Questions/comments on my new 45.

L

Lightsped

New member
I bought a new 1991A1 today. Overall, I like it, but I do have two question/comments.

1. Is it just me or are these 1991A1s hard to disassemble? Maybe it is just me being spoiled from my Sig 229 and Beretta 92FS, but damn, it took me quite a while to figure out all the steps to take down my 1991A1 and put it back together.

2. I put some Hoppes lubricant (orange bottle) on the slide rails and my gun is still rubbing like sandpaper when I pull the slide back and release it. Very very rough. Is this normal? As a comparison, my new 92FS is much smoother, with my Sig 229 (200-300 rounds through it so far) being smooth as glass....

Overall this Colt 45 looks and feels like a very cool gun. I am very anxious to shoot it as I have never shot a 45. I only have experience with 22, 9mm, 38special, and 40s&w.....
Thanks
 
Take it apart again and put some lube on the inside of the slide where it is cut for the top lugs of the barrel. Lube lightly in that area and just ahead of it. Also, when you put it back together lock the slide back and put a little lube around the outside of the barrel near the muzzle. Then move the slide back and forth a few times without letting it slam forward on an empty chamber(You do not want to do that as a rule), you can then wipe off the excess which you will find on the barrel hood and at the back of the slide. Now you're good to go, hope this helps....
 
As this is my first 1911 style gun, I am not as familar with its internals as I am with others. What or where exactly are the top lugs for the barrel? Also, is it possible to remove the barrel itself from the slide? I know it must be since there are so many custom barrels out there for sale....
 
Lightspeed,

If you have to ask how to remove the barrel from the slide I suspect that is why you had trouble disassembling the thing to start with. Proper breakdown of a standard 1911 pattern gun

1. Remove magazine and check chamber. Check chamber again!
2. At the front of the slide (under the barrel) push in on the spring button and rotate the barrel bushing clockwise (as you face the gun from the front). At this time the spring assembly is going to come out the bottom, don't let it fly away or hit you in the face!
3. Rotate the barrel bushing counterclockwise until it comes free and can be pulled out of the slide assembly.
4. Pull the slide back until the slide stop lever lines up with the disassembly slot (the smaller one that goes all the way through the rail. Push on the pin side of the slide stop and remove.
5. Slide the slide and barrel forward off the frame.
6. Flip the barrel link (the little moving part on the bottom) forward and pull the barrel out of the front of the slide (you have to lift up slightly on the rear of the barrel to get it out of the locking notches at the top of the slide).
7. Clean everything completely (shipping grease is normally a lousy lubricant) and then relube sparingly with a good gun lube (I prefer a grease for the slide rails).

Better yet, spend a couple of dollars and get Kunhausen's book on the 1911.
 
I've been wanting a "real" 1911 in either Kimber, Para Ord, Springfield or Colt for some time now. But I'm starting to like my 'copy' more every day. It's a Llama Minimax compact. It's pretty much exactly like the real thing, except you can skip steps 2 and 3 above because there is no push-button under the barrel. I just have to pull the slide back until I get to the take-down notch and slide out the pin. Takes about 5 seconds to take it down. I think I'll save the money on a more expensive model and just keep it and add the full-size Llama Max-I 1911 to my arsenal. Still... that Kimber CDP would be a joy to own...
 
Red Label,

The instructions were for a "standard" 1911 pattern, my Kimber Ultra CDP doesn't work that way either. (It takes a little "tool" to disassemble) With most of the compact versions you just take the entire slide assembly off, then lift the spring and rod assembly out of the bottom of the slide (at the rear) and slide it out - catching the spring as you do it hopefully!). Then the barrel should remove as described. Reassembling that style is a bit more difficult as you have to put everything back together under spring tension, but it isn't THAT hard.
 
sw627pc, Thanks for the info. I REALLY DO want a Kimber CDP. Those things are tops in my book. But it sounds like my Llama is the easiest 1911 so far to take down and "put up". Not that I plan on having to field strip it in a hurry... :)
 
LightSped -

For more information than you will probably EVER want to know about 1911-patterned pistols, check out http://www.m1911.org and http://www.1911forum.com - be sure to check out the searh facility on the 1911forum site. Most questions I have had have already been asked and answered before. Save the wait on replies.

Hope this helps! Welcome to the wonderful world of the 1911!

Tony
 
Lightspeed,

One other fact about the 1911 design. It is actually one of the simplest designs (elegant in my opinion) in the semi auto guns. Complete disassembly and reassembly are quite easy. I do recommend a book for someone who hasn't ever done it though, getting it apart is easy, getting everything back in the right place does require a bit of knowledge. ;)
 
Oh, I was successfully able to get the gun apart and put back together the correct way. Only thing I haven't been able to do is get the barrel sperated from the slide. I rotated the barrel bushing counter clockwise and all, but it just won't come out. I can see the notches as I roate the bushing and there doesn't appear to be anything in the way of the barrel bushing sliding off.
 
Lightsped, congratulations on your purchase. Do like I did when I was in high school and got my grandfather's WWI Colt. Sit at the kitchen table and dis-assemble it and re-assemble it four or five times. Then do it with your eyes closed. It's really a pretty simple procedure. Best Wishes, LBC
 
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