BluesBear
member
I have noticed a recent increase in people asking about the proper way to take down a 1911 pattern pistol. It seems that owners manuals today just don't get into the details and yet not everyone needs a Jerry Kuhnhausen shop manual.
Recently while repacking my gun stuff for the next move, I came across the owners manual from the Colt Commander my father bought in the late 1940s. It was a first year of production .45.
Reading the back page of this a bazillion times is how I learned to strip a .45.
I thought others would be interested in seeing how Colt described stripping a 1911 pattern pistol. After all they invented the thing so they ought to know.
This was transcribed, using OCR and then proofread, to ensure word for mispelled word accuracy.
TO TAKE DOWN THE PISTOL
....Remove the magazine by pressing the magazine catch.
....(After removing magazine, look to see that there is no cartridge left in the chamber.)
....Press the plug inward with the index finger of the right hand (or butt of magazine). Turn barrel bushing to the right until the plug is free to go forward; then release tension on the spring gradually to prevent plug from jumping away. Draw slide back until the rear edge of the smaller recess in the lower edge of the slide is even with the rear end of the slide stop, press against end of slide stop which projects from the opposite side of the receiver' above the trigger guard and draw out the stop.
....This releases the barrel, link and slide, which may then together be drawn forward from the receiver, carrying also the barrel bushing, recoil spring, and recoil spring guide. Remove the spring and guide from the slide. Turn the barrel bushing to the left as far as it will go and draw forward, from the slide. This releases the barrel which may then be drawn forward and out if the link is tilted forward.
....The forgoing is all the dismounting necessary to clean and properly care for the arm.
....It is not necessary to remove stocks as all parts of the pistol can be dismounted and assembled with the stocks in place.
....In taking the pistol apart, use no hammer, as dismounting and assembling is quick and easy after a little practice.
....The hammer should not be snapped when the slide is removed from the receiver.
TO COMPLETE DISMOUNTING
....The safety lock is removed by cocking the hammer, then grasping the thumb piece of the safety lock between the thumb and index finger, steadily pull outward and at the same time move back and forth. Lower hammer (don't snap) and push out hammer pin using the safety lock. Remove hammer and then using hammer strut, push out the housing pin; then withdraw main-spring housing which contains main-spring. After pushing the sear pin from right to left, using hammer strut for this purpose, the sear and disconnector may be removed.
....To remove magazine catch, its checkered left end must be pressed inward far enough to permit the catch lock the catch lock to be turned to the left, and out of its seat in the receiver, using the long leaf of sear spring, when the catch with its lock and spring may be removed. Care should be taken not to let the lock and spring jump away when released.
....The trigger may then be removed rearward from the receiver.
....To remove firing pin and its spring, take hammer strut and push rear end of pin inward and at same time down ward on the stop; this will start the stop from its seat in the slide. When removing stop take care not to allow firing pin and its spring to jump away. The extractor is now free and may be removed by pressing on its front end with the end of the hammer strut toward the outside of the slide and rearward.
....To remove main-spring, cap and housing pin retainer from the mainspring housing, push the main-spring cap pin partly out, and press main-spring cap down with hammer strut and while pressing on the cap. pull the cap pin out. The parts may be then removed.
....To assemble the pistol proceed in reverse order, noting the following cautions:
....When replacing the slide and barrel on the receiver, hold the slide and receiver bottom side up and see that the link is tilted forward as far as it will go and that the link pin is in place.
....To assemble the sear and disconnector, it is best to put. the two together, then hold the two in- their lower end-and put them in place in the receiver and replace the sear pin.
....After the sear and disconnector are in place, replace sear spring and be sure its lower end is located in the cut in the receiver and the upper end of the left-hand leaf resting on the sear, then slide the main-spring housing in until its lower end projects below the frame about one-eighth of an inch. Replace hammer and its pin; replace grip safety; cock hammer and replace safety lock; lower hammer, then push main-spring housing home, making hammer strut enter main-spring cap, and put housing pin in place.
....When assembling safety lock, the end of the magazine follower which projects from the magazine can be used to push the safety lock plunger back into the tube. (Hammer must be cocked during this operation.)
....When pressing the slide stop into place, see that its upper rear end stops on the receiver, just under the small side stop plunger, then push the stop upward and at the same time inward; this will cause the upper round part of the stop to push the plunger back and the stop will snap into place.
MAGAZINES
....Reasonable care should be taken to keep the magazines from being dented or otherwise damaged. When placing loaded magazine in the pistol, it should be inserted in the handle by a quick, continuous movement, but not, slammed into place hard enough to cause damage.
....Use nothing but thin oil for oiling the arm.
....Occasionally a little oil should be put on the friction points, not forgetting ends of the safety lock and -slide stop plungers.
Recently while repacking my gun stuff for the next move, I came across the owners manual from the Colt Commander my father bought in the late 1940s. It was a first year of production .45.
Reading the back page of this a bazillion times is how I learned to strip a .45.
I thought others would be interested in seeing how Colt described stripping a 1911 pattern pistol. After all they invented the thing so they ought to know.
This was transcribed, using OCR and then proofread, to ensure word for mispelled word accuracy.
TO TAKE DOWN THE PISTOL
....Remove the magazine by pressing the magazine catch.
....(After removing magazine, look to see that there is no cartridge left in the chamber.)
....Press the plug inward with the index finger of the right hand (or butt of magazine). Turn barrel bushing to the right until the plug is free to go forward; then release tension on the spring gradually to prevent plug from jumping away. Draw slide back until the rear edge of the smaller recess in the lower edge of the slide is even with the rear end of the slide stop, press against end of slide stop which projects from the opposite side of the receiver' above the trigger guard and draw out the stop.
....This releases the barrel, link and slide, which may then together be drawn forward from the receiver, carrying also the barrel bushing, recoil spring, and recoil spring guide. Remove the spring and guide from the slide. Turn the barrel bushing to the left as far as it will go and draw forward, from the slide. This releases the barrel which may then be drawn forward and out if the link is tilted forward.
....The forgoing is all the dismounting necessary to clean and properly care for the arm.
....It is not necessary to remove stocks as all parts of the pistol can be dismounted and assembled with the stocks in place.
....In taking the pistol apart, use no hammer, as dismounting and assembling is quick and easy after a little practice.
....The hammer should not be snapped when the slide is removed from the receiver.
TO COMPLETE DISMOUNTING
....The safety lock is removed by cocking the hammer, then grasping the thumb piece of the safety lock between the thumb and index finger, steadily pull outward and at the same time move back and forth. Lower hammer (don't snap) and push out hammer pin using the safety lock. Remove hammer and then using hammer strut, push out the housing pin; then withdraw main-spring housing which contains main-spring. After pushing the sear pin from right to left, using hammer strut for this purpose, the sear and disconnector may be removed.
....To remove magazine catch, its checkered left end must be pressed inward far enough to permit the catch lock the catch lock to be turned to the left, and out of its seat in the receiver, using the long leaf of sear spring, when the catch with its lock and spring may be removed. Care should be taken not to let the lock and spring jump away when released.
....The trigger may then be removed rearward from the receiver.
....To remove firing pin and its spring, take hammer strut and push rear end of pin inward and at same time down ward on the stop; this will start the stop from its seat in the slide. When removing stop take care not to allow firing pin and its spring to jump away. The extractor is now free and may be removed by pressing on its front end with the end of the hammer strut toward the outside of the slide and rearward.
....To remove main-spring, cap and housing pin retainer from the mainspring housing, push the main-spring cap pin partly out, and press main-spring cap down with hammer strut and while pressing on the cap. pull the cap pin out. The parts may be then removed.
....To assemble the pistol proceed in reverse order, noting the following cautions:
....When replacing the slide and barrel on the receiver, hold the slide and receiver bottom side up and see that the link is tilted forward as far as it will go and that the link pin is in place.
....To assemble the sear and disconnector, it is best to put. the two together, then hold the two in- their lower end-and put them in place in the receiver and replace the sear pin.
....After the sear and disconnector are in place, replace sear spring and be sure its lower end is located in the cut in the receiver and the upper end of the left-hand leaf resting on the sear, then slide the main-spring housing in until its lower end projects below the frame about one-eighth of an inch. Replace hammer and its pin; replace grip safety; cock hammer and replace safety lock; lower hammer, then push main-spring housing home, making hammer strut enter main-spring cap, and put housing pin in place.
....When assembling safety lock, the end of the magazine follower which projects from the magazine can be used to push the safety lock plunger back into the tube. (Hammer must be cocked during this operation.)
....When pressing the slide stop into place, see that its upper rear end stops on the receiver, just under the small side stop plunger, then push the stop upward and at the same time inward; this will cause the upper round part of the stop to push the plunger back and the stop will snap into place.
MAGAZINES
....Reasonable care should be taken to keep the magazines from being dented or otherwise damaged. When placing loaded magazine in the pistol, it should be inserted in the handle by a quick, continuous movement, but not, slammed into place hard enough to cause damage.
....Use nothing but thin oil for oiling the arm.
....Occasionally a little oil should be put on the friction points, not forgetting ends of the safety lock and -slide stop plungers.