Tool-Free take down (1911)

[JetGirl]

You know how the compacts have that little hole in the guide rod where you put the take-down tool? The 4" RIA (Commander copy) has the same.
Is there a 4" 1911 that comes apart like the Government model (without needing the tool/guide rod business)?

 

[Hornett]

A real commander has a 4 1/4" barrel. That is enough room for a normal barrel bushing. I know that the Kimber 4" barrels ave a little tool. There are 4" 1911s that don't need a tool but since I don't have ome I don'know how hwy work

 

[iChokePeople]

Yes. I have other commander length guns that come apart just like a normal 5", either of the normal ways (bushing twist, plug, spring, pin, slide, or pin first cupping the spring as you remove the slide).

 

[michaeltee]

You know how the compacts have that little hole in the guide rod where you put the take-down tool? The 4" RIA (Commander copy) has the same.
Is there a 4" 1911 that comes apart like the Government model (without needing the tool/guide rod business)?

What you have is a full length guide rod. Replace it with a 2 piece. FLGR does nothing for accuracy, but it helps the spring from binding. I personally feel it is much easier to compress the spring and breakdown my guns with the FLGR. My 1911s with bull barrels and tapered barrels use FLGR. My bushing barrels use 2 piece. A bull barrel is suggested in less than 5" barrels. Bushing are recommended for 5" and up.

 

[JetGirl]

What you have is a full length guide rod. Replace it with a 2 piece. FLGR does nothing for accuracy, but it helps the spring from binding. I personally feel it is much easier to compress the spring and breakdown my guns with the FLGR. My 1911s with bull barrels and tapered barrels use FLGR. My bushing barrels use 2 piece. A bull barrel is suggested in less than 5" barrels. Bushing are recommended for 5" and up.

It's not difficult or cumbersome to take it down (in fact, since my Kimber Ultra Carry was the first 1911 I owned, I learned that way first)... but in the RIA, the hole for the tool is WAAAAY far back. Further than the Kimber's by a LOT. It takes a bit more fiddling with it. I just wondered if they were all that way...

 

[iChokePeople]

It's not difficult or cumbersome to take it down (in fact, since my Kimber Ultra Carry was the first 1911 I owned, I learned that way first)... but in the RIA, the hole for the tool is WAAAAY far back. Further than the Kimber's by a LOT. It takes a bit more fiddling with it. I just wondered if they were all that way...

No. Ask jeepcrazed to show you hers at the next ladies' gathering.

 

[JetGirl]

No. Ask jeepcrazed to show you hers at the next ladies' gathering.

All those gatherings are down in the pink dot...I am in the purple.
That's way too far to go for a couple hours of chatting...I'd be driving more than visiting.

 

[04DarkShadowGT]

I have a 3.5" officer size RIA that I take down without any tools. There are several videos on youtube that will explain it better than I can in words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1wc6UpXhEI

Also if you want to use the paperclip method, just lock the slide back and insert the paperclip them. Shouldnt be any reason to have to fiddle with it too much. Videos on youtube showing this as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZxihtUVQe0&feature=related

 

[iChokePeople]

Oops, sorry. Forgot you were aaay out there.

 

[Jeepcrazed]

All those gatherings are down in the pink dot...I am in the purple.
That's way too far to go for a couple hours of chatting...I'd be driving more than visiting.

bummer that it's so far a drive. . My commander is a breeze to take down. and no tools. I also have an Ultra Carry and it is a PITA, by comparison.

 

[mshogren]

My Sig 1911 C3 Commander Length has the standard plug and bushing setup.

I also have a Para Warthog that you take apart by pulling the slide stop then pull the spring asm. after the slide is off.

My Kimber Ultra is the hardest of the 4 1911s I have to disassemble...

Mark

 

[JetGirl]

bummer that it's so far a drive. . My commander is a breeze to take down. and no tools. I also have an Ultra Carry and it is a PITA, by comparison.

My Sig 1911 C3 Commander Length has the standard plug and bushing setup.

I also have a Para Warthog that you take apart by pulling the slide stop then pull the spring asm. after the slide is off.

My Kimber Ultra is the hardest of the 4 1911s I have to disassemble...

Mark

I don't mind the Ultra take down at all...but the RIA's placement of that hole is just so far back, it can be a booger. You can't do it with just the slide locked back, you have to manually hold it back a tad farther and try not to let it escape your grasp while you get the tool lined up just right.
Sometimes I think I want to trade it in for a bushing 4"...but dang, the thing is a shooter and I really don't want to lose that.


Thanks for all the replies, peeps.
I guess it all comes down to whether I want to keep it because it's great and just get over whining about the initial take down, or not.

Oh, and for the peeps who posted the take down tutorial stuff...Thanks, but that reeeeally wasn't necessary.
Pew pew!

 

[88E30M50]

I've never had an issue taking my RIA Compact down without the tool. I did not even notice the hole until well after I had the gun. Could it be that your's is drilled with the hole farther back than is normal, which would make it a bear to take down? If you like, I'll measure how far back the hole is in mine to compare with yours.

 

[JetGirl]

I've never had an issue taking my RIA Compact down without the tool. I did not even notice the hole until well after I had the gun. Could it be that your's is drilled with the hole farther back than is normal, which would make it a bear to take down? If you like, I'll measure how far back the hole is in mine to compare with yours.

Could be... It measures 1 3/8" from the front edge. which isn't the biggest boogery part... it's at top dead center, which makes it hard to get the tool under the barrel and into the guide rod hole. The Kimber's is 1/2"from the front edge of the rod, and the hole is on the side so there's nothing obstructing the movement of the take down tool while you're maneuvering it...

 

[JetGirl]

I I'll measure how far back the hole is in mine to compare with yours.

What did you come up with?
I'm currently having some issues with mine that I hadn't encountered before.

 

[Johnny C]

The colt Officers model has a 3.5" coned barrel AND a bushing AND a short guide rod AND the plug has to be incerted from the rear of the slide. Lots of wierdnesses there, but its a nice size with the abbreviated frame.