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How to Disassemble a Colt 1911A1

John Moses Browning, a famous American gun designer, developed a .45-caliber handgun in response to a U.S. Army request. Browning submitted his original design in 1906, and the Army approved the 1911 redesign as an official sidearm. In the early 1920s, Colt further refined the handgun and designated it the model 1911A. This handgun is still being produced, with few modifications, in the 21st century by a number of handgun manufacturers. Disassembly, known as field-stripping, of the weapon is easy and requires few tools.

Things You'll Need

Small rubber mallet

Instructions

- 1
  Make sure the gun is unloaded. Remove the ammunition clip and cycle the slide to clear and remove any chambered rounds.
- 2
  Pull the slide back and lock it in that position. Visually check that the firing chamber and barrel are empty.
- 3
  Release the slide lock and allow the slide to return to its forward position. De-cock the hammer.
- 4
  Locate the recoil spring plug underneath the muzzle of the handgun. Push the plug toward the rear of the gun and rotate the barrel and bushing clockwise to loosen the plug. Hold the plug firmly, since it keeps the recoil spring under tension. Be ready to catch the plug and recoil spring, otherwise they can fly some distance when the spring is released.
- 5
  Cock the hammer of the pistol to the full-cocked position and pull the slide toward the rear of the gun. Align the circular notch on the slide with the slide release lever, which is located at the middle of the frame. Completely remove the slide release lever by pushing it from the right side of the frame to the left side.
- 6
  Remove the slide by pushing it forward, and remove the recoil spring guide from the frame.
- 7
  Twist the barrel bushing counterclockwise, and remove it from the frame by sliding it forward. You can now remove the barrel retaining pin, located at the chamber-end of the barrel, and then remove the barrel.

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