Basic Steps to Disassembling Your Colt 1911 Original

To properly clean a Colt 1911 original, you must know how to properly and safely disassemble it so that you can clean the internal components as well. There is a point at which just passing a brush through the bore won’t get the job done, especially if there is a lot of fouling back in the action or elsewhere in the gun. 

This short post will take you through the basics of disassembling your Colt 1911 original so that you can thoroughly clean it, not just clean it with it field stripped.

Safety First

First things first, you want to keep a sharp eye on safety. Always observe the following rules: 

1. Treat every firearm as though it is loaded.
2. Never point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to destroy. 
3. Keep your finger off the trigger of the gun until you are ready to shoot.

To proceed with disassembly, first you must clear your Colt 1911 original. First, drop the magazine and place it aside. 

Visually inspect the magazine to be sure there are no live rounds present within it, then rack back the slide of the 1911 and visually and physically inspect the chamber. Once you have made certain that there are no live rounds present in the gun, in the mag, or in the vicinity, you can proceed with disassembly. 

Taking It Apart: Field Stripping

First, unscrew the front piece of the guide rod and you should be able to pull it out the front of the slide. Then pull the slide back past the slide stop so that the slide stop can be pushed out the side of the frame. 

With the slide stop removed, you should be able to remove the slide, but do so carefully, and with your hand cupped around the bottom of the slide so that once you get it off the frame, the recoil spring doesn’t come shooting out. 

With the slide removed, you should now be able to remove the bushing, the recoil spring, and then the barrel. 

Turn the bushing so that the notch aligns with the notch in the frame, then you can pull the bushing out. After that, you can remove the recoil spring plug, and then the barrel can be pulled forward and free of the slide. Now your Colt 1911 is field stripped and the slide components have been disassembled. 

Detail Stripping

Detail stripping a Colt 1911 original will require additional tools, but it is the only way to fully disassemble the handgun so that it can be thoroughly cleaned. 

First, use an appropriately-sized punch to depress the firing pin at the back of the slide, then, keeping pressure on it, sliding the firing pin stop down. Be very careful when releasing pressure as the firing pin will shoot out the back of the slide if you are not careful. 

Remove the firing pin and spring from the channel, then you should be able to use the same punch to start removing the extractor; once partially extracted, you can pull it out by hand. 

Before detail stripping the frame, it’s a good idea to engage the safety so that you don’t drop the hammer with the gun partially disassembled, which can cause damage. 

First, remove the grips, then partially engage the safety, then lift it straight up off the frame. Next, use an appropriate punch to depress the slide stop plunger in so that the safety plunger can be worked off. 

Hold the hammer firmly and depress the trigger, slowly lowering the hammer to prevent damage. 

Brace the frame against a bench (or bench block) and use a pin punch to remove the mainspring housing pin. You may need the assistance of a brass or rubber mallet to do so. 

With the mainspring housing pin removed, the mainspring, grip safety, and sear spring can all be removed. 

Then punch out the two pins that secure the hammer, disconnector and sear so that these can be removed. 

Depress the magazine release with a screwdriver and rotate slightly counterclockwise, and the mag release should drop out as a unit. Then, the trigger should just drop.

Your Colt 1911 original has now been field stripped, then the slide and frame have been detail stripped such that only the ejector, grip bushings, and plunger tube remain on the frame, and the sights remain on the slide. 

Now You Can Clean Your Colt 1911 Original

Now that you know the basics of 1911 disassembly, you can clean your Colt 1911 original properly. For more information, please see our previous post on the subject published at the link above. 

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