Happiness is a new gun 2

[dao]

Other than field stripping and cleaning I've never dismantled one of my 1911's Colonel. I've read that most of 1911 plunger tubes are staked on, but I have no idea how to release the nibs on each end to get to the spring. I guess a youtube search is in order. I would very much like the safety to be more positive. One bright side I guess is there was very little chance of picking up the dreaded idiot scratch when I reassembled it last night, and my mag release/disassembly lever isn't even notched like they are on my DW's. But still I'd opt for a positive safety click over less of a chance of scratching this gun.

I did have it in the back of my mind when I was shopping for a Tisas that they might be a good gun/opportunity to become more familiar with the innards of a 1911. It is a series 70 just like the DWs. So if I do pull it apart at some point at least I may be in a position to use the experience on one of my others if the need arises.

[Bawanna]

You don't have to pull the plunger tube. (EVER). You just pull the safety and usually the spring and detents will fly out the back. Sometimes a bugger to get back in actually. All it takes is like a dremel to make the notches in the safety itself a bit more pronounced.

I also put the notch in the take down lever on all mine. None of them had it I don't think, maybe the CBob did, don't recall.

A youtube video might be the ticket. It's kind of intimidating but really not difficult. I'm not a natural at it and do worry some taking them apart but always managed to get them back together and functioning. Like any gun, function test everything every time.

[dao]

Well Colonel I watched a youtube video that showed how to position the safety lever just so and then just pull it out of the frame just enough to let the plunger come out. But my Tisas has ambi safeties on it and I haven't found yet how to separate each side from the other.


pk I have a roll of marine step material that looks just like that. I've used it to make countless grip panels. somewhat like Talon grips. I thought about wrapping the frontstrap with it and tucking the edges under the grips. I s'pose I could do the same on the backstrap and then have it front and back.

[Bawanna]

The left side is a male flat, that just slides into a female flat slot on the off side. On your the grip is the only thing holding the right side in place. You should be able to just wiggle the left side like the video, at about mid point it will pull out.
Watch for the spring. You can stretch it a bit and I usually put a kink in the middle, keeps it from flying out so bad.
Going back in you place the spring and then have to push it in so the safety can pop back into place. Something small, I have some q tips on a stick. I use the little stick to push the spring in until I squeeze it with the safety, then push in and pull the stick out.
Easy.

[Bawanna]

Here's a picture that kind of shows what I'm talking about.

[dao]

Thanks. I watched another youtube video that showed it's essentially the same process for ambi's, so I got the left side out, twice. It's a tough little spring. After the second time I have the safety stiffer but not as firm as I'd like it to be. I just don't know how much I can stretch that spring before it just lets go and I end up with a non-functional spring. I may pull it off again before I will carry it.

[dao]

Well, I don't like leaving things hanging. Then I recalled what you said about the notch in the safety Colonel, so I took it off again and using my dremel oh so carefully made the little divot a tad deeper. Good thing I didn't do more because it's now a bit painful to my thumb to flick it on. It flicks off easier than on but even in that direction it is more positive than it was. I'm happy with it now. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! Function checks all passed.

[JohnR]

Detail stripping a 1911 isn’t hard. It’s the little inner ear bones I have trouble reassembling. Tough to get in the right places.

[Bawanna]

Well, I don't like leaving things hanging. Then I recalled what you said about the notch in the safety Colonel, so I took it off again and using my dremel oh so carefully made the little divot a tad deeper. Good thing I didn't do more because it's now a bit painful to my thumb to flick it on. It flicks off easier than on but even in that direction it is more positive than it was. I'm happy with it now. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! Function checks all passed.

You can just taper the little divets on the safety a bit to smooth it out but still keep it positive which is what one should seek. You said it flicks off easier, so look at that divet and try to match it to flick on.

[dao]

I tried it this morning after my thumb had rested from all the abuse I threw at it last night. Safety on click is pretty darn good, and positive. Safety off is much better than it was but not as positive as I would like it. But I think the only way to tweak it now would be to take some material off the safety where it rests against the plunger when the safety is up and on, since I've already removed the slight ramp that was in front of the hole the plunger rests in when the safety is off. The hole is now perfectly round with no ramp, so flicking the safety up is very firm.

Once it's up and on all the plunger has to do is ride over the contour of the safety to reach the hole. I think I have to relieve that contour just a bit where the plunger rests against the safety lever when it is up and on, to give it a bit of resistance, ie a less smooth contour to ride over before the plunger reaches the hole when pushing down on the lever. My amateurish picture below shows the area I'm thinking of relieving just a tad.

The picture shows why I never won playing Pictionary.