1911 Main Spring Housings - How To

[druryj]

Ever struggle to take the mainspring housing apart on your 1911 so you can occasionally clean it out; maybe replace the mainspring itself? Well, I have...and then there you are, crawling around on your hands and knees in search of small parts...

I found this info on a 1911 site long ago and thought I'd share:

1. Take a piece of old 2X4, maybe 6-8"; long and drive a finishing nail in the middle of it, leaving about an inch sticking out.
2. Now just push the mainspring housing down on the end of the nail and using a straightened-out paperclip, ease that little retaining pin out, then slowly let up on the MSH and voila!

 

[HiredHand]

A punch held in a vise works pretty good, too.

 

[grwd]

I use a 5/32 in my hand to compress and a 1/16" in my mouth to pop out the retaining pin

 

[druryj]

I use a 5/32 in my hand to compress and a 1/16" in my mouth to pop out the retaining pin

That sounds like a prescription for an eye injury to me.

 

[grwd]

It sounds like you don't automatically use eye protection when you work with tools like I do. And you should wear glasses, especially when you shoot and use that crappy ammo

 

[druryj]

It sounds like you don't automatically use eye protection when you work with tools like I do. And you should wear glasses, especially when you shoot and use that crappy ammo

I do wear glasses, but it's because I need them to see. Maybe I can listen and learn some more neat things from you now that I have learned that I am a hazard to my own self and I shoot crappy ammo.

 

[druryj]

I use a 5/32 in my hand to compress and a 1/16" in my mouth to pop out the retaining pin

Any more lip from the likes of you and I'll report you to the American Dental Association.

 

[okeydoke]

just clamp the msh in a vise, use a punch to depress the spring while you press out the retaining pin with another punch. Sometimes, if you leave the front of the MSH pointed down, the retainer pin will just fall out. So I clamp the msh vertically in the vise.

 

[druryj]

Oh now I'm so confused! Should I do it MY way? Put the MSH in a vice? Put the punch in a vise? Punch the vise?


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[okeydoke]

I've done it on my thigh, many a time. Just push in the plunger with something, with the base of the msh on my thigh. normally the retainer pin will just fall out once you remove the spring tension that's bearing on it.