Question about Pre-70 Series Colts

[The Wiry Irishman]

So I was helping out a friend, detail stripping and cleaning his Bullseye guns after a long season (in which he became the national sharpshooter champ at Perry, go him) and one of them is a pre-70 series national match. The sear has a little spring-loaded tab on it, I'm not sure of the function exactly, I think it has something to do with keeping the sear away from hammer in case of an internal failure that would otherwise booger up the hammer/sear interface geometry and ruin your trigger pull when they slammed into each other. (If I'm wrong, please enlighten me, I'm curious about this) Anyway, after everything was clean and I started to reassembled the sear/tab/disconnect, the little spring in there got flung across the room where it promptly disappeared. I reassembled the gun without it, just to make sure more parts didn't walk off, and gave my friend strict instruction not to dry fire it. I'm wondering if the gun is still usable without the spring assembled. Like I said, I'm not clear on the tab's function, but it seems like not having the spring in there wouldn't affect the way the gun worked since most other 1911s don't have that part, but I want to make sure before I pass along the okay to use the gun to him. So, does he need to find a new one of these little springs?

 

[Skylerbone]

If you're talking about the sear depressor spring you better tell him now or you won't have a friend for long. Hope he took your instruction.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Sounds like a Gold Cup.

Yup, you'd better find one to replace the one you lost

 

[MICHAEL T]

Best be on your belly crawling around till you find that spring . Use a flashlight it will help BUT FIND IT OR REPLACE IT

 

[451 Detonics]

This is where a speaker magnet can be your friend, I have found more small springs by running a magnet over the floor than with using my eyes.

 

[CAWalter]

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=4654/Product/DEPRESSOR_SPRING__BLUE

CAW

 

[The Wiry Irishman]

Thank you everyone for your response. I've passed along the info to my friend, who won't be dry firing the gun or using live ammo until the part has been replaced.

Now, to further my own knowledge, would someone be so kind as to explain what exactly the tab and spring on the sear do, and what problems would result from the loss of the spring?

 

[CAWalter]

Thank you everyone for your response. I've passed along the info to my friend, who won't be dry firing the gun or using live ammo until the part has been replaced.

Now, to further my own knowledge, would someone be so kind as to explain what exactly the tab and spring on the sear do, and what problems would result from the loss of the spring?

It aids the sear in staying engaged with a light trigger pull and trigger bounce. The original trigger in those was steel and heavy.

CAW