1911 Hammer Follow

[Oscar1]

I'm just finishing a project gun and about one out of 10 cycles the hammer will follow slide forward. I don't cycle it with an empty chamber, always with dummies to make it as real as possible. I installed an EGW fire control kit and fit the sear using the Eb Brown sear jig. I cut the relief angle using a .020" feeler. I think I may have taken too much off of the relief angle, bringing the contact point out on the hammer hooks making it easier for the hammer to fall off the sear. The hammer hooks are right around .021" so I don't think the hooks are too small. I'm just trying to get some more expierienced advice before I order a new sear. I have also increased the tension on the sear spring so I'm really thinking it's the sear. More advice the better.

Oscar:banghead:

 

[1911Tuner]

Followdown

Howdy Oscar, and welcome aboard.

The followdown...All the way to the slide or does it stop on the half-cock?
Does it follow if you hold the trigger back, or only when the trigger isn't pulled?


How wide did you leave the primary angle? I don't like to see the secondary any wider than equal to the primary...and even that's pushin' it a little, for my own use. Also don't like to see the hooks any shorter than .023 inch, but .021 is okay if everything else is right.

Did you use a lighter mainspring or stick with the standard 23# spring?

 

[Oscar1]

Good to be Aboard

The hammer falls to the half-cock position. I tried it with the trigger pulled and it happened once out of the few times while I was cycling dummies through the gun. I put in an old sear with almost no relief angle cut on it and the hammer hasn't followed since. Looks like I need to replace the sear ha. the relief cut on the suspected bad sear is almost exatly half way, I guess I went too far. Can I recut the primary or will it make the nose of the sear too short?

Oscar

 

[1911Tuner]

Sear

The hammer falls to the half-cock position. I tried it with the trigger pulled and it happened once out of the few times while I was cycling dummies through the gun. I put in an old sear with almost no relief angle cut on it and the hammer hasn't followed since. Looks like I need to replace the sear ha. the relief cut on the suspected bad sear is almost exatly half way, I guess I went too far. Can I recut the primary or will it make the nose of the sear too short?

Oscar

Replace it. If you recut the primary, it'll probably be too short.

Now...Standard mainspring or below 21 pounds? Sear spring left leg overtweaked? Hammer hooks square? Happen more often with the trigger untouched or about the same?

 

[Oscar1]

SEAR

Well I've got one on order, went with the STI premium. I've used it in the past and I like it. As for the mainspring, standard. Left leg of the sear spring is almost even with the middle. The hammer hooks were done with a brand new ceramic stone so the they should be square. I think the sear will fix it. Lesson learned.

Oscar

 

[Sunray]

You're right. The sear was/is worn. Polish out tool marks on the sear and the mating part of the hammer with a buffing wheel and jeweller's rouge. No files or stones. They remove metal and change angles. Polishing doesn't. Just changing springs will help too.

 

[1911Tuner]

Buffin'

You're right. The sear was/is worn. Polish out tool marks on the sear and the mating part of the hammer with a buffing wheel and jeweller's rouge. No files or stones. They remove metal and change angles. Polishing doesn't. Just changing springs will help too.

Ain't pickin' on ya, Sunray, but buffin' wheel and rouge shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence with trigger job. That's a sure-fire way to
wind up with rounded corners where ya want'em sharp.

 

[Old Fuff]

Oscar1:

I may have mentioned this before, but anyway... For a lot of good background information on sears, hooks and angles go check out this older thread.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=132013&highlight=sear+angle

You don't want to use any kind of a stone on hammer hooks, at least very much. The stone(s) may have sharp edges and corners to start with, but those corners won't last long. Also as Tuner points out, on a carry gun the hooks should have a 1-degree undercut. There are better ways to polish the hooks if you think that is necessary, and the above link will explain.

This way it won't be necessary to reinvent the wheel.