Detail Stripping the 1912 M1911

I finally got around to detail stripping the 1912 M1911 that I acquired. Unfortunately, underneath the grips, especially on the right side, I found rust.


I soaked the rust with Ballistol, and scraped at it with a copper penny. I have, over the years, adopted the Lincoln cent for a scraping tool on guns. The copper is softer than the metal, and I have yet to scratch a finish with old Honest Abe. The grips were quite stuck, but with a little persuasion, they let go of the bushings.


As I dived deeper into the detail strip and evaluation, I saw that this pistol did indeed have the original finish. The two toned look on the grip frame is actually two different directions of polishing applied at the factory. This two toned appearance is quickly altered in a M1911 has been refinished.


I lubricated the pistol like I do all my 1911s, grease on the slide rails and sear, oil on the pivoting parts. When I was done, the pistol was glistening with Ballistol, inside and out. I will let the Ballistol remain on the gun, not wiping it off, for several days. Hopefully it will soak into the remaining oxidation and help loosen it from the finish.

Ruger MKII Cleaning

The Ruger MKII "beginner gun" had started getting a sticky sear return, so I disassembled it for cleaning tonight. While I will totally detail strip the gun if necessary, this is as far as I need to strip it for a thorough cleaning.

A blast of aerosol brake cleaner into the lock work, work the mechanism to allow it to seep in, and wipe away. Then a bit of powdered graphite and a touch of grease on the hammer notch and the pistol was ready for reassembly. The blast shield was working well. It had an eigth of an inch thick layer of black soot caked on it. There was no gritty trigger. Underneath the blast shield, the trigger was as clean as a whistle. However, around the hammer and sear, so much crud was built up that the trigger reset was sometimes delayed. My usual Ruger MKII post shooting clean-up consists of a poke around the chamber with a bronze brush and patch, a bore snake and a wipe down. It takes many, many rounds to build up the residue of shooting in the rear of a MKII.

Far too many people believe they must field strip these pistols every time they shoot them. I know several shooters who have continued to shoot MKIIs with no cleaning what so ever. The MKII design allows for a minimum to no maintenance. It is truly one of the most durable and simple pistols ever built.

A Good Scrub Down

I had to go to a Burns Supper with my wife this evening, but when I finally arrived home, I took out my BreakFree, and assorted tools to detail strip the Colt M1911. The barrel bore the P on the hood as it should. The interior of the pistol looked like it had been lubricated with dirty motor oil. There was a bit of rust underneath the mainspring housing.

Once I cleaned the barrel, I was amazed to find sharp rifling. The sear, disconnect and trigger bow looked to be hardly used. The hammer hooks were perfect. The barrel and slide lugs were sharp. This pistol had not been fired much at all.

I used brake cleaner to dissolve the oily gunk. Then a copper penny as a scraper, along with a bronze brush and a liberal application of BreakFree to remove the rust. Once the pistol was clean again, I lubricated and reassembled it.

This pistol is going to be a sweet shooter indeed.

Lubing the Buckmark

After work today, QJ went by Neil's pawn shop and picked up his Browning Buckmark. I spent the afternoon fieldstripping and lubricating it for him. The pistol has next to no wear on it. I suspect that it perhaps fired 50 rounds, if that. The parkerizing is hardly rubbed on the frame.

The entire pistol was as dry as a bone. I used my standard process of Break Free on pivoting surfaces, and Tetra grease on sliding surfaces. The pistol functions much better now.

Tomorrow, it goes to the range.

Gun Cleaning

I spent the afternoon cleaning a few pistols. It has been several days since I shot them. If I am going to carry a gun, I want it absolutely clean, but if I have been running and gunning, I often just want to deposit the range bag in the gun room and get back to them later. I'm not obsessive about it like some. I might detail strip a given pistol once a year, perhaps more often if it sees frequent use.

Years ago, corrosive ammunition required that firearms be cleaned immediately. Modern ammunition gives a shooter a bit more latitude. I sometimes use a bore snake for a quick clean up. I'll remove the magazine and run it up through the magwell and into the barrel, exiting the muzzle. This helps give the feed ramp a quick clean as well. Most of the time though, I will field strip the gun and use a bronze brush followed by a brass jag to push Break free impregnated cotton patches through the bore. I might use a stiff stainless steel chamber brush if the barrel is really dirty. Once done, I relubricate and reassemble the gun. Finally, I wipe down the outside with an oil soaked chamois.

Fixin' the Fishin' Gun

I spent the evening cleaning pistols and diagnosing the problem that was occurring with my Ruger MKII "fishin' gun." As is often the case, the root of the problem was a combination. The "fishin' gun" has a Volquartsen trigger with an over travel screw. The over travel screw prevents excessive trigger travel beyond what is necessary to disengage the hammer and sear.

Over time, the action of the pistol had accumulated soot, grit, and grunge. Some of this was caked on the sear. Once the coating was caked on the sear, the fine adjustment that I had on the over travel screw was not quite sufficient to always drop the hammer. Admittedly, I likely contributed to the problem with my habit of applying a smidgen of Tetra grease to the sear. 95% of all gun problems are related to the gun being dirty.

A good cleaning of the pistol cleared up the problem. I stripped the Ruger to the point shown here, and used brake cleaner and stiff nylon brushes to loosen all the grunge. Then, I reassembled the pistol and readjusted the over travel screw for a bit more play. Finally, since I now had the screw protruding from the face of the trigger slightly, I filed it down flush and repolished the trigger face.

One of the best online resources for field stripping the Ruger MKII can be found here. If you are inclined to detail strip the pistol, this page will help. Enlarge the photos to guide you.

The King's Bushing Wrench

It's not uncommon for even a skilled 1911 mechanic to have an embarrassing airborne moment when field stripping their version of Browning's masterpiece.........assuming, of course, the recoil control components are as John Moses intended.

One of the tools that can prevent you from looking all over your gun room for wayward projectiles is the King's bushing wrench. Made by King's Gun Works, this steel wrench is no ordinary bushing wrench. If you are tired searching for flying recoil plugs, or of plastic tools wearing down and slipping, this chunk of parkerized American steel is the tool for you. It used to be available from Brownell's, but alas, it has been discontinued. It has a protrusion on the side to keep the recoil plug under control. For what it's worth, genuine GI recoil plugs have a notch to catch the recoil spring on, preventing the search and rescue missions common with 1911 field stripping.

The King's bushing wrench is a superb tool for those with lesser recoil plugs though. I have yet to find a 1911 bushing to tight for it to turn. I have yet to have a recoil plug launch while using it. I have yet to have it mar a gun's finish. I do not know if King's still makes this tool, but if they don't, they should. Somebody should! If you see one for sale at a gun show or on ebay, grab it. It's a purchase you will not regret.

Update:
King's Gun Works does indeed still make this tool. It's right there in the King's catalog, page six. Bushing wrench item # 403A, King's Deluxe Gunsmith Bushing Wrench. $14.95. Order yourself some extra stuff while you are at it and save on shipping. King's is a top drawer outfit.
Kings Gun Works Inc.
1837 W. Glenoaks Blvd.,
Glendale, CA., 91201
Phone: 818-956-6010
Orders: 800-282-9449

Parkerizing, Truth vs Tales

Parkerizing is a an electrochemical conversion coating, often found on military firearms as protection from corrosion. It is easily recognized by it's dull, black to grey appearance. It has, over the years, served the military well. It is a very durable, corrosion resistant finish. Parkerizing in civilian use, however, is often viewed as an inferior finish to blue. I often hear complaints that Parkerizing rusts, that it does not protect squat. I found this curious, and I began to investigate.

Sistema and GI pistols are often seen with Parkerized finishes that have lasted decades and which appear to have a slicker surface than modern Parkerized guns. At first, I thought that a different process might have been used, but I was wrong. The process was the same.

Then, I considered just what Parkerizing is. Parkerizing is an incomplete finish. The manganese, iron or zinc phosphating of Parkerizing is only a vehicle to contain the real protection for the firearm. What is that real protection? Grease. That's right.....Decomposed dinosaur products. Petroleum. Grease. All over the world, military firearms are packed in cosmoline. Then they are wrapped in kraft paper, placed in crates and stored in warehouses of armories. The temperatures in these places can reach extremes. During this storage period, the cosmoline soaks into the porous Parkerizing, thoroughly impregnating it with the best water/corrosion repellent yet devised.

Today, quite a few handguns wear the phosphate finish known as Parkerizing. These guns, however, are not treated the same way as military weapons. These guns are meticulously cleaned after each use by their owners, with products such as Gun Scrubber and brake cleaner. These products strip the oils and grease from the Parkerizing, assuming there was any to begin with. When a new Parkerized Springfield GI45 or old roll mark (Parkerized) Colt M1991A1 reaches its first owner, the finish is practically devoid of oil. It is dry. For many of these pistols, the only grease their finishes will absorb is off the hands of their owners. It is no wonder they rust. Without the grease in the Parkerizing, the coating will absorb sweat and humidity instead. The result is rust.

Several years ago, in 2003, I purchased a new Parkerized Springfield GI45.
I modified it to more closely approximate a M1911A1, but I also did something else. I disassembled the pistol, coated each part completely with Vaseline petroleum jelly, and I placed them all on a pizza pan. I then placed them in the oven at 350 degrees for half a day. The result was the pores of the Parkerizing opened up to accept the heavy lubricant. Once cooled, and totally impregnated with grease, the Parkerizing leeched grease for a month afterwards. Honestly, it was pretty nasty. I was halfway expecting that, which is why I used clean, clear Vaseline instead of black moly grease. When the leeching process ceased, however, I found that I had achieved that same durable finish that protected my Sistemas and the many old GI guns I have held.

I disassembled my Parkerized Springfield Mil-Spec and put it through the heated grease impregnating process as well. To this day, neither pistol has shown the slightest bit of corrosion, despite being ridden hard and holstered wet with sweat, in Louisiana humidity. Meanwhile, I listen to other shooters complain about the ineffectiveness of Parkerizing in the same environment. Remember........it aint the Park that protects, it's the grease that it contains that prevents corrosion. If you want the protection, you gotta accept the grease.

Carry Gun Reliability

Marko at The Munchkin Wrangler has a great article up on the 1911 as a carry gun, and on carry guns in general. While I don't have $1500 to plunk down on a NIB semi-custom 1911 that is mass produced with the latest tactical whizbangs, I would be mad as hell if I spent that kind of coin on a gun that couldn't get through a box of ammo without choking.

As long as 1911 packers continue to accept the unacceptable in a carry gun just so they can tote the lastest in tacticality, they will be sneered at by Glock men. The reason is clear. Glocks work, and they work well. They may not be as pretty, they may not be as accurate, they may not be a lot of things the 1911 is, but they work. When a Glock punches holes all day long while a 1911 chokes on it's own gun powder residue with the the 1911 owner making excuses rather than demanding results, the result is clear as day. Glock just whooped that high dollar 1911's butt.

It's time for 1911 owners to stop accepting guns that choke, and for gun writers to stop promoting guns that fail. The 1911 can be an excellent carry gun, fast, powerful, beautiful and reliable. It has to be understood, however, that the most important quality in a defensive weapon is reliability. This is no laughing matter. When guns fail, people often die as a result.

A reliable 1911 can purchased for well under $1500. A reliable 1911 can be built for under $1500 as well. I'm not talking reliability through five boxes of ammo either. I'm talking the same level of reliability that is the Glock's reputation. Drag it through the mud, clean it with a squirt of brake cleaner once a year and never have it fail reliability. With any ammo. You will not, however, get that kind of reliability by making excuses for a gun that chokes. And about the mags and ammo thing Tam, if you load crap ammo into Chinese magazines made out of melted down milk jugs and stuff it in the bottom of your Glock, I'll guarandamntee you the Glock will fail too. Any auto loader depends on top quality ammo and magazines to function. No slam on Tam, I love the gal. She knows what I'm talking about. She knows what she's talking about too.

If you have $1500 and want a 1911 for a carry gun, contact Yost~Bonitz, Clark Custom, Novaks, or another premier gunsmitty. Tell them what you want. They can meet your needs. If you don't have that kind of dough, or if you don't want to invest that money in a gun that will be punished by the rigors of carry, then do what I did. Build your own, or keep the damned thing stock if it functions 100%. Do not accept a chrome sissy pistol that fails over a Glock. Demand a better gun.

Big hat tip to Marko!

Pawn Shop Circuit: Range Rumors

I was at the range this morning, contentedly shooting my Gold Cup and my Clark 1911. I noticed, after several magazines, that a fellow in black BDUs was watching me intently. I shot another magazine through the Clark gun, and he sauntered over. "Want to run a mag or two?" I asked.
"No," he said, "It's just that I had one of them nine-eleven guns and it weren't worth crap. All it would do is jam up"
"Really?" I asked, "What kind was it?" I suppose I was expecting him to reply Armscor or Kimber.
I was surprised when he replied "Springfield."
"Yep, I just sold that some bitch," he declared, "I lost three hundret dollars on it too. It weren't worth crap."
"Where did you sell it?" I asked.
He gave me the address of Neil's pawn shop.

"Hello Neil!" I said cheerily as I walked inside.
"Where have you been?" Neil asked, "You missed a good .357 magnum last week."
"Dadgummit," I replied. "Well, since I'm here, let me see that old chrome pistol over there."
"This 'un ain't old," Neil stated as he removed the Springfield GI45.
"Mind if I fieldstrip it?" I asked.
I noted a McCormick magazine as I began the field stripping, and I asked if there were any additional mags. There were not. Once inside the pistol I saw that it had never been lubricated or cleaned. It had soot and silver metal filings all through it. I wiped a bit of the soot and metal dust onto a finger tip and sniffed it in front of Neil.
"How much?" I inquired.
"Tag says $349," countered an unimpressed Neil.
"Yep. Now how much do I have to give you to get this pistol out your door?" I smiled.
"Hell Xavier, $350 out the door." said Neil, "I know I can get that for this pistol."
"Yep, you sure can," I said. I broke out the checkbook.

I had the day off, so I took the Springfield home and began to clean it up. It quickly became evident that this pistol had very little wear. It had never been cleaned. There was evidence that some type of machine oil had been squirted across the top of the frame in a feeble attempt to lubricate it. I detail stripped the gun, cleaned it all with brake cleaner, then reassembled and lubricated it with Break-Free and Tetra grease.

The pistol actually cleaned up really well. As I worked it over, I made note of the MIM sear and disconnect, as well as the MIM extractor. I'm pretty sure there is more MIM in this pistol, but I'm not really concerned. I'll probably do nothing at all to it.

Once cleaned and lubricated, I took the stainless GI45 to the range to try it out. I shot 200 rounds of Winchester White Box, a box of MagTech, and some reloads. The pistol never skipped a beat. It was not my most accurate 1911, but it was reliable. It's amazing what a little lubrication will do.

I am not certain what I will do with this pistol. I may keep it for trade fodder, I may return it using Neil's generous return policy. There was a time that I wanted a stainless Springfield to learn checkering and engraving on. I may sacrifice it to that cause. One thing is for certain, however, this Springfield GI45 was a reliable firearm. It's previous owner just did not know how to properly lubricate it.

A Nickel Model 10 Snub

A couple of days ago I had swung into Amber's old pawn shop, now managed by Kenny, and discovered a rather scarce Model 10. Kenny had this nickel Model 10-5 snubbie priced at $179. Unfortunately, it wore some horrendous grips but the finish had just enough wear to make it a gun to continue using.

Looking at the pinned barrel and the level of workmanship, I suspected the hillbilly grips covered a C or a D prefix on the serial number. When I got the revolver home and removed the Bubba wood, I was rewarded with a D prefix, and a probable seventies era date on the revolver.

I used some 0000 steel wool and BreakFree to polish up the nickel until it glistened like a new dime. Next, I took off the sideplate to inspect the lockwork. The revolver housed some hidden rust in it's interior, but a bit of elbow grease got rid of it. I then lightly oiled the lockwork with BreakFree, and placed a dab of Tetra grease on the sear.

Digging through my box of spare grips, I was pleased to find a set of Seventies era magna grips with no serial number stamped inside. They would be perfect. Only the rear corner of one grip had to be massaged to achieve a fit that rivaled a factory set of grips.

Months ago, I had purchased an absolutely pristine Model 10-5 snub in blue, that I have declined to carry. It is just to perfect. This nickel snubbie will give me a perfect K frame revolver for carry. It's a crying shame they don't make them like this any more!

Lubricating Handguns

One of the primary causes of handgun failure, that I see over and again is lack of lubrication. Most people understand that an automobile needs lubricant to function properly, as do other machines that have moving parts. Many people, however, apparently expect firearms to operate with pixie dust in place of petro-chemicals. It's a fool's paradise. A dry gun might carry nicely, and it might look nicer, but it will never shoot as long or as well as a properly lubricated gun. When I examine a gun that has failed in a course, nine times out of ten, the gun is as dry as a bone. I have been accused of running my guns excessively greasy. That may be. My guns do not fail due to binding parts. Ever. Here are my thoughts on lubrication, derived from a lifetime of lubricating everything from F/A-18 fighter jets to chainsaws.

There are two basic types of lubricants, oil and grease. Grease is used on surfaces that slide across one another, where the lubricant is prone to run out or spray out of place. On a handgun these areas include the slide rails, the hammer hooks and sear nose, and the barrel linking surfaces. As far as which grease to use, I prefer Tetra grease. The reason is simple. It works and I can toss a tube in my buggy any time I am in Wal-Mart. Other greases I have used with success in these areas include Brian Enos' Slide Glide, Brownell's Action Magic, and even Slick 50 wheel bearing grease. The Slick 50 has moly in it and it will stain your clothing, but it works in a pinch. Grease has an undeserved reputation for causing failures in firearms. Years ago, many people would attempt to use white lithium grease on guns. Some still do. Lithium grease will harden and fail to function in firearms use. The modern firearms greases are not the same animal at all. If you do not put grease on the rails of your slide guns, they are not functioning with adequate lubrication after 50 rounds of shooting. Inadequate lubrication equals accelerated wear and failure.

I use oils only on parts that pivot, or areas that need a little lube, but where grease would present a problem. These areas include hammer, sear and trigger pins or on a 1911, the trigger stirrup. Mainsprings in their housings and recoil springs get oil. I learned to like Breakfree CLP while I was in the military. It is my staple oil for guns. I also use Ballistol. Ballistol was one of the original CLPs, developed for the German Army in 1905. There are few things as slick as Ballistol. I will use it when lapping finely fitted parts together, as well as for an oil type lube. Ballistol will provide a lubricating surface where other oils cannot penetrate.

One other type of lubricant I use is powdered graphite. Powdered graphite is great for lubricating magazine followers and springs. It works well on rifle bolts. I also use it on enclosed rimfire pistol bolts, such as the bolt in a Ruger MKII. Powdered graphite can be found in any hardware store. I have a three ounce bottle of graphite that has lasted me over 20 years. This stuff goes a long way.

Firearms are machines with moving parts. Some of those parts move quite suddenly under severe pressure to the load bearing surfaces. Few people ask other machines to function under the same stress without lubricant. Gun owners ask their guns to work under the same conditions daily. When the gun fails, it's lack of reliability is blamed on anything but the owner's decision to shoot it dry. If we drain the oil from our crankcase and proceed to drive down the road, we can expect our automobile to fail abruptly. When we do the same with our gun, we should not be surprised at it's failure. Lubricate your guns. They will last longer and shoot better.

Grant Cunningham's thoughts on lubrication