Help me with this U.S. Army Colt 1911

[DustyGmt]

My uncle acquired this Colt 1911 and he asked me to take it apart and clean it, it had been sitting for about 40ish years untouched. I reacquainted myself with 1911's again and am a lil jealous, would have loved to have the option to buy this chrome .45 but anyway, when he got it back from me after I cleaned it he told me that there was something wrong with it. I assume he thinks I messed something up but I'm fairly confident I did everything proper.

He says when he racks the slide to the rear and hits the slide release, the slide falls forward as it should but the hammer falls to the "half cock" position. Is this normal? I can't recall and have never had a 70's series Colt and am not sure if this is normal? It functions normally in all other respects, hammer cocks and drops normally but if you lock the slide back and hit the slide release, once the slide slams forward the hammer drops to the "half cock" position.


Also, anything else in terms of history you may be able to tell me about this Colt would be cool. The rampant colt logo was struck very lightly and is basically invisible, serial # is 5 digits beginning with 101** and it doesn't say "COLT 1911" on it but rather "Model of 1911 U.S. ARMY". My great uncle was a MP in the Military and I believe this was his sidearm in Vietnam.

 

[Rival]

While I am not an expert, the lack of relief cut by the trigger on the frame indicates this is an early 1911 as opposed to later 1911A1, other parts might or might not have been swapped out at some point.

 

[LaneP]

No, not normal. The sear engagement surfaces are either worn from extensive use, or someone at some point attempted an amateur "trigger job". The "half-cock" position is doing its job and catching it, but if the trigger were to be depressed as during firing, you could go full auto. He should get that checked out by a good 1911 'smith.

 

[cfullgraf]

A good cleaning of the sear area may correct the problem of the hammer following the slide. Clean what you can reach with q-tip type cleaners and spray cleaners to flush it out.

The chance of success is slim though.

Follow @LaneP 's advice.

 

[Jim Watson]

He says when he racks the slide to the rear and hits the slide release, the slide falls forward as it should but the hammer falls to the "half cock" position. Is this normal? I can't recall and have never had a 70's series Colt and am not sure if this is normal? It functions normally in all other respects, hammer cocks and drops normally but if you lock the slide back and hit the slide release, once the slide slams forward the hammer drops to the "half cock" position.

It is usually recommended that you do not do that in the first place because it can beat up the sear engagement and make it even worse.
Short of recutting the hammer or/and sear, you can try bending the sear spring so the left leaf puts more force against the sear and the center leaf puts more force against the disconnector. Pretty much the reverse of the usual target trigger adjustment step shown at
https://www.1911forum.com/threads/colt-1911a1-3-leaf-sear-spring-bending.419668/

Also, anything else in terms of history you may be able to tell me about this Colt would be cool. The rampant colt logo was struck very lightly and is basically invisible, serial # is 5 digits beginning with 101** and it doesn't say "COLT 1911" on it but rather "Model of 1911 U.S. ARMY". My great uncle was a MP in the Military and I believe this was his sidearm in Vietnam.

The logo was probably not struck lightly, it was buffed out when the gun was polished up real shiny so the chrome or nickel plating would look real pretty. Serial number is from 1912.

 

[DustyGmt]

It is usually recommended that you do not do that in the first place because it can beat up the sear engagement and make it even worse.
Short of recutting the hammer or/and sear, you can try bending the sear spring so the left leaf puts more force against the sear and the center leaf puts more force against the disconnector. Pretty much the reverse of the usual target trigger adjustment step shown at
https://www.1911forum.com/threads/colt-1911a1-3-leaf-sear-spring-bending.419668/



The logo was probably not struck lightly, it was buffed out when the gun was polished up real shiny so the chrome or nickel plating would look real pretty. Serial number is from 1912.

Very good. Thank you. I will advise him to get it off to a good gunsmith. I never noticed it because I personally hate it when people lock the slide back and let it fly on an empty chamber and don't understand why people feel the need to do so, but not my gun not my problem. It makes me cringe though, unnecessary battery on the gun. I have spoken up about it to people in the past and they think that the gun is doing much worse than that during its firing cycle but what they don't seem to understand is that the slide encounters resistance when it strips a round off the top of a mag because the cartridge is under spring tension and isnt just smashing into battery with nothing to slow it down......

 

[DukeConnor]

Do a internet search on "hammer follow".

 

[Jeff62]

Install a new sear spring

 

[Skylerbone]

Install a new sear spring

That’s always the first course of action, @Jim Watson ’s suggestion gets you there if you understand the spring’s workings but a new Colt brand sear spring (with reliefs cut) is a very safe, inexpensive fix for some instances.

Next on the list of free and important is grabbing the feeler gauges to insure .020” + .002, - .001 engagement (my preferred range). If you can check angles, better still.

If you insist on dropping the slide in an empty chamber, at least hold the trigger back. You can assure your uncle that a field strip did not cause hammer follow, good to know the half-cock is working.

 

[Jim Watson]

If you insist on dropping the slide in an empty chamber, at least hold the trigger back.

That's the old target shooters' trick for fine engagements. The risk is getting it backwards in casual shooting, and producing a sudden loud noise.

 

[derek45]

"Hammer follow"

Sometimes, you can fix it by adjusting the sear spring.

That looks like a World War One era 1911.