I need help!

I got a 1911 Springfield and downloaded the how to's . Looked easy enough, so I began to strip it down...

Well, looking and reading the schematic is one thing, But when things don't come out  and definately not going back in right, can get damn well frustrating!! .. I now have a pile of parts and some nice scratches everywhere! @#@$~ yeh, call me incompetent!

sooo, can someone point me to a posting/ webpage for like detail/ DETAIL stripping instruction, like "when you put the sears back in, this is a picture of the correct orientation.. , or "when installing the safty switch back in.. push in the plunger with a screwdriver.. etc...

help a dummie out!

Disconnecter/sear:

the flat side of the bottom of the long stick thing with the hole in it goes against the back of the trigger...you'll know when it fits right.

The half-moon curved thingie goes in with the curve facing out, towards the front of the gun...should fit right on. Lining up the holes to fit the pin back in may take some jiggling but it should drop right in..

After that...it's pretty easy. I'd recommend that after you get the disconnector/sear put in and pinned, you then put the hammer in, with pin (make sure the hammer is straight up/uncocked position!)...

Flip up the hammer strut, and put the leaf spring in underneath it, make sure it seats right. Let the hammer strut down now, so it's just hanging loose. Slide on the mainspring housing a bit, up until the hammer strut is almost touching the spring plunger there...just short of the holes at the bottom lining up, so you can't put in the pin just yet. Now's a perfect time to put in the grip safety...no need to put in the thumb safety yet. Once it's in, make sure the hammer strut is aligned with the spring plunger in the mainspring housing, and just slide it up home...very little spring tension. Put in the pin, and viola, you should be good to go. Cock the hammer, put in the thumb safety.

When putting the slide on, one of the easiest ways to do it is to have the barrel in it's unlocked, open position, up against the front of the slide, with the spring guide in it's normal position (assuming you have a normal USGI-type setup and not a 1 or 2 piece guide rod thingie)..start the slide on the frame upside-down, and once the frame's on, flip it right side up once the slide is at the back of the frame. The link should be more-or-less aligned with the slide stop hole...should make putting in the slide stop a real simple job.

Hope that helps..

Click on the link for the scematics up top, and go to Brownells/Colt Gov't.

I printed them just last night for the same thing. I've had 1911's apart a lot, but just never can remember the sear orientation.

www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm

thanks for the awesomely fast replies, everything is going back together and I've printed the instructions out.

hey, is the www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm one of the schematic links? I think it should be

now this dummie here need to find info on how to get scratches off my parkerized Springfield GI ???

more help please!!!!!

I don't know of any touch-up for parkerized finishes. I would like to know also.

This will work, but it's only a band-aid really.
Touch-Up Pen

Home Parkerizing is easy, get this:
Parkerizing Kit
and just re-park the whole thing.

Don't worry about scratches on a parkerized gun.  That's all part of the package.

Shoot it until you see more bare steel than parkerized, then worry about refinishing it.  A 1911 on which you are always having to baby the finish is no fun at all.

Quoted: Don't worry about scratches on a parkerized gun.  That's all part of the package. Shoot it until you see more bare steel than parkerized, then worry about refinishing it.  A 1911 on which you are always having to baby the finish is no fun at all.

I thought about that after I've posted the message, but like what they say about having children, the first one you rush to the hospital when he sneezes, but by the 2nd kid you see him swallow a coin, you'll say "it'll come out in a few days".

Nevertheless, part of owning guns, for me at least, is not just to shoot it, but to be proud of able to take care of it.

That said, thanks for all's input and comments.