A little Colt history and detail strip, using it's parts as tools.

The 1911 was purposely easy to strip without tools because it was primarily designed to be a military pistol.

This feature was an advantage to the troops who were far from the logistics tail, gunsmiths...and tools.

Nice video to remind us of one of the best qualities of this pistol.
 
Obviously, that works. I prefer the slightly different method I was taught by the USAOC&S back in 75. It requires a (one) "tool".

The tool is a pin, punch, pencil, rifle bullet, toothpick, twig, etc., essentially anything that can be used to push in the firing pin.

He begins his strip of the frame by removing the safety lock (thumb safety), clearly, this is easy to do on his gun. I have met guns where it was NOT easy, or even possible by hand, until after you remove the main spring housing pin.

SO, the method I use is to use something to push down the firing pin, so it can be removed, then use the firing pin as the pin punch to remove the mainspring housing pin, THEN remove the thumb safety, and continue to strip the piece.

I also note that in the video, he called the frame "stripped" with the grips still on it. I don't count that as fully stripped. The grips are also removed, using the sear spring as the screwdriver.

I don't know of any more modern "improved" gun designs that let you do this. Can you do it with a GLock? a SIG? anything else?

I don't have a Glock, have a SIG, and while field stripping the SIG is a snap, after taking one look at the insides of the frame, well, this old boy "ain't goin' there" save in direst need.

In the century plus of use, to date, no one has come up with a handgun that does all the things the 1911 design does in one blended package. There are many designs that do some things better than the 1911 does, there are many that do things the 1911 doesn't do. Even with decades and decades of being able to study the 1911 design, no one has been able to produce something that is significantly better in ALL ways.

IF that isn't genius of design, explain to me what is, please...
 
Early M1911 grip screws had a dished notch, so the rim of a cartridge case could fit down into the slot to turn the screws.
I don't know if/when that was abandoned, probably as production ramped-up during WWI.
 
An M16/AR16 firing pin makes a great 1911 tool; the steps in the firing pin fit the different pin holes on a 1911.

On early 1911s, the lip on the base of the magazine fit the grip screws.

Thanks for the tips, 1911Tuner.
 
The grip screws can also be removed using the sidewall of the magazine as a tool, and the grip safety arm of the sear spring can be used to remove the magazine catch. The actual tool, as issued, had only a pin punch and a screwdriver, all that was needed for field maintenance.

The only parts that should not be removed by the user are the front sight, the rear sight, the spring tunnel, the grip screw bushings, and the ejector. The mainspring housing should not be disassembled in any normal stripping, but it can be and might be in an extreme case, such as the gun having been soaked in salt water.

Jim
 
John Travis (aka 1911Tuner) knows his stuff for sure. I do enjoy working with him.
I am pretty sure, since the stocks are not a serviceable part that impact function, I do believe the 1911 can be considered field stripped with the stocks and plunger in place.
 
The more ya' investigate a 1911, the neater they become.
Thanks for the video, it surely would come in handy if I ever lost my tool box.
But disassembling one down to its bits like that is doing it the hard way.
I just throw mine against a wall. :)
 
FWIW, "field stripping" a gun means taking it down only as much as needed for proper cleaning. With the 1911, that means removing the slide and barrel, but not any frame parts. "Detail stripping" means taking a gun down to the smallest parts that are not a permanent assembly. Beyond that, like removing the front sight or the plunger tube on a 1911 would be done only by a gunsmith or qualified armorer; in the military service, it might be considered a depot level job.

Jim
 
OP,two detent plungers and one blocking plunger in series 80 pistols.
Which one is it you referring to?
Much to be learned from that Tuner.
(by the way John Browning called those,pistons)
 
Beyond that, like removing the front sight or the plunger tube on a 1911 would be done only by a gunsmith or qualified armorer; in the military service, it might be considered a depot level job.
Click to expand...

No, its not. The only depot level item for the 1911 is the frame itself. Front sight, plunger tube, grip screw bushings and even the ejector was done at Direct Support level. I was one of the guys who did it in the 70s. D company709th DS BN 9th Infantry and Forward Support Company 498th Spt BN 2nd Armored.

We had the fixtures and special tools to install and stake the sights, bushings and tube, and we could replace/repair all the other parts except for the frame. And if the frame needed repair, it went to Depot level maint. As far as I know, Depot never repaired any frames they just DX'd the gun. (wrote it off in exchange for another).
 
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