1911 problem

[Indiana Jones]

Hey guys a friend of mine asked me a 1911 specific question and I have no idea what the problem is. My guess is something in the mainspring housing. He has a RIA 1911 he left "cocked" for a "very long time". That's the info he gave me. Now every time it's cocked the hammer drops. Basically sounds like some awful hammer follow. He said a shop he took it too said it would cost a hundred to look at it and more to fix it. That left me scratching my head. Thoughts? Figured I'd ask before I set him all the way down to Scott's.

 

[BradMacc82]

Have no idea.

Paging Clandestine, Paging Clandestine.

 

[sailskidrive]

If he is reasonably handy, for a $100 he could probably order an entire set of quality internal parts and fix it himself.

 

[Ppat]

If he is reasonably handy, for a $100 he could probably order an entire set of quality internal parts and fix it himself.

+1... Taking apart a 1911 isnt as easy as taking a glock apart, but if ur buddy is handy and has the internet he shouod be able to take care of it.

 

[smores]

It's probably a sear/hammer interface issue, or could be a problem with the disconnector. The sear or hammer surfaces that engage each other may have been damaged or chipped, and the sear won't hold the hammer back fully. Is it falling to half-cock?

If the hammer is dropping when the slide is closed, it could be the same thing or the disconnector may be too short/improperly fitted.

Remember, never drop the slide on an empty chamber with a 1911, or you can cause the damage described above. Then again, this is my opinion, and I've built/worked on dozens if not hundreds of 1911s... I'd have to see inside to be dead sure. Pay to have someone qualified look at it if you have no experience with these pistols...

 

[Indiana Jones]

Thanks guys. He's very handy with stuff, he builds drift cars and other stuff for a living, but still a gun is a different animal.

 

[nomo613]

i detail stripped my 1911 for the first time recently. when i put it back together, it did not pass the function check. i would cock the hammer and it just would not stay up. i took it apart and put it back together a few times until i got it right. i believe the problem i had was that i put that funky three prong spring in wrong. when i did it again i adjusted it and it worked. he should learn to take down his 1911 and check all the pieces to see if any are damaged.

 

[mikec]

+1... Taking apart a 1911 isnt as easy as taking a glock apart, but if ur buddy is handy and has the internet he shouod be able to take care of it.

30 years ago, not knowing what I know now, I took a Colt Lightweight Commander down so the frame only had the plunger tube still attached.

I had a USGI 1911A1 manual as my guide.

I didn't realize that I could screw something up. I was thinking "Hell, they sent these guns to combat zones, I can't hurt it". The gun worked when I got it put together.

 

[BigMBobbyOP]

theres not a problem w/ keeping a 1911 hammer back is there?

 

[clandestine]

Smores is right.

If you need me to look at it Ill ne at the shop tomorrow. It wont cost $100 unless something is fubar. It could je gunked up WD40 or Miltec siezing up the FCG.

 

[Indiana Jones]

Smores is right.

If you need me to look at it Ill ne at the shop tomorrow. It wont cost $100 unless something is fubar. It could je gunked up WD40 or Miltec siezing up the FCG.

Awesome thanks! When are you there? I'll tell him and see if he can make it down after he closes up his shop. Oh yea any word on my brothers chop shop 870? Haha I told him you had to do serious welding and cutting. He's expecting like a $500 bill

 

[clandestine]

Awesome thanks! When are you there? I'll tell him and see if he can make it down after he closes up his shop. Oh yea any word on my brothers chop shop 870? Haha I told him you had to do serious welding and cutting. He's expecting like a $500 bill

SOrry for the delay. Im so buried there Im trouble seeing the light. I know we got the gun itself done (Cross Threaded Back) but the stock bolt were waiting for.

Ill be ther from 1 to close tomorrow.

 

[Baccusboy]

SOrry for the delay. Im so buried there Im trouble seeing the light. I know we got the gun itself done (Cross Threaded Back) but the stock bolt were waiting for.

Ill be ther from 1 to close tomorrow.

Looks like someone is typing on a smartphone.

 

[clandestine]

Looks like someone is typing on a smartphone.

guilty

 

[Indiana Jones]

SOrry for the delay. Im so buried there Im trouble seeing the light. I know we got the gun itself done (Cross Threaded Back) but the stock bolt were waiting for.

Ill be ther from 1 to close tomorrow.

No worries, I've had to order things straight from manufactures before, they take FOREVER! Especially general motors...

 

[smores]

i detail stripped my 1911 for the first time recently. when i put it back together, it did not pass the function check. i would cock the hammer and it just would not stay up. i took it apart and put it back together a few times until i got it right. i believe the problem i had was that i put that funky three prong spring in wrong. when i did it again i adjusted it and it worked. he should learn to take down his 1911 and check all the pieces to see if any are damaged.

Just caught this, and sorry I didn't think of that before. It's VERY EASY to get the sear spring, especially the left-most (and farthest-forward protruding) leg of the spring in there wrong. If it gets in FRONT of the sear leg, it totally jams things up. I know I did that dozens of times when I first started working on 1911s, now it's second nature so it slipped my mind!

There are plenty of good 1911 reference materials out there.