Colt 1911 Disassembly Instructions

by Michael Wallace
A Colt 1911 can be disassembled without tools.

A Colt 1911 can be disassembled without tools.

Colt has been manufacturing handguns for over a century, and the 1911-model pistol was actually a standard military-issue side arm in the U.S. Army for many years in the 1900s. Any military person can appreciate the upkeep handguns such as this require. It is always good to periodically disassemble your Colt 1911 in order to clean and oil it. These guns are made up of many moving parts, so disassembly can take up a chunk of time if you've never done it before.

Press the magazine button on the side of the weapon near the trigger to release the magazine and make sure it is empty. If it isn't, pop the bullets out of the top of the magazine with your finger.

Grip the top of the gun, known as the slide, and pull it back until it locks in the open position. Look into the chamber and verify that it is empty. Return the slide to its closed position.

Press the recoil spring plug located just below the barrel of the weapon and simultaneously turn the metal frame at the end of the barrel clockwise to release the spring. Pull it out and set it aside.

Pull the slide back again until the slide clearance notch located on the side of the slide matches up with the rectangular slide stop. Pull the slide stop from the side of the weapon and set it aside.

Rotate the frame at the end of the barrel counterclockwise and pull the frame off of the barrel.

Push the slide forward and remove the metal spring guide from the opening at the underside of the barrel.

Pull the slide off of the weapon and pull the barrel itself out of the slide assembly.

Press the circular firing pin on the back of the slide assembly in and remove the metal firing pin stopper. Then pull the firing pin itself out of the assembly.

About the Author


Photo Credits