Cleaning a 1911

L

Lavan

New member
I realize that there are maybe a couple of 1911 fans in TFL.
Also, taking down a 1911 for cleaning is part of the fun of owning one.
Now.....the question: Other than the therapy of having pieces all over the table, is there any reason not to just swab the bore and toothbrush the breech most of the time instead of tearing down?
 
I have often thought that if you leave the grit in the gun, specifically on the rails that this would act like lapping compound, increase wear, and make the gun looser, quicker. Just a feeling, have no proof, and have never heard this said by anyone else.
 
I detail mine every time I clean it. Time-consuming, oh hell yes... but I feel closer to the gun as a result of having gone to that extra effort.

Or, you could just say I'm a nit-picky anal-retentive freak. :D
 
I read a post on this forum in which the poster stated that he breaks in auto pistols by firing them unlubricated for a certain number of rounds. I think this ties in with Andabeer's theory of rapid wear from foreign materials. Clean, unlubricated surfaces would result in less gouging and scratching, but still allow for accelerated wear.

Of course, we who clean after every shooting session do so because (1) the more you practice, the faster it gets and (2) we get to hold the gun in our hands that much longer. Pretty. Shiny. Intricate. I could go on.
 
I field strip and clean all my pistols evry time they're fired, except my ruger MkII, which gets cleaned throughly every 500 or so rounds. The rails and lug areas get particular attention.

Also, for the 1911's, every so often, say after six months or 1000 rounds, remove and clean the firing pin and the extractor, and clean their channels in the slide assembly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top