THE FIVE STEPS (Continued from Gun Lab 0903) The following are all-important to the proper functioning of the 1911 series pistol: 1. Thumb Safety 2. Grip Safety 3. Disconnector 4. Half-Cock 5. Firing Pin Safety IMPORTANT: Perform all the steps after first making sure the handgun is unloaded.  Let’s look at the thumb safety first. Cock the hammer, engage the thumb safety and pull the trigger firmly several times. Now, disengage the safety and, with a firm firing grip, hold the hammer close to your ear. Gently press back on the hammer and listen for a click. If you hear one, it means the sear has been allowed to move slightly out of full-cock due to a faulty safety. This is a dangerous situation!  The Grip Safety: Cock the gun, take the safety off and hold it so the grip safety is not depressed. Try to pull the trigger. If the hammer falls, it fails the test. Now, press back on the hammer and see if it clicks. That’s the sear re-engaging and another sign of a bad grip safety.   The Disconnector: This widget keeps that old war-horse from going full-auto on you. With a firing grip, take the safety off and press the slide back about a quarter-inch. Pull the trigger and see if the hammer falls. If it does, press the slide a bit more and try again. If the hammer still falls, you probably have a disconnector problem and the gun needs attention. Half-Cock: Originally designed to “catch” the hammer if it slipped off the finger while cocking it, with the introduction of the Series 80 Colts, the notch became a step and held the hammer face closer to the firing pin. That way, should the hammer fall, there is insufficient force to fire the gun. To check, pull the hammer back slowly and at some point, you’ll feel the click of the notch or step engaging. Pull the trigger gently and on Series 80 guns, the hammer will fall but cannot fire the gun. On all others, the hammer should not fall. If it does, time for the 1911 doctor!  The Firing Pin Safety: On Series 80 guns (or any gun with a firing pin-type safety), while the hammer is cocked, use a tool to depress the firing pin. It should not go forward. Now, hold the trigger back and try again. It should now go forward. For more handgunning secrets turn to every issue of American Handgunner Today’s handguns are more exciting than ever. So is American Handgunner Magazine. From custom handguns, new factory models, competition, pistolsmithing, handloading and more, each issue continues to deliver the goods while staying on top of the rapidly changing face of the handgunning industry.
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