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Posted By:Gus Fisher
Date: Friday, 5 May 2000, at 12:30 p.m
First pull out the magazine, then visually and physically inspect the pistol to ensure it's not loaded. Make DARN sure you don't have loaded ammunition around when you perform these tests.
1.) With the slide all the way forward, hold the pistol in your firing hand and place your non-firing hand over the top front of the slide. Push the slide back about an inch, keep it there, and pull the trigger. The hammer should not drop. If it does drop, the disconnector or slide is at fault.
2.) With the safety off safe and the hammer down, grasp the pistol with the firing hand, as you normally would hold it for shooting.
2a. With the non-firing hand, push the slide all the way to the rear. Before you release it, squeeze the trigger and maintain pressure on it so the trigger stays to the rear. Quickly release the slide while continuing to maintain pressure on the trigger and DON'T let off the pressure on the trigger. The hammer should not drop.
2b. Continue to keep pressure on the trigger and sharply push and release the slide through its full length of travel, two or three more times. You don't want to ride the slide or slow it down, as we want it to move as quickly as possible. We are simulating the pistol operating during firing, so you want to do this quickly. As long as you didn't let off pressure on the trigger during these steps, the hammer should not fall. If the hammer did fall, you may want to try the step again to see if you let pressure off the trigger. (It does happen until you get the hang of these steps.) If you didn't let pressure off the trigger and the hammer fell; you have a problem with the disconnector, hammer, sear or a combination of any of them.
2c. Steps a. and b. ensure you have a working disconnector and enough hammer to sear engagement so the pistol does not go full auto on you. The reason you must not let pressure off the trigger is; this is how the pistol functions in actual firing.
WARNING: Some people who don't know better (or are just plain stupid) test the hammer to sear engagement by locking the slide to the rear, cocking the hammer, and quickly releasing the slide. Well friends, on many perfectly serviceable pistols with horrible 9 pound trigger pulls, the hammer could bounce off the sear engagement when one does this. This is not a valid test, as the pistol never operates this way. I've seen many good trigger jobs ruined by people who do this because it puts unrealistic pressure on the hammer and sear. Please don't do it.
3.) Let the slide go forward and cock the hammer. Push the thumb safety up to the on safe position. Pull HARD on the trigger. If the hammer or safety moves, the thumb safety needs adjustment or replacement. Then push the thumb safety down into the off safe position. Carefully squeeze the trigger and remember what the trigger pull feels like. Cock the hammer and squeeze the trigger again. If you noticed a change in the feel or weight of trigger pulls; the thumb safety, hammer or sear are not operating correctly. If you felt no change in the trigger pull, go on to b.
b. Make sure the slide is forward, lock an unloaded magazine in the magazine well and cock the hammer. Try the above test again. If you now notice a change of trigger pulls, the trigger bow is binding on the magazine and it will have to be adjusted. Pull the magazine out of the magazine well.
4.) Did the trigger pull feel too heavy? If so the pistol will operate correctly, but you may want to get a
trigger job done later. If the trigger pull felt too light, you should get the trigger pull weighed to ensure it is safe BEFORE you fire the pistol. The Mil Spec trigger pull weight on a G. I. .45 is 5 to 7 1/2 pounds. Trigger jobs can safely bring the trigger pull weight down to 4 pounds on a service grade pistol, with an improved "feel."
5.) Grasp the pistol in your firing hand, make sure the pistol is off safe and cock the hammer. Pull the trigger to the rear and keep pressure on it. Now this gets tricky. You may want to grab the slide with your non-firing hand. We want to keep rearward pressure on the grip safety, but slowly release pressure off the trigger. Now slowly release pressure off the grip safety. We are looking to see if the grip safety freely springs backwards and the trigger springs forward. If they don't, some adjustment will have to be made to the grip safety, trigger bow, mainspring or a combination of these parts.
5a. Insert and lock an unloaded magazine into the magazine well. Try the above test again. If either the
trigger or grip safety NOW doesn't move freely; the magazine may be oversize or is rubbing on the trigger bow. Some adjustment will have to be made.
5b. Hold the pistol upright and push the magazine release button. If the magazine falls out freely, that's great. If it sticks a little, but you can pull it out fairly easily, this is still Mil Spec acceptable. However, if the magazine really sticks or hangs up; the magazine may be oversize or it is binding on the trigger bow or grip screw bushings inside the magazine well.
6.) Cock the hammer with the safety off safe. Hold the slide in you non-firing hand and point the muzzle
downwards. Keep your hand off the grip safety and pull HARD on the trigger. The hammer should not fall. If it does, the grip safety is not operating correctly and will need adjustment or replacement.
7.) This step was never part of the inspection procedures taught to Military Armorers. However, if you
think the trigger pull may be too light and you don't have trigger weights, you can use this step as a "quick and dirty" check. Lock the slide to the rear by pushing the slide stop upward into its notch on the slide.
Load one "round nosed" ball dummy round (make sure it's NOT a live round) into the magazine. Load the magazine into the magazine well and lock it in place. Hold the pistol with the non-firing hand and keep your finger OFF the trigger. Push the slide stop down and allow the slide to spring forward all the way home. (Don't put any pressure on the slide or try to slow it down in any way when doing this.) If the hammer does not fall, you can be sure the trigger pull or hammer and sear engagement is not too light.
7a. This test will also let you know if the pistol feeds correctly. If not, you may have problems with the magazine, recoil spring or extractor.
8.) If everything went well, the safety features of the pistol are functioning correctly. There is more to a complete inspection of the pistol, but we will go over that in another tip.
Once you practice and get the hang of these steps, you can perform all of them in less than 5 minutes. I would most strongly recommend you perform these steps on a service pistol EVERY time you plan to go to the range before you fire it (just for safety's sake). Also, you can use these steps to check a pistol that you are considering purchasing, INCLUDING new-in-the-box service grade pistols, as I've seen many fail these tests. If the pistol fails any of these steps, you should either refer the pistol to a qualified smith before you buy it, pass it up, or get a reduced price at least!
Date: Friday, 5 May 2000, at 12:30 p.m
First pull out the magazine, then visually and physically inspect the pistol to ensure it's not loaded. Make DARN sure you don't have loaded ammunition around when you perform these tests.
1.) With the slide all the way forward, hold the pistol in your firing hand and place your non-firing hand over the top front of the slide. Push the slide back about an inch, keep it there, and pull the trigger. The hammer should not drop. If it does drop, the disconnector or slide is at fault.
2.) With the safety off safe and the hammer down, grasp the pistol with the firing hand, as you normally would hold it for shooting.
2a. With the non-firing hand, push the slide all the way to the rear. Before you release it, squeeze the trigger and maintain pressure on it so the trigger stays to the rear. Quickly release the slide while continuing to maintain pressure on the trigger and DON'T let off the pressure on the trigger. The hammer should not drop.
2b. Continue to keep pressure on the trigger and sharply push and release the slide through its full length of travel, two or three more times. You don't want to ride the slide or slow it down, as we want it to move as quickly as possible. We are simulating the pistol operating during firing, so you want to do this quickly. As long as you didn't let off pressure on the trigger during these steps, the hammer should not fall. If the hammer did fall, you may want to try the step again to see if you let pressure off the trigger. (It does happen until you get the hang of these steps.) If you didn't let pressure off the trigger and the hammer fell; you have a problem with the disconnector, hammer, sear or a combination of any of them.
2c. Steps a. and b. ensure you have a working disconnector and enough hammer to sear engagement so the pistol does not go full auto on you. The reason you must not let pressure off the trigger is; this is how the pistol functions in actual firing.
WARNING: Some people who don't know better (or are just plain stupid) test the hammer to sear engagement by locking the slide to the rear, cocking the hammer, and quickly releasing the slide. Well friends, on many perfectly serviceable pistols with horrible 9 pound trigger pulls, the hammer could bounce off the sear engagement when one does this. This is not a valid test, as the pistol never operates this way. I've seen many good trigger jobs ruined by people who do this because it puts unrealistic pressure on the hammer and sear. Please don't do it.
3.) Let the slide go forward and cock the hammer. Push the thumb safety up to the on safe position. Pull HARD on the trigger. If the hammer or safety moves, the thumb safety needs adjustment or replacement. Then push the thumb safety down into the off safe position. Carefully squeeze the trigger and remember what the trigger pull feels like. Cock the hammer and squeeze the trigger again. If you noticed a change in the feel or weight of trigger pulls; the thumb safety, hammer or sear are not operating correctly. If you felt no change in the trigger pull, go on to b.
b. Make sure the slide is forward, lock an unloaded magazine in the magazine well and cock the hammer. Try the above test again. If you now notice a change of trigger pulls, the trigger bow is binding on the magazine and it will have to be adjusted. Pull the magazine out of the magazine well.
4.) Did the trigger pull feel too heavy? If so the pistol will operate correctly, but you may want to get a
trigger job done later. If the trigger pull felt too light, you should get the trigger pull weighed to ensure it is safe BEFORE you fire the pistol. The Mil Spec trigger pull weight on a G. I. .45 is 5 to 7 1/2 pounds. Trigger jobs can safely bring the trigger pull weight down to 4 pounds on a service grade pistol, with an improved "feel."
5.) Grasp the pistol in your firing hand, make sure the pistol is off safe and cock the hammer. Pull the trigger to the rear and keep pressure on it. Now this gets tricky. You may want to grab the slide with your non-firing hand. We want to keep rearward pressure on the grip safety, but slowly release pressure off the trigger. Now slowly release pressure off the grip safety. We are looking to see if the grip safety freely springs backwards and the trigger springs forward. If they don't, some adjustment will have to be made to the grip safety, trigger bow, mainspring or a combination of these parts.
5a. Insert and lock an unloaded magazine into the magazine well. Try the above test again. If either the
trigger or grip safety NOW doesn't move freely; the magazine may be oversize or is rubbing on the trigger bow. Some adjustment will have to be made.
5b. Hold the pistol upright and push the magazine release button. If the magazine falls out freely, that's great. If it sticks a little, but you can pull it out fairly easily, this is still Mil Spec acceptable. However, if the magazine really sticks or hangs up; the magazine may be oversize or it is binding on the trigger bow or grip screw bushings inside the magazine well.
6.) Cock the hammer with the safety off safe. Hold the slide in you non-firing hand and point the muzzle
downwards. Keep your hand off the grip safety and pull HARD on the trigger. The hammer should not fall. If it does, the grip safety is not operating correctly and will need adjustment or replacement.
7.) This step was never part of the inspection procedures taught to Military Armorers. However, if you
think the trigger pull may be too light and you don't have trigger weights, you can use this step as a "quick and dirty" check. Lock the slide to the rear by pushing the slide stop upward into its notch on the slide.
Load one "round nosed" ball dummy round (make sure it's NOT a live round) into the magazine. Load the magazine into the magazine well and lock it in place. Hold the pistol with the non-firing hand and keep your finger OFF the trigger. Push the slide stop down and allow the slide to spring forward all the way home. (Don't put any pressure on the slide or try to slow it down in any way when doing this.) If the hammer does not fall, you can be sure the trigger pull or hammer and sear engagement is not too light.
7a. This test will also let you know if the pistol feeds correctly. If not, you may have problems with the magazine, recoil spring or extractor.
8.) If everything went well, the safety features of the pistol are functioning correctly. There is more to a complete inspection of the pistol, but we will go over that in another tip.
Once you practice and get the hang of these steps, you can perform all of them in less than 5 minutes. I would most strongly recommend you perform these steps on a service pistol EVERY time you plan to go to the range before you fire it (just for safety's sake). Also, you can use these steps to check a pistol that you are considering purchasing, INCLUDING new-in-the-box service grade pistols, as I've seen many fail these tests. If the pistol fails any of these steps, you should either refer the pistol to a qualified smith before you buy it, pass it up, or get a reduced price at least!