How long can 1911 be kept in slidelock?

[Lucky]

How long can you keep a 1911 in slidelock without damaging anything, for display purposes?

It might be a stupid question, but I had to ask, in case there is a spring which I would ruin. I'm also curious about magazines, how long can they be kept loaded without damage?

 

[boing]

Forever, probably. Or you can just buy an extra spring for display purposes.

Original 7 round 1911 magazines have been loaded for decades without affecting function. Newer mags that cram 8 rounds into the same length magazine body may use thinner, less resilient spring wire, and over compress it. It's never been an issue with my 8 round mags, though.

 

[Lucky]

Thank-you.

 

[Snowdog]

If this is something that you don't intend to shoot immediately and something you plan to display in a fixed/stationary position (such as a shadow box), I don't see why you couldn't just remove the recoil spring and leave the slide in the locked position sans any tension.

Unless one physically handles the pistol, none would be the wiser.

 

[wrangler5]

<snip> I don't see why you couldn't just remove the recoil spring and leave the slide in the locked position sans any tension.

Unless one physically handles the pistol, none would be the wiser.

What would hold the barrel bushing plunger in place if the recoil spring is missing? Also, without a recoil spring, the slide lock might not stay in place in its notch in the slide, which would look funny to anyone who knew what they were looking at.

 

[Snowdog]

True, I suppose that would be a problem if the plunger (assuming the pistol doesn't have a full-length guide rod) wasn't positioned properly before posing. Even so, it might still look awkward.
I guess it'd pay to slap in a tired spring, which BTW, I have on hand and would be more than happy to send Lucky he'd like.

 

[Lucky]

Here's the deal, storage means I have to put the pistol in its box, lock the box, and either have a trigger-lock on the pistol or lock the room the box is in. I'm thinking of just using the box for transport, and instead of using 'storage' rules, using 'display' rules.

Display rules would require either a)secure the pistol to something immoveable with a wire and put a trigger-lock on it, or b)secure the pistol with the wire and also disable it by running the wire through the feed pathway, 2 jobs done with 1 wire. b)requires slide-lock, of course, so I had to ask if there would be any mechanical problems.

And with the climate on handguns (narrowly avoided national confiscation) I want to make sure I'm complying to the letter, just in case. On a related note. only want advice on mechanical issues pls.

BTW thanks for the offer of the spring, too generous, but it seems that there should be no problems after all. Everything else about the pistol seems to suggest rugged and durable, old-style craftsmanship. So I read that decent spring steel ought not have any problems so long as you don't bend it so far it has plastic deformation (like a bent paper clip). If the springs stop functioning I have a 1-year warranty on every part in the pistol, so no worries.

Thanks again all!

(plus I haven't the nerve yet to disassemble and try to re-assemble, getting there though)

 

[default]

Hi Lucky. Disassembly and reassembly of a standard 1911 is a little trickier than on some modern autos (GLOCK and HK, for example) but well within the ability of even the most clumsy, timid, and ham-fisted users (i.e., me. ). Two things I've noticed: One must indeed be careful to keep the recoil spring plug under control as one rotates the barrel bushing to remove it, as it is under tension, but it's not as terrifying and difficult as most manuals make it out to be. Also, the trick during reassembly is getting the slide stop through the barrel link, which, for me, requires holding the pistol in an awkward fashion. There are probably better methods than mine, but mine does result in a reassembled and properly-functioning pistol. There are many great sites around the net on field-stripping 1911s, and some with specific tips on reinserting the slide stop without scratching the pistol. Best wishes!

 

[wrangler5]

Lucky -

Consider using display option (b) and simply taking the tension off the recoil spring. Do this by pressing in on the recoil spring plunger, rotating the barrel bushing clockwise until its legs are out of the way, then easing the recoil spring plunger out. (Go ahead - try it now - nothing is going to fall off or come apart except maybe the plunger will slide off the end of the recoil spring if you point it down, but it's just a steel cylinder you can slide right back on.) The spring is still in place in the frame (mine usually gripped the recoil spring guide lightly and would require a slight tug to remove) and all of the parts are still mechanically locked in their proper places.

But without recoil spring pressure, the slide can be moved back to any point you want, opening the chamber and allowing you to run a wire down the barrel (and with no risk of accidentally bumping the slide stop and having the slide snap forward to mash your finger while you're threading a wire down the barrel.) Lay the gun on a shelf until you're ready to make it functional again. Without tension on the recoil spring, you might even be able to move the slide forward enough after the wire is installed to allow the hammer to be lowered to half cock, although leaving the hammer cocked doesn't hurt the mainspring any (I read recently about one that had been left cocked for 70 years and then worked perfectly.)

No real reassembly would be required after you remove the wire, just move the slide fully forward, press the recoil spring plunger back in and lock it by rotating the barrel bushing back into place.

Hope your new government can bring some sanity to the gun ownership issues. I've read that your crime rates have been climbing dramatically since your last government decided to make all those evil guns stay in locked boxes in locked rooms.

 

[Onmilo]

I have heard of Russian diggers uncovering slide locked Tokarevs and P-38 pistols from World War Two Eastern Front battle sites.
The pistols are pretty crusty when found.
They clean them up as best as possible and replace the springs to make them functional.
Quite popular with the criminal gangs as the guns are completely untracable.

I think I read about this activity in a Shotgun News article or something by Charles Cutshaw.

 

[mrmeval]

Doesn't Glock takes a special tool and will discharge a round in the chamber on disassembly?

Hi Lucky. Disassembly and reassembly of a standard 1911 is a little trickier than on some modern autos (GLOCK and HK, for example) but well within the ability of even the most clumsy, timid, and ham-fisted users (i.e., me. ).
..snip..

 

[Navy87Guy]

Doesn't Glock takes a special tool and will discharge a round in the chamber on disassembly?

I hope that was sarcasm....and that you really know that a Glock can be field stripped in about 8 seconds.

 

[mrmeval]

I don't know anything about disassembling a Glock.

Does it take a tool to disassemble?

Does it discharge a round in the chamber on disassembly?

I hope that was sarcasm....and that you really know that a Glock can be field stripped in about 8 seconds.

 

[OrvilleYertleson]

Ok, I'll bite

Glocks can be fieldstripped without tools.

Yes, if you forget to unload the weapon it is possible to fire a round in the chamber while you are breaking the gun down (it happenned to one of my friends). This is because you have to pull the trigger before you can remove the slide from the frame.

 

[chopinbloc]

lucky,
i know you only wanted mechanical advice but i have to offer the following quick observation: if the gun is inside your home, how would anyone KNOW how you've stored it?

i'm guessing that the reason you ask about this is you wish to keep the pistol as readily accessible as possible while still following the rules. there is no reason that your recoil spring should lose tension just because you keep the slide retracted but if it bothers you, you can just buy a half dozen recoil springs (they're not that expensive) and replace the recoil spring every six months or a year. go ahead and keep the pistol as readily accessible as possible. of course, a shotgun might be a better choice for home defense....

that brings to mind a question: does canada have any stupid laws about effective defense ammunition?

 

[Moonclip]

You should be ok but I once did meet someone who inherited a Colt commander that had been stored at slidelock for many years and he just had the springs replaced at a gunsmith due to the gun not running 100%. As for mag springs, I have heard stories of mags being stored fully compressed for 50 years or more and the mags still workinmg ok but to be safe I would function test and mags so stored and better yet, replace the springs and only use magazine from quality manufactures and at least rotate them around at least every decade!