my son just brought a series 80 colt officers model home the other day and i set down with him to "show" him some tricks and the general colt 1911 system.....woaaaaaaa!!!!!!

the old man got a surprise in that first off i couldnt release the spring becouse the handy little plunger that colt has used for years was nowhere to be found. second the plunger they do use now appears to need a "special" tool to depress and turn to release the spring. question is...where do we find a tool to depress this crazy new plunger and second...is there a way to retro fit the old style plunger so as to be able to dissasemble it in the field without having to pack a complete tool kit along?

trd

On the Officers model you need a screwdriver. You press in on the recoil sring lunger and give it a turn. It has a "bumb" on the back of that indexes in the bottom of the slide and that bump will hold it deep enough so you can turn the barrel bushing. You might have to press the slide back a little.

When I break a 1911 down I just usually retract the slide back until I can push out the slide stop and them move the slide foward off the frame controling the recoil spring and sring guide so they do not fly out.

The little bump on some Officers Models has broken and it then sends the recoil sring out of the gun, so you have a major malfunction,a non working gun.

One option is to relace the Colt parts with a contained spring unit, that has a much larger surface to retain the recoil sproing lug. I think it is Wilson that makes the unit.

I have shot a couple of Officers Models with this modification and they work 100%.

I just checked it is Wilson Combat.
They call the arts "Guide Rod Officers Model"
part number 25CO.

I would not have an Officers Model with out one.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I just checked it is Wilson Combat.
They call the arts "Guide Rod Officers Model"
part number 25CO.

I would not have an Officers Model with out one.

I run my OM w/o the FL guide rod, purrs like a kitten. I did change the recoil spring plug to a Clarke rev. I find disassembly no diff than any 1911 though, other than the recoil spring plug comes out the back instead of the front of the slide.

figured it out myself fellas

take a fired 45 case and turn it upside down. hold it against the plunger and the diameter is just rite to depress this little turkey and it holds it enough to turn a fraction to hold the plunger till you turn the barrel bushing and remove...then replace your 45 shell into the well and depress and turn till it will follow the area along the spring guide and remove plunger...spring at the same time...problem solved . from here on out...it dissasembles the same as old for a field strip no scratched stuff from a "screwdriver" that gats turned the wrong way or slips at the wrong time....works pretty slick.

and fred338 the problem is not in the new series 90 , it is in the older series 80 " officers model"

thanks fellas....good shooting

quote:

Originally posted by ted fries:
figured it out myself fellas

take a fired 45 case and turn it upside down. hold it against the plunger and the diameter is just rite to depress this little turkey and it holds it enough to turn a fraction to hold the plunger till you turn the barrel bushing and remove...then replace your 45 shell into the well and depress and turn till it will follow the area along the spring guide and remove plunger...spring at the same time...problem solved . from here on out...it dissasembles the same as old for a field strip no scratched stuff from a "screwdriver" that gats turned the wrong way or slips at the wrong time....works pretty slick.

and fred338 the problem is not in the new series 90 , it is in the older series 80 " officers model"

thanks fellas....good shooting

That's what I have, the one w/ the stupid little tab on the recoil spring plug? I dropped in Clark rev plug & now am not worried about the tab breaking off & leaving me a non operable gun.

OK, here's a practical question. I just picked up my 1991A1, weries 80 and took it out this morning and shot it. Nice shooting gun! The question I have is, I'm left handed, and the slide lock safety is made for a right handed shooter. The only way I've figured to engage or, more importantly, disengage the safety is to reach over with my right hand and push it down with my thumb. Who else has this issue, and how do you deal with it? I'm just curious if there's a better way to do it.

You need an ambidexterous safety. It has levers on both sides of the pistol.

It should be fitted by someone that knows what they are doing.

Learn to operate the mag release and the slide release with your left hand.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
You need an ambidexterous safety. It has levers on both sides of the pistol.

It should be fitted by someone that knows what they are doing.

Learn to operate the mag release and the slide release with your left hand.

Yep, If you practice, you can hit the safety w/ your left thumb. I do this week ahnd shooting. The ambi safety makes life a whole lot easier. Mag release is easily hit w/ the left hand shooting finger.

I know some Lefties that cut a coil or two off of the mag retaining spring, to make it easier to operate with the left hand trigger finger.

Before cutting, buy a couple of spares, just in case you cut it off too much, and the mags drop out while shooting.

Glad you guys mentioned the ambidextrous safety, as I was wondering if something like that was a practical solution. I take it the gunsmith would need to mill or cut a notch in the right side of the slide to do this. Beside that, how big of a project is this?

An ambi safety is almost a must for lefties. Not just so its easier to use,but also so you dont inadvertently hit the safety with your trigger finger and peen the corresponding notch in the slide.
An ambi safety requires no milling whatsoever. I like the Kimber, simply because the safety is retained by the pin, and not the grip, leaving the gun functional should the grip get broken

I would also recommend an ambi mag release or a lighter mag release spring. A cut spring can, in some instances, allow you to depress the mag release too far. and bind on the magazine