# Learning my way around my 1911



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

My first 1911 and my first 45acp were the same gun. A Girsan. Some people call them a cheap gun but my experience with the Girsan has been a good one. Would it stand up next to my Colt? Nope. But bang for the buck it's a good deal at under $500 new it eats whatever I feed it without a hick up. 

But the trigger was always a little rough and sort of hung up in a spots. 

I decided to tear into it and see what was wrong. I have had the slide off many times for cleaning but this time I striped it down to the bear bones. And I striped it to the frame all the way. I had a heck of a time took me like an hour to strip the silly thing down. The problem looked like the sear spring was bad I replaced it with a Colt spring and now it works perfect.

One reason it took so long to tear it down was I checked out every part and would not move to the next part until I figured out what every part did. I figured that if I didn't know what every part did how in the world would I know what part is bad the next time a 1911 gives me any problem?

And it took me at least an hour to reassemble it when I finally got it all back together I thought "what a pain in the butt" I knew there was only one thing that would make it easier to disassemble and reassemble. Good old fashion experience so I took it all back apart and reassembled it. By the 4th or 5th time I could do it pretty quick. The next night and for the next 6 nights I tore it down and reassembled it
at least 5 times every night. I got good enough I could watch T.V. while working on it.

I figured that in that one week I learned something that would stay with me for the rest of my life.
I traded one week of my evening free time for "experience" It was a good trade.

Better to learn it now instead of figuring it out later when you in a jam and really need it to go Bang.

The AR is next.


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Awesome. It’s great knowledge to have. You did it while if you got stuck you could get professional help rather than during SHTF and trying to learn with no potential back up.


----------



## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

budgetprepp-n said:


> Better to learn it now instead of figuring it out later when you in a jam and really need it to go Bang.
> 
> The AR is next.


The AR is one WHOLE BUNCH easier, . . .

And the M14, . . . it's easier still.

M-60, . . . now that's a horse of a different color.

Best wishes, . . . and thanks for the post, . . . hopefully it will generate some other folks to do the same.

May God bless,
Dwight


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The 1911 is a pain in the tail always has been always will be. But you get over it. They make a few version of small tools that make it easier. The AR can with easy be stripped down to every part. The only thing the requires any special tools is removing the barrel .


----------



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I do the same thing, tear it down and rebuild it while watching TV. But the knowledge doesn't stay with me forever; I have to do it periodically to stay fresh.

How about an extended slide release, extended magazine button, stainless barrel bushing, a spring kit? Keep the old parts and then you have spares.


----------

