1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Early arrival Nork that I picked up in January broke today during my M-W-F
constitutional.
Tim was bangin' away, as per the plan, when the pistol locked open on the empty mag as per design...but somethin' was wrong. Mag was TIGHT comin' out...and the slide wouldn't drop on a fresh mag. Although the slide was locked, the stop wasn't engaged...Slide wasn't quite back far enough. Slide wouldn't move forward because the disconnect was frozen.
Peeked into the magwell and could see somethin' in there, but couldn't make out what it was. Tossed the pistol on the table and handed Tim one of my Colts so he could finish out his ammo allotment...policed brass, packed up and headed home for the second round of turbocoffee. Assumed that a chunk had broken off the disconnect.
Got the MSH out and the slide tripped. Whack! Pin fell out. I thought it was the sear pin. Turned out to be the end of the hammer strut, snapped off at the junction. 5-minute fix. All is well. Used a new-design Colt strut. A deviation from original design, but real steel and hell-for-stout.
Only seen one other real steel strut break like that...in a 1915 GI Colt. Seen a few MIM and cast aftermarkets let go...but only the two steel struts.
Estimated round count on the gun since we've had it is in the 'hood of 20,000.
No tellin' how many before it came here, but the gun had obviously been around the block a few times. Other than replacing the original barrel with a
1991A1 take-off, and a new Colt sear spring...the gun was stock.(Well...a little of the "Poor Man's Trigger Job" was done to eliminate the old Creep'n'Grit.)
I'll include this experience in the comprehensive Nork Report, comin' soon to a forum near you.
constitutional.
Tim was bangin' away, as per the plan, when the pistol locked open on the empty mag as per design...but somethin' was wrong. Mag was TIGHT comin' out...and the slide wouldn't drop on a fresh mag. Although the slide was locked, the stop wasn't engaged...Slide wasn't quite back far enough. Slide wouldn't move forward because the disconnect was frozen.
Peeked into the magwell and could see somethin' in there, but couldn't make out what it was. Tossed the pistol on the table and handed Tim one of my Colts so he could finish out his ammo allotment...policed brass, packed up and headed home for the second round of turbocoffee. Assumed that a chunk had broken off the disconnect.
Got the MSH out and the slide tripped. Whack! Pin fell out. I thought it was the sear pin. Turned out to be the end of the hammer strut, snapped off at the junction. 5-minute fix. All is well. Used a new-design Colt strut. A deviation from original design, but real steel and hell-for-stout.
Only seen one other real steel strut break like that...in a 1915 GI Colt. Seen a few MIM and cast aftermarkets let go...but only the two steel struts.
Estimated round count on the gun since we've had it is in the 'hood of 20,000.
No tellin' how many before it came here, but the gun had obviously been around the block a few times. Other than replacing the original barrel with a
1991A1 take-off, and a new Colt sear spring...the gun was stock.(Well...a little of the "Poor Man's Trigger Job" was done to eliminate the old Creep'n'Grit.)
I'll include this experience in the comprehensive Nork Report, comin' soon to a forum near you.
