How to Perform a 1911 function check and safety check.
Anytime you disassemble or field strip your 1911 for cleaning purposes, recoil spring replacement, plunger tube replacement, upgrade, etc. it is necessary to perform a function check and safety check. This is simply a series of steps to be sure that the gun has been assembled properly and the firearm safeties are working normally..
This tutorial will walk you step-by-step through a complete mechanical function check.
The checks in this tutorial are very thorough. There is more here than a safety check. When you reassemble your 1911, it is advisable to at least do the safety checks. Steps 11-15 deal specifically with the thumb and grip safeties.
Safety check
After disassembly of a firearm, you always want to verify that the gun is assembled properly and everything works as it should. This part of the procedure will ensure that the 1911 operates safely as designed. This will test the grip and thumb safeties.
Function Check
This will verify that the gun functions as designed, including accepting a magazine, chambering and ejecting a round and trigger function.
This function check will be performed with the gun empty of live ammunition. Some of the steps will involve dummy rounds, which are simply fake ammo that has the same size and shape as real ammunition, but does not have any gun powder or primer.
The check will verify proper operation of:
- Magazine insertion and release
- Trigger operation
- Thumb Safety feature
- Grip safety feature
- Firing pin block
- Extractor/Ejector function
It is a comprehensive, yet quick verification to be sure all the safety functions work as designed.
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Step-By-Step Complete Mechanical Function and Safety Check on the 1911.
STOP!! Unload your gun and verify that is is unloaded by removing any magazine and then checking the chamber to be sure it is empty. Remove ALL live ammunition form the area!!
Slide stop function check:
4. Remove the empty magazine using the magazine release button.
Hammer and Trigger Function Check:
STOP!! Unload your gun and verify that is is unloaded by removing any magazine and then checking the chamber to be sure it is empty. Remove ALL live ammunition form the area!!
6. Do a press check or chamber check to verify once again that the gun is unloaded.
8. While continuing to hold the trigger all the way to the rear rack the slide. Hammer must remain in the fully cocked position.
10. Take your finger off of the trigger and rack the slide. The hammer must remain in the fully cocked position.
Thumb Safety and Grip Safety Checks
12. Place the thumb safety back into the downward or fire position. The hammer must remain fully cocked.
14. Reestablish a correct firing grip and using your support side hand, retract the slide slightly, about one half inch and hold it there.
Magazine & Magazine Well Checks:
16. Place an empty magazine fully into the magazine well and ensure it clicks in place.
17. Depress the magazine release and the magazine should drop out of the gun.
18. Load a magazine with DUMMY ROUNDS.
19. Insert a magazine that is fully loaded with DUMMY ROUNDS into the gun and ensure it clicks into place.
20. Once again, depress the magazine release and the magazine should drop out of the gun.
Eject & Chambering Checks:
21. Insert the magazine containing the dummy rounds again.
22. Rack the slide
23. Slide should close fully under its own recoil spring power.
24. Rack the slide again.
25. A dummy round should be ejected from the ejection port and a new dummy round should be stripped off of the top of the magazine and fully chambered.
26. Continue racking the slide to simulate shooting the pistol and one by one, the dummy rounds should all be ejected until the magazine is empty and the slide locks back on the empty magazine.
27. Proceed to do this using every magazine you intend to use with the gun.
28. Guns equipped with a firing pin safety feature (Colt Series 80 or later 1911s) have one more check. Lock the slide back, and take a small punch and press on the rear of the firing pin. Be sure it stops before protruding into the chamber through the breech face.
29. Go to the range and test fire the gun.
As you can see, there are a lot of steps, but if you go through it a few times, you will have it down. It is basically just a quick test of all the functions and safeties.
This completes the 1911 safety and function check. If all went well, your gun is ready to go!
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