Please look at this pic of my hammer

[TRPDRIVER]

Hi folks. This is my first post here as a new 1911 owner. :eb: I purchased a brand new Springfield TRP. I am very experienced with firearms, but have never owned a 1911 and am learning as much as I can on this site.

I read 18 pages of search results for the term "hammer", and could not figure this out.

I have had this pistol for three days, but have not fired it yet. I did a field strip and initial cleaning, and have hand cycled the slide/dry fired about 500 times. I now have uneven wear on the strike face of the hammer and I am worried that something is out of spec. Does anybody know what could be causing this situation? Does it need to go back to the mother ship before I shoot it? I appreciate any advice that can be offered.

Here's a view looking down on the cocked hammer

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1223/img0852.jpg

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3909/img0853.jpg

And the price of admission, a shot of my new baby

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9109/img0851i.jpg

[log man]

Hi folks. This is my first post here as a new 1911 owner. :eb: I purchased a brand new Springfield TRP. I am very experienced with firearms, but have never owned a 1911 and am learning as much as I can on this site.

I read 18 pages of search results for the term "hammer", and could not figure this out.

I have had this pistol for three days, but have not fired it yet. I did a field strip and initial cleaning, and have hand cycled the slide/dry fired about 500 times. I now have uneven wear on the strike face of the hammer and I am worried that something is out of spec. Does anybody know what could be causing this situation? Does it need to go back to the mother ship before I shoot it? I appreciate any advice that can be offered.

Here's a view looking down on the cocked hammer

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1223/img0852.jpg

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3909/img0853.jpg

And the price of admission, a shot of my new baby

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9109/img0851i.jpg
This is an observation that you have made and it's true that the hammer face is probably out of square , but is very common and will not affect function.

LOG

[digdeep74]

if the hammer pin hole is slightly out of spec then your hammer will lean to one side!no worries.

[bbeard]

Read posts concerning EGW firing pin stop (I think there is a sticky) Order one and install then you'll be good to go. As you'll find out it is the original J Browning design and it'll be an improvement over what you have now.

[TRPDRIVER]

Yes, I was reading about the EGW stop and plan to purchase one.

This may be a stupid question, but I have no other 1911's available to me for a comparison:

I see that the firing pin stop cocks the hammer when the slide is cycled rearward. But, once the hammer is cocked, should the firing pin stop make contact with it while cycling the slide? In other words, I rack the slide, then the hammer cocks. Without pulling the trigger, I rack the slide again. On my gun, the stop still contacts the hammer once it is cocked, and this happens as the slide goes back and as it goes forward again. This may be completely normal, but like I said, I have no other 1911 to compare it to.

I thought that once cocked, the hammer would lay low enough for the slide to move freely without touching it during hand cycling. I hope this makes sense.

[log man]

Yes, I was reading about the EGW stop and plan to purchase one.

This may be a stupid question, but I have no other 1911's available to me for a comparison:

I see that the firing pin stop cocks the hammer when the slide is cycled rearward. But, once the hammer is cocked, should the firing pin stop make contact with it while cycling the slide? In other words, I rack the slide, then the hammer cocks. Without pulling the trigger, I rack the slide again. On my gun, the stop still contacts the hammer once it is cocked, and this happens as the slide goes back and as it goes forward again. This may be completely normal, but like I said, I have no other 1911 to compare it to.

I thought that once cocked, the hammer would lay low enough for the slide to move freely without touching it during hand cycling. I hope this makes sense.
Yes what you're seeing is normal, the reason is to positively cock the hammer it must be over cocked and this is why the firing pin stop hits it as it passes over a cocked hammer.


LOG

[CDogg]

your hammer is fine. all it needs to do is strike the firing pin squarely and be able to generate enough inertia to propel the firing pin forward with force to hit the bullet primer. this is just me but I dont dry fire my guns. I owned it for 2 months now and hold it when im at home all the time and probably only dry fired it twice

[TRPDRIVER]

Coming from an LE/IPSC background, I do a lot of dryfiring. I would estimate that I dryfire 500 times for every live round I send down range. I understand that dryfiring the 1911 is not an issue, as long as you ride the slide home softly while racking.

I did a little fluff and buff tonight. I polished the chamber, feed ramps, and barrel hood with some Flitz. They are mirror shiny and smooth now. I will be popping her cherry on Monday after work, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

I also ordered some replacement parts from Brownells to disable the ILS and go to a standard 23 lb mainspring. I'm not so much worried about the ILS, but from what I've read the 23 lb mainspring will make the trigger feel a little better (if that's even possible - it feels great now!) I'm keeping the MSH because I like the finish and the magwell, I figured for $6 it's worth trying the lighter mainspring. I also have some Tripp Research mags enroute based on my reading here. Finally, I ordered an Ed Brown GI guide rod and plug to replace the 2 piece FLGR that came from the factory, because I don't want to worry about it unscrewing itself and would like the ability to charge the weapon one handed against a barrier. Other than a 500 round break in, those are the only mods I have planned for now.

[log man]

When you change out the ILS don't forget to replace the spring cap and pin.

LOG

[TRPDRIVER]

These are the parts I'm using from Brownells:


A - 965-011-161 Mainspring Cap (B) $1.95

B - 965-011-165 Mainspring Cap Pin (B) $1.95

C - 965-011-160 Mainspring (23lb) $1.95

D - Mainspring Pin Retainer - use original SA part

[CDogg]

thats alot of dry firing lol! I still wont dry fire :D

[TRPDRIVER]

thats alot of dry firing lol! I still wont dry fire :D

you're missing out on the best way to master (and maintain mastery of) trigger control.

[sal1911A1]

Hi Log

from the pic it looks like a bur on the firing pin stop, on the right side

maybe a tad with a stone will make it square with the bottom of the slide.

[Jolly Rogers]

Good call sal. It has rubbed the finish off of the hammer at the bottom close to the hammer pin. It may be twisting the hammer at an angle during impact using up any tolerance between the hammer pin and the hammer pin bore in the frame and the hammer. Stoning the firing pin stop or replacing it with EGWs flat bottom stop (worked very well for me) sounds like a good process from here.
Joe

[log man]

This is not a machined from bar stock hammer and if you look closely the hammer face is out of square. I clamp hammers in a precision vice and stone them square, many/most production cast/mim are off.

LOG

[sal1911A1]

don't change the firing pin stop after a tad of fine stoning, (very little)
it has the right radius on the bottom.(Springfield)

Also Log is very good,( he gives good stuff on his posts) if he stated the hammer is out of square check that as well.

[CDogg]

you're missing out on the best way to master (and maintain mastery of) trigger control.

I got a $400 airsoft pistol for that that has a 5# trigger pull (i dont really need the trigger control anymore. I got that issue under control) :)

[TRPDRIVER]

There is no burr on the bottom of the FPS, it is smooth and even with the slide.

Apparently this discussion has been completely academic, because I just returned from the range. I put 300 rounds through the gun, with 100% reliability. Not one malfunction of any kind, and the slide locked back on the empty mag every time. Ammo shot includes Federal American Eagle 230gr, Winchester White box 230 gr, and Speer Gold Dot HP 230 gr. I am ecstatic with the gun. All rounds were fired with the 2 factory mags. Besides being reliable, it got boring shooting one ragged hole in paper plates :D . I noticed that the first round fired was always about 2 inches lower than the group, but I think I read something about that being normal because of the way the round seats compared to a round seated by the recoil operation of the slide.

I had to drift the rear sight about 1/8 inch, but that could be me still getting used to the platform. I am a very happy camper.

I think I am going to put a slightly extended mag release button, during speed reloads I really had to change my hand position to activate it. Other than that I have come to the conclusion that the TRP is definitely a keeper :eb:

[CDogg]

There is no burr on the bottom of the FPS, it is smooth and even with the slide.

. I put 300 rounds through the gun, with 100% reliability. Not one malfunction of any kind, and the slide locked back on the empty mag every time. :eb:

That gun is golden. Having fired 300 straight with zero malfunction. Can I buy that off of you? :eb: Congrats on that great catch