Posted: 11/7/2009 11:50:53 PM EDT
|
Having the male gene that makes us tinker can get us in over our head.
I finally got my first 1911 and decided that I was going to change out the plastic mainspring housing with a steel one. I have virtually no experience with working on 1911's, so I've spent a lot of time reading in the 1911 forum... probably a mistake, but one I hope to learn from. Changing the mainspring housing went rather smoothly, right up until I realized that I forgot to make sure the hammer was lowered. I figured I would put it back together anyway and see if I have a problem... After it was back together, my grip safety just doesn't feel right anymore. I'm assuming that the leaf spring came partway out and now I need to take it apart. So, now the question is... how bad can it be? I feel this is something I ought to know anyway. Before I start stripping this down to the frame... how bad can it be? |
|
What doesn't quite feel right about the grip safety? If the searspring did come out of it's notch, it probably didn't do any real damage. Just disassemble it again, and put it back together being careful to put everything in it's place.
And the next time you want to swap out a mainspring housing, or replace just the mainspring, use a rubber band or tape to keep the grip safety down. It'll keep everything in place so you don't have to take more apart then you need to. Actually that will help even in this case. Get the leaf spring back in place, then secure the grip safety. That will help keep the leaf spring from popping out of it's notch. And also make sure the legs of the leaf spring didn't pop over disconnector. I'm sure this would have been much more clear if I weren't half asleep. If it doesn't make sense, I'm sure that someone will make it clear before I log back in. |
|
not everything on a 1911 is drop-in.
If you rubber-banded the grip safety and just slid the mainspring housing out and put in the new one than it's not likely that the sear spring moved, meaning, if your grip safety feels different it's probably rubbing on the top of the mainspring housing and you'll probably have to do a little filing to the top of it. |
|
Quoted:
not everything on a 1911 is drop-in. If you rubber-banded the grip safety and just slid the mainspring housing out and put in the new one than it's not likely that the sear spring moved, meaning, if your grip safety feels different it's probably rubbing on the top of the mainspring housing and you'll probably have to do a little filing to the top of it. I agree, if it feels like it's rubbing on something, then it probably is. As sevin8nin stated it's most likely that top of the new mainspring housing. They aren't all cut the same,and some are left oversized so they can be fitted to the gun they are going on. Remove it, compare it to the old on, then do some light filing, probably on the ledge portion until they almost match. Test fit, and remove a tiny bit at at time until it fits without causing the grip safety to rub. |
|
Quoted:
Colt 1991A1?
Having the male gene that makes us tinker can get us in over our head. I finally got my first 1911 and decided that I was going to change out the plastic mainspring housing with a steel one. I have virtually no experience with working on 1911's, so I've spent a lot of time reading in the 1911 forum... probably a mistake, but one I hope to learn from. Changing the mainspring housing went rather smoothly, right up until I realized that I forgot to make sure the hammer was lowered. I figured I would put it back together anyway and see if I have a problem... After it was back together, my grip safety just doesn't feel right anymore. I'm assuming that the leaf spring came partway out and now I need to take it apart. So, now the question is... how bad can it be? I feel this is something I ought to know anyway. Before I start stripping this down to the frame... how bad can it be? |