cleaning a 1911

[Venus Pax]

Do all of you 1911 owners find it difficult to clean your 1911(s)?

I actually require assistance with mine. My husband has to take the slide off for me and put it back on. He says it requires lining up one of the notches on the slide to the take-down piece. It's like doing acrobatics with your fingers. There has to be an easier way to do this.

[phddan]

Practice, practice, practice.
Had a roommate in Germany that had a Colt comander. We would practice breakdown and reassembly blindfolded and against the clock.

Dan

[KinnyLee]

You can buy a bushing wrench to help take your 1911 apart, but it's not good for it if you have a match grade barrel and bushing set.

[AV8R]

This is part of the enjoyment of having a 1911-you get to master the mechanics of a complex, precision instrument. Try following the manual,step-by-step at first, noting that the first thing you do is release the recoil spring's pressure by removing the bushing. It's all easy from there on, until the last step, putting the slide lock back in. I use a #2 chopstick to get the barrel link lined up with the hole in the frame. To get the slide stop in without scratching the frame, use pressure from two thumbs, three if you have them, to press the slide stop simultaneously toward the frame and up into the takedown notch in the slide, as the end of the slide stop lever rests against the pin protruding from the plunger tube. A drop of oil helps, as does firm, steady pressure. As you practice, you will pick up on a few little things that make things go faster. It's not as hard as it looks, though.

[Venus Pax]

#2 chopsticks? As in chopsticks that you eat with?

[cyphur]

Getting the tab out is pretty easy if you have any amount of finger strength, if not, use a screwdriver handle(preferably a non-metal surface).

Putting it back on is somewhat tricky, but I found if you slide the slide back on to its normal position, tilt the barrel downward, and kind of tap on the rear of the slide, it will jolt the tab you speak of, right into place.

My Kimber Ultra would assemble in under a minute flat without rushing.

[AV8R]

#2 chopsticks? As in chopsticks that you eat with?

Right. The ones with a fine tip. :)

[P12]

What kind of 1911 do you have?

I have owned a Para P12-45 and a Colt Combat that was easy (strength wise) to dis-assemble and re-assemble due to the fact that these guns had a barrel bushing.

I currently own two 1911s that do not have a barrel bushing. A Springfield Armory and a Kimber. The Sprinfield is a pain to re-assemble because the retaining pin/slide stop must be aligned and inserted under spring pressure. The Kimber without the dis-assembly tool I think would be extremely difficult to re-assemble.

Depends on the gun and holding your mouth juuuuussssttt right!

I you want you can do a good job of cleaning without dis-assembly. Just follow these instructions:
1. Unload the firearm
2. Remove the grips
3. With the slide in battery insert the whole gun into a one gallon paint can containing the following solution
1 part kerosene
1 part naptha
1 part acetone
1 part power steering fluid

4. Let is soak about 15 min.
5. Remove gun
6. Open slide to lock position.
7. Scrub barrell as needed
8. Scrub with tooth brush as needed
9. Blow gun off with compressed air
10. Wipe off excess oil with lint free rag.
11. Install grips

Your done.