1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
If any of you has never done a full strip on a 1911, I strongly suggest that you do it one step at a time,
and practice reassembling the parts that you have removed before moving on. This is the reason that
I have broken the procedure down into sections. This one applies to Series 70
and pre-Series 70 pistols only.
NOTE: The firing pin from an AR-15/M-16 is a perfect takedown/reassembly tool.
No pistolsmith's tool box should be without one.
Step 1
Remove the magazine and clear the chamber of the pistol(I know...but since the internet is public domain, I gotta say it) Field strip the pistol and lay the slide assembly aside.
Step 2
Cock the hammer and remove the thumb safety by pushing in on the end of the cross-pin while moving the safety pad up into the engaged position. The part should pop out, but a few pistols take some up-and-down "wiggling" to get it to move.
Step 3
Lower the hammer. Knock the mainspring housing pin out with a punch and a hammer. Place the punch into the indented end. (usually on the left side of the pistol) Some are harder to remove than others. It will come out. The grip safety will now come out, too. TIP: Lowering the hammer before driving out the MSH pin will get the mainspring's tension off the pin, and let it move much easier.
Step 4
Cock the hammer to push the mainspring housing out. Flip the hammer strut over the top and remove the 3-legged sear spring.
Step 5
From the right side, push the hammer pin out. It is a slip-fit and will come out easily.
Step 6
Stop and carefully study the relationship of the sear and disconnector for future reference. Unless you have removed and replaced these parts before, don't remove them just yet.
To reassemble these parts:
Replace the hammer, making sure that the pin goes into the right hole, rather than the hole for the thumb safety. Flip the hammer over the top, and lay the sear spring into the grip frame and place the small tab at the end into the slot in the frame. Make sure that the left leg is on top of the sear. The sear spring will go in UNDER the sear, but the pistol will not cock.
Flip the strut into place and move the mainspring housing up just enough to keep the strut from escaping.
Replace the grip safety, making sure that the hammer strut goes into the slot in the center of the grip safety. The strut can be pinched by the sides of the grip safety.
Center the hammer strut into its detent as closely as you can, and slide the mainspring housing up and into place. Watch for the small tabs on the bottom of the grip safety to make sure that they go under the top of the mainspring housing. Make sure the hammer is fully down before sliding the mainspring housing home. If the hammer is in the cocked position, the mainspring will work against you.
Replace the mainspring housing retaining pin by striking it with hammer and punch. Again, some will go right in, and others will require a harder strike.
Cock the hammer. If it won't cock, the sear spring is under the sear. Replace the thumb safety, and use a small, flat tool to depress the spring loaded detent. As the thumb safety goes past the detent,
move it upward into the engaged position. It should pop back in place, but some require an up-and-down wiggle to convince them. Most of the time, a single inward/ upward motion will do the trick
Go through the first part of the procedure, and again look at the sear/disconnector
relationship. (Series 80 pistols will be addressed in a separate section)
To finish stripping the frame: Starting with the sear spring out.
Step 1
Remove the hammer pin from right to left. It will only go in one way.
Remove the sear/disconnector pin from right to left. It will push out easily. Most hammer and sear pins will fall out of their own weight.
Step 2
Hold the pistol upright and push on the top of the disconnector. Some will need a little shake to get the parts to fall clear of the frame. Be sure to hold the frame over a tabletop or box to keep from losing the parts.
Step 3
Place the tip of a small screwdriver into the slot in the right side of the magazine release button. Turn it GENTLY in a counter clockwise direction while pushing slowly on the button itself. When the release is in the right position, the screw will turn easily into its takedown slot. If you have to use more than just a little pressure, the button is not in the right place
for takedown. When it pops out, the trigger can be removed from the rear of the frame.
To reassemble.
Replace the trigger. It will go in upside down, but will not go in all the way.
Replace the mag release button by pushing it into position, and again putting light pressure on the screw, while moving the button in and out to find the right place. When you find it, the screw will turn into place and the assembly will seat with a snap.
Hold the disconnector in one hand with the flat side toward the trigger stirrup. Lay the sear on it with the nose facing the rear of the pistol with the square feet on top of the disconnector face,
Carefully, from the back of the pistol, push the disconnector into its channel, keeping the sear in place. This is a little tedious for those with large fingers, so a small pair of needlenose pliers will help.
Line the bottom of the disconnector up with the bottom of the trigger, and hold it in place with your fingertip. Turn the pistol on its side, left side up, and look into the pin hole to see that the holes in the sear and disconnector are fairly closely aligned.
Pull the trigger slowly to align the holes enough insert your takedown tool all the way through. if it won't come out the other side of the frame, start over. If it does, hold the frame upright and shake it to make sure that the pin goes through the sear and disconnector. If it does, slowly remove the takedown tool and replace the pin, seating it flush with the frame. Repeat the check. If the sear and disconnector stay in place, you're finished.
By the time you've done it 10 times, oyu should be able to do the complete
dissassembly/reassembly operation in 5 minutes.
Finish reassembling the frame as outlined in the first part.
Stay tuned for the slide disassembly.
and practice reassembling the parts that you have removed before moving on. This is the reason that
I have broken the procedure down into sections. This one applies to Series 70
and pre-Series 70 pistols only.
NOTE: The firing pin from an AR-15/M-16 is a perfect takedown/reassembly tool.
No pistolsmith's tool box should be without one.
Step 1
Remove the magazine and clear the chamber of the pistol(I know...but since the internet is public domain, I gotta say it) Field strip the pistol and lay the slide assembly aside.
Step 2
Cock the hammer and remove the thumb safety by pushing in on the end of the cross-pin while moving the safety pad up into the engaged position. The part should pop out, but a few pistols take some up-and-down "wiggling" to get it to move.
Step 3
Lower the hammer. Knock the mainspring housing pin out with a punch and a hammer. Place the punch into the indented end. (usually on the left side of the pistol) Some are harder to remove than others. It will come out. The grip safety will now come out, too. TIP: Lowering the hammer before driving out the MSH pin will get the mainspring's tension off the pin, and let it move much easier.
Step 4
Cock the hammer to push the mainspring housing out. Flip the hammer strut over the top and remove the 3-legged sear spring.
Step 5
From the right side, push the hammer pin out. It is a slip-fit and will come out easily.
Step 6
Stop and carefully study the relationship of the sear and disconnector for future reference. Unless you have removed and replaced these parts before, don't remove them just yet.
To reassemble these parts:
Replace the hammer, making sure that the pin goes into the right hole, rather than the hole for the thumb safety. Flip the hammer over the top, and lay the sear spring into the grip frame and place the small tab at the end into the slot in the frame. Make sure that the left leg is on top of the sear. The sear spring will go in UNDER the sear, but the pistol will not cock.
Flip the strut into place and move the mainspring housing up just enough to keep the strut from escaping.
Replace the grip safety, making sure that the hammer strut goes into the slot in the center of the grip safety. The strut can be pinched by the sides of the grip safety.
Center the hammer strut into its detent as closely as you can, and slide the mainspring housing up and into place. Watch for the small tabs on the bottom of the grip safety to make sure that they go under the top of the mainspring housing. Make sure the hammer is fully down before sliding the mainspring housing home. If the hammer is in the cocked position, the mainspring will work against you.
Replace the mainspring housing retaining pin by striking it with hammer and punch. Again, some will go right in, and others will require a harder strike.
Cock the hammer. If it won't cock, the sear spring is under the sear. Replace the thumb safety, and use a small, flat tool to depress the spring loaded detent. As the thumb safety goes past the detent,
move it upward into the engaged position. It should pop back in place, but some require an up-and-down wiggle to convince them. Most of the time, a single inward/ upward motion will do the trick
Go through the first part of the procedure, and again look at the sear/disconnector
relationship. (Series 80 pistols will be addressed in a separate section)
To finish stripping the frame: Starting with the sear spring out.
Step 1
Remove the hammer pin from right to left. It will only go in one way.
Remove the sear/disconnector pin from right to left. It will push out easily. Most hammer and sear pins will fall out of their own weight.
Step 2
Hold the pistol upright and push on the top of the disconnector. Some will need a little shake to get the parts to fall clear of the frame. Be sure to hold the frame over a tabletop or box to keep from losing the parts.
Step 3
Place the tip of a small screwdriver into the slot in the right side of the magazine release button. Turn it GENTLY in a counter clockwise direction while pushing slowly on the button itself. When the release is in the right position, the screw will turn easily into its takedown slot. If you have to use more than just a little pressure, the button is not in the right place
for takedown. When it pops out, the trigger can be removed from the rear of the frame.
To reassemble.
Replace the trigger. It will go in upside down, but will not go in all the way.
Replace the mag release button by pushing it into position, and again putting light pressure on the screw, while moving the button in and out to find the right place. When you find it, the screw will turn into place and the assembly will seat with a snap.
Hold the disconnector in one hand with the flat side toward the trigger stirrup. Lay the sear on it with the nose facing the rear of the pistol with the square feet on top of the disconnector face,
Carefully, from the back of the pistol, push the disconnector into its channel, keeping the sear in place. This is a little tedious for those with large fingers, so a small pair of needlenose pliers will help.
Line the bottom of the disconnector up with the bottom of the trigger, and hold it in place with your fingertip. Turn the pistol on its side, left side up, and look into the pin hole to see that the holes in the sear and disconnector are fairly closely aligned.
Pull the trigger slowly to align the holes enough insert your takedown tool all the way through. if it won't come out the other side of the frame, start over. If it does, hold the frame upright and shake it to make sure that the pin goes through the sear and disconnector. If it does, slowly remove the takedown tool and replace the pin, seating it flush with the frame. Repeat the check. If the sear and disconnector stay in place, you're finished.
By the time you've done it 10 times, oyu should be able to do the complete
dissassembly/reassembly operation in 5 minutes.
Finish reassembling the frame as outlined in the first part.
Stay tuned for the slide disassembly.
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