My old M1911

[Vern Humphrey]

Just thought I'd tell you about my latest adventure.

About 20 years ago, I bought a "kit" M1911 from FedOrd -- they sent me the pieces, and I finished the gun. It wasn't bad, but the firing pin tunnel was bored off center, so the firing pin was only hitting the top edge of the primer. Someone suggested a shorter link -- but I really don't want to fire an unlocked M1911.

Just about that time Ciener brought out their .22 Conversion, and I bought one -- what a disappointment! I put it away and haven't fired it much since.

A few weeks ago, I saw an ad on the internet for the "top half" of a .45 -- slide, barrel, firing pin, recoil spring, the works. It was backordered. They sent me all the parts I DIDN'T need, but not the slide.

It came Friday and the son-of-a-bitch would NOT go together -- I could put the slide on as far as the ejector and there it stopped. I figured it was just new and tight, and tapped it in with a mallet, them back again. No joy there.

So today I had a bright flash -- I was in town, stopped at an Auto Supply store and bought a little tube of valve grinding compound. I put a dab on the areas where it seemed to be binding and went to work with the mallet. After a while, I found I could retract the slide by pressing on the bench and leaning on it, and then reversing it to take the slide off. After about 40 cycles it started getting easier. Finally I could cycle it by hand. I got it to where it felt right, cleaned it with brake cleaner and a toothbrush, assembled it, cycled it some more -- and it shoots.

But I can still feel grit when I cycle it -- a VERY thorough cleaning is in order.

 

[rcmodel]

Take the ejector clear out and see if the slide fits without it.

If it does, then file off the ejector where it is rubbing on the slide.

Lapping with valve grinding compound is just wearing everything out where there was no problem in the first place.

You need to identify the problem area first, and address that first.

rc

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Take the ejector clear out and see if the slide fits without it.

If it does, then file off the ejector where it is rubbing on the slide.

Lapping with valve grinding compound is just wearing everything out where there was no problem in the first place.

You need to identify the problem area first, and address that first.

I have two other M1911s, plus the Ciener kit and a Colt Service Ace kit. That gives me four slides to try on this gun, and they all fit. Conversely, the slide in question will not fit any of the three frames.

With the slide all the way back, a light shinning through the gun shows interference in two places -- one on the side of the ejector, the other on the frame on the opposite side.

Now the slide will fit all three frames -- albeit a bit tight on the other two guns.