Came across a great deal at a local pawnshop on this 1911 full size. Wish I had the history.
On first glance, it looked like it was brand new.
On second glance, I saw the original grips had been replaced by a set of Hogue's.
On third glance, I saw that it was DIRTY from having been fired and not cleaned...
AND on fourth glance, which was when I took it apart, I could not determine that a single drop of lubricant had ever, ever been added to it. I cleaned it, and here are the pictures of it in pieces; don't know if you can see just how DRY this poor baby was.
I'm guessing that somebody must have had some knowledge, else why buy it in the first place, why replace the grips with Hogue's; BUT why let it get all dirty and dry. Must have been a gift?
And, of course, in order to get away with it, this one is going to be a gift: to my sweet bride Vanessa, who has yet to fire a handgun and professes intense negative emotions. But she loves ME, so that means I'll get to keep it. Snicker. Snicker. And I love her, too, or else I wouldn't buy her (even at this bargain price) a RIA 1911 FS.
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Greetings from Woodstock, GA, cultural center of the universe.
I just oiled everything up. Gonna let it soak in, then take it out to the shop and cook it.
Remembering, of course, to remove the recoil spring and the grips. Don't know that 350 degrees is too much for the spring, but why stress it any more than needed?
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Greetings from Woodstock, GA, cultural center of the universe.
I just oiled everything up. Gonna let it soak in, then take it out to the shop and cook it.
Remembering, of course, to remove the recoil spring and the grips. Don't know that 350 degrees is too much for the spring, but why stress it any more than needed?
If you're worried about the biggest heaviest spring in it what about all the rest of them?
Why are ya cooking it Bud? I may be a bit confused. If it's that cruddy, I'd do a detail strip and give each individual part some attention with a brush and solvent, lightly oiling everything with a quality oil and re assembling.
Why are ya cooking it Bud? I may be a bit confused. If it's that cruddy, I'd do a detail strip and give each individual part some attention with a brush and solvent, lightly oiling everything with a quality oil and re assembling.
There is a thread somewhere on the board with the title "Shake and Bake: (I think) that fully addresses the issue. In short, It's like curing your cast iron cookware. Cosmetically, it turns all of the treated pieces a nice shiny black. I also believe it gets more of the oil down into the pores of the metal.
With respect to cleaning it, that's already done; I stripped it down and scoured it with cotton and cleaner until all the burnt powder (and whatever else was there) was long gone.
Here's a picture of my 1911 (top) and my youngest son's 1911 (bottom) for comparison. Mine has been shake n baked; his hasn't. I also have the Hogue wrap around grips, whereas he has his signet engraved in his wooden grips.
This was taken after one treatment, and I'm not sure if you can tell the difference in this picture.
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Greetings from Woodstock, GA, cultural center of the universe.
If you're worried about the biggest heaviest spring in it what about all the rest of them?
If I decide to disassemble the slide, I'll take out the firing pin spring as well. But I will take out the slide-stop spring when I pull off the left grip panel. Remove the mainspring? Nope. Not gonna do it. Too much work, and the mainspring is rough and tough and knows it's stuff.
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Greetings from Woodstock, GA, cultural center of the universe.
...and is perturbed at me for buying her a 1911, which I knew she was going to be. She'll feel differently when I coerce her onto the range. Nothing empowers a foxy grandmother like busting a few mags of .45 ACP (unless it's emptying a magazine in a Mossburg 500 12 gauge).
And while she is perturbed, I'll have TWO 1911s to entertain.
It's win-win!
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Greetings from Woodstock, GA, cultural center of the universe.
If I decide to disassemble the slide, I'll take out the firing pin spring as well. But I will take out the slide-stop spring when I pull off the left grip panel. Remove the mainspring? Nope. Not gonna do it. Too much work, and the mainspring is rough and tough and knows it's stuff.
My ancient brain cells do translations sometimes. I meant the plunger spring (The spring in the plunger tube between the safety and the side stop).
You know: that one, the one I didn't otherwise mention.
I have too few oxygenated cells to remember stuff, and not enough energy to look it up if I might be close.
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Greetings from Woodstock, GA, cultural center of the universe.
First off, congratulations on a 4'th RIA. Second, very big shocked amazement at finding a deal at a pawn shop! Talking those thieves down to retail on their used up junk is as low as I can get generally them.
If you find the thread about "seasoning" your pistols, please link it. I would like to read about that.
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"It is useless for the sheep
to pass resolutions in favour of
vegetarianism" ~ R. W. Inge
First off, congratulations on a 4'th RIA. Second, very big shocked amazement at finding a deal at a pawn shop! Talking those thieves down to retail on their used up junk is as low as I can get generally them.
Really? I wonder if it's a matter of laws, location, or just practice. From pawn shop/gun store combinations, it may be different. I've bought from pawn shops a Mossberg 500 12 gauge, two Dan Wesson .357 from two stores, a S&W Mod 422, a Marlin .22 semiauto rifle, two of my four RIA 1911, a S&W .40, and a S&W Airweight .38 special (my carry gun), and an MP30 9 mm (Like a MAC knock-off).
I also had to use the pawn function one time to get a car out of impound, and the prices were STEEP (interest was 25%) but they gave me no hassle on loaning me what I needed with one of my 1911s as collateral.
So, ya pays yer money, and ya takes yer choice, I guess.
And I thought the thread was on this forum, but it's not. It's on a forum restricted to 1911s. Don't know if I can post the link or not.
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Greetings from Woodstock, GA, cultural center of the universe.
My ancient brain cells do translations sometimes. I meant the plunger spring (The spring in the plunger tube between the safety and the side stop).
You know: that one, the one I didn't otherwise mention.
I have too few oxygenated cells to remember stuff, and not enough energy to look it up if I might be close.
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