Scared myself working on my Gold Cup

[191145]

Getting my Mk IV Series 70 Gold Cup National match ready to sell, and I'm putting back the original springs and grips. I'm putting the trigger spring housing back after changing the spring, when something goes horribly wrong with the combination spring. There's a click, and suddenly every function of the fire-control system is locked up. I've never taken a 1911 down past field strip, but I got a feeling that I was getting ready to. So, I went and got the book and started in. All that happened was the spring had slipped out of it's indexing slot and moved down a little - just enough so that when I pushed the housing into the frame, the left finger of the combo spring with the hook on it snapped into the wrong place and jammed the sear. I had to take the grip safety out to see what was going on. Got it fixed just fine, with no damage to anything. I did not want to be the guy taking a bag of parts to the gunsmith. Particularly when I wanted to take pictures of the gun tomorrow.

[Mikey]

191145 - sometimes little things like that can really make you nervous.  I've had those springs cock sideways a bit and get caught under something and not be able to get it all back together without saying 'what the hay....' but, once you figure it out you know how to avoid that problem in the future.  

One thing I used to do, and still do, is that when reassembling the 1911, after I have the trigger, sear and disconnector and hammer installed, is to set the lower lip of that spring into its slot on the frame and then slide the mainspring housing up just far enough to hold it in place before re-assembling the grip safety and slide safety.  That seems to set it all up right for me and I haven't had a problems using this technique.  

Hope this helps.  Mikey.

[191145]

That's exactly what I did after I got my Guns Digest manual out - they recommended the same thing. Next time I'll be ready.

[Mikey]

that is exactly where I got that 'ol injun trick' myself but, it had to be 36 years ago that I read about it, as the last Gun Digest I purchased was in 19 and 66.  I'm glad it worked out fer ya.

BTW, I'm partial to the Series 70 Gold Cups myself, having had one and then having lost it through theft.  Didja ever take that skinny arsed narrow little sear and spring they come with and just toss it in favor of a 'stoned' wider standard factory or aftermarket part?  Mine was so much smoother after I did that.  Then I remembered the other ol injun trick about bending out the middle prong of that 3 prong spring to really ease the tension off the trigger.  Just about the easiest way to get a 3 lb trigger pull in the 1911 that I know of.  Mikey.