1911: Disassembly Follies

[Geronimo45]

Mention has been made in many other threads about recoil spring plugs shot into orbit, smashing lightbulbs, and similar - so I thought I might as well start a thread to collect experiences in that line.

Personal experience:
Recoil spring plug: Shot into the ceiling. Bounced off, but took away a nice coat of sheet rock dust. This has happened more than once.
Firing pin: While trying to get the darn thing back into place, it popped out and very nearly took out an eye. There is a secret to getting the firing pin back in. I don't know it. I'm also amazed that I don't have light strikes with a spring that strong. It shot out at least a dozen times when trying to put it back in. Once into the window, hiding between the blinds.
Idiot mark - absolutely.

 

[jhansman]

Yeah, I spent the better part of an hour hunting for and finding a plug that took off. Only happened once, though, just like the idiot mark on my SS frame. Haven't fought with the FP yet, but I expect I will. I like to think of these things as part of the '1911 rites of passage,' just not offered by other guns.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Put an idiot mark on the frame and slide of a SIG-Sauer GSR. :banghead: When the slide is forward/in battery the marks are staggered, making it look even worse. Fortunately that one broke so often that they replaced it, solving that problem.

 

[doubleg]

Mine has an idiot mark, and the recoil spring plug has gone into orbit more than once. But I still love it.

 

[10X]

In my early days, I sent the plug flying too. That was before I learned that the indentation in the plug is supposed to be used to hook onto the spring and prevent the plug from flying. Now a simple twist during reassembly and no more flying plugs.

 

[AZAndy]

While replacing the thumb safety, I managed to permanently lose the plunger spring and one of its pins. I was very grateful for Brownell's, I'll tell ya. ;-)

A.

 

[the pistolero]

RS plug goin' into orbit, and idjit mark on my Dan Wesson Razorback. But man, is that plunger tube tight..

 

[Geno]

Wow, these posts do bring back some memories. The 1911 seems to take some "learning".

Re: reinstalling the firing pin, the bottom tool, which came with my Colt WWI reproduction, has served me well. It allows me to hold the firing pin in place as I insert the retainer.

Re: the recoil spring plug, the steel bushing tool works much better than the plastic. This tool came with my Colt Gold Cup Trophy. Once the bushing engages the edge of the plug, I set the tool aside and use fingers.

I know we all know these tricks now...but I didn't back when I bought my first 1911. I don't know if I am smarter now, or just more experienced. My wife would probably assert the later.

View attachment 328052

Doc2005

 

[mljdeckard]

The ceiling has a few pock-marks from where I lost the grip in the guide-rod plunger from my Kimber. No problem, that's what kids are for: to look for things dad dropped.

I have the circular scrape of death under the slide stop. Don't mind that, I didn't get it to keep it pretty.

I frequently switch back forth to a .22 kit, and that was the tie-breaker in deciding to drop the FLGR. I didn't want to have to tear apart the interior of my dad's Pathfinder looking for the plunger. (I may build a dedicated frame for the .22.)

 

[Eyesac]

I have the circular scrape of death under the slide stop. Don't mind that, I didn't get it to keep it pretty.

Ha! me too, but I did get it to be pretty to some degree...