I'm Stuck On My First 1911 Detail Strip

[Tribal]

Let me preface this by saying that I successfully detail stripped my Hi-Power for the first time earlier today without any trouble. Then I got cocky.

I took my Springfield Mil-Spec and removed the slide, mainspring housing, grip safety, three-pronged spring, thumb safety, and hammer assembly. I put the hammer assembly back in and then, trying to get the grip safety back in, somehow got the thumb safety in...but without the grip safety.

I've tried getting it out (with as much force as seemed reasonable) and I can tell that somehow the parts are in such a way that there's some kind of a jam. With enough fiddling (although I'm not exactly sure how) I can get the thumb safety to click up and down but it won't separate from the frame no matter how I seem to move things.

What have I done wrong, and how can I fix it? Thank you very much in advance!

 

[tomh1426]

Youtube has a few good videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bh6K5rNenc&feature=related

 

[Tribal]

The videos are good...but I seem to have gone out of order. I can't see any obvious reason why the thumb safety won't come out, but I can feel metal pressing against metal so obviously taking a mallet and punch isn't going to help.

 

[Wildfire]

Slide?

Hey there ;
Are you lining up the slide right ? Not sure how far you got here. If the slide is on and the notch is in line with the safety , there is no reason it would not come out.

 

[bensdad]

This one deserves popcorn.

Honestly though, I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this.

 

[minerva1856]

So msh is not inserted right? And the slide is not on right? Remove the spring. Sometimes it helps to move the thumb safety to where it depresses the plunger right half way between on and off. Keep gently pulling away from the frame while wiggling the thumb safety. This is not an ambi safety right? If it is, take off the ambi side first.

 

[Tribal]

No slide, no MSH; only the hammer assembly and the thumb safety. The safety (which is non-ambi) won't budge whether up with the trigger cocked or down with the trigger loose. I have a Kimber Ultra Carry II which I partially disassembled to see if it could shed some light on things, but the Kimber's safety went back in with no trouble. I feel like I'm missing something obvious, but I have no idea what.

Thanks for all the help so far, too; I knew that THR was a place where people would have ideas.

 

[Wildfire]

Wow!

Hey:
If the main spring housing is out and the detent at the front of the safety is not wedged or some how stuck. Put the hammer in the fired position and that safety should come out. That should be a smooth move. Unless they changed something that I am not aware of , you should be able to slide that safety up and out.

 

[ralfus]

Use a very small flat screwdriver tip to depress the small plunger at the front of the safety lever. Make sure the safety is in the up (on) position while pushing it out from behind. The safety is designed to NOT be removed while down. Sometimes the plunger engages the safety notch too deeply and it won't let go.

 

[Sunray]

"...With enough fiddling..." Sometimes that's what it takes. Put a Bren Gun together doing that, long ago.
"...it won't separate from the frame no matter how I seem to move things..." Do what ralfus says. Then it'll come out with finger pressure. Thanks ralfus. I forgot that.
Get a set of jeweller's screw drivers. Those sets of wee screwdrivers.
What you're doing is not a daft thing. 90% of smithing involves replacing parts. Most of them need fitting, but knowing how to get the parts out matters too. Never mind how much fun it is. Your teaching yourself how the parts work together.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

For next time
A wiser man than I once suggested take one part off - put it back - take two parts off - put them back and so it goes.

 

[Jolly Rogers]

Tribal...The hammer must be fully cocked and the safety(thumb) must be in between engaged and disengaged about half way. Then wiggle and tug. It will come out.
Joe

 

[Tribal]

WHEW! Finally!

Thanks to everyone who helped me out on this; I, along with my bruised fingers and thumbs, humbly thank you.

As was suggested, what was needed was to have the thumb safety moved halfway. My problem was that the tolerance was very tight and unless it was perfectly in sync, a tiny bit of metal from the safety would clink against the frame and prevent the safety's removal. By using a small screwdriver as a lever while holding the frame against my desk I was able to slowly nudge the safety until it came out right.

Again, thank you all!