Cleaning the 1911

[Charlie Martinez]

I recently saw a video on how to clean a 1911 made by Bill Wilson (Wilson Combat) where he recommends removal and cleaning of the firing pin & extractor every so often.

Bill is an expert on the 1911 so I do not have any doubts about what he says but although he made it look fairly easy I have never disassembled a 1911 beyond field striping and I don't feel confident doing it without getting into trouble.

Anyone here do this themselves? If so, any tips or suggestions to someone that has never it will be greatly appreciated.

 

[JTQ]

Removing the firing pin and extractor is fairly easy. Bill demonstrates it in the video. The gun in his video is a 9mm, which is a little harder to get the extractor out of because of the bend required for the extractor to get a grip on the 9mm rim. A .45 Auto extractor is easier to get out. It's also something that doesn't need to be done often.

The first time I did mine, I was a little apprehensive, I'm not mechanically inclined, and my 1911 has a Series 80 firing pin safety, meaning more parts. I had to do it though, something was causing my firing pin to remain locked forward. I think it was a broken firing pin spring, which I replaced and all is well now. It was a fairly simple procedure.

While Bill Wilson recommends cleaning the extractor and firing pin channel every 2,000 rounds or so, he says the gun in hand had gone probably 10,000 rounds + since the last cleaning.

He also mentions lubing the gun is more important than cleaning the gun.

 

[Reloadron]

That is a good recommendation. The firing pin channel over time will develop crud inside it and likewise the extractor can get crud (dirt) build up under it. I like using a cotton swab in the firing pin hole and a pick to remove dirt from under the extractor. The 1911 was designed around ease of maintenance. It really is as easy as Bill Wilson makes it out to be and there are endless online videos on complete disassembly. Once you do it a few times it just comes as second nature. Just remember to start the first few times in a confined area so springs don't take flight. Don't let yourself be intimidated by a 1911. I collect 1911 guns and completely take them down all the time.

Ron

 

[DeepSouth]

The Wilson combat videos are a great resource. my only advise is watch the videos and remember where the springs are, that way you can keep them from flying across the room never to be seen again.

Another great Wilson video.

 

[JTQ]

There are some tools that can make it easier

10-8 Performance 2011 Armorer Tool https://www.10-8performance.com/2011-armorer-tool/

10-8 Performance Armorer Tool https://www.10-8performance.com/armorer-tool/

Dawson Precision 1911 Extractor Removal Tool https://dawsonprecision.com/dawson-precision-1911-extractor-removal-tool/

 

[25-5]

I clean it every time I clean the .45 ACP Series 70. It's very easy. I use tools I have on the bench.
Accomplishing simple tasks like this will give you the confidence to do other maintenance tasks.

 

[CapnMac]

I'll pull the firing pin & extractor may every year or two, or if I'm really, really, really, bored.

I've bought 1911 that had some really grotty FP & Extractors that wanted cleaning on purchase. But, after that, not so much. Mind, I also have a habit of trying to not take my personally-owned firearms on low-crawls through swamps and mud pits and the like, too.

 

[Charlie Martinez]

I guess I have to give it a shot.

 

[cfullgraf]

For the first time, make sure you cover the end of the slide to capture the firing pin and spring as you remove the firing pin stop plate. You don't want to launch them to another world.

There is not alot of spring pressure as some other parts on other firearms, but it can be a bit of surprise if you are not ready.

 

[25-5]

just use your thumb to slide the plate out and the spring will pop into your thumb.

 

[Zerodefect]

I clean that every time. A 1911 gets no wear from detail stripping the slide. No bolts, pins, or anything.

 

[lostchild]

I'm not good with u-tube, like pictures and words. I found a web page but don't know how to copy the link. [ how-i-did-it.org detail-1911/index ] is what I used it helped me I could take my time and study the parts and where they go, without replaying the vidio . I took about three hours to do mine the first time. Hope this helps. lost.....

 

[bersaguy]

I had never pulled the extractor or firing pin on my 1911 until the extractor broke. 70 years old, I'm assuming it was the original. When I did the extractor tunnel was caked with soot and gunk. And the firing pin spring was a good bit shorter than the new one. The pin itself looked fine but I ended up replacing it anyway. FP tunnel wasn't too bad, but did have a bit of shmoo in there. So, in short I would recommend cleaning them out at least every 69 years or so

 

[Slamfire]

I recently saw a video on how to clean a 1911 made by Bill Wilson (Wilson Combat) where he recommends removal and cleaning of the firing pin & extractor every so often.

Bill is an expert on the 1911 so I do not have any doubts about what he says but although he made it look fairly easy I have never disassembled a 1911 beyond field striping and I don't feel confident doing it without getting into trouble.

Anyone here do this themselves? If so, any tips or suggestions to someone that has never it will be greatly appreciated.

I don't consider myself obsessive compulsive, but I might be.......

I also faithfully obey the old Bullseye Shooter advice that "the elbow is the drip point". I oil the heck out of my 1911's, and when I shoot oiled ammunition, even more oil comes out of the action. At the end of the day, the pistol is very oily inside, which makes fouling removal easy. It just wipes out. But the solvated fouling is everywhere, and that bothers me. I want a clean gun for the next match, so I start pulling parts and wiping them down.

Clearly, OCD. Last weekend, at a 2700 Bullseye Match, Ernst said he had not cleaned one 22 lr for eight years. I mocked him. Ernst brings seven pistols to the match, so when they start malfunctioning, he has a spare.The guy shoots Master class scores, but it can't be due to the dirty guns.

One of his test targets, and two fired in competition








On occasion I will pull every part off a 1911 and wipe it down. I regularly blow compressed air through the trigger mechanism, between break downs, and then pour LSA down the hammer, to get the sear oiled.

And I frequently remove the firing pin and extractor. Taking the firing pin stop off is easy. Taking the firing pin spring and extractor out, is easy with a series 70 action. A series 80 action is particularly frustrating with the stupid firing pin block. I have to push-pull on the extractor to get the thing to drop, if it will. Sometime the things won't drop, and that is time to remove the series 80 parts.





Reassembly is becomes difficult when the extractor rotates around. Getting the back of the extractor to align with the slide stop can be a very frustrating experience. But I found something that helps, for the pistols that need it: a deprimed 6.5 X 55 Swedish case.

The rim diameter of a real, Swedish 6.5 X 55 case, is slightly wider than the rim of a 45 ACP case. The American 6.5 X 55 cases that I own, duplicate the 30-06/45ACP rim width and are pretty useless as a tool. I slide the 6.5 X 55 case under the extractor, and because it is just a little wider, tension keeps it in place, and keeps the extractor from rolling around. Then I use a small screwdriver and rotate the extractor till the the notch in the extractor lines up with the slide stop grooves. Then I drop in the firing pin and spring, carefully slide the slide stop in, without rotating the irritating extractor, and with my third hand (LOL) push the firing pin down so I can push the slide stop home. The reason for depriming the 6.5 X 55 case is so the firing pin will go flush when pressed in the back. If the case was primed, even with a dud primer, the firing pin will bump into that primer, and then I would be unable to push the firing pin down far enough to be out of the way of the slide stop. Once the slide stop is in place, obviously I remove the 6.5 X 55 case.

I highly recommend not oiling either the firing pin or the spring. Wipe them down and wipe out the firing pin channel with a Q Tip. Others have reported congealed oil gumming the firing pin in a forward position. Which would cause an out of battery experience. Advanced primer ignition sort of thing.

 

[cfullgraf]

I highly recommend not oiling either the firing pin or the spring. Wipe them down and wipe out the firing pin channel with a Q Tip. Others have reported congealed oil gumming the firing pin in a forward position. Which would cause an out of battery experience. Advanced primer ignition sort of thing.

I agree that stuff can build up in the firing pin and extractor channels but I would not necessarily assemble them with no oil.

I'd clean the channels out and wipe down the parts with an oily q-tip and an oily rag. The lack of lubrication can cause problems as well as too much lubrication. A light coating of oil is all that is needed.

Between cleanings of the firing pin and extractor, resist the urge to drip oil in the openings.

They should be cleaned out periodically anyway. Yes, oil will congeal over time especially if the gun is not used very much.

Series 70 guns are easy to clean the firing pin and extractor channels. I have one or two Series 80 guns and have not taken the plunge disassembling the firing pin and extractor systems--yet.

 

[JTQ]

I have one or two Series 80 guns and have not taken the plunge disassembling the firing pin and extractor systems--yet.

Somewhat easier, since the firing pin safety plunger will trap the firing pin and it won't shoot across the room when you take the firing pin stop off the gun.

 

[FL-NC]

I do this to my 1911's every so often as well. I just clean the extractor claw with a toothbrush and clean the hole out with a q tip (make sure no q tip cotton gets left in the hole). It is best to position the extractor and check the position with the firing pin stop BEFORE you insert the firing pin and spring, so you aren't fighting too many parts at the same time. Some newer 1911 designs have more parts and procedures to perform these steps than an "original recipe" GI type/series 70 1911. So if you have one of these "newer" 1911's, youtube is definitely your friend.

 

[Slamfire]

I agree that stuff can build up in the firing pin and extractor channels but I would not necessarily assemble them with no oil.

I'd clean the channels out and wipe down the parts with an oily q-tip and an oily rag. The lack of lubrication can cause problems as well as too much lubrication. A light coating of oil is all that is needed.

Between cleanings of the firing pin and extractor, resist the urge to drip oil in the openings.

They should be cleaned out periodically anyway. Yes, oil will congeal over time especially if the gun is not used very much.

Series 70 guns are easy to clean the firing pin and extractor channels. I have one or two Series 80 guns and have not taken the plunge disassembling the firing pin and extractor systems--yet.

I clean and dry both the firing pin channel and the extractor channel, (Q Tips!) but I wipe the extractor with an oily rag before inserting.

I do believe, because I have experienced it, an oily firing pin and spring reduce the amount of energy going to the primer. My M46 S&W was regularly misfiring, stove piping, due to weak ignition, Even after inserting a new mainspring. I finally disassembled the firing pin mechanism from my M46 using the very helpful instructions here:

Smith and Wesson Model 41 Target Pistol Maintenance

Removing the firing pin on this pistol is not easy. However, once the spring and firing pin were removed, I found both swimming in oil. That oil increases the drag inside the firing pin channel, reducing the forward velocity of the firing pin. I wiped out the excess, and ignition reliability improved. Now, after every match, I push the firing pin in, from the rear, and blow compressed air down the shaft, from the front. I have found that in the rearward position of the firing pin, it acts as a gas block, so I have to push it in to open the passage.

I remember a shooter at the range with a Turkish GEW 1888. His rifle was not going bang. I removed the firing pin mechanism, and the whole thing was coated with ancient cosomoline. Or what ever the Turks dipped their service rifles in before storage. Once that was wiped off, that shooter was happy as his rifle went bang.

I have a S&W 32 S&W Long revolver which would not cycle because oil had congealed and disabled the mechanism. I do believe in lubrication, I do believe in rust prevention, but I know, oil will oxidize in time, so mechanisms need to be cleaned, old lube removed, and re lubricated.

I think WD40 is the greatest offender in this regards. WD40 is a combination of a light, evaporative oil and silicone. The evaporative oil disappears, and what is left turns gummy. Because WD40 is so ubiquitous, it ends up on lots of firearms.

Did you know that WD40 Company does not make the stuff? They have a recipe, which they put out to bid. WD40 company is what is called a Marketer, they promote, distribute, sell the stuff, but they have zero need to own their own oil refinery/distillery or chemical plant.

WD-40 stays best in class by focusing on what it does best

Never get stuck! How WD-40’s simple marketing strategy made it into a household name

 

[cfullgraf]

I have a S&W 32 S&W Long revolver which would not cycle because oil had congealed and disabled the mechanism. I do believe in lubrication, I do believe in rust prevention, but I know, oil will oxidize in time, so mechanisms need to be cleaned, old lube removed, and re lubricated.

I've had similar experiences with grease used to lubricate firearms and the firearms are not used for a long period of time. The lubricant evaporates over time leaving the clay carrier behind.

It makes a gooey mess that needs to be cleaned before the firearm can be use.

 

[Drail]

How often the FP and extractor bores need to be cleaned depends heavily on what kind of powder is being used. There are clean burning powders and filthy powders. If you use the filthy stuff you need to deep clean every time. If you handload and have a choice of powders you will figure out pretty quickly which ones to use.

 

[herrwalther]

Of all things to do on a 1911, taking out the firing pin and extractor is remarkably easy. I was at my local range a year ago when the shooter next to me was having extraction problems with his 1911. I tuned his extractor inside the firing pin channel right there on the line with a punch I keep in my range bag. Total time was 5 minutes to fix a problem he had for years. Think the gun was an older Colt Mk IV.

With the slide off the gun, all you need is a small punch to push on the back of the firing pin to release the firing pin stop. Slowly slide the stop down, with your thumb over the rear of the slide. The firing pin is under pressure and you can launch your firing pin in your eye if you just pull it out. The pin stop is also grooved to keep the extractor in place so once it is out you can get to the firing pin channel and extractor. If the extractor is tight you can use the same punch or something similar to wedge it out. On most 1911s you can just pull it out with a fingertip. Q tips work but I prefer using pipe cleaners to clean both channels. While you have it apart you can check extractor tension and adjust if necessary. If you aren't have issues with extracting or ejecting, don't mess with it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[ms6852]

I carried a 1911 for about 40 years, never did a full disassembly to clean it. Only time was to replace the firing pin (very easy to do) and put in a new trigger assembly.

 

[gyp_c2]

If so, any tips or suggestions to someone that has never it will be greatly appreciated.

You might want to wear some safety glasses. Springs and things ya' know?!

 

[Slamfire]

You might want to wear some safety glasses. Springs and things ya' know?!

Words of wisdom. At an apartment kitchen table, I was reassembling a M1917 rifle firing pin,



and lost control of the shaft when turning the cocking piece. That firing pin shot across the table, hit the concrete wall, leaving a penny sized divot! That could have been an eyeball, and I learned not to align the pointy end of a firing pin at my face, and the value of eye protection.

 

[herrwalther]

That firing pin shot across the table, hit the concrete wall, leaving a penny sized divot! That could have been an eyeball, and I learned not to align the pointy end of a firing pin at my face, and the value of eye protection.

I know of a guy in the Army who wasn't properly trained on how to take apart the M249 SAW. One of the steps involves taking out a captive spring that is held in place just above the pistol grip. In order to safely remove that spring the bolt has to be forward, otherwise the spring is under pressure. This soldier forgot that and pushed on the spring while it was under tension. The spring and rod inside shot right at his eye, and he needed stitches. He is quite fortunate. If he had done that same error on a M240B, the spring probably would have gone clear through his skull. Safety glasses are good as well as not pointing things like that at your face.