1911 Questions....HELP!!!

[popeye]

It sounds as if someone tried to do a kitchen table trigger job on your gun. The sear spring on a 1911 has 3 basic functions represented by the 3 individual leaf sections on that spring. Each leaf can be adjusted (bent) to manage tension on the sear, disconnector/trigger, and grip safety.

Not to insult you, but you appear to be a novice at this. The 1911 is a wonder of simplicity of design and inherent reliability. But if you don't understand fully the interaction of the internals you could get hurt making adjustments.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cby1R2LnaxA[/ame]

 

[45-70]

I have a new question....will anyone be at the show at greenfield next saturday? I have yet to fire this gun, the more I handle it and compare it to others the more I become skeptical, it feels like the grip safety has no "spring" to it, takes hardly any pressure to release the hammer. Also it seems like there is a "half cock" position to the hammer. Does this seem normal? I'm concerned that maybe someone has tinkered a little beyond their ability with this gun. If so I will fix it, or pay a smith to make it right, and upgrade it. Thoughts?

1911 hammers do have a half cock position this is normal.

 

[Yukon227]

I have tinkered with rifles before but this is the first 1911 I have owned that needed "attention" it sounds like I better get a book....some parts....and a hammer

 

[popeye]

There are two volumes of this book considered the "Bible" on 1911's. I've got both. I think the second volume is what you want.

JERRY KUHNHAUSEN THE COLT .45 AUTOMATIC - Brownells

 

[AllenM]

I have tinkered with rifles before but this is the first 1911 I have owned that needed "attention" it sounds like I better get a book....some parts....and a hammer

If you lived near I would be glad to give you some tinkering basics

 

[OD*]

It sounds as if someone tried to do a kitchen table trigger job on your gun. The sear spring on a 1911 has 3 basic functions represented by the 3 individual leaf sections on that spring. Each leaf can be adjusted (bent) to manage tension on the sear, disconnector/trigger, and grip safety.

Not to insult you, but you appear to be a novice at this. The 1911 is a wonder of simplicity of design and inherent reliability. But if you don't understand fully the interaction of the internals you could get hurt making adjustments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cby1R2LnaxA

If the guy in the video would remove the slide and lower the hammer, taking most all of the tension off the mainspring, it wouldn't take "three hands" to replace the mainspring housing.

 

[OD*]

Also it seems like there is a "half cock" position to the hammer. Does this seem normal?

It's normal on 1911s if their hammers have a half cock position, not all 1911s have half-cock today, many pistols, like Colt's Series 80s, the newer Springfield's, Taurus do not have a "true" half-cock position. If you are familiar with those models, it would not feel normal to you, but your RIA should have the half-cock position.

 

[popeye]

It's normal on 1911s if their hammers have a half cock position, not all 1911s have half-cock today, many pistols, like Colt's Series 80s, the newer Springfield's, Taurus do not have a half-cock position. If you are familiar with those models, it would not feel normal to you, but your RIA should have the half-cock position.

I bought a new Springfield basic full size model a couple months ago. It has both the series70/commercial cut on the hammer but also the Colt series 80 "shelf cut". All this stuff is going "one size fits all" generic.

 

[OD*]

I bought a new Springfield basic full size model a couple months ago. It has both the series70/commercial cut on the hammer but also the Colt series 80 "shelf cut". All this stuff is going "one size fits all" generic.

Interesting, your hammer has three notches, full-cock, half-cock and the shelf? My Springers only had the two, full and the shelf (except my Professional). I can understand them using the shelf hammers on the Taurus, Auto-Ordnance, Sig etc., any of them that are using the Colt patent "Series 80" fining pin block safety, I don't understand why Springfield uses it on some of their models.

 

[popeye]

Interesting, your hammer has three notches, full-cock, half-cock and the shelf? .

Yes sir. I was surprised also I didn't notice it until I had it home for a month or so.

 

[OD*]

How strange? Wouldn't happen to have, or know where to find a picture of the new hammers, would you?

Thanks for the reply, sir.

 

[Yukon227]

Stay tuned kids....Ima tear into it tonight

 

[popeye]

How strange? Wouldn't happen to have, or know where to find a picture of the new hammers, would you?

Thanks for the reply, sir.

I've got to change out the MSH in a few days. I'll pull the hammer/strut and take a pic.. I'll put it beside a spare series 80 hammer (and a spare 70 if I still have one)

 

[OD*]

That would be great, thanks.

Just a picture of the Springer hammer would be good, I have a number of the others.
(But maybe others don't know the differences, so, it would indeed be good to have)

 

[45-70]

1911 hammer pics

Left to Right

EMC
Norinco
Springfield with shelf

The half cock hammer position comes in really handy if you ever have a 1911 suffering from "hammer follow"

 

[Yukon227]

Well, Looks like I'm ordering the beavertail....combat hammer wont let the slide travel far enough back ...
To be continued.

 

[OD*]

1911 hammer pics

Left to Right

EMC
Norinco
Springfield with shelf

The half cock hammer position comes in really handy if you ever have a 1911 suffering from "hammer follow"

Thank you.

 

[popeye]

You will have to grind material off the back of the frame to fit the beavertail in. Send the "Combat" hammer back and get a standard hammer. Like the one that came with the gun.

 

[Yukon227]

Already ordered beavertail and skeleton trigger.
I will make the final decision when I see the parts

 

[popeye]

When swapping ANY fire control parts in a 1911 you MUST perform safety checks on the gun. It might drop in and work (although the trigger pull weight may change for better or worse) but if the new hammer changes the position of the sear when at full cock (even a tiny bit) your thumb safety may not hold the sear in place. Be very careful when swapping parts in any gun. Very few actually "drop in" with no fitting.

You'll have to fit the trigger. That will negate any possibility of returning it. Replacing all those parts you're entering into the danger zone.