How do you chamber a round with a 1911?

[BlueSteel]

I have read several posts lately, especially DoubleAction's about things you wish you knew about guns, and i want to know the proper way to do this since I have just got ahold of a brand new Kimber which is my first 1911.

thanks

["DoubleAction"]

BlueSteel; Most factory triggers should be safe when dropping the slide in chambering the first round, irregardless of the fact that the trigger can bounce against the sear, as the disconnector rises with the impact of the slide, as it goes into battery, causing the sear nose to release the hammer hooks, resulting in the hammer to drop; And hope the half cocked notch on the hammer catches the sear nose, before the hammer strikes the firing pin.
This is most common occurances on lightened triggers with shortened hammer hooks, polished surface contacts, heavy recoil springs, or broken sear noses and hammer hooks.
I cannot advise anyone how to chamber the first round on a light trigger, but I can ask where the position of the trigger is during the normal cycle of the slide, when subsequent rounds are chambered ?
I can ask where the disconnector remains, until the trigger is released, after a round is chambered, following the firing of the previous round.
I can also ask what the disconnector disconnects, or what it connects.
Another question would be how the fire control system of the 1911 functions.
When the Slide is to the rear, the disconnector plate is pushed below the contact of the sear by the center leg of the slide. If the trigger is in the rear position,when the slide goes into battery, the disconnector plate will remain below the sear until the trigger releases it during the reset.
I have some photos on the Group Functional pages of the 1911. I lost these at one time, and have spent some time restoring some of the functional descriptions. I used actual parts to display the functional description of the 1911 trigger system. I'll go to the area and bring back the link.

["DoubleAction"]

At the top of the page, click "next" to proceed.

www.msnusers.com/HANDGUNS/1911functionaldescriptions.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=331

["DoubleAction"]

Now I will devulge, for the first time ever, how "I" chamber the first round on "My" 1911 semi-auto pistols.
Warning: This is for informational purposes only, and one should seek professional advice before forming their own opinion, based on the following.

Because most all my triggers break at 3 1/2 lbs. or less, combined with heavier recoil springs, and lighter mainsprings, I obtain functional results by the method of retaining the disconnector plate below that of the sear, by manually holding the trigger to the rear until the slide completes the full cycle of chambering the first round. After the cycle is complete,with the slide in battery, and the first round chambered, I release the trigger in order to allow the disconnector to rise and make contact with the sear.
For every round after the first round , the trigger will be in the rear position during the slide's auto cycle. In my opinion, and the opinion of many others, this is how the fire control system of the 1911 functions. The trigger should always be to the rear when a round is chambered. This is just my opinion guys. By the way; Do not think your finger is fast enough to get off that trigger before the next round chambers, the 1911 is noted for it's speed and high rate of fire.

[BlueSteel]

Wow im gonna have to get familliar with all of the internals. Thanks for the info it was great.

["DoubleAction"]

Bluesteel; Your not alone, there are many who buy into the 1911 without first understanding the fire control system. I only became familiar with the internals after several years of shooting the 1911. If there is more I can add, I will be more than glad to help.
I have to add that the photos, illustrating the trigger system, are with the trigger relaxed, toward the front. If you look at the disconnector in the lower position, below the sear, when the trigger is in the rearward position, it's plate will be beneath the sear leg, and will remain below the sear leg until the trigger is released. Releasing the trigger will allow the disconnector to rise for connecting the trigger stirrup to the sear.
The genius of the 1911 is the simplicity of it's design.

["DoubleAction"]

With the pistol unloaded, magazine removed, and chamber clear, retract the slide to the rear and lock it using the slide stop. Now put your finger on the trigger, press it to the rear position, and guide the slide into battery, maintaining pressure on the trigger while manually guiding the slide into battery. Now let off the trigger, and listen for a distinctive Click as you let off on the trigger pressure; This will be the disconnector rising to connect the sear and trigger stirrup.
Please keep ammunition and loaded magazines away from the area when performing any of the functional checks, and by all means, triple check everything, including the barrel's chamber, to make sure the pistol is unloaded.

["DoubleAction"]

This is from the Thread "In Praise of The 1911"

5ontarget said:

ok first let me say, Wow! that's some nice looking heat. A 1911 has been added to my wish list. I have a few others that are ahead of it though. S&W 686, I have wanted one of those for a long time. I like the idea of always having a "work in progress" with the 1911's. An endless supply of custom parts to hang on them.
I was surfing one of the Kel-Tec forums (hang on this will all tie together), and was looking for some of the smiths the send their guns to for finishing. They all seem to use Jack Fuselier www.gunsmith.fuselier.com/
I was looking at his site, and noticed a link titled HERE'S HOW 1911 STYLE PISTOLS CAN GO FULL AUTO. I looked at it here www.gunsmith.fuselier.com/AUTO1911.HTML
it talks about how a 1911 may go full auto or AD while loading it. take a look, does this seem right? I had a hard time keeping it all straight in my pea sized gunsmith brain.
(see I told you I'd link it all back together)

DoubleAction said:

5ontarget; Thanks a million for bringing chambering the first round full auto issue up; I have been talking about this for two years on these proboard forums. That Combat Commmander went full auto with me one time, but I've since learned thge proper technique and proper method of operating the 1911. Think about this: the only time that the trigger is not to the rear, when the slide cycles, is when the first round is chambered. During the time that the trigger is in the rearward position, the disconnector is held below the sear, preventing the transfer of energy from the Trigger stirrup, to the sear. The Gold Cup National Matches have a spring activated lever that maintains pressure on the sear during cycling, in order to prevent the trigger stirrup from bouncing to release the sear. I'll have more relating to this in the 1911 function photos and descriptions at the group area. Trigger bounce, Hammer Follow, and Full Auto situations are created when the hammer hooks are shortened, added to the lighter springs, polishing of all contact points, and unsafe methods of operating the pistol.

[vito]

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I never gave chambering a second thought. I insert a full magazine, retract the slide and let it slide forward into the cocked position. I just assumed that the round being chambered cannot discharge until I put the trigger and squeeze in the handgrip safety. I'm more concerned with carrying the weapon cocked and locked. I worry about accidentally pushing the manual safety off, and then having a cocked hammer over a live roung sitting in my holster. I guess I trust the instructions with my gun which assure me that the gun cannot discharge without my pulling the trigger.

["DoubleAction"]

One of the best safety features I've seen incorporated into the 1911 is Colt's Series 80 firing pin safety. The pistol can be locked and cocked, with the thumb safety off, and if the hammer falls by any means other than the rearward movement of the trigger, the firing pin will not pass through to strike the cartridge primer.
The firing pin is blocked by a plunger, and the plunger is raised to allow the passing of the firing pin by a safety lever. This Safety lever ( Called the Series 80 Safety Levers) is contacted by the rear movement of the trigger stirrup, which deactivates the the firing pin block of the Series 80.