the trigger job. A good way to learn about how the way the trigger, sear, and hammer work together is to install them on the outside of the frame. Just lay the parts on the side of the gun, and hold them in place with their pins. Now you should be able to get a good idea of how the sear holds the hammer cocked, and how it will catch on the half cock notch if necessary.
This is our sear jig. It is extremely simple and easy to use. You will also need a medium cut arkansas stone about 1/2" x 1/2" x 6", and a fine cut India stone. These are expensive, but well worth the money and will last many years if you don't drop it on the floor. One slip and they will break like glass. These are available from Brownells.
Complete instructions are included with our jig, but basically you stone the top of the sear with the medium Arkansas stone until the surface is flat clear across. Do not take off any more than necessary, and make sure the included shim is in place. Once the angle is set, rub it firmly with the fine India stone to get a mirror surface. Note the left index finger is holding the sear securely against the adjustable screw stop.
PAGE 7-1
ADJUSTMENTS
CHAPTER 7
Set the clearance angle on the back of the sear with the medium Arkansas stone. It should be at 45 degrees to the top angle just established. This can be done by hand as explained in the jig instructions and should take up about 1/3 of the top flat surface. What this does is cause the trigger to break sooner by eliminating creep. Don't take too much off, you can always take more later if necessary. If you want to spend the extra money, Ron Power makes a universal jig that will allow you to stone it perfect each time. This jig is adaptable to many other types of pistols as well and is a very useful tool for the pistolsmith. It will pay for itself many times over.
Stone the hammer sear hooks with the red ruby stone only. This will smooth up the 90 degree hooks to a mirror finish. With the medium Arkansas stone, take the height of the hooks down to .020". This is the height of the feeler guage (shim) that comes with the jig.
Bend the sear spring to remove some of its tension. We always try to keep the disconnector (center) leaf and the sear (left) leaf the same height at the top, no matter where they have to be. You need to always make certain the disconnector snaps up positively, and the sear moves freely to block the hammer from falling. This will take a bit of trial and error to find out what works best with your particular set up.
PAGE 7-2
ADJUSTMENTS
CHAPTER 7
PAGE 7-3
Reassemble the pistols basic components and try out the new trigger. If it is still too heavy, try to bend the sear spring a bit straighter and reassemble and try again. If the trigger has too much creep, stone a bit more 45 degree clearance on the sear. Pull weight should be set by a trigger pull scale, or lifting a trigger pull set of weights. We use both in the shop, but I prefer to use the weights.
Trigger pull work is probably the most time consuming job in pistolsmithing. It usually always takes several times disassembling the pistol and reassembling it to try again. Try to keep this to a minimum if you are trying to make money on the job. Don't reassemble any more parts than necessary. Put a punch in the frame to hold the mainspring housing instead of pressing the pin in and out each time. Do not assemble the grip safety, it is not needed. Do not install the Thumb Safety until the job is completely done. You should install the slide to keep from snapping the hammer against the bare frame, but you don't need to install the recoil spring or plug.
Don't try for less than a three pound pull. In fact a good crisp four pound pull will last many years of shooting and will be absolutely reliable. If you decide to do this type of work for others, be sure to warn them of the dangers of a .45 with a trigger job. Improper handling and slamming of the slide is not only abusive; it can be dangerous as well. Proper handling procedures are reviewed in Chapter 3.
Last of all, be sure to check the thumb safety for proper operation. You have changed the height of the sear and hammer and the thumb safety may not block the sear properly. If there is ANY movement in the sear when the trigger is pulled, you need to install a new thumb safety, or weld up the old one so it can be properly fitted again. See Chapter 8 for details on this operation.
AMBI-SAFETY FIT, GRIP MODIFICATION
Remove magazine and unload gun. Remove the slide and barrel assembly from the frame. Remove the old safety, safety plunger spring, right hand grip panel, and grip safety from the frame. Refer to Chapter 1 if you have any doubt on how to do this. Reassemble the frame and essential lower parts similar to the photo shown here.
Replace the mainspring housing so that you can see how the sear and hammer work with each other. Install the old safety and notice how it stops the sear by blocking its movement. You should be able to see how the safety blocks the sear when it is up, and allows the sear to pass when it is down.
With the hammer cocked, attempt to install the new safety. With a sharp scribe, mark the point on the button where contact is made with the sear. If your scribe will not reach it good enough, you might make a new one by sharpening up a punch and bending it on an angle to reach between the safety and hammer strut.
CHAPTER 8
PAGE 8-1
AMBI-SAFETY FIT, GRIP MODIFICATION
CHAPTER 8
PAGE 8-2
Remove the new safety and remove metal in small amounts until the safety installs flush with the frame and works freely. Keep in mind the old machinist rule, you can always take more later, but you can't put it back. If you take too much off, the safety is ruined and you will have to start over on a new one.
Some shooters like to slightly change the contact area of the safety and the spring plunger to alter its 'feel'. Proceed very carefully in this area. Do NOT proceed unless you declare the safety is too tight, and then go very slowly, as a little here means a lot, and you don't want a safety that will pop on when you are firing. Most all thumb safeties need a bit of adjusting to get the feel required by the user. This is easily done with a 1/8" burr in a Dremel grinder, or in a small air grinder. Look at the detent in the safety as it comes (lower right) and simply make it the same shape, only larger as shown on the right.
AS MANUFACTURED
MODIFIED FOR A DIFFERENT "FEEL"
AMBI-SAFETY FIT, GRIP MODIFICATION
CHAPTER 8
PAGE 8-3
Mark the underside of the right hand grip where the safety touches it. Carefully carve the wood or plastic away for a free sliding fit.
We normally cut this with a 1/4 inch end mill in a milling machine. In this way, you can assure yourself of a sharp corner for the safety foot to rest on. If you are forced to use hand equipment, do the very best job you can. This is an important area for function as well as looks.
PLUNGER TUBE INSTALLATION
CHAPTER 9
PAGE 9-1
The 1911 plunger tube installation is a job that most hobbyists have no need to worry about. Like the front sight, this requires specialized tools. It is included here for informational purposes so that the reader may become more educated in this particular area and converse with the gunsmith intelligently should the need arise. First of all, removal of the plunger tube generally requires that it be ruined. The two posts that hold it on are swaged inside the frame and normally require considerable force to remove. This force could bend the pins, crush the tube itself, or bend it beyond repair. The hobbyists should never need to remove this part, but should check the part frequently to make certain that it is secure. If the plunger tube ever came loose, the spring loaded plunger inside could slip past the thumb safety on the outside, locking it in a safe position. This would not be dangerous, unless of course you wanted to use the gun to defend your life. Then the consequences would be disasterous.
Removal of the plunger tube is accomplished by clamping it in a smooth faced vise and pulling it off. A bit of wiggling and prying may be required, but make sure the frame is not marred in the process. This will no doubt ruin the tube requiring its replacement. Replacing the tube is done by first opening up the inside of the chamfer of the holes inside of the magazine well. I like to use a 1/8" carbide ball burr in a high speed air grinder, but a Dumore hand grinder and a small grinding wheel could be used. This increase of chamfer size allows more metal to be swaged on the ends of the posts to offer a more secure installation. Make sure the plunger tube is installed properly with the small hole toward the muzzle. It will go on backwards. Next, fit a .109 to .110 drill bit or rod inside the rear of the plunger tube to prevent it's being crushed. Make certain this rod is a bit larger than the plunger that will be expected to fit when the job is finished. The plunger tube, supported inside, is also protected outside with a piece of steel. Press the plunger tube firmly against the slide, and then clamp the pliers. Repeat for the other pin. Check for swaged posts interfering with the magazine and file off, or reswage to eliminate any problem here.
EJECTOR
CHAPTER 10
Make sure the ejector will fit into the holes provided in the frame, and not overhang the back of the frame. A sloppy fit in the frame will prevent the part from working properly and could cause malfunctions. Cut the front of the ejector down to an angle that will match the back wall of the magazine well. This can be easily done by letting the file ride along the back of the well. File until a magazine can be slammed into the gun and will barely miss the ejector. Of course, this could leave file marks inside the mag well of a blued and finished gun. Keep this in mind if you do not intend to refinish the gun. If the ejectors are installed as manufacutured, or left long, the gun will be difficult to extract a loaded round. The bullet will catch on the ejection port NOTE: Do not modify 9mm ejectors - leave them long.
Mark the front location pin groove with a 1/16" punch. We just take the punch and twist it firmly so that the pin is marked well inside the frame. Now remove the ejector and hold it sideways in a vise so that your punch mark is upright.
Brownells sell a large screw slot file. One of these is perfect for filing a groove in the location pin to allow the ejector retainer pin to be installed. Go slowly and remove the mark you just made with the punch. Remember it is better to have the slot a bit too close to the top of the frame as you can always lower it. Filed too low the first time, you have a scrap part. Whatever you do, DO NOT try to just assemble the ejector on the frame and run a 1/16" drill bit through to size the hole. This will not work due to the fact that the ejector is heat treated and the frames are not. You will have a broken drill bit, or perhaps worse, a ruined frame due to the hole leading off.
PAGE 10-1
EJECTOR
CHAPTER 10
PAGE 10-2
Once the groove is finished, you should be able to install the 1/16" punch easily, while still holding the ejector in place firmly. This insures that the 1/16" retainer pin will go in easily. If you have a 1/16" roll pin, which is common these days, it is best to drill the hole through the frame with a .067 diameter drill, as the roll pins are .005 oversize. They are also very difficult to install in a .062 hole. Reinstall the ejector retainer pin. It is best to use an arbor press if you have one available. A good vise could be used in a pinch. If you choose to merely hammer the thing in with a punch, you run the risk of slipping off and marring the frame, or the slide rail groove. Be careful! File a small flat on the front of the ejector so that any sharp corner is removed. Make this flat exactly perpendicular to the frame top. If a sharp corner was left here, it could mark the brass, or get pushed over where it could possibly contact the moving slide. I suppose it is not impossible to speculate that such a sharp corner could fire a loaded round. Stranger events have occurred. Now you should have a flat on the front of the ejector that appears to the eye to be rectangular in shape. Break the corner of this square on the side that the brass needs to roll off of during ejection. This also eases the transition of the brass from the hooked position on the bolt face to an ejected round. See the drawing for clarification. Be aware that this applies only to the .45 ACP.
Normally, the correct .45 ejector will fit a .45 slide, and the .38 ejectors will fit .38 Super slides, as well as 9mm and 10mm. This fit needs to be checked for correct clearance. Do this by installing the slide on the frame and looking past the ejector into a strong light. You should be able to see light on each of the three sides. If there is any interference, the gun will probably not work.
EXTRACTOR
CHAPTER 11
PAGE 11-1
This is a very short chapter. Do not make the mistake of assuming that it isn't very important. It is extremely important that the extractor be adjusted exactly right. If you have a Series 80 pistol, see the disassembly instructions at the end of chapter one for the additional work you will have to do.
Most extactors need a bit of improvement by filing a chamfer on the bottom of the hook. Imagine the cartridge feeding up into the chamber. The rim needs to be free of the sharp corner on the bottom of the extractor hook. We use a sight base file, or three corner file to get into this area and file the sharp corner off. Do not overdo it and try to keep it perpendicular to the hook itself. Only a very small chamfer is needed, .015-.020.
Here is what the finished chamfer relief cut should look like. Notice how small it is, and how it is perpendicular to the area where the rim will fit. This small chamfer will ease the rim of the case into its firing position, and also help prevent the ejected brass from hitting you in the face.
EXTRACTOR
CHAPTER 11
Insert the extractor into the gun and make sure it is aligned properly by temporarily installing the firing pin stop. The extractor should be tensioned to just barely hold a loaded round flush up against the bolt face. Any less tension, the gun might not extract properly, any more and it might not feed properly. Many barrels have been ruined by throating them deeper, when the feed problem was really the extractor.
Here are two ways to bend the extractor to get the right tension on the cartridge rim. The photos also show the point where the bend should be made. It's at the edge of the vise, just in front of the center lump on the extractor.
If you don't have a vise, a crescent wrench will do nicely. Just make sure to force the bend nearer to the wrench jaws, and not near the slide. Do this by twisting the wrench and holding the slide straight. After the adjustments have been properly made and checked, reassemble the components back into the gun. Test your work by dry cycling dummy rounds through the gun, and then later go to the range and test fire.
PAGE 11-2
BARREL FIT
CHAPTER 12
PAGE 12-1
Many functioning problems of the 1911 pistol occur after fitting a new barrel. So much so, that I have actually heard rumors that a match grade barrel is never as reliable as the factory barrel. The truth is that many aftermarket barrels have been so poorly fitted as to make them unreliable. This does not have to be the case. There seems to be a lot of gunsmiths who have not had any instruction on barrel fitting. No wonder, there is little written on the subject, and even fewer pistolsmiths will take the time to help. The following is a drawing and instructions that I have shared with many people in the past, and it should be required knowledge to anybody who works on the 1911 design pistol. Shown is a sketch of the lower half of a 1911 barrel. This is the most critical part of function and accuracy and must be given the extreme attention that it deserves. 1. Focus your attention to point ‘A’. Assume that the slide stop pin is here and the gun is unlocked. As the gun begins to cycle forward, the barrel must be completely free of the slide stop at this point. Only the link will touch. The slide moves forward and picks up a round from the magazine while the slide stop pin is approximately at point ‘B’. This is the most critical point. A smooth transition must be made from ‘A’ to ‘C’. If there is any binding between these two points, a malfunction is SURE to occur at least once in a while. This binding is sometimes referred to as ‘barrel bump’ because of the dent that can be seen on the front of the poorly fitted lugs after the gun has malfunctioned several times. Notice that the .183 to .193 radius is moved back .020 from the center of the link pin. This is the little item that assures you of a smooth feeding cycle. If you don’t have a rotary table and milling machine to cut it perfectly, you can at least now install a link and know what to look for while hand filing. The goal should be for the slide stop pin to make a smooth transition between poin ts ‘A’ to ‘C’. Now focus your attention on the .030 flat from ‘C’ to ‘D’. The barrel is locked at zero at point ‘C’, and its further movement on to ‘D’, sort of wedges everything except the link in position, while the gun is locked. More importantly, this .030" allows the slide to move almost .100" backward before beginning its downward, unlocking sequence. This has the effect of reducing recoil and allowing the slide to gain speed for proper cycling. By studying the print, you should be able to see the theory of operation. As the gun comes into battery the .010" offset radius gently eases the barrel into a consistent position for a secure lockup. This movement is one that MUST be smooth, because the bullet is making the transition from the frame feed ramp to the barrel feed ramp at this time.
BARREL FIT
CHAPTER 12
2. Cut barrel hood sides to clear .001/.005 on each side when barrel is straight up and down in the slide. These areas are better cleared than attempting to fit them to the slide sides. Note that this hood is not centered on the barrel, but is offset to the right. You can check the slide with dial calipers to check the maximum width of hood you can have, and then compare this to the barrel to at least check out the hood size, even though the exact location of the hood is difficult to pin down. The photo also shows where a Gold Cup or Enhanced model needs to be narrowed. 3. Install barrel in gun with a sloppy fit bushing and fit the upper locking lugs until the gun will lock with only thumb pressure. Be sure to remove equal amounts of metal from each locking groove in order to keep the barrel centered. The photo at right shows both the areas to adjust, and the correct file which is available from Brownell's. Go very slowly here. A little makes a lot of difference. Try the barrel in the gun frequently and don't be afraid to use toolmakers spotting ink to see where you are at. I usually whack the back of the slide with a composition dead blow hammer to seat the barrel firmly in the slide and mark the barrel. Keep an eye on the hood sides fitted earlier. They should remain cleared.
4. Once the slide will nearly close, install the link and pin and reassemble slide, barrel, and frame. Any change in barrel fit can now be blamed on a too tight link. IMPORTANT: With slide upside down in your hand and barrel installed, you should be able to still move the link slightly while the slide stop is pressed firmly to the rear. If not, open up the stop pin hole slightly on the bottom side.
PAGE 12-2
BARREL FIT
CHAPTER 12
PAGE 12-3
If you see any marks on the barrel lugs in the 'A' to 'C' area, as shown in the print and in the photo, this area must be removed! Evidence of the slide stop pin hitting here is called barrel bump and will cause you grief beyond belief.
Adjust the radius at area 'A' to 'C' and make it like the print. Do it as shown in the photograph and make sure you keep the area perpendicular to the bore.
5. Now the barrel should be rough fit good enough that the slide will cycle back and forth and lock reliably. We are ready to install our match bushing. Any change in barrel fit can now be blamed on a ‘too tight’ bushing. Adjust by increasing the ID of the bushing.
6. A properly fitted barrel will hit hard on the back of the hood, hard on the ‘C’ and ‘D’ area and on to the rear, and evenly on each side of the top locking grooves. It will NOT touch any place else except the bushing. You should now be able to press the gun into locked position with only thumb pressure, but the barrel will not move in any direction.
In the event the slide overhangs the back of the frame after the new barrel is fit, do not worry. This is easily fixed. Once you are satisfied with the barrel fit internally, go back and recut the back part of the barrel where the slide stop is hard fitted. This will have the effect of moving the entire assembly forward. Here, nearly a one to one fit is found. In other words, if the slide overhangs the rear of the frame .015", take another .015 off of the back of the barrel lugs where the slide stop pin prevents forward movement. After this adjustment is made, go back and check the link again for play (step 4). Do not cut or take out of line the other barrel fit areas already done.
BARREL FIT
CHAPTER 12
PAGE 12-4
After the barrel is locked into the slide, consistent accuracy is possible due to the fact that the sights are mounted on the slide. Consistent reliability is possible due to the fact that the barrel cannot ever deviate from its intended path. It is wedged into the locking grooves in the top sort of like a Vblock, forced forward by pressure of the bolt face on the rear of the hood, and held vertical by the properly fitted lower lug. Artificial rests usually do not show the true accuracy potential of any auto due to the fact the slide and barrel can move while the frame is held firmly. However, hand held accuracy, or as I prefer to call it, practical accuracy, will be fully realized. A long link also causes an extremely long arc for the barrel to travel during the locking process. A longer travel means more chance for trouble to occur.
Due to the demands of mass production, many makers have strayed from this dimension perfection over the years, but I have had the privilege of examining a few of the guns from the very early years, and this is how they were done. The top barrel maker Irv Stone III of Bar-Sto Precision agrees with this theory 100% and cuts their fine drop-in barrels this way using an expensive machining operation. But they too need a little perfecting occasionally due to the variations in mass production. We have cut our own drop-inbarrels this way for years with outstanding success. I came up with these dimensions and the print that I have shared with many pistolsmiths over the years. But John Browning figured this out over eighty years ago from a blank sheet of paper. The old boy was a real genius.
BARREL FITTING CHECKLIST, ASSUMING A FINISHED AND FITTED SLIDE.
1. Cut lugs at the bottom like the print so that a standard hole spacing link will work. 2. Cut barrel hood sides to clear .001/.005 on each side when barrel is straight up and down in the slide. 3. Install barrel in gun with a sloppy fit bushing and fit the upper locking lugs until the gun will lock with only thumb pressure. Be sure to remove equal amounts of metal from each locking groove in order to keep the barrel centered.
BARREL WORK
CHAPTER 13
PAGE 13-1
THROAT
Throating a 1911 barrel is one of the most popular modifications. It is also one of the most commonly botched jobs that frequently results in ruined barrels. The reason is that most people have no idea of where they are going, or what it is supposed to look like when they are finished. They just keep grinding until the gun works. Sometimes they never do.
Shown in the photo is a Dremel grinder and a simple guage to check your work. The print for making your own is shown later in this chapter and I would suggest that you make one before starting. The wheel is a fine grit 3/8" diameter and is sufficient for this purpose. Make the cut all around the bottom of the chamber and make it taper out near the sides. Remember, you can always take more later, and leave some for the finish wheel. The angle is 35 degrees from vertical. Do not stray from this angle.
Shown here is a 1/2" sanding drum which works well as a second step. This larger wheel will smooth up the grinding wheel marks because of its larger diameter and its finer grit. Use around a 220 or 240 grit here.
BARREL WORK
CHAPTER 13
PAGE 13-2
Check your work frequently with your guage to make sure you don't go too deep. If you go too deep, you run the risk of a case blowout with a heavy load.
Most all reliable 1911s have a slight gap between the feedramp in the frame and the throat in the barrel. One hardly ever has to do anything to a frame feedramp, other than to smooth the cutter marks out of it with a very fine polish wheel. Never grind or sand this area as it will surely ruin the frame.
A very small radius can be polished between the throat and the chamber. Just enough to break the sharp edge. Finish with a felt wheel and polish or a very fine sanding drum. We use a polish wheel called MX in our shop, but I'm afraid they are not available except for commercial applications.
If your gun won't feed now, it is probably bad ammuntion, or the extractor needs adjustment. It could also be a bad magazine, or recoil spring. Never under any circumstances continue to cut the throat deeper in the barrel. You will ruin it.
BARREL WORK
CHAPTER 13
PAGE 13-3
Shown is a barrel held in a vise by the lower locking lugs so that we can turn a finish reamer by hand. Finish reamers are generally owned only by pistolsmiths, but it is included here because of the growing number of home craftsmen who are gaining experience using professional tools. Finish reamers are available from Brownell's. The home craftsman will have no use for a rough reamer. You will need however, a GO guage and a NO GO guage for checking the finished chamber. These are also available from Brownells.
Finish chamber reamers may be held in a simple tap handle, and work best with a light application of cutting oil. As always, go slowly, you can always take more later. Even though the barrels are heat treated, the reamers cut amazingly fast.
Operation is simple. Turn the wrench with a bit of pressure and it will deepen the chamber. Try the GO guage and try to set it about .002 to .005" below the barrel hood. This assumes the barrel is already fitted and the hood is already cut. If your barrel is not fitted, you need to fit it first, and chamber it last.
BARREL WORK
CHAPTER 13
PAGE 13-4
Shown is a barrel crowning tool available from Brownells. It is a piloted chamfering tool that will allow the home craftsmen to cut a perfectly centered chamfer in the bore. It is hand held, cuts quickly, and is pretty much idiot proof assuming you use the right pilot.
Brownell's have the pilots sized to fit most barrels. If yours seems too tight, do not force it, but get the right size. A slight twisting motion is all that is needed. We usually cut about a .025" to .035" chamfer on the bore. This allows the bullet to leave the bore with the base absolutely aligned. Otherwise, a crooked crown could allow gas to escape from one side sooner and yaw the bullet adversely effecting accuracy.
Here is a blueprint for a simple throating gauge. Make from 1/16" aluminum, or sheet metal. Pay close attention to the dimensions and never throat a barrel deeper than the gauge.
BEAVERTAIL
CHAPTER 14
PAGE 14-1
First of all, why a ‘Beavertail’ Grip Safety? Most people will tell you it is to prevent hammer bite. That is the nasty strawberry that the loose skin above the web of your hand receives when the hammer pinches it on top of the factory grip safety. However, there is more to it than that. Much of what I have learned about the practical use of the 1911 pistol has come from the Ray Chapman Shooting Academy. During the early days of my pistolsmithing career, shooters from the academy would bring their guns over during the evening for a bit of repair of some sort. These would be mostly the 1911 design, but in the factory configuration, rather than custom pistols. These shooters would have fired anywhere from 200 to 500 rounds during the day performing the various exercises taught at the academy. Loose front sights is a common problem, poor feeding of SWC reloads another, too heavy trigger pull was a common complaint. But most all shooters had one huge complaint. The doggone grip safety had actually worn a hole in the top of their hand! As any shooting school will tell you, it is the grip that is most important to the accuracy. A weak grip will never produce any accuracy or reliability. You must use a firm grip to become one with the pistol. Naturally, the better you can get your hand into the pistol, the better this bond becomes. However, the harder you get your hand into a factory pistol, the more pronounced the grip safety digs into your skin. With the normal recoil pushing this area deeper, it is not long before the skin becomes irritated and broken.
To solve these problems, grip safeties have been designed that expand the safeties width to match that of the entire back of the gun. The back of the safeties are rounded, rather than square, thus the name ‘Beavertail’ was born. Since the frame of the pistol was part of the problem, and the fact that the original safety was fitted inside the frame, provision needs to be made on the frame to allow the new Beavertail safety to fit around the outside, or even with, the outside of the frame. Please be aware that there are grip safeties on the market that do not require any frame modifications. This is sort of a half way fix and may be suitable for some shooters who want a cheap fast way to get a wider part on the gun. Listening to the market demand, Colt has offered an improved type grip safety on their Enhanced Models. King’s, and Wilson’s also offer various types of ‘drop-in’ grip safeties. One point of clarification here. The word ‘drop-in’ refers to the fact that no frame modification is necessary. It is still a grip SAFETY and needs to be fitted to the trigger bow to insure safe operation.
BEAVERTAIL
CHAPTER 14
At the time these Beavertail grip safeties were designed, most shooters wanted to install a Commander style rounded hammer. Its sexy rounded shape, and the fact that it fit so well underneath the aftermarket adjustable sights that were also popular, seemed to make it a natural option. Therefore, most all Beavertail grip safeties are designed to be used with a Commander style hammer. Not to say that a standard hammer could not be used with a Beavertail, that just wasn’t in mind when it was designed. Usually, the modifications necessary to the standard hammer to make it work with a Beavertail are more effort than a trigger job and a new hammer. I mention this only for the consideration of the fact that it is generally much easier for a gunsmith to install a Beavertail Grip Safety, Hammer, and Extended Safety all at one time, than it is to install each part separately. Take these facts into consideration prior to ordering any work on your own gun. But back to the job of installation of the Beavertail itself. The frame cut necessary for installation is handled in different ways by the different manufacturers of safeties. Ours uses a 1/4" radius centered on the thumb safety hole. This design is the easiest to install and get right the first time.
For installation, assuming a stripped frame is at hand, is to first install the installation jig. The jig consists of two file hard buttons 1/2" in diameter. This will allow the installer to cut the 1/4" radius necessary for the installation of the part. See photo 1, and notice how the frame is held securely in a vise, and the finish cuts to the 1/4" radius is being made. If the installer is experienced in production metal work and has access to faster, easier ways of moving metal, (milling machine) then he will know of easier means and employ them to save time and work.
PAGE 14-2
BEAVERTAIL
CHAPTER 14
PAGE 14-3
This book is written assuming you only have simple tools to work with, so we will continue with what is available. Once the 1/4" radius is cut on the rear of the frame, the new Beavertail can now be fitted to the frame as shown in photo two. Notice in this photo how the part fits inside the frame slightly at the area where the inside of the web of your hand goes. These areas are shown being trimmed down to the new Beavertail level in photo three with a pneumatic grinder holding a 3/4" sanding drum.. This is what makes this part work so darn good, it really gets your hand deeper into the gun. Removal of these protruding areas is what allows the gun to set lower in the hand, and as we all know, the lower the gun and barrel axis in relation to the hand, the less the felt recoil and the more natural pointing the gun is. Notice that even the thumb safety has been slightly trimmed for more comfort. The back of the frame, newly contoured, now fits the hand much more comfortably, with the entire width of the frame in contact with the hand evenly. No better fit or comfort can be had! We can’t forget the all important area that contacts the trigger and actually blocks its movement. This is a grip SAFETY, and is supposed to function as such. When the safety is released from hand tension, as if the gun was dropped, the right hand leaf on the sear spring pushes the grip safety back and allows the foot on the grip safety to block the rearward travel of the trigger bow. The photo shows the proper angle (parallel to the bottom of the grip safety) for fitting the foot to block the trigger bow. Most aftermarket manufacturers supply .005 to .015 extra material for fitting to any type aftermarket trigger. Fitted properly, an UNLOADED gun can be checked by pushing the thumb safety to the fire position, and after checking the chamber to make sure the gun is unloaded, and pointed in a safe direction, attempt to pull trigger. The hammer should not fall because the grip safety foot will block the trigger bow from rearward movement. While keeping slight pressure on the trigger, depress the grip safety, and the hammer should fall. Do not use the gun if the grip safety does not function properly. Further, do not let anyone talk you into deactivating the grip safety even if you think you know how. Do not ask your gunsmith to deactivate your grip safety. The risks in society today are simply not worth it. In the firearm industry we have problems enough with the liberal attack on firearms ownership, without the additional burden of liability lawsuits. If the reassembled gun passed all safety tests; the frame, Beavertail, and Thumb safety are ready to be final polished and then glass bead finished and reblued. Glass beads in the grade BT-8 will match the factory finish perfectly.
PORT
CHAPTER 15
Lowering the ejecton port is one of the oldest modifications to the .45. You should be able to perform this modification with simple tools if you are a careful worker. Lowering the ejecton port will allow the fired cases to eject from the gun a bit easier and let their path be lower and further away from the shooter's face. The thick portion of the slide on the rear of the port is frequently scalloped in the shape of a half round cartridge.
This is not only attractive, but helps prevent denting of the brass as well. Probably the best way to guide you without taking excess space writing full instructions, is to have you borrow a friends Colt Gold Cup. Simply duplicate the measurements of his slide on your port and you will be in pretty good shape.
The photos show the difference and the specific dimension of the Gold Cup (top) and the Government Model ports. Many pistolsmiths cut the port dimension even lower than the Gold Cup. Don't go below .400 or you might get into strength problems. I've cut hundreds to the .464 Colt dimension and never had any trouble.
Before cutting, lay out a guide line with a scribe to the dimension you want to cut to. Remember, if you can draw it, you can cut it.
PAGE 15-1
PORT
CHAPTER 15
Begin cutting with a 3/8" diameter hard stone mounted in your Dremel tool. Go slowly and carefully. You only get one chance to do this right. The photo shows the Dremel tool angled slightly. It seemed to look better this way, but it may not cut best unless it is held straight perpendicular to the slide. Another trick that would spoil the photo is to cover all the areas you do not want to cut with several layers of masking tape to protect the finished surfaces in case of a slip. Cut down to your guide line and leave the full radius of your 3/8" wheel in the corners.
Now hold the Dremel at a 45 degree angle and replace the chamfer inside of the slide. This will eliminate the sharp edge which would effect the way brass could come off of the bolt face. I like to leave a small flat at the top of the port of about .020".
Cutting the scallop is accomplished with a 1/ 2" drum sander in a Dumore grinder. The slide is held at about a 30 degree angle and the grinder held parallel to the workbench. The thickness of your fist under the slide, as shown in the photo, is approximately 30 degrees. Go very slowly here. The rotation of the grinder wants to pull you over the edge of the slide and this will ruin it for sure if it does. Don't forget the protective tape, several layers! We didn't show it in the photo for clarity reasons.
PAGE 15-2
PORT
CHAPTER 15
PAGE 15-3
Here is the finished product compared with a factory Colt Gold Cup. Done properly, the only area that is very visible that needs to be reblued is the scallop. This can be touched up with cold blue. It's finely sanded surface will take the blue very well.
SERRATE REAR
CHAPTER 16
SERRATION OF THE SLIDE REAR This is a very popular custom addition and is fairly easily accomplished by the careful workman. First we need a checkering file from our favorite gunsmith supply house, Brownells. Get the #2 cut which is 50 lines per inch. They can be done coarser, but they really look like Missouri corn rows. There also is a #4 file available. This is 75 lines per inch and is better suited for serrating front sights than the rear of slides. You will also need a padded vise to hold the slide, a flat bar of steel to use as a guide, and a strong light to see what you are doing.
Clamp the slide only in a leather padded vise. Hold a flat bar of steel against the bottom of the slide and begin a light cut. This will guarantee the lines are parallel with the bottom of the slide.
Go slowly and keep the file straight! I can't tell you how to keep the file straight, just do it. Carry the lines on toward the top of the slide keeping in mind that the back of the slide is cut spherical, like a bowling ball. Make certain that the top line matches up parallel with the cut for the rear sight if this is what your gun has.
PAGE 16-1
SERRATE REAR
CHAPTER 16
PAGE 16-2
Now do the same operation on the other side of the slide. Nothing is different except you are working on the far side. Keep the lines parallel with the bottom of the slide and your work will look professional. A slight 45 degree chamfer on the edge looks nice and prevents burrs. This is easily done with a fine cut file. Now you can examine the edges of your grooves and see if any need to be cut any deeper.
The finished job will look very professional and serve to eliminate glare from your sight picture. Normally, this would get a light glass bead finish and complete reblue. If you are a home craftsman, cold blue finish until you can get the gun to a gunsmith for a hot blue.
FIRING PIN STOP
CHAPTER 17
PAGE 17-1
There's not a lot to say about a firing pin stop other than the fact that it needs to fit snug inside the slide and tight against the extractor. If you have one from Colt that has a '2' on it, it is oversize, and you may have problems fitting another.
As always, when fitting a firing pin stop, go slowly, you can always take more later. If it will not go in easily, you will need a sharp fine cut file that is safe on one side. Try to determine where the excess material is and remove it with firm strokes. Do not file just anywhere and expect it to maybe work next time. It won't. Find the area that is too tight by tapping it in with a brass punch, and then remove metal in the tight areas only.
The smart way to do this job is to only work with the slide and firing pin stop. Once the stop will fit into the slide completely, then remove it and install the extractor and attempt to install the stop again. If it won't reinstall, the problem is the extractor. Once those three parts will all install, remove the stop again, and this time install the firing pin and spring. Don't forget to try the whole assembly on the frame to check for interference with the frame mounted ejector. If your gun is a Colt or Para-Ordnance Series 80 with the additional firing pin plunger, you will have to modify the firing pin stop to allow additional clearance for the plunge lifter. See the chapter on Series 80 parts.
SPRINGS
CHAPTER 18
PAGE 18-1
SPRINGS At a recent match I helped a shooter through a fit of malfunctions his gun was having. He had changed both bullets and powder charges and was now having failures to feed. He was swapping recoil springs for all he was worth, but still an occasional failure to feed occurred. He was trying to figure out which spring to use with a lighter bullet. One of his buddies said heavier, another said lighter. I ignored the spring question and looked for the feed problem. I noticed his ammo had a too short overall length, and a strip of lead around the mouth.
All three shooters had overlooked the ammo as a cause for the malfunctions, and went straight for the mechanical parts of the gun. It was assumed that swapping springs would make the gun work somehow no matter what the ammo looked like. Always look first to the ammo as a cause of malfunction. Only after ruling out any ammo problem, should you attempt changes in the mechanical parts of the gun. This gun probably has a heavy spring that works perfectly well since the gun has the resistance of both hands of the shooter. When the gun is held by only one hand, or held weakly, the arm absorbs some precious slide velocity, and the gun has a malfunction known as a smokestack, or stovepipe. This is where the spent case is caught by the slide before it can clear the gun. This is simply a failure to eject by insufficient slide travel.
What weight recoil spring should you use? This will vary with bullet weight, velocity of the load, and shooter strength. Usually, the spent cases should land anywhere from five to fifteen feet away. If the empty cases are falling on your feet, sooner or later you will have a failure because the recoil spring is too heavy, or the load you are using for that spring is too light. People with small hands or weak wrists can help their gun function by building up muscles in this area. You should hold on to the gun so tight that the checkering makes an imprint in your hand. Another bonus, when a shooter holds on to a gun this tight, the trigger pull seems lighter. If you apply these principles of reliability, your scores are sure to go up and your malfunctions will go down. Springs are a source of great controversy everywhere pistol shooters gather. Heavier, lighter, replacement time, etc. Lets reduce it down to what really matters, reliability. Usually it’s best to go with your pistolsmiths advice on replacement weight and time in a custom gun and keep a spare or two on hand. Another suggestion is to check the length and wire diameter of any different recoil springs and write it down in a safe place. This information will be useful when you mix up the springs. Also note the length of the springs when they are new. If the recoil spring show signs of collapsing with use, it should be replaced. If it has fired 5000 rounds, but is still the same length as your new replacement, then there would be no reason to change it.
SPRINGS
CHAPTER 18
PAGE 18-2
I don't ever remember having to replace a sear spring because it was worn out. They are pretty much good forever. They are frequently ruined, however. The same goes for magazine catch springs. The things are just not stressed enough to ever cause any problem. Mainsprings, do wear out due to age and use and should be replaced. The best way to determine if your spring is any good is to just purchase a replacement, and then compare the new one with your old one. If the new one is more than 10% longer than the old one, replace it. If they are almost exactly the same length, there is no need to replace it at all. Firing pins are subject to failure. I have seen many break, and in my opinion, they are all too weak to begin with. Most experienced pistolsmiths suggest a heavy duty firing pin spring, and replace them also if they start getting too short.
MAGAZINE
CHAPTER 19
PAGE 19-1
One advantage of a revolver is that if you have any of it, you have all of it. Not so with an auto pistol. None of the doggone things will work without the magazine. By the way, I always prefer to call the removable portion a magazine, rather than a ‘clip’. To me, the term ‘clip’ brings to mind the old M-1 Garand clips that flew out of the gun immediately after the last shot. A magazine, by my definition, is an assembly of components that when used together, will feed the pistol fresh rounds as fired cases are ejected from the gun. A clip is exactly what the name implies, a single component that will hold rounds together until needed. The fact that a magazine has components suggests the need to maintain the assembly. A magazine is probably the most overlooked part of an auto pistol, and possibly the most abused. Magazines are frequently dropped, either accidentally, on purpose, or during rapid reloads. Sometimes they are dropped with rounds still inside. This will compress the rounds on top of the spring on impact, and during decompression, the rounds are slammed into the delicate feed lips, possibly deforming them forever. Try to avoid dropping magazines that still have rounds loaded in them. Usually, they pick up a bit of dirt or sand, or even small gravel particles during their stay on the ground. Sometimes, heaven forbid, they are stepped on and ground into the dirt. They are frequently left loaded, compressing their springs to the max, and left unattended for up to years. And nearly always, the practical shooter will slam them into the gun with authority. All these actions can be abusive to what could rightly be called the most delicate part of an autoloading pistol. I have known many shooters who cared for their guns with the greatest attention, but never once thought about disassembling a magazine. Once I asked a shooter, who was looking for a cause of malfunction, if he ever disassembled and cleaned his magazines. He replied he had the type that could not be disassembled! Friends, I have never seen a magazine that couldn’t be disassembled. Here is how to disassemble a standard magazine with a welded on base. I selected the welded on base for three reasons. One, it’s our brand and was easily available. Two, it represents most types. And three, if your magazine has a removable base, you will probably know it and can easily figure out how to take it apart. First, assemble a few tools. You will need a punch or nail that will fit into the holes in the magazine. You will also need a blunt object to depress the follower. I have used a magnetic screwdriver with no bit installed, but a pencil would do. A length of heavy wire to make a hook type tool will be needed as well. Follow the photo as a guide for making your own.
MAGAZINE
CHAPTER 19
PAGE 19-2
To disassemble the magazine, depress the follower with the blunt object and press it down to a point where it can be seen just below the third hole from the top. Then let it raise back up until you can capture the spring just below it. Insert the punch completely through the magazine and release the pressure on the follower. Now the spring is captured and the follower can be removed.
You should be able to reach in with your homemade hook and grab the front of the follower. It will take a bit of tugging and manipulation, but they will normally come out without any force. In fact, you would not want to use any force for fear of bending the follower.
MAGAZINE
CHAPTER 19
Once the follower is removed, turn the magazine upside down, so the spring doesn’t fly away, and pull the pin out to release the spring.
Note the position of the spring before you remove it from the magazine! This is very important. Notice that the spring is bent to have a definite angle when installed properly. This angle should be placed in such a way as the high point is facing forward, so as to lift the front of the follower. All magazine springs are intended to be installed this way, no matter what the brand, and it is necessary they be installed this way to hold the follower up in front. This will feed the rounds nose up, a condition essential to good feeding. Once you have closely inspected the proper spring installation, remove it completely.
PAGE 19-3
MAGAZINE
CHAPTER 19
PAGE 19-4
Clean the spring, follower, and inside of the magazine tube thoroughly with solvent and reassemble in reverse order. Install the spring first and make sure the raised portion of the spring faces toward the front of the magazine. Then depress the spring into the tube with your blunt object so that it can be captured with the punch the third hole down. Now install the follower by angling it through the front of the open feed area, and work it under the feed lips themselves. Do not force anything, or try to spread apart the feed lips. All followers will reinstall with no force! Once inside the magazine, press it down on top of the spring with your blunt object and then pull out the punch holding the spring. That’s all there is to it! Lubrication is up to the individual user. Most magazines will work dry. I prefer a bit of very light lubrication, but would suggest passing it up if you frequently shoot and drop magazines in a sandy area. Richard Heinie shoots on a range in central Illinois that is covered with sand. They never lubricate their magazines and must clean them after every match. I shoot on a one inch gravel covered range and hardly ever bother to clean a magazine, but I do lightly lube the followers frequently. However, all magazines will accumulate burnt powder and bullet lube residue, therefore they should be cleaned regularly. Now that you know how, you don’t have an excuse not to.
OFFICER'S ROD & PLUG
CHAPTER 20
You will need a place to work, a tool bench, or suitable substitute. A padded bench vise, a vertical mill would be nice, but a file complete with elbow grease will do, and enough knowledge to disassemble the top half of the gun.
1. Unload gun and remove slide. Of course we only work on unloaded guns. Don’t just drop the mag and jack the slide. LOOK inside the chamber. Once you are certain no ammo exists, remove the slide and top half of the gun. Go ahead and strip the slide of the barrel and bushing, but there is no need to disassemble further. Now you should be able to see how the factory recoil spring plug fits into the small tab on the bottom of the slide. Notice how it protrudes far enough forward to block the barrel bushing from rotation. Grab the replacement recoil spring plug and examine the differences. The first thing you should notice is the shoulder on the back. The design is intended to replace the small tab with a shoulder that will absorb the pounding better. So you need to remove metal from the slide equal to the thickness of the shoulder. In other words, the shoulder has to go somewhere, you can’t just let it stick out the back of the slide.
The reverse plug is furnished in stainless steel only and is intended for gunsmith fitting to the Colt Officer's Model.
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OFFICER'S ROD & PLUG
CHAPTER 20
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2. The slide should be cut off on the rear of the plug area an amount equal to the thickness of the shoulder. The plugs are furnished with a .062 thick shoulder. I usually cut about .065 off of the slide to make sure that the plug shoulder will clear slightly and not contact the frame during firing. Remove metal from the rear of the slide spring area equal to the thickness of the shoulder on the new recoil plug. This is where the vertical mill would be handy. You could simply clamp up the slide upside down in a mill vise, and make a straight cut across the back equal to the thickness of the shoulder. Assuming the vise was mounted on the mill, five minutes max. However, if you are a bench workman without a mill, never fear. You can do just as good a job, it will just take a little longer. Using what ever measuring device you have, mark the slide an amount equal to the thickness of the shoulder so you will have a line to file up to. Clamp the slide in a vise padded with cardboard or leather. If I have to do any filing, I prefer to press down, rather than any other way, so I suggest clamping only the muzzle of the slide in the vise, allowing the rest to stick straight up. File carefully and be sure to keep the rear end square in all directions. If you have done a good job laying out your guide line, this should be no problem. Don’t forget, you can always use the new recoil spring as a check gauge by trying its fit often. Once you get very close, you will begin to notice a slight interference with the radius between the body of the recoil plug and its shoulder. 3. Round off the inside of this area so that no sharp corner can cut into the radius in the recoil plug shoulder area. The radius on the recoil plug needs to be there, so the slide needs to have a slightly larger radius cut on it for clearance. This is best done with a small hand grinder and about a 1/8" to 3/8" grinding wheel. Try to make it even all the way around, and do not grind away all of your square area. Properly done, there is a small flat left all the way around the back of the slide. 4. Make sure the plug fits flush without binding and will lock the bushing in place. I can’t say much more about this line other than not to be afraid to tap on the back of the bushing shoulder with a plastic hammer to make sure it is seated fully. You could also reinstall the bushing and make sure the new plug will lock the bushing in the vertical position. 5. Assemble the spring on the rod and the plug on the spring. The closed end of the spring goes on the rod first. Don’t put it on backwards, it is the sign of a real amateur. 6. Compress the plug and spring down and hold in place with the take down pin. There is an easy way to do this. Put the recoil spring in the slide backwards, and place the assembled rod and spring in backwards. Now you can use the slide as a handle and press the head of the guide rod into your work bench. As you do this, check out one important point. Make sure the recoil spring will collapse FULLY into the recoil spring plug. More than one gun has been tied up, or broken by the shooter using an oversize recoil spring that will not collapse into the recoil plug. Upon firing, the force usually pushes the front out of the recoil plug and ruins it. Once satisfied that there is actually room for the spring, insert the take down pin into the guide rod and let the pressure off the assembly. If the take down pin is centered, you should be able to remove the assembly from the front of the gun.
OFFICER'S ROD & PLUG
CHAPTER 20
PAGE 20-3
7. Assemble barrel, bushing, and slide, and insert guide assembly in place. Now you can reinstall the barrel and bushing in the slide. You will notice that there is just room to install the new guide assembly underneath the barrel. 8. Assemble complete top half on frame of gun and reinstall slide stop. Self explanatory, but pay attention for this last step. It is most important! 9. Make sure recoil plug is fully seated into the slide, then pull back slide to release take down pin. By now you are familiar with the recoil shoulder on the new recoil plug. It is most important that this shoulder be seated fully home. It is easy to check, because the barrel bushing will not be locked, and there will be a large gap where the shoulder should be. MAKE SURE THE SHOULDER IS SEATED FULLY. If you fire the gun with the shoulder unseated, the force of the slide will seat the plug for sure. Of course it won’t be lined up and will cut a neat divot in the side ruining it for good. If the worst does happen, don’t forget we sell replacement plugs. Now that the installation is complete, you can shoot in complete confidence and enjoy a bit of additional muzzle weight. You should also notice that the action of the gun is a good bit smoother due to the fact that the short recoil spring is not binding inside the slide any more.
TROUBLESHOOTING
CHAPTER 21
PAGE 21-1
FAILURE TO FEED AMMO INTO CHAMBER, CARTRIDGE STILL VISIBLE. BAD AMMUNITION. Poor reloads, improper overall loaded length, ammo that is not taper crimped, cartridge rims that are oversize. Solution, change ammunition, improve reloads, see reloading chapter for correct ammo specifications. BAD MAGAZINE. Draggy or bent follower, worn out spring, dirty magazine tube, bent or poorly shaped feed lips. Solution, replace magazine or correct problems with magazine. EXTRACTOR MISADJUSTED. Check to see if the cartridge rim is getting to the extractor, if it is, the extractor may be causing the problem. Solution, replace or adjust extractor tension and hook. A sharp corner could be catching on the cartridge rim. RECOIL SPRING. Worn out, cut down too short, or improper spring weight for ammo power. Solution, replace recoil spring with correct weight for ammo used. See chapter on springs. BARREL NOT THROATED. Older Government models are not throated and need to be. Newer guns come factory cut, but many times can be improved. See chapter on barrel throating. BARREL FITTED WRONG. Check for signs of binding on the barrel lower locking lugs. This is called barrel bump. See the chapter on barrel fitting. BROKEN PARTS. If the gun has previously been reliable, the link, slide stop, or barrel lugs may be broken.
FAILURE TO FEED, AMMO NOT VISIBLE, BUT SLIDE STILL NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED SO GUN WILL FIRE. BAD AMMUNITION. Poor reloads, improper overall loaded length, ammo that is not taper crimped, cartridge rims that are oversize. Solution, change ammunition, improve reloads, see reloading chapter for correct ammo specifications. CHAMBER LEADED, OR CLOGGED WITH BULLET JACKET MATERIAL. Solution, clean chamber. WEAK RECOIL SPRING. Solution, replace with correct weight for power of ammo used.
FAILURE TO EJECT FIRED CASE FROM GUN, ALSO CALLED STOVE PIPE OR SMOKE STACK MALFUNCTION. POOR GRIP. Recoil operated pistols require a firm grip to make them operate. Solution, make certain the gun is fired with a locked wrist, holding the gun with sufficient strength. RECOIL SPRING. The recoil spring may be too heavy for the power of the ammo used. Solution, replace recoil spring with correct weight for ammo used. LOSS OF SLIDE VELOCITY. Check for anything that could be slowing the slide down on its rearward stroke. I.E. thumb rubbing on the side, lack of lubrication on slide rails, recoil spring binding inside the slide, etc. Solution, correct drag problem. EXTRACTOR TENSION TOO LIGHT. Solution, replace or adjust extractor. BROKEN EJECTOR. Solution, replace ejector
TROUBLESHOOTING
CHAPTER 21
PAGE 21-2
GUN FEEDS BUT HAMMER WILL NOT FALL TO CAUSE THE GUN TO FIRE TRIGGER STUCK BACK. The trigger may be stuck in the rearward position due to a lack of lubrication, dirt, or a poor fitting job. Solution, check the trigger fit and correct. See the chapter on trigger fitting. DISCONNECTOR STUCK DOWN. The disconnector may be stuck down due to dirt, or a lack of lubrication. Also, a sear spring that has the middle leaf too long may cause the same thing. Solution, check the disconnector for free operation, and check the sear spring middle leaf. It should not be able to come above the disconnector's rear angle. THUMB SAFETY IMPROPERLY FITTED. If the problem occurs intermittently during firing, the thumb safety could be riding up and blocking the sear, even though the slide is still free from the safety. Solution, increase the tension on the safety plunger by modifying the safety. See the chapter on thumb safety fitting. HAMMER FALLS, BUT GUN FAILS TO FIRE. BAD AMMO. Primer missing, primer improperly seated, or oil soaked preventing ignition. Solution, replace ammo. SLIDE NOT CLOSED. If the slide failed to close completely, the hammer could hit the firing pin stop and not hit the firing pin with enough pressure to cause ignition. Solution, check ammo, check for complete slide closure before firing the next round. Chamber could be leaded in the case mouth area. MAINSPRING WEAK OR BROKEN. Solution, replace mainspring. BROKEN FIRING PIN. Solution, replace firing pin. BROKEN FIRING PIN SPRING. Solution, replace broken spring.
GUN DOUBLES OR FIRES MORE THAN ONE SHOT FOR EACH TRIGGER PULL. TRIGGER JOB POORLY DONE. This could be the hammer hooks stoned below .020, the sear angle stoned wrong, or too much clearance, or the sear spring leaves misadjusted. Solution, redo the trigger job correctly, or replace the bad parts. DISCONNECTOR STICKING DOWN, AND THE SEAR DRAGGING. This could be a combination of problems that can only be solved by examining each part and verifying its proper function. BROKEN SEAR. Solution, replace sear. BROKEN HAMMER. If the half cock notch broke off of the hammer and the hammer fell from the sear, the gun would double. Solution, replace broken parts.
TROUBLESHOOTING
CHAPTER 21
PAGE 21-3
MAGAZINE WILL NOT EJECT FROM THE GUN. BENT MAGAZINE FEED LIPS. If you frequently drop magazines with loaded rounds in them, the spring reaction can bend the magazine feed lips outward to a point where they will drag on the outside of the frame. Solution, disassemble magazine and bend feed lips inward to clear the frame, or replace the magazine. BENT, OR WORN MAGAZINE FOLLOWER. The follower could have jumped over the slide stop locking the magazine into the gun. Solution, replace magazine follower, or magazine. BROKEN OR WORN SLIDE STOP. The follower could have jumped over the worn slide stop locking the magazine into the gun. Solution, replace slide stop. BULGED MAGAZINE DRAGGING ON THE FRAME. This would be apparent by the drag marks on the outside of the magazine. Solution, replace magazine. IMPROPERLY FITTED TRIGGER. Trigger bow may be bent in so bad it will drag on the magazine. Sometimes this will show up as a horizontal mark on the slide of the magazine. Solution, refit the trigger. See the chapter on trigger fitting.
SLIDE FAILS TO LOCK BACK AFTER LAST ROUND FIRED. RECOIL SPRING. The recoil spring could be too heavy for the ammo used, limiting slide travel. Solution, check to see if the slide will lock back manually, if it will, the spring is too heavy for the ammo used. If it won't, look elsewhere for the problem. SLOW SLIDE VELOCITY. The slide could have been slowed down limiting its travel to the rear. Solution, check for interference. WEAK MAGAZINE SPRING. The magazine spring should push the follower up into the slide stop to cause it to lock in place and hold the slide back. Solution, check to see if the slide will lock back manually, if it won't replace the magazine spring, or the magazine. BENT, OR WORN MAGAZINE FOLLOWER. Solution, replace magazine follower, or magazine. BROKEN OR WORN SLIDE STOP. The tip of the slide stop that contacts the magazine follower may be broken off or worn where it will not touch. Solution, replace slide stop. BAD ANGLE ON THE REAR OF THE SLIDE STOP. The slide stop rear angle should not exceed one degree from vertical, measured from the slide stop bottom. If it is more, the magazine may not be able to lift it. Solution, check for drag marks on the rear of the slide stop. Replace if necessary. ROUGH SLIDE STOP REAR. Check for a smooth surface on the rear of the slide stop. Solution, make it smooth, keeping in mind it needs to be at one degree off of vertical. Set your square at 91 degrees and place it on the bottom of the slide stop.
TROUBLESHOOTING
CHAPTER 21
PAGE 21-4
LIST OF VITAL CHECKS TO DO ON THE 1911 The wise 1911 shooter has a sharp eye when it comes to his favorite design handgun. Here is my list of things that are frequently gone over on all guns as a matter of course. One should always run through these checks prior to purchasing any used gun, or letting a gun out of your shop. All these checks assume an UNLOADED GUN! DROP THE MAGAZINE AND LOOK INSIDE THE CHAMBER TO MAKE CERTAIN THE GUN IS UNLOADED BEFORE PERFORMING ANY OF THESE CHECKS! FUNCTION CHECK: Holding in on the trigger, withdraw the slide and let it fly forward. Hammer should stay cocked. Let off the trigger and the disconnector clicks as it engages the sear. Let off the grip safety and pull the trigger, it should not fall. Engage the safety catch and try to pull trigger. Check for right and left handed ease of operation. With the trigger pulled, withdraw and release the slide. Keeping trigger pulled, let go of the grip safety, when you release the trigger, the grip safety should come out. Try to drop slide with finger off the trigger, but gun held firmly. The hammer should stay cocked. Insert an empty magazine and pull slide to the rear. Check for full engagement of the slide stop. CRACK CHECK: Look on the frame, just in front of slide stop on both sides. Look in the corners of the square hole that slide stop fits in. Look inside the slide to the rear of safety slot, and inside slide front at the recoil spring opening. Look inside the slide at the top rear of ejection port. Check all places around where the sight cuts are made and on the frame at the slide rail sharp corners. Check for battered locking lugs on the lower part of the barrel. WEAR CHECK: Look over the magazine follower and make sure it engages the slide stop fully. Check over the frame rails and slide rails for excessive wear and slop. Check the magazine release for positive engagement of the magazine. Look at the upper barrel locking lugs and check for a rolled over condition indicating a poor fit. Check the front barrel bushing for a snug fit. BARREL LUGS: The large hole in the barrel link should be above the surface of the locking lugs until it moves into the area of the flat, immediately in front of the stop. If the slide stop pin rubs evenly on both sides on the flat, that is perfect. If it misses both flats and hits evenly on the bottom out area, that is OK. But if one side or the other hits unevenly, scrape or file that side down until the evenness occurs. A short link will bump the lugs while unlocking. Adjust this condition by swapping for a longer link or removing metal from the lugs. Also the lower portion of the large link hole can be opened up. If you change to a longer link check for a too long link by assembling barrel and frame and pressing barrel into unlocked position. It should bottom out on the frame in the dished out area in front of the magazine. If necessary some metal can be removed from the rear of the lugs.
TROUBLESHOOTING
CHAPTER 21
PAGE 21-5
FEED RAMP Make sure the angle in the barrel is the same as the feed ramp in the frame coming out of the magazine well. This is done by holding the slide back far enough to see, but not far enough back to lock into the open position. SIGHTS Look at the sights and inspect for anything that might indicate a problem. Such as, a front sight that is far lower than any other you have seen. This could be an indication that the barrel fits far too high in the gun, or is fitted wrong. Another dead give away is a far off centered rear sight. This could mean that the slide is bored off center, or merely that the owner is a poor shot and knows nothing about how to sight in a gun. EXTRA WORK DONE ON THE GUN Be especially wary of a gun that has had a lot of work done on it, and no makers name. Most all quality pistolsmiths are proud of their work and will put their name on the gun in some fashion. However, there are instances where the customer wants no additional names added and it is left off. If these guns are for sale, the owner should be prepared to show a copy of the original invoice showing not only the price of the work done, but the serial number of the gun. I have noticed in my experience that most of the bogus guns sold come from gun shows. I have found many quality guns at gun shows in my life, but the number of bogus guns is greater by at least a margin of ten to one. If you choose to purchase used guns at gun shows, be careful. MISMATCHED PARTS Always pass a gun that appears to be stock, but has had other stock parts obviously swapped. These type of guns will be apparent for instance, by bright blue parts installed on a glass bead finished frame, or nickel parts installed on a blue gun. Grips are not included as mismatched parts because they are frequently swapped and have little to do with the function of the gun.
RELOADING
CHAPTER 22
PAGE 22-1
AMMUNITION Reloads are the rule for most shooters because the cost of factory ammo prohibits most of them from doing the amount of shooting they would like. The reloads themselves are not the prime cause of malfunctions, but poor workmanship from the person doing the reloading.
The shooters in this country are very lucky to have just about any kind of reloading component readily available to them. This applies to reloading books as well. These books should be treated as the Bibles of reloading and the ammo assembled exactly as recommended. Especially concerning the outer diameter and overall length. Auto pistols have been designed to feed with a certain diameter and length cartridge and the smart shooter will stick closely to these dimensions with a good pair of calipers close by for frequent checks. (See photos on page 3 of this chapter) Always taper crimp autoloader cartridges gently to the spec shown in the manual. Do not overcrimp thinking if a little does good, a little more does better. Over crimping reduces bullet diameter, hurts accuracy and could be the cause of malfunction by swelling the case below the crimp. Primers deserve close attention because they are the spark plug of the cartridge. You probably think I’ll mention a favorite brand, but to tell you the truth, I’ve never noticed much difference. The smart shooter will not switch brands without checking the chronograph results. You may not be able to tell any difference by shooting, but the chronograph will point out even the slightest change. Handling of primers is very important and is one small area that should never be overlooked. Never handle primers with your fingers! Even the slightest lubricant can affect primer performance. Carefully dump the primers into the flipper tray and load them into the primer tube from there. Seat primers carefully and try for the same pressure each time. If the seating pressure feels light or heavy, there is probably something wrong with the case. Better drop this round into the practice jug. Bullets are always a problem. Bullet casters are facing stiff competition and are trying to cut their costs any way possible. The most important component in a cast bullet is tin. Tin alloys the lead and antimony and allows a hard bullet to take the rifling without soldering to the bore. Unfortunately, tin is the most expensive part and therefore the first place to look when costs need to be cut. Hard bullets are an absolute necessity in an autoloader. The bullets must not deform on the feed ramp, solder to the bore, or lead the chamber. They must never be loose enough to move during the feeding cycle. To do so acts exactly like an automobile shock absorber and really brings things to a halt. The only suggestion here is to keep trying different makers until you find one that satisfies you.
RELOADING
CHAPTER 22
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You all know the makers and what the favorites are, but do you know exactly what your gun will do with another brand? Don’t be afraid to try another combination because the results might surprise you and besides that, the practice will do you good. Frequent chronograph checks here can help your scores. Different lots of powder seem to have slightly different results so frequently check the velocity of your ammo. Don’t check just two or three rounds. To have any meaningful data about your loads, at least 40 rounds need to be checked. One time the best recommendation was to shoot the lightest load that would consistently make the IPSC power factor. This advice should be slightly modified as we have learned that some pistols show a very favorable accuracy gain with only a slight increase in the powder charge. A slightly heavier load would have unnoticeably more recoil, but the accuracy gain will be realized with higher scores on the longer targets. Frequently new reloaders make poor choices of powder, especially of the burning rate. Choose a powder that will fit into your velocity needs. Use a fast burning powder for light loads, a medium burning powder for 45ACP IPSC major loads, and a slow powder for heavy loaded 38 Super, 10mm or hunting loads. What about your brass? Everyone in all the shooting games scrounges brass, but how good is it? One can go overboard trying to save money by shooting his brass until it splits, but there is no need to buy all new brass either. All the smart shooter needs to do is inspect the brass BEFORE it’s loaded and look for any problems. Now is a good time to sort brands as well. I always prefer to shoot all one brand at a match, saving the miscellaneous rejects for practice. What do you look for? Split necks, badly beaten rims, and other problems like the oversize primer pockets mentioned earlier. If there is a black smudge around the primer pocket, it is a pretty safe bet this round should be discarded. 45 ACP rounds have a tendency for the rim to grow in diameter after many reloads. This is probably due to the bolt face on the big Colt mashing them over during feeding, thus increasing their diameter. When the diameter increases to a point where they will no longer go into the slide, you have a failure to feed. What a shooter should do is sort all his brass and keep all the best stuff for matches, then use everything else for practice ammo.
The first thing you need to compete in IPSC is a reliable pistol! These words of wisdom were spoken to me several years ago by the first IPSC World Champion, Ray Chapman. He had learned long ago the importance of reliable equipment and how to make it even more reliable by proper use. The DVC symbol in the IPSC logo is Latin, and stands for Speed, Power, and Accuracy. Also, it should include something about reliability, for without that important commodity, winning is impossible. Everyone’s goal should be complete reliability, but with action type shooting growing as fast as it is, there are many new people who have not yet learned how to get the most out of their equipment. These suggestions center on the popular 1911 design, but the basic ideas apply to any autoloader. Have you ever noticed that the best shooters never seem to have any malfunctions, and new shooters hardly ever finish a match without one? There are several reasons for this. Lets look at the reliability problem in detail concerning ammunition.
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RECOMMENDED LOADS FOR IPSC, 45 ACP AC P.
Use any high quality name brand commercial cases except Military crimped primers. The favorite bullet is the H&G #68 Semi-Wadcutter or RCBS 201KT cast out of a very hard alloy. Do not take your bullet maker's word that his bullets are sufficiently hard. If your barrel or chamber EVER leads, your bullets are too soft. 900 fps will not lead a good barrel with hard bullets. Sort brass by manufacturer for the utmost consistency. Use the best bullets available and inspect them closely while loading. Powder is another area where the smart shooter can really help his accuracy and reliability by trying different brands. As with the primers, there is no need to mention any specific manufacturer.
My favorite powder is Winchester 231, 5.4 to 5.7 grains. A chronograph is essential for developing the most accurate and consistent loads. Start low and keep raising the charge until a 25 round chronograph test shows no loads ever below the power floor. This final Major caliber load will still need to be checked from time to time as powder and bullet lots will vary slightly. Keep in mind, it is to your advantage to shoot the lightest charge allowable. Taper crimp all loads to micrometer check over the mouth .470 to .471 diameter. Overall loaded length should stay between 1.250 and 1.255.
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RELOADING
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PROPER RELOADS VITAL FOR RELIABILITY
It would be interesting to know exactly how many pistols are ruined annually by poor reloads. How many overloads are fired by unknowing, or uncaring shooters. How many handgun barrels are ruined by lodging a bullet in the barrel and then firing a live round immediately after. Certainly it would be in the hundreds, perhaps thousands. In this office alone we hear of a couple a week. The stories never vary much. They have a .45 or .38 Super case that has the back of the brass blown out where the feedramp is cut into the barrel. The grips are broken, and possibly blown off the gun. In some cases the magazine was blown out of the gun. Usually, they have had a bit of blast, and possibly brass imbedded in their cheeks or nose. Thankfully, most all were wearing their safety glasses, thus avoiding eye injury. Another similarity is that nearly all the shooters were sure that they had made no errors reloading, but of course, all were shooting reloads. The fact is, most of the cases held double charges. However, there are rare cases where a case can blow without a double charge being thrown. The first instance that comes to mind is a high primer. Should a careless loader fail to seat a primer fully into the pocket, this high primer can fire on feeding. They usually go when the gun is nearly, but not quite fully, locked. This unlocked position of the slide and barrel nearly always results in a case blowout because the brass cases taper rapidly in the critical lower internal area that is required to hold the pressure. The wise shooter should think of a brass case as merely a gas seal between himself and the pressure. The gun will easily hold the pressure, but the darn thing is not leakproof. The brass case provides this leak seal and it is very thin in all areas except the head itself. When I was younger, and a lot dumber, I tried to duplicate this ‘fire on feeding’ problem once to prove that it could happen. Armed with a motorcycle helmet, goggles, and heavy gloves, I went to the range with a pile of ammo that had poorly seated primers. Lucky for me, this silly stunt wasn’t successful. That is, I couldn’t make the gun fire on feeding, but on the other hand, I was successful by not blowing my hand off either. Still, I believe that a high primer can fire on feeding in an automatic pistol. Famed pistol instructor Ray Chapman once told of a Smith & Wesson 44 Magnum firing when the cylinder was slapped shut. There was no explanation, and any gun expert will tell you that this is impossible, citing the hammer block safety, and other mechanical devices that would prevent such an occurrence. However, it did happen. Fortunately, the muzzle was pointed in a safe direction, with only the nerves of the shooter severely shaken.
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A later inspection of the reloaded ammo revealed several pieces of brass that had high primers. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to speculate that the primer probably was ignited when it hit the bolt face of the revolver. Another frequent cause of blowups in autopistols is unbelievably, the result of a failure to feed. Let's say that the shooter is having a bit of difficulty feeding a round. At least two of the shooting schools I know of instruct you to slap the back of the slide whenever a failure to feed occurs. The thought being that this is the quickest way to close the gun so that it can be fired. However, this trick works best when the round is already fed into the chamber and the slide is lacking only a little bit from closing. But far too often, the slides are slapped from the rear, or simply pulled back and let go several times, while a round still has the bullet in contact with the FRAME feedramp. In these cases, the bullet is usually crammed further into the case, instead of the desired result of forcing it into the chamber. This situation of a bullet crammed back into the case can be disastrous to you as I will soon explain. A better solution, although more time consuming, is to lock the slide back, and then slap the bottom of the magazine. This action should pop the stubborn round up into a better position for feeding, and then maybe the slide will take it in the chamber properly. Or maybe not. Full reliability will not be found until the real cause of the ‘nose down’ condition is found. Usually, it is due to a bullet being seated too deep causing a short overall length problem, but if the problem occurs with factory ammo known to be reliable, the cause could be the magazine. Any drag on the follower will reduce the spring pressure and will cause the first cartridge to nose down and will contribute to a failure to feed. Always check the follower for freedom of movement when a nose down condition is found, and the ammo is known to be the correct length. Also, excessive spring pressure could cause a nose down condition. This condition is found on high capacity magazines such as the ten round type where the spring pressure must be high to feed the last round successfully. Several years ago the ‘American Rifleman’ did a test on the pressure effects of a .38 Special round with the bullet being seated too deep. Several pressure tests were run, some with the bullet seated hard against the powder charge. Sadly, I couldn’t find the issue for researching this article, but my memory tells me that pressures escalated tremendously. Far more pressures were generated than what would be required to blow up a handgun. Some powders were more sensitive in this respect, but the effect that air space has in a handgun cartridge should not be underestimated. As I recall, the writer was trying to duplicate a blowup of a .38 Special revolver with a double charge. Although a double charge is a nasty situation, 148 grain wadcutters loaded one on top of another was far worse, and a bullet pressed tightly against a powder charge was worse yet as far as a pressure spike was concerned. Back to the cause of an auto’s poor feeding problems with a ‘nose down’ condition. This is usually caused by the bullet being seated too deep, or too short an overall length. I might expand a bit on that as I seem to run into a lot of confusion there where the 1911 is concerned.
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These figures apply to the 1911 .45 ACP round, but the principle applies to other auto rounds as well. In the beginning the .45 ACP round was originally designed for the 230 grain hardball load. This load had a rounded nose and the specification was 1.275 -.020". In layman’s terms this means that round nose ammo that falls anywhere from 1.255" to 1.275" would be correct. It also calls for a .473 MAX dimension over the case mouth, but we all know that .470 to .471 works best in the match grade barrels and chambers we all like so much. But the point here is that this is the overall length of a round nose hardball round, and the hardball round doesn’t hit the feedramp on its end where one would measure it with a pair of calipers. Since the feedramp is angled, and the round is angled up a bit, (hopefully) the round hits on the edge of the bullet. If you reloaded a Semi-Wadcutter bullet, which most of us do, the overall loaded length would be different. It would be shorter due to the fact that the SWC bullet has a flat nose, and a pair of dial calipers measures this flat nose, not the edge of the bullet that hits the feed ramp. Thus the cartridge length will be shorter with a SWC bullet, but the point of impact on the feedramp needs to be the same as the hardball round if we expect the gun to work perfectly. Question is, how do we easily find this new loaded length? It’s pretty simple with a CAD drawing system. Just draw up a hardball round, and draw your bullet with its nose diameter inside the hardball round. The point where the two diameters are identical would be approximately the point where the SWC round should be loaded. Never mind if you don’t have a CAD system. I have one, and have already done the drawing for you. Examine the drawing and see how different length bullets will hit the feedramp in the same place. And in fact, should hit the feedramp identically for proper functioning. The wise shooter will guesstimate where the front diameter would fall if it were superimposed on the profile of a hardball round, and set his overall length here. As you can see from the drawing, this SWC length is always shorter than the length of a hardball round, and could be considerably shorter than the 1.250" length specified. Although, 1.250 is a commonly accepted length for a SWC round. Never seat the larger diameter of a .45 SWC round flush with the case mouth. This almost certainly results in a failure to feed. This correct length guesstimate could be made by first noting the diameter of the SWC bullet you intend to use at its nose. Then holding the calipers at this position, lay them on a standard hardball round. Then note the amount of distance from the end of the bullet to this diameter. This distance would be subtracted from the 1.275" hardball length. As one might imagine, the same principle applies to the popular hollow point rounds. One should not seat a hollow point round at 1.275", because of the fact the hollow point produces a flat point, the overall loaded length would be shorter in order to place the feedramp strike point at the same place. In any case, you would do well to keep a hardball round nearby your loading bench and compare it carefully with your reload.
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Another problem I frequently run into is the poor choice of powders. Greatest reliability of the entire system results in the proper balance of the load. I always suggest using a fast burning powder, such as Bullseye or 700-X, for light loads, a medium rate powder for medium loads such as 231 or AA#5, and a slow burning powder, like Blue Dot for the heaviest loads. It seems the tendency is to use one powder for all to eliminate confusion. However, when a powder such as 231 is reduced to a load of 4.0 grains, the result is usually undesirable. In fact most reloading manuals suggest a minimum starting load that is higher than this. A far better light load would be 4.2 Bullseye, and use the 231 for a medium/heavy load of 5.5 grains. Same goes for the heavier loads. 6.3 grains of 231 would give about the same pressure as 10.5 grains of Blue Dot, but the Blue Dot would give 150 feet per second more velocity. All of the above loads are using 200 grain bullets directly from the Speer manual, and are illustrated here not as loading data, but merely as comparative data to make a point. It is important to recognize here that the bullet velocity is directly relational to the resultant slide velocity, which directly affects functioning. Chamber pressure, in itself, has little to do with slide velocity. I suggest keeping bullet velocity high, and chamber pressure low. Accomplish this by choosing your powders wisely, and matching the powder with the velocity you are trying to achieve. Also, improve reliability by seating the bullets to an exact length, that will match the feedramp strike point on a hardball round. Many barrels are ruined by firing a reload with no powder at all. The force of the primer alone will push the bullet a few inches down the bore. The unaware shooter can’t figure out just what happened, so he pulls the slide back to reveal a case that looks like it has been fired. When the slide is released, a new round is fed from the magazine and the stage is set for a blow-up. When this new round is fired, the air pressure between the two bullets ruins the barrel instantly. Both bullets are blown out the muzzle usually, and it is possible that the shooter could continue without knowing anything is wrong. It all depends on the particular point where the barrel is bulged. If it was bulged near the front, the barrel bushing will not go over the barrel, and the gun is seized. However, I have seen cases with the .45 auto, and with all revolvers where the gun would continue to function and shoot as normal. The only cure is a new barrel and a strong reloading lesson. The moral of the story is: Be careful to the extreme when reloading pistol ammunition, and whenever any doubt is realized, scrap the whole lot of ammo and start over. It is far cheaper to scrap ammo than a good gun. Also, whenever a failure to fire is experienced, stop immediately, unload the pistol completely and examine the barrel for any obstruction. You’ve got no excuse not to while practicing, and there is no match worth ruining a good pistol over.
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Correct overall loaded length must take into account the shape of the bullet, so that the strike point of that bullet on the feedramp will be similar to a hardball round.
DROP-IN PARTS
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I’ve noticed that you and other manufacturers offer many parts that are advertised as ‘drop-in’. Can I be certain that these parts will fit and perform on my gun without fitting? Outstanding question, and I’m glad you asked. The 1911 design has been around since, of course, 1911. Actually 1910, but why quibble. There are darn few other items that can brag that they have been in production as long. Mere longevity speaks volumes for this design of handgun. Known as the ‘Chevy Short Block’ of handguns, there is little that hasn’t been done with the gun. And since the gun has been made throughout several different time periods, and by several different manufacturers, a few differences exist. These differences are hard to document, but we can discuss a few areas and hopefully the reader will begin to get an idea of what to expect on the particular piece he owns. For instance, years ago, the gun factories employed workers that were probably qualified to be gunsmiths for the assembly of the guns. These workers could take a sear and hammer and do a fairly decent trigger job on assembly, knowing how much metal to remove from each part for a safe and proper fit. In my collection, I am fortunate to own several pieces from the fifties where such evidence of hand fitting is the norm. The mere fact that these pieces have survived the test of time without tampering is amazing. These guns feel much like a custom pistol feels today after someone from the Pistolsmiths Guild has spent countless hours over them. The slide and trigger fit and hammer fall sound far different from todays production gun, and a vigorous shaking reveals no noise of a loose slide clanking against the frame.
The firearm manufacturers, at least those still in business, realized that in order to make a product cheap enough to sell, they had to cut costs. One of the highest costs of any business is hourly labor, so that was a logical starting place. The parts needed to be manufactured so that they could be assembled into a working gun with little or no hand fitting. The advent of CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines helped tremendously. These machines will turn out nearly the same part time after time. Also these machines can be programmed to run several different parts merely by switching tools, program, and holding fixtures. Such installations are known as flexible manufacturing systems. But to insure that, for instance, every barrel would fit every slide, and that assembly would fit every frame, most companies adopted a policy of Statistical Product Control, or SPC. A quick explanation of SPC goes like this. First accept the fact that no manufacturing process makes exactly the same product twice. If you think so, your inspection system needs help.
Realizing this, one needs to set up a tolerance system to establish limits to work within. A fairly tight tolerance would be inside a barrel where one might expect a .45 barrel to be .4515 inside the grooves. However, the manufacturer would not throw away a barrel that was .4512, or .4519. Therefore the tolerance could be possibly +/- .0004. A fairly loose tolerance would be the slide fit to the frame. Here +/- .003 might be acceptable. The outside of the barrel might be +/- .003, and the inside of the slide might be +/- .003.
