Changing out mainspring housing.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Changing out mainspring housing.

Posted: 4/5/2006 2:49:35 PM EDT

How involved is this process? I viewed the tutorial over on 1911.org and in it they state to keep the grip safety depressed at all times while removing the housing. But, then it shows the grip safety not depressed when it is out and they are removing the mainspring from the housing. So how do I do it. I want to replace mine with an Ed Brown 30lpi checkered one. Also, do these just slide in or is fitting gonna be required? Any help on this would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.GR.

Posted: 4/5/2006 3:12:23 PM EDT

[#1]

The reason for keeping the grip safe depressed is to keep the sear spring in place. If the sear spring pops out of place you will have to pull the thumb safe and grip safe to re set the sear spring. The grip safe also has to be depressed to slide the mainspring housing in place. There should be no fitting required.

Posted: 4/5/2006 3:47:03 PM EDT

[#2]

So then I need to keep the grip safety depressed while the mainspring housing is out then? If this is the case, can I wrap a piece of tape around the grip to keep it depressed while I put the mainspring in the new housing and reinstall it?

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:26:55 PM EDT

[#3]

Tape or a couple of rubber bands work just fine.

Switching out the mainspring housing is fast and easy, AS LONG as you keep the grip safety down, and have one 1/16" punch and one 1/8" punch.

Use the 1/8" to push out the MSH pin, and to push down the mainspring while you use the 1/16" to push out the mainspring retaining pin.

Posted: 4/5/2006 5:40:22 PM EDT

[#4]

Thanks much for the help fellas.

Posted: 4/5/2006 7:46:28 PM EDT

[#5]

This is just a thought. It might be time that you learn how to detail strip your pistol and give it a nice full on cleaning. not sure of your round count, but the first time I learned how to detail strip I was amazed at how much gunck gets left behind. Good luck

Aim straight and have fun
Jon

Posted: 4/5/2006 7:51:36 PM EDT

[#6]

What if you have the springfield ILS?

Also, I want to put a flat one on mine and get rid of the arched on mine. So I go to brownells and look at what they got. One of them is a "Colt" one for like 10 dollars because it's Plastic / Polymer. Are these a bad idea or what? I'm a cheap skate and if they work, why not. But if they're crap, I won't put one on. What says everyone?

Posted: 4/5/2006 8:00:41 PM EDT

[#7]

Dude you are way off on the mainspring housing ever being made of plastic. That shit would not fly. You get what ya pay for. So spend the 30 or 40 bucks and get somethin good. That is cheap BTW. And also, You really need to not woory about that whole rubberband thing and learn to detail strip the gun. It's fun and you really get to know your guns this way, not to mention clean them. This whole process takes less than fifteen minutes to take apart the gun and reassemble it. Check it out; not too many parts in this gun.

Posted: 4/5/2006 8:38:00 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Dude you are way off on the mainspring housing ever being made of plastic. That shit would not fly. You get what ya pay for. So spend the 30 or 40 bucks and get somethin good. That is cheap BTW. And also, You really need to not woory about that whole rubberband thing and learn to detail strip the gun. It's fun and you really get to know your guns this way, not to mention clean them. This whole process takes less than fifteen minutes to take apart the gun and reassemble it. Check it out; not too many parts in this gun.
i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/avidshooter/14.jpg

MyDelta Elite stainless came new with that plastic m/s housing, plastic trigger shoe and plastic recoil spring guide. All were replaced with real metal as fast as I could scrounge the bucks.

Posted: 4/5/2006 9:46:34 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Dude you are way off on the mainspring housing ever being made of plastic. That shit would not fly. You get what ya pay for. So spend the 30 or 40 bucks and get somethin good. That is cheap BTW. And also, You really need to not woory about that whole rubberband thing and learn to detail strip the gun. It's fun and you really get to know your guns this way, not to mention clean them. This whole process takes less than fifteen minutes to take apart the gun and reassemble it. Check it out; not too many parts in this gun.
i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/avidshooter/14.jpg

That's a milspec, aint it? But the stainless version. Dang, I wish I was brave enough to do that. O.K. I'll get a good mainspring housing. I wanted one with a lanyard loop anyways and those are only the good ones, at least on brownells. Then I'll do it myself and take a step in the direction you are. I have the AGI video but I'm still scared to break it all down.

Posted: 4/7/2006 6:12:30 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Dude you are way off on the mainspring housing ever being made of plastic. That shit would not fly. You get what ya pay for. So spend the 30 or 40 bucks and get somethin good. That is cheap BTW. And also, You really need to not woory about that whole rubberband thing and learn to detail strip the gun. It's fun and you really get to know your guns this way, not to mention clean them. This whole process takes less than fifteen minutes to take apart the gun and reassemble it. Check it out; not too many parts in this gun.
i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/avidshooter/14.jpg

That's a milspec, aint it? But the stainless version. Dang, I wish I was brave enough to do that. O.K. I'll get a good mainspring housing. I wanted one with a lanyard loop anyways and those are only the good ones, at least on brownells. Then I'll do it myself and take a step in the direction you are. I have the AGI video but I'm still scared to break it all down.

It's super easy to work on after you detail strip it a couple times. I looked at a couple sites on the net before I started takin it apart. It took maybe an hour for the whole thing to go back together. Now it's a matter of minutes. I would say out of all the guns I have the 1911 is my favorite to clean.

I hate cleaning the sks. Detail cleaning of that thing takes me about 1.5-2 hours. I have to detail strip all my guns when I am done shooting. It's a curse.

Oh yeah, I guess I was wrong about plastic MSH's. Seems like the worst idea ever.

Posted: 4/7/2006 4:14:24 PM EDT

[#11]

Thanks man

Posted: 4/7/2006 4:44:14 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
That's a milspec, aint it? But the stainless version. Dang, I wish I was brave enough to do that. O.K. I'll get a good mainspring housing. I wanted one with a lanyard loop anyways and those are only the good ones, at least on brownells. Then I'll do it myself and take a step in the direction you are. I have the AGI video but I'm still scared to break it all down.

When I replaced the ILS on mine, I bought a new spring, mainspring cap, and retaining pin and MSH.
The cap for the ILS was different than the replacement. I"m not sure how many of the parts I needed to replace, but I replaced them all to make sure I had it right. Cheap insurance.
It seriously took like 5 minutes.

Posted: 4/8/2006 10:44:13 AM EDT

[#13]

All right guys, can't get the thumb safety to go back in comes up about an 1/8 " short even with the dentent depressed.. Do I need to reset something? This is frustrating, any help appreciated

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Changing out mainspring housing.

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