field strip problem

[baker1425]

I've only taken apart 1911s about a zillion times. Of course, these were non-kimbers, and I am stuck. I was trying to take apart the TLE/RL2 and ran into problems.

I took the recoil spring plug and recoil spring out. Then popped the slide stop out, and the slide moved forward about 3/4 inch and stopped. I moved it back and forwards, no luck getting it past the 3/4 inch.

The grip safety was not depressed.

Any ideas?

[Chuck S]

Is the barrel locked in the slide lugs? I had this problem with a Kimber Ultra -- slide was locked tight about 1/2" forward of normal position. Some jiggling and pushing the barrel out of battery freed it.

-- Chuck

[LeadStorm]

I've only taken apart 1911s about a zillion times. Of course, these were non-kimbers, and I am stuck. I was trying to take apart the TLE/RL2 and ran into problems.

I took the recoil spring plug and recoil spring out. Then popped the slide stop out, and the slide moved forward about 3/4 inch and stopped. I moved it back and forwards, no luck getting it past the 3/4 inch.

The grip safety was not depressed.

Any ideas?
If the grip safety was depressed, the little pin that dis-engages the firing pin block will get stuck in the hole in your slide near the firing pin stop.

The pin for the firing pin block can fall up if the gun is inverted. Try shaking the pistol while upright to see if that's it. Make sure the mag is out. The only other thing I can think of is the guide rod getting hung up. The full length rod can sometimes hang up in disassembly.

[Chuck S]

LS --

Thanks, that sounds like how mine "fixed" itself.

I think the later models have a taper on both ends of the interlock button in the slide to the pin will putsh the interlock from either direction. I recall something about a D-shaped button.

I just recently sold a Series IIe which never had this problem and bought a Series II which has had the problem two times.

-- Chuck

[LeadStorm]

I have found that if you custom fit an oversize EGW firing pin stop that you can do it so that the little hole that the plunger gets stuck in is filled so that the plunger can't hang up. That will also fix the problem with a series II Kimber that when you rack the slide with the gun inverted, the slide will hang because the plunger drops down. It's not a real problem because if you let the slide fly like your suposed to the slide will go all the way home. Still makes me feel better when that little catch is gone. Makes me feel even better when I rip out all the series II stuff. :)

[JJ45FAN]

i had the same problem with my custom II when it was new. The plunger for the firing-pin saftey stuck up to far even when the grip saftey wasn't pressed. I filed off a small amount of material from the top lip of the mainspring housing (not much), & that let the grip saftey swing out just little farther. This dropped the plunger down into the slide, problem solved. After about 1000 rnds, still no trouble.