1911 HELP!!!

[jonnyc]

Got my Sistema 1911A1 yesterday. No trigger, safety, or sear/hammer problems were evident. Field stripped and cleaned and fired 50 today without problem. I saw a bit of oily rust oozing from around the hammer pin and the mainspring housing so I decided to detail strip and clean. All came apart OK. There was a brazed section on the mainspring(!) so I decided to replace it with a new Wolff spring I had. All went back OK except I had difficulty getting the hammer back in (the directions I used were unclear whether the hammer should be in cocked or released mode and I did it wrong I think). Other than dirt and rust removal and new sear spring I changed nothing. I cleaned the sear edge and hammer hooks with a Q-Tip.
Now I get hammer-follow to the half-cock notch every 3 or 4 times I rack the slide. There is no obvious damage, at least to my eye, to the sear or hammer.
Help.

 

[1911Tuner]

Hammer Follow

Howdy jonny,

Try bending the center leaf of the sear spring forward to increase tension on the trigger and disconnect. A little more on the left leg for tension on the sear probably wouldn't hurt either. What is probably happening is that the trigger is bumping the disconnect hard enough to roll the sear out of engagement with the hammer hooks, but not far enough to let the half-cock notch get past it.

If that shows improvement or eliminates the problem, order a new sear spring.
I like the stock Colt spring. Brownells lists it in the factory section for about
5 bucks.

If that doesn't change anything, you likely have a disconnect problem.
A burr or a sharp edge catching the sear feet. The burr may actually be on the sear feet. If it happens when you lock in a loaded magazine, the bottom corner of the disconnect may be poking through into the rear of the magwell and raising the disconnect...which can roll the sear a little. This usually just pre-stages the trigger for a half-pound pull, but can cause a hammer follow in some cases.

 

[jonnyc]

Ta, Mate!
I hope that's all it is. The spring I put in is a brand-new one from Wolff. Any history of problems with them? Maybe I'll even put the old one back in and check.

 

[1911Tuner]

Wolff

Hey jonny,

No history of problems with the Wolff sear springs. It probably just needs a little tweakin'.

 

[Old Fuff]

The slide should be off, and the hammer in the full-forward position when you assemble the sear/disconector spring. The problem may be that it's out of place. Before doing anything else, be sure this isn't the case.

 

[1911Tuner]

re:

He's busy tweakin' his sear spring, Fuff. He oughta be done any time now...

Dang! I clean forgot to tell him to look and see if the top of that center leaf has a little angle on it. If I remember correctly, the Wolff springs don't have it.

Hope he's got a stone...

 

[1911Tuner]

re:

Hope he didn't put his eye out with that thing...

Gotta git goin'. Be back later on!

 

[jonnyc]

Well, I should have been done, but I wasn't!
Eyes are fine, pistol is now fine...I think. I've now had both the Wolff and original in and out about 5 times each, but only the last seems to count. I ended-up using the Wolff and bending the left and center legs in a bit. Seems OK now after 10-15 racks. Off to the range tomorrow.
Oh...
Forgive me Tuner for I have sinned. I don't have any stones but I did use a tiny file to slightly break the edge of the middle leg. Not much of an angle on the original. If it works tomorrow I'm keeping my mitts off.

 

[jonnyc]

Well, 150 rounds later I'd say the operation was a success. Many thanks for the help.
Now to the hammer bite. Recontour the hammer or buy more bandaids???
Thanks again. Glad I didn't screw anything up, and glad to see that great help is literally only a click away.

 

[Old Fuff]

The Sistema 1911A1 had/has a well deserved reputation for biting.

Colt's of the same period did too, and Colt shortened and rounded the hammer spur in about 1939 or 40. I would suggest that because the collector value of both guns and hammers is going up, simply replace it with a narrow-spur version as used during World War Two by the other contractors except Colt (until 1944 I think) and by Colt thereafter. Often you don't need to modify this style of hammer, but if you do it's easy to accomplish.

 

[Dale Taylor]

I have a pristine Sistema, but am aticoagulated. Shooting leaves a big painful echymotic area. The "drop in" Wilson grip safety with pictures on other forums is intriguing. Drop it in and save original parts. Collector value is perserved. Tunner and Fluff do you have an opinion?? Thank you!! [email protected]

 

[popeye]

I'd replace the FP spring if you haven't already. I put a new slide and barrel on my Systema and the old original Systema FP spring was about 2/3rds the length of a new standard spring.

 

[jonnyc]

During my first cleaning I put Wolff recoil and FP springs in without a thought. I believe that's pretty-much an automatic thing for any used gun.

 

[Old Fuff]

Dale Taylor:

I have a pristine Sistema, but am aticoagulated. Shooting leaves a big painful echymotic area. The "drop in" Wilson grip safety with pictures on other forums is intriguing. Drop it in and save original parts. Collector value is perserved. Tunner and Fluff do you have an opinion?? Thank you!!

Well I am super-human, with hands of steel - so I don't need any of these wimppy aids...

You believe this, right??? Sure you do...

Tuner does much the same as you do (also shoots more), but uses a wide grip safety made by King. I'll await his opinion, but I'd think that either "drop-in" safety that didn't require modifying the frame would work.

You are correct in finding a solution that works and does't require altering the original parts or gun.

Now the Old Fuff will go back to being super-human...

 

[saltydog452]

Been leaping tall buildings with a single bound again Fuff?

Whatever you've been taking, send me some.

salty.

 

[Old Fuff]

It's all about what you put in your Turbo-coffee...

Actually, if I'm going to do a lot of shooting by my standards (and next to nothing by Tuner's) I don't bother to switch out the grip safety, but do wear a shooting glove. The pistols that I'm most likely to shoot are equipped with original-style Commander hammers and modified USGI 1911A1 grip safeties, so I don't get bit very often. The frame around the grip safety has been carefully smoothed and any trace of sharp edges are long gone. I have also not neglected the back of the safety lock (manual safety) where my thumb curves around the back of the frame. Attending to these details will eliminate at least some of the punishment, and the glove (if needed) does the rest.