my SA 1911A1 Loaded suddenly started dropping the hammer when the slide is closed!  I had loaned it to a friend who's a former LEO, and he experienced it the first time.  It's funny, tho, because just the weekend before, I had shot over 200 rounds, without seeing this problem.

When closing the slide, not all the time, but about 1 out of 4 or 5 times, the hammer will drop.  Not all the way, thank God, or my friend would have been minus one kneecap!  It's stopping on the half-cock notch.

Any tips in what I should do to remedy it?  I already decided I'll take her all apart and make sure there's no stray lube or grit or anything.  If cleaning the internals up doesn't help, think it might need another sear or hammer?  It's got around 1k rounds through it, and functions fine otherwise.  Hints and tips are welcome!

You will want to check and replace if necessary the sear spring, hammer, and sear.

The hammer and / or sear faces may be re-cut if there is enough clearance.

Are you easing the slide into battery or letting it fly closed onto an empty chamber? If it's the latter that's a big no no and you might not have anything wrong with the gun. Your sear spring may just need a little tweaking.

Letting the slide of a 1911 fly closed when you're not chambering a round can cause sear bounce and as a result the hammer may fall to half cock. This can be especially prevalent on, but not limited to, guns with particularly light or custom tuned trigger jobs. This is just one of the reasons to always ease a slide into battery when not chambering a round.



 

Quoted: You will want to check and replace if necessary the sear spring, hammer, and sear. The hammer and / or sear faces may be re-cut if there is enough clearance.

                                        New hammer and sear........not expensive.....suggest wilson parts......put the wilson lightwieght trigger in while you`re at it.........

Guys, I think I found what the problem is.  I took her apart, after minor tribulations getting the grip safety out.  It looks like the mainspring pin is missing.  The buffer at the top of the mainspring almost shot out when I took her apart.  I'll have to get a replacement pin, or I might just get a different mainspring housing with the mainspring and everything, to get rid of that damn Springfield locking thing!


oh, and BTW, I never let it fly on an empty chamber.  I have a snap cap that I used to test it.  Loaded it in a magazine and loosed the slide onto it.  After I took it apart and reassembled, it hasn't dropped the hammer yet.  

Yeah......that could cause some interesting problems..............

Thats a weird one! The little pin holding the hammer spring in only comes out forwards and only if the housing is removed and thats with deliberate effort. It must have shattered and fell out? (I had a gunshow ejector do that) I still can't quite envision how that would make the hammer follow. I would be on the horn to SA, myself. Maybe after a kajillion rounds, sure, parts wear. Any pin parts found?

Quoted: Guys, I think I found what the problem is.  I took her apart, after minor tribulations getting the grip safety out.  It looks like the mainspring pin is missing.  The buffer at the top of the mainspring almost shot out when I took her apart.  I'll have to get a replacement pin, or I might just get a different mainspring housing with the mainspring and everything, to get rid of that damn Springfield locking thing!

Nope that's not your problem. The Springfield 1911s that incorporate their proprietary "ILS" locking system do not come with a mainspring housing cap pin. The part has to be omitted in order to make the "ILS" system work. I can't tell you how much this locking system in particular aggravates me.

You've got the right idea though... ditch that factory MSH and get yourself an ordinary part from the likes of S&A or Wilson.  

Might I suggest again that you try and tweak the sear spring or if you want to just swap out the whole ignition system I would recommend you take a look a the parts offered by Dane Burns. Dane's parts are probably the best parts offered right now, IMO.

I agree with the above post.  When I got my Loaded Springfield, I though the same thing was wrong with it, but upon reading the owners manual, I found that Springfield ommitted this part...I replaced the MSH with one from a friend, and haven't looked back since.

I doubt this was your initial problem.  I would replace the above listed parts and see if you can get it right before you fire it again.

Darnit, I knew I didn't like that locking doohickey.  The MSH will be replaced.  Anyone know if the Wilson ones come with the spring, plunger and pin, or is it just the stripped down empty one?  If it is stripped down and empty, will the plunger and spring work from my SA?

I didn't take it down far enough to get the sear and disconnect out, but I will do that and clean 'em up and inspect before firing her again.  Kinda hard to beleive that it is fouling up after only about 1500 rounds.  It's still under warranty, so it may go back to SA if it's not an easy fix.  

Thanks guys!

Any mainspring housing I ever bought...was empty.....the spring..plunger..pin from any standard 1911 would normally interchange.....make sure the hammer strut is also of standard length....as it may have been modified for the lock mechanism......(what the hell!!!)......if it was me.....Id replace it ALL.....NOT an expensive or complicated fix.......the closer you get to a series 70 colt.....the better it will work.....(gee..wonder why they started making them again)................

BY THE WAY......you know you`ll be most likely voiding the warranty........