Gallery: Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP complete disassembly

The Colt 1911 Government allows maybe more upgrades than any other handgun ever commercially sold. It is a duty for owners to know how to disassemble it

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Some guns that have a very tight fit require the use of this tool to remove the Barrel Bushing

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The 1911 Government Series 80 completely disassembled

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Before disassembly, we need to make sure the gun is unloaded; the procedure starts by removing the magazine

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Now, we must retract the slide rearwards to visually inspect the chamber. Keep your fingers clear of the trigger during all these operations!

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The Barrel Bushing can be rotated clockwise while holding the recoil spring plug

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Remove the front plug from the recoil spring

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Press the slide stop lever shaft end that protrudes from the frame on the right side

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Remove the slide stop lever. Its shaft also locks the barrel link and therefore connects the slide to the frame

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Once the slide stop lever is removed, the slide can be separated from the frame pushing it forwards

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Remove the recoil spring and recoil spring guide

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The Barrel Bushing can be removed from the slide, twisting it counterclockwise

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Barrel Bushing out of the slide. Note the bayonet type lug, which holds it in place

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Once the Barrel Bushing is removed, the barrel can be removed. To do this, the Barrel Link must be kept flush against the barrel, to clear the slide

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The Firing Pin Lock Plunger

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Remove the rear plate, pushing the firing pin inwards. Since our gun is a Series 80, the Firing Pin Lock Plunger must be also be pressed at the same time

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Rear plate removed. Note the Firing Pin still held in place by the Plunger

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — To remove the Firing Pin and spring, press the Firing Pin Lock Plunger

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — To remove the Firing Pin Lock Plunger, we need to move back the Extractor by about a millimeter

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — With the help of a flat bladed screwdriver we can remove the extractor from the slide

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The extractor just removed. This is a part that sometimes needs to be carefully “tuned”

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — With a suitably sized flat blade screwdriver the grip panels can be removed

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The roll pin that holds the Mainspring Housing in place can be removed with the correct size punch

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Note the small roll pin that locks the Mainspring Housing spring and cap

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The internal parts of the Mainspring Housing. During disassembly, we recommend to cover the Mainspring Housing with a cloth

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Note the Upper Sear lever that controls the automatic Firing Pin safety in Series 80 guns

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The Manual Safety can be removed by rotating it upwards and holding the hammer cocked

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The Manual Safety shaft also secures the Grip Safety, if removed, this part also comes loose and can be removed from the frame

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The 3-prong Sear Spring requires skilful adjustment to work properly

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The Hammer and hinged strut can be removed by pushing out the hammer pin

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — On the right side of the hammer we can find the Upper Sear lever that controls the automatic Firing Pin safety in Series 80 guns

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — Removing the Sear Pin, the following parts can be disassembled: Upper Sear Lever, Lower Sear Lever, and Disconnector

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — From the Plunger tube riveted to the frame, we can now slide out the Safety Lock Plunger, its spring and the Slide Release Plunger

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The Magazine Catch Assembly can be removed, keeping it slightly pressed while the small slotted screw is rotated counter-clockwise

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The Magazine Catch Assembly. Note the small lug that locks the assembly in the frame

Smontaggio completo: Colt 1911 Government calibro .45 ACP — The trigger can be removed by pulling it out from the rear of the frame

Colt 1911 Government .45 ACP disassembly — The complete set of levers and parts that make up the Trigger System. To allow a better understanding of the parts relationship, the Upper Sear Lever has been placed upside down