How to Disassemble a 1911

8/13/2019 How to Disassemble a 1911

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1911/1911A1 DisassemblyBy D. Kamm

NOTE: The following illustrations emonstrate how it is !ossible to "om!letely etail#stri!an $1911A1 by using the !istol%s own !arts as tools. This is usually mae !ossible by thefairly loose toleran"es of &'() !istols* allowing the !arts to be free by !ressure alone.

This metho often will not wor+ on tighter "ommer"ial guns without the ris+ of sli!!ingan amaging the !arts or !ossibly in,uring yourself. On"e you ha-e trie this metho outan seen how it "an be one it is 'TON(0 a-ise that you refrain from using it in thefuture. )nstea* rely on the !ro!er tools for the ,ob su"h as small an wie flat#blaes"rewri-ers* a small rift !un"h* an a small hammer. On "olle"tor%s grae !istols thetool#less isassembly metho shoul NE2E be attem!te as the ris+ of sli!!ing anamaging the finish is far too great. Again* use the !ro!er tools an lay the !istol own ona "lean surfa"e with rags for "ushioning. A3A0' 3EA 'A4ET0 (A''E' TO A2O)D)N5&0 4O$ '6)N(#OADED 6AT'7

)llustrations !ertain only to &'() !istols* an o not a!!ly to "ommer"ial 'eries 8 gunswith the firing !in blo"+.

Oh, and by the way.....MAKE SURE PISTOL IS UNLOADED BEFORE ATTEMPTINGDISASSEMBLY!

)mages "ourtesy of $arstar anaa )n". htt!://www.marstar."a

Press magazine catch with right thumb and, atsame time, withdraw magazine from receiver.Pull slide to rear and look inside chamber to seethat gun is not loaded. Close slide and pull triggerso hammer is down.

With thumb, press inward on knurled end of plug,at same time rotating barrel bushing 1/4 turnclockwise to free plug and recoil spring assembl.!est heel of gun on table so both hands ma beused.A&T)ON: 3EA 'A4ET0 (A''E'7Out of "ontrol re"oil s!ring !lugs an eyeballsma+e a ba "ombination.

!emove plug and recoil spring. "f spring does notcome free easil, rotate plug in counter#clockwisedirection to separate from recoil spring.
http://www.marstar.ca/index.htmhttp://www.marstar.ca/index.htm


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!otate barrel bushing counter#clockwise untildisengaged from slide. !emove barrel bushing.

$lide is pulled to rear until lug on slide stop isopposite clearance notch on slide. !ounded endof slide stop pin protruding on right side ofreceiver is pushed inward b finger of left hand,which disengages slide stop from slide.

!emove slide stop


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Pull receiver group to rear and off slide. !ecoilspring guide can now be lifted out.

Push link forward and remove barrel from front of

slide.NOTE: This is the limit of isassembly atfiel stri! le-el for routine "leaning.

With hammer cocked, rotate safet lock almost to%&n% position. "t can now be pulled to left andawa from receiver. 'ockeing the safet leverbetween positions helps to free it from the frame.

!emove hammer pin.


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(ift out hammer assembl

)sing hammer strut, punch out mainspringhousing pin. Push in on the C&*C+- dishedend of the pin, not conve0. Pin will be positionedwith the dished end on either the left or right side

of the frame.

$lide mainspring housing off receiver.

(ift out grip safet.

(ift out sear spring.


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!emove sear pin.

(ift out sear and disconnector. *ote relationshipof these parts to facilitate reassembl.

;)NT 2he disconnector fits inside the sear, withthe flattest side facing the front of the pistol andthe large center hole lined up between the sear3sthrough#holes.

epress magazine catch from left side5 at sametime rotate magazine catch lock 1/4 turn counter#clockwise using lip of sear spring as screwdriver.6agazine catch assembl is then removed fromright side of receiver. Catch assembl can bereduced to components b turning lock clockwise1/4 turn. $pring and lock will come out.

!emove trigger.

)sing hammer strut, push in on firing pin. +t sametime using fingernail push downward on firing pinstop, freeing firing pin stop from recess in slide.

A&T)ON: 3EA 'A4ET0 (A''E'7 The

firing !in ma+es a great eyeball s+ewer.


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!emove firing pin stop b sliding downward.7iring pin assembl can now be removed fromslide. "t is recommended that ou use the tip ofour thumb to keep the firing pin and spring under

control while removing the firing pin stop.

With hammer strut, pr out and remove e0tractor.

$eparate firing pin from firing pin spring.

1.8arrel 8ushing .8arrel (ink ?.(ink Pin @.-0tractor .!ecoil $pring8.!ecoil $pring 9uide 9.!ecoil $pring Plug 1.7iring Pin 11.7iring Pin $top 1


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1=.7rame 1>.6agazine 1?.6agazine Catch +ssembl [email protected] :ousing1.6ainspring :ousing Pin 18.:ammer 19.:ammer $trut


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efore starting to ta)e the pistols apart$ follow one simple safety rule. Ma)e sure the gunis empty. emo+e the maga*ine and pull the slide bac) and loc) it in the open position.

Chec) that the barrels chamber is empty. %lways thin) safety first.

efore you proceed any further$ please remember that at some time$ you will ha+e toreassemble the pistol. !o please$ for your own sanity$ before you start ta)ing things apart$

study how things loo) when the gun is still intact. 'ou might also want to read some

eassembling &otes$I +e put together. /0$ here we go,

Taking it apart

%fter ma)ing sure that the pistol is empty$ release

the slide manually and let it slide slowly forward.

'ou can release the slide$ using the slide releasele+er$ but some authorities recommend against

doing it with an empty gun. ith the slide forward$and facing the mu**le of the pistol$ press the recoil

spring plug inwards until the barrel bushing is freeto be twisted cloc)wise$ until it unco+ers

completely the recoil spring plug. 2 C%2345$

the recoil spring plug is under pressure from therecoil spring$ so if you do not )eep it pressed when

twisting the bushing$ it can fly away (I learned that

the hard way,.

&ote6 7he abo+e instructions apply to the standard pistol. If you ha+e replaced the guide

rod$ with a full-length one$ you ob+iously ha+e to follow different instructions$ thosesupplied with your guide rod.
http://www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm#reasshttp://www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm#reasshttp://www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm#reass


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emo+e the recoil spring plug and the recoil spring. Coc) the pistols hammer to the full-coc) position (&282 282 coc) the hammer to the half-coc) position. It is an unsafe

condition and should be a+oided at all cost. &ow pull the slide to the rear$ until the slide

release le+er end is aligned with the small circular notch$ on the left side of the slide.

ush the a:is of the slide release le+er from the right side of the gun$ towards the leftside. 7he slide release le+er will pop out. ull it completely off the frame of the gun.

;old the gun upside down and push the

slide forward and remo+e it from the frame.

'ou can remo+e the recoil spring guidenow.

3acing the mu**le of the barrel again$ twist

the barrel bushing anticloc)wise and pull itout. Mo+e the barrel lin) forward towards

the mu**le and remo+e the barrel from the

front opening of the slide.

7his completes the e+ery-day field stripping procedure. It is normally not recommendedto proceed any further$ unless you are sure of what you are doing$ in which case you

wouldnt be reading this anyway$ but lets go on.

e shall continue$ by remo+ing whate+er is left on the slide. If

your gun has a Colt !eries "# safety$ push the 3iring in 5oc)lunger up and using a punch push the 3iring pin inwards.

elease the 3iring in 5oc) lunger so that it )eeps the 3iring

in inside its opening. If your gun does not ha+e a 3iring in5oc)ing mechanism$ simply push the firing pin inside its

opening$ using a punch (or other pointing tool.


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4sing the punch$ pull down the 3iring in

!top and remo+e it. Co+er the 3iring in

opening with your thumb$ and press the 3iringin 5oc) lunger again$ to release the 3iring

in. 7his action will allow the 3iring in to

mo+e bac) against the pressure of the 3iringin !pring. emo+e the 3iring in together

with its !pring. ushing the 3iring in 5oc)

lunger inwards$ pull the e:tractor slightlybac)wards. 'ou must pull it enough$ so that

the 3iring in 5oc) lunger can be freely

remo+ed from the bottom of the slide.

emo+e it and then remo+e the e:tractor completely.

7his completes the stripping of the slide.

'ou are now ready to continue.


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'ou may now remo+e

the ?-prong !ear !pring

at the rear of the grip.7o do that lift the

hammer strut first.

ush the ;ammer in from the right side of the gun$ towards the left. 7his will allow you

to remo+e the hammer. !imply push the pin out$ do not punch it. 2 C%2345 as the

remo+al of the ;ammer in$ will also allow the remo+al of the 4pper !ear 5e+er (if yourgun is a !eries "# one$ so ma)e sure you dont drop it and loose it.

efore proceeding any further$ ta)e

some time to familiari*e yourself withthe arrangement of the 5ower !ear

5e+er and the 4pper !ear 5e+er$ whichform the Colt !eries "# firing pinsafety mechanism (if$ of course your

gun is so equipped. 'ou may now

remo+e the !ear in. !lowly push it outfrom the right side of the frame to the

left.

hen remo+ed$ the 5ower !ear 5e+er (for

!eries "# guns$ the !ear and theDisconnector can be remo+ed. 7urn thepistol upside down and let the parts drop

into your palm.

4sing one ofthe prongs of


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the !ear !pring you can remo+e the Maga*ine Catch %ssembly. 7o do so$ push the Mag

Catch %ssembly in$ as if you were releasing a maga*ine. hile holding the Mag Catch

%ssembly in that position$ turn the small screw on the right side of the Mag Catch%ssembly about 9# degrees countercloc)wise. 'ou will immediately feel that the spring

tension has been remo+ed. &ow push the %ssembly to the right side of the gun and

remo+e it.

ush the 7rigger to the rear and remo+e it from the rear of

the gun.

!lowly pull the !afety

5oc) lunger$ the lunger

!pring and the !lide

elease lunger off the

lunger tube.

3inally$ find a

screwdri+er$ which e:actly matches the slots of the stoc)screws on your gun and unscrew the four stoc) screws. It

is important that the screwdri+er is of the proper si*e$ as if

it is not$ it might slip and you could end up with scratchedscrews. !ometimes$ when you remo+e the stoc) screws$ a

stoc) screw burshing might get unscrewed$ instead of the screw. In that case$ get a pair of

plyers$ hold the bushing with them tight and unscrew the stoc) screw from the bushing.

7hat completes the disassembly of the pistol. 7he e=ector and the plunger tube should notbe normally remo+ed from the frame. If you do want them remo+ed$ use a small punch to

push out the corresponding pin$ which holds them in place. 7he pin is located in the slide

rails$ right under the e=ector. ush it out and then lift the e=ector. &ow the plunger tubecan be remo+ed.


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If you want to disassemble an M-1911 maga*ine$ insert three or four rounds in the

maga*ine. 7hen insert a pin (possibly the hammer strut thru one of the maga*ine holes$below the follower$ in order to )eep the mag spring down. emo+e the rounds from themaga*ine and turn the mag upside down and sha)e it until the follower falls off. emo+e

the pin that holds the spring in and remo+e it.

&ot difficult$ was it@

Reassembling

e+ersing the abo+e procedure$ you can put the gun together. 7here are howe+er$ somepoints that should be noted 6

- 7he relati+e position of the sear$ disconnector and if you ha+e a !eries "# istol$ the

3iring in !afety !ear 5e+er. 7he following pictures can be of help.


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;ere are some close-ups of how the sear$ disconnector and trigger should be when

reassembling the pistol.


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%nd here is how the sear spring should be inserted.


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- In order to put the !afety 5oc) bac) in$ you should use a small pin$ to push the !afety

5oc) lunger in the lunger tube. ush the lunger in$ while in the same time you twist

and push the !afety 5oc) inwards. emember that the hammer should be coc)ed for the!afety loc) to be inserted.

- hen inserting the !lide !top$ ma)e sure that it engages the arrrel 5in) hole. 7o be

sure$ after you insert the slide stop$ try to mo+e the slide forward. It should not get more

forward than it normally does.

!e+eral people ha+e written$ as)ing how to insert the slide stop without scratching theframe or the slide. 5et me say that no M-1911 owner I )now$ has managed that the first

time he reassembled his pistol$ so do not feel bad if your pride and =oy has a circular

scratch below the slide stop opening on the frame (this can be a+oided easily or worst$

on the slide$ right abo+e the slide stop cut (more difficult to a+oid$ but not impossible.;ere are some close-up shots$ showing you how to do this.


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!tart with the slide cut aligned with the frame opening and with the slide stop in this

position.


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;ere you see the plunger as it starts climbing to the flat slide stop face. 0eep pushing

inwards and upwards.


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;ere you can see that the slide stop has entered the frame and the slide cut$ and is almost

fully into its final position.

I+e came up with the following two +ideo clips$ trying to better show you$ how to insertthe slide stop$ without scratching your pistol.

- If you ha+e ta)en the mainspring housing apart$ be careful when putting it bac)

together$ as the mainspring needs considerable pressure$ in order to be inserted in the

housing$ while in the same time you must put the pin bac) in.

3inally$ than)s to !terling oth$ a member of our 3orums !iteyou may chec) out this

animation$ which shows you in a step-by-step fashion$ how to disassemble and

reassemble your M1911.

I would li)e to than) !terling oth$ for allowing M1911./< to use this terrific tool.

%fter putting the gun together$ try its functioning. e e:tremely careful that all safetyde+ices operate the way they are designed to operate. 3eel the trigger. If something feels

wrong$ ta)e the gun apart and start o+er again. If you fail to find the problem$ ta)e the

gun to a competent gunsmith. 2M2M2 6 7hin) safety first,
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How to Disassemble a 1911

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