help with reassembly!!!! signed ..disgusted

[deadlast2004]

ok I have worked on this dang kimber ultra cdp for 2 years and when I get frustrated I put it up for a few weeks. I took it apart to clean it and have never got it back together. I shot it one time in 4 years. I have it back together and I believe the mainspring is ok but I have put it together with the hammer cocked and all the way down but neither seems to hold the tension. When I get done the hammer is all the way down against the grip safety with NO pressure and cannot be cocked. what am I doing wrong? My Father shot one of these decades ago in WWII but he cannot remember what to do either. I have studied the GREAT pics on the website but somewhere I am just not getting it. any help?


Signed frustrated in Fort Worth, Texas

[Hunter]

It sound like the sear spring is in wrong and the sear is not engaging the sear if I am reading your post correctly. When you reassembly and cock the hammer does it stay in place or fall without touching the trigger? If it falls the sear spring could be in wrong if it is binding the hammer strut is not indexing the mainspring housing correctly. Does that Kimber have a Swartz safety? I would disassembly back to the sear and be sure it is in correct then be sure the sear spring indexes as it should and the hammer strut finds the mainspring cap. Also be sure the grip safety and thumb safety are in right and working.

[Hawkmoon]

Let's ensure that we're all on the same page, first.

You wrote that you're pretty sure the "mainspring" is okay, but I wonder if you are perhaps not talking about the mainspring. The mainspring is the coil spring that fits inside (not underneath -- inside) the mainspring housing. It's about 1/4" in diameter and a bit more than an inch in length.

Hunter referred to the sear spring, and I wonder if that's what you referred to as the mainspring. The sear spring is that flat, blued steel thingie that splits into three tines or "leaves" at the upper end. As viewed from behind the gun, as you would be looking at it while laying the spring into the channel, the left leaf is for the sear, the middle leaf is for the disconnector, and the right leaf is for the grip safety.

The one easiest to get wrong is the left-hand leaf for the sear. This does NOT go under the sear. As you look at the back of the pistol, if the sear is installed correctly the bottom of each leg of the sear will have a small rectangular cut-out facing you. The tip of the left leaf of the spring wants to be laid on top of the vertical leg of that cut-out. Don't try to sneak the tip of the spring up between the sear and the trigger bow. The spring has to press against the bottom lug of the sear to make it pivot so the upper tip is held in contact with the hammer.

If the sear spring is installed correctly, when you look at the back of the pistol without the grip safety installed, you should see the full length of all three leaves. None of the tips should go up behind anything.

This is the main spring:
http://www.brownells.com/Images/Products/087045919.jpg


This is the sear spring:
http://www.brownells.com/Images/Products/969302010.jpg
Looking into your pistol with the spring installed, this is exactly what you should see

[deadlast2004]

it is the sear spring. sorry my mistake.

now my question is about the left side of this which has a littlt hook on it. exactlt where does that hook go ? is it over the other pisces or does it lay ion top of them ? I have looked at that pic in the forum until I am blue in the eyes and I cannot tell excatly where that hook should be.

[wichaka]

The hook is on the leaf that rests on top of the sear. It fits half on and half off the sear.

[deadlast2004]

should I place the hammer down, mid way or all the way cocked before I start?

[Hawkmoon]

To install the spring, the hammer should be down (uncocked).

Lay the spring in the channel, and ensure that the left leaf falls half on the bottom lug of the sear, and half off. That's the purpose of that little hook on the tip -- to make it as difficult as possible to put more than half the blade on the sear.

Once the sear spring is in place and correctly aligned, just start the mainspring housing into the slots on the backstrap. Slide it up just far enough to begin to engage the sear spring, so it holds it in place. Then flip the hammer strut down.

Now you can slide the grip safety into position and insert the shaft of the thumb safety partially through it, to hold everything in place. Be sure the hammer strut is in the center so it rides in the channel of the grip safety. Depress the grip safety and slide the mainspring housing up. You may have to wiggle and tip the gun a bit to get the tip of the strut centered in the recess of the mainspring cap. Once it is, push the mainspring housing up all the way and insert the pin at the base.

NOW you have to cock the hammer in order to finish pushing the thumb safety all the way in. It only snaps home in one position, which is about halfway between the OFF and ON positions. Fiddle with it -- when it's right, it should pop right in.

[deadlast2004]

Your directions were extremely clear and after 2 years I thought I had it. Then I put the slide on racked it backwards and the hammer fell all the way down like it was cocked ( to the grip safety) and I cannot pull the trigger and it has no pressure if i wiggle the hammer around I can get it to go back against the slide with NO pressure and no click when you pull the trigger and it fires. I heard it click the first time and everything as it went toward the grip safety the first time but no pressure to slam it into the firing pin?

now do you see why i get frustrated with this? LOL

[deadlast2004]

Well my confidence level is restored due to a stupid error and the help of this forum. Thanks Steve. IT IS FIXED. I tore it down in 2002 after the shot show and it has sit on my shelf every since........ but tomorrow after church it is gonna get fired again after a 4 year absence. I replaced the spring in the mainspring housing and it fires flawlessly at least so far!
Thanks and I owe you one SIR!

Signed happy again in Texas

[Kruzr]

Bit late but.........proper sear spring alignment:

http://realguns.com/images/srsprngfnglocationimp.jpg

[Hawkmoon]

Well my confidence level is restored due to a stupid error and the help of this forum. Thanks Steve. IT IS FIXED. I tore it down in 2002 after the shot show and it has sit on my shelf every since........ but tomorrow after church it is gonna get fired again after a 4 year absence. I replaced the spring in the mainspring housing and it fires flawlessly at least so far!
Thanks and I owe you one SIR!

Signed happy again in Texas
Don't leave us all in suspense! What was it that was preventing it from functioning correctly? I thought I had everything covered, but I must have left out something critical.

[wichaka]

I had him call me, so I could walk him thru it.

It turned out that there was no main spring in the housing. He had pulled it out awhile back and put it in a S&A magwell MS housing, but was putting the old MS housing back in.

Got it solved in 5 min. Another satisfied customer.........

[jaybo292]

Hopefully, Another satisfied customer. :D

Jay

[Hawkmoon]

It turned out that there was no main spring in the housing. He had pulled it out awhile back and put it in a S&A magwell MS housing, but was putting the old MS housing back in.
Yeah, that would do it ... :p

[Gizzy]

Hello, First time using this forum. Very helpful. Just replaced the mainspring housing on my Kimber with a MagWell/mainspring housing and had the same issue of the hammer not cocking. That picture of the sear spring position saved me hours of trying.

Thanks Kruzr for such a good picture.

Gizzy

[jaybo292]

Welcome to the forum Gizzy. It is the best. You want believe how much you can learn here.

Jay

[John]

There are some detailed pictures explaining how the sear spring should be replaced in the 1911, in our Home Page. If only I could remember if they are in the Disassembly section or the Technical Issues section. And I do not have the time to check, I have to go.

[Gizzy]

Found them for anyone else who might be needing them.

http://www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm

[Frank]

The first time I detail stripped a 1911, it took me at least four hours to get it back together so that it functioned. I've gotten a better with practice.

Some basic principles to think about: when you're taking it apart look and observe where everything is and how it fits; take your time; don't let yourself become distracted; if its not working, take a break and try again; have a clean, well lite and orderly work space; and don't force anything;

DVC

[John]

Ah, thanks Gizzy, I knew they were in there somewhere.

Frank, you are quite right. It helps if you take apart the pistol, really slowly. Study how things are, as you slowly remove each part. Better yet, print the above page and have it ready at hand.

[secinv]

Gizzy - Good Instructions....

Thank you,

Stephen

Found them for anyone else who might be needing them.

http://www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm