Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled How To Disassemble and Clean Your 1911 and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/how-to-disassemble-and-clean-your-1911/.
How To Disassemble and Clean Your 1911
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Talyn
SAINT
A two-piece guide rod is easier to disassemble/assemble than a one-piece full-length one.
uspatriot1960
Custom
That’s one thing I never really got about the 1911s. Seems they all take some sort of tool to disassemble. I have a Kimber 1911. It’s bushingless, but it takes that forementioned paperclip or something like it to take it down. You’d think after all these years, they’d put out a 1911 that didn’t take a tool to disassemble.
SimonRL
Hellcat
The thing that is crazy about that is it is just not hard to disassemble a 1911 with a full length guide rod. I have one in my Ronin and my RO.
The military issue M1911A1s I used while in active duty did not require a tool (e.g., bushing wrench) to disassemble.
BangBang
Professional
When they were as loose as the Government issue you don’t need a bushing wrench.
Good video, should help some folks out, especially those new to 1911’s.
True
krunchnik
Master Class
All my 4 inch barrel 1911's run a Wilson Combat Flatwire guide rod which means no clip or tool needed.
My 3 inch barrel 1911"s come apart also without needing a clip or tool-once they have been fired a bit the guide rod springs tend to loosen up allowing removal.
The only one sometimes have a time with is my 3 inch EMP in .40-it's a stiff little booger.
My 3 inch barrel 1911"s come apart also without needing a clip or tool-once they have been fired a bit the guide rod springs tend to loosen up allowing removal.
The only one sometimes have a time with is my 3 inch EMP in .40-it's a stiff little booger.
Good video. Thought had while watching was on 2 piece guide rods, while possibly looking better with hex or Allen type screws, why not use single or double slot (Like an X.) flat head screw? Same with fancy grip screws? That way, like original 1911 flathead grip screws they could be loosened or tightened with with end cartridge or mag? Out in middle of nowhere or in emergency, not everyone has access to other tools. Torx and Allen screws work nice, but nicer if have good tool that works on hand already? Alternatives are good.
Like an AK, original 1911's were purposely designed that way.
kurtpenn
Alpha
It's interesting to me that before inserting the slide stop you assembly the recoil spring. I've found that inserting the slide stop first makes it easier since then the frame is not under pressure, and then install the recoil spring as the last step. Am I missing something that could be problematic by taking this approach?
Grayfox
Professional
I bought a 1911 once that came with a two piece guide rod. I started to clean it after the first shooting and discovered that the guide rod had come loose and was about half unscrewed. 
It never went back into the gun.
I hate a full length guide rod. It serves no real purpose. The only thing it does is make the gun harder to field strip. If I get a 1911 that has one, it comes out and gets replaced with the short G.I. style.
The only 1911 I own with a captive recoil spring is an old SA Ultra-Compact. It requires a small plastic piece that fits on the guide rod to field strip. Thankfully, when I asked, SA was kind enough to send me two of them free of charge.
However, the gun is still such a PITA to field strip that a very rarely shoot it.
It never went back into the gun.I hate a full length guide rod. It serves no real purpose. The only thing it does is make the gun harder to field strip. If I get a 1911 that has one, it comes out and gets replaced with the short G.I. style.
The only 1911 I own with a captive recoil spring is an old SA Ultra-Compact. It requires a small plastic piece that fits on the guide rod to field strip. Thankfully, when I asked, SA was kind enough to send me two of them free of charge.
However, the gun is still such a PITA to field strip that a very rarely shoot it.
Old_Me
SAINT
i have 1, 1911 with a long guide rod, i cannot recall which one right now.I bought a 1911 once that came with a two piece guide rod. I started to clean it after the first shooting and discovered that the guide rod had come loose and was about half unscrewed.
I hate a full length guide rod. It serves no real purpose. The only thing it does is make the gun harder to field strip. If I get a 1911 that has one, it comes out and gets replaced with the short G.I. style.
The only 1911 I own with a captive recoil spring is an old SA Ultra-Compact. It requires a small plastic piece that fits on the guide rod to field strip. Thankfully, when I asked, SA was kind enough to send me two of them free of charge.
However, the gun is still such a PITA to field strip that a very rarely shoot it.
i find it easy to remove the spring from the front, then the guide rod comes out like an ordinary one would.
i think my Sig STX has a guide rod that comes in 2 pieces, and yeah, it'll start to come apart, but not fully..
i don't know why they did that.
yup, it does, and it's not a long rod either..
