I have a TRP. I’ve never detail stripped a handgun of any kind before, but I just got my hands on a book about 1911 smithing (The Colt .45 Automatic: A Shop Manual by Jerry Kuhnhausen in case you’re wondering). Tomorrow, or shortly thereafter, I’m going to attempt to detail strip it as much as I can with the tools I have.
Well, according to Springfield the TRP comes from the factory with the extractor tuned. If I remove the extractor and put it back in the way I found it, will it need re-tuning? I’m probably showing my ignorance here but I figure better to look stupid than mess up my $1500 pistol.
As stated, you will be fine. No special tools are needed to completely detail strip a 1911. A punch comes in handy to remove the MSH, take out the firing pin and a bushing wrench can come in handy. The 1911 is one of the easiest pistols in the world to completely detail strip.
Because all 1911s need a good detail stripping every few thousand rounds to ensure complete reliability. The only cleaning I do is a detail strip every 1K and it ensures reliability.
I’d suggest it just to feel more comfortable with the gun. Nothing takes the Dues Ex Machina out faster than taking something down to its parts and springs and putting it back together.
Good point on YouTube. I can’t remember what step it was that befuddled me, but you can always find a youtube video to help when you are sitting there with a box of parts. Helps with sequencing if nothing else.
Because it’s something I’ve never done before, and I want to learn. In case I do need or want to change something, I want to know so I can do it myself.
Think about what you’re saying. Cleaning a gun does not ENSURE reliability. All it ensures, is that your gun is clean.
Quality of design. Quality of Materials, Quality of assembly/fitting, Quality magazines, and Quality ammo, all increase chances of “reliability”. Nothing can ensure reliability (however it’s being defined), and cleanliness of the pistol is probably last on the list of contributing factors leading to “reliability”, if the pistol is designed and built right.
When I was into 1911s I used the same book as a guide to detail stripping my 1911s, sometimes with youtube videos to help me along, as others have mentioned. It really wasn’t hard at all. You may need a small brass punch, small rubber mallet and a bench block. Usually, with all my guns I try to use wooden dowels first when driving solid pins to keep from marring anything, they’re cheap, come in all sizes and I just saw off a new piece when they get worn. As for a bench block I purchased one from Brownells, but what I should have done was just take a short piece of 2x4 and drilled a few different diameter holes through it.
Just take your time and make sure to do function tests, which are illustrated in the book. If you really want to be super careful when detail stripping any firearm, you can take pictures of how the parts interface as you move along with your digital camera. This will help you put it all back together again easier.
After you detail strip it a couple of time you won’t even need the book. On a personal note, the 1911 is one of the most fulfilling machines to disassemble and get familiar with. You’ll really see Mr. Brownings genius when you see how everything fits together. Glocks are pretty ingenious in construction too.
Well my SW 1911 pd hit the 10,000 rd mark in about 2 years & I have never done a detail strip period.
It’s boringly reliable…About every 500 rds I blast it with break cleaner & if I remember I spray with this.
Call me weird, but I just feel that being mechanically inept any attempt to detail strip any firearm on my part will probably result in its total unreliability.
Sorry you feel this way. You buy a quality pistol, change the springs ever 3K, clean and lube it every 1K rounds or so. I believe that cleaning should be a detail cleaning. With a number of guns that have over 50K through them (I shot daily for free for over 10yrs), I have never had issues using my mainteneance schedule. That includes using 1911s for daily carry and numerous high round count classes.
so you admit that the FIRST key to reliable performance is buying a “quality pistol”.
the articles and threads presented earlier paint a pretty clear picture of how important cleaning is to a “quality pistol”. I hope you read them. You’re erring on the side of caution, and that’s usually never a bad thing. But detail stripping and cleaning doesn’t “ensure” anything.
Quality gun
Quality magazines
Quality ammo
Appropriate maintenance schedule
These factors only ensure the best probability of reliable performance.
Back to the OP. if you plan on making detail stripping a regular thing. a set of actions blocks will be a good investment. Brownells and 10-8 make suitable ones
