I have an issue (well maybe not) with my Springfield 1911 (black stainless target) and wanted to see if anyone has any ideas or suggestions.
If I pull the slide back I can feel the disconnector dragging. Then once the slide is locked back if I ease it forward it will actually catch and (if I ease it forward slowly enough) actually hang on the disconnector
Bone stock pistol other than a little polishing on the trigger bow. Any ideas?
Here's a shot of the disconnector with the slide locked back.
And here is the slide hung on the disconnector. I'm not holding the slide at all.
Should I remove a little material from the top of the disconnector or is this normal behavior?
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Should I remove a little material from the top of the disconnector or is
this normal behavior?
No, and no, respectively!
As a first guess, I think the tip of the center leaf of the sear spring is not sliding smoothly along the backside of the disconnector's "wedge". Both of those surfaces should be smooth as a... well, really smooth!
Lock the slide back (better yet, remove it) and push down on the disconnector. It should go down smoothly and come back up all by itself. If it doesn't, make it so it does.
I can push the disconnector down, but it takes a hard object and some effort...
Polish both the surfaces of the disconnect paddle, and the sear spring finger that rides on the disconnect paddle, as niemi24s stated.
Also, on the sear spring finger, round back the top edge, so there's no sharp edge that could drag.
On the shaft below the disconnect head, make sure that's smooth, as well as the hole in the frame where the disconnect comes thru.
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Polish both the surfaces of the disconnect paddle, and the sear spring
finger that rides on the disconnect paddle, as niemi24s stated.
Also, on the sear spring finger, round back the top edge, so there's no sharp edge that could drag.
On the shaft below the disconnect head, make sure that's smooth, as well as the hole in the frame where the disconnect comes thru.
And after you do all of the above a little oil will also help... just a drop or two on the disconnector head after you reassemble the pistol and it will migrate down the hole.
This all assuming the problem is occuring with your finger off the trigger. If you are holding the trigger fully depressed when this is happening you have disco bind most probably caused by too much trigger overtravel.
I've done some polishing and looked at the sear spring. The center leg was even with the left leg, so I've bent it back a little. Just did a quick fit (sear, disconnector, sear spring and mainspring housing to hold it all in place) and MUCH smoother.
But it still hangs a little when pulling the slide back forward. Is that normal?
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I've done some polishing and looked at the sear spring. The center leg was
even with the left leg, so I've bent it back a little.
Check the profile of your sear spring against the blueprint in our Tech Issues section.
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Just did a quick fit (sear, disconnector, sear spring and mainspring
housing to hold it all in place) and MUCH smoother.
But it still hangs a little when pulling the slide back forward. Is that normal? Depends on what you mean by "a little". The slide cannot do it effortlessly - it must (via the disconnector) push the center leaf back.
If your gun uses an Ordnance spec sear spring, you might consider getting a genuine Colt sear spring.
Might also check the angles of the tip (top), and maybe polish it and the edges of the cuts-out on the disconnecter rail.
I think the polishing and center leg adjustment may have done the trick. The disconnector doesn't sit as high as before is is much easier to push down. Time to put it all back together and see how it feels.
It's also important that the disconnector pops back up (resets) all by itself after being pushed down and released. No reset - no "bang".
And keep it oiled. Lotsa oil. It's a gun. Guns need oil. Lotsa oil. Gurgle- gurgle.
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I think the polishing and center leg adjustment may have done the trick.
The disconnector doesn't sit as high as before is is much easier to push down.
Time to put it all back together and see how it feels.
If it isn't sitting as high as before then it is not fully resetting.....you must check sear spring engagement of disco. You must have enough spring pressure to fully reset the disco. No reason disco should be setting any lower unless it's binding or not getting enough spring pressure.
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If it isn't sitting as high as before...
Good "catch", Jim - I totally missed that!
He said he'd bent the center leaf back, and probably went too far. I think he needs a brand new COLT sear spring.
After putting it back together the disconnector seems to be at about the same height. I didn't have the mainspring housing pushed in completely or have the trigger and grip safety installed. It does seem smoother now... Doesn't hang like it did before.
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It's also important that the disconnector pops back up (resets) all by
itself after being pushed down and released. No reset - no "bang".
And keep it oiled. Lotsa oil. It's a gun. Guns need oil. Lotsa oil. Gurgle- gurgle.
And there is no reason why you can't break the edge of the disconnector rail a little. Just round it a little at the corner, if it is too sharp.
I believe John means the front edge just below the breach face... if it's a sharp edge and not slightly rounded, gently "break" the edge and make sure it is smooth... put a couple of drops of oil on disco head and cycle the slide briskly by hand several times and then check to see how it feels.
The slide on my pistol wasn't hanging up on the disconnector, but it did seem to have a slightly gritty feel to it when I pushed it down. I just couldn't help myself and I polished the disconnector and spring, basically following the instructions in the "Poor Man's Trigger Job" thread in the Tech section. I also polished the slight radius that was present at the forward end of the disconnector rail; the original radius had been done with a file, and done accurately, but just needed to be smoothed out a bit. Still unable to restrain myself, I polished the sides of the trigger bow, as well as the rear of the bow where the disconnector rides.
The end result is that the slide moves noticeably more smoothly, and the disconnector has lost all the grittiness it used to have. The whole process took maybe an hour, with time left over to feed the horses and gather the chicken eggs.
Went by Hyatt Gun Shop yesterday and picked up a new sear spring. Only thing they had was a Wilson Bulletproff one. It was a little high ($17) but I didn't have to wait to order one from Midway or Brownells. The 'smith went ahead and put it in while I was there. MUCH smoother. Today I tore it apart and polished things, even better now.
Off to the range on Sunday. Father in-law bought a 9mm S&W Sigma (he got a good deal on it), and he wants to go shooting. I'll exersice the 1911 and XD.
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And there is no reason why you can't break the edge of the disconnector
rail a little. Just round it a little at the corner, if it is too sharp.
Agreed, you can round the face. The important thing is not to raise the contact point on the slide face to the point where it may skip over a round that is not fully Up in the mag.
Even removing bluing or Parkerizing would be a plus.
Stone the wedge in the direction the sear spring rides will greatly improve it. and if the head of the disco is blasted or has machine lines a quick up and down on the forward edge where it contacts the frame at the top would be a benifit also. Colt sear springs Rule.
geo
www.egwguns.com
Late-breaking thought:
If it's easier for the slide to push the disconnector down when the trigger's pulled, that's a sign the sharp bottom corner of the disconnector is digging into the back of the trigger bow (its stirrup). Here's what the disconnector/trigger stirrup junction looks like with the trigger forward:
PICTURE 404
If so, smooth off the stirrup. Then break the "knife edge" on the disconnector by swiping its front surface once or twice on a hard Arkansas stone. Start with the front surface flat on the stone and lift it slightly while sliding it along the stone. Don't overdo it.
On the new batch of disconectors we built in a .005 radius @ the bottom of the spade so it does not dig into the trigger bow.