How to Reassemble a 1911 Series 70

Jun 2

This is a customer gun checked into us for repair so, in the video, we also cover a few issues and explain how to repair them! It is a 1911 with Caspian frame and slide, and because of the bull barrel, some of the reassembly steps are different than a standard 1911 A1GI.

Before getting started on this reassembly, make sure you have the following tools:

Screwdriver Set
Punch Set
Nylon/Brass Hammer
Bench Blocks

* Disclaimer: I don’t know the name of every part on this gun so if you need a reference please use a parts diagram.

Step 1: Main Spring Housing Reassembly

Put the plunger and detent into the main spring.
Detent first, slide the main spring into the main spring housing.
Line up the pin and put your finger on it to hold it in place.
Press the main spring down into the housing with a punch or screwdriver and push the pin in with your finger.

Step 2: Frame Reassembly

Slide the trigger and trigger stirrup into the frame from the back. If it doesn’t slide in easily, flip it over and try again. It can only go in one direction.
Next put the magazine catch back together. Put the magazine catch retaining pin (has a screw head but isn’t a screw) into the spring. \
Slide the spring and pin into the magazine catch. Take a flat head screwdriver tip and give the pin a quarter turn counterclockwise. It should snap into place.
Put the magazine catch into the frame. Let it sink below the frame surface. Then start to turn the pin with a flat head and push the magazine catch up from the other side of the frame until it locks into place.
Take the disconnector and the sear. Put the sear on top of the disconnector. These two parts will rest on the trigger. From the back of the gun, line them up with the hole and drop the parts down onto the trigger. Then push it forward into place. Using a punch as a temporary pin, line the sear pin hole up with the sear inside the gun. Once they’re lined up, slide the sear pin into the hole.
Set the hammer into place and line up the hole in the hammer with the pin hole of the frame. Slide the hammer pin into place.\
Flip the hammer strut forward so that it’s outside the frame to expose the space where the leaf spring goes. There is a ledge on the leaf spring that should line up with a linear cut in the frame. Put the leaf spring into place on top of the sear and disconnector and line up the ledge on the spring with the linear cut of the frame.
Slide the main spring housing onto the back of the frame two-thirds of the way. This will hold the leaf spring in place temporarily. Flip the hammer strut back down into the frame. Set the grip safety into place, lining up the holes.
On the left side of the frame, set the safety in partially. Slide the safety detent into the tube. Cock the hammer. Then push the detent into the tube while spinning the safety down into place.
Release the hammer. Make sure the hammer strut is in the main spring housing hole. Push the main spring housing into place by pushing the gun down onto the table. While pushing the gun onto the table, slide the main spring housing retaining pin halfway into the hole. This will hold it into place temporarily. Then use a brass hammer to tap it all the way into place.
On the right side of the gun, put the other safety into place. Click it down and into the hole.
Sear and Disconnector (image)
Sear & Disconnector Inside the Frame (image)

Step 3: Slide Reassembly

Slide the extractor in until the grooves line up.
Put the firing pin spring on the firing pin—sliding the closed side of the spring on first. Then slide it into the firing pin slot.
Push the firing pin into the hole until it’s almost flush and hold it there (you might need to use a punch for this). Slide the rear plate on. This will temporarily hold it in place. Then push the firing pin into the slide and snap the rear plate into place by pushing down all the way.
Slide the barrel in from the front of the slide. The link should be flipped up in the back position.
Put the bushing into the recoil spring housing with the notch toward the barrel.
Put guide rod into the recoil spring. The closed side of the spring should slide on first.
Slide the guide rod and recoil spring into the recoil spring housing. The notch in the guide rod should face the barrel. The guide rod should be toward the back of the gun and the open spring should face the front of the slide. Push it down into place and keep holding it down with your thumb or finger.
Keep your thumb or finger on the recoil spring so it doesn’t pop out. Grab the frame and slide the slide of the gun onto the frame until the barrel is free of the take down pin hole.
Once the take down pin hole is unobstructed, put the take down lever into the hole. Push down and in to click the take down lever into place. Do not rotate it into place. This will scratch the frame.
Slide the front of the guide rod into place. Use and allen key to screw it in. Make sure this is tight. You don’t want it to work its way out during operation.
Recoil Spring and Guide Rod Orientation in Slide (image)

Step 4: Grip Installation

If you have a grip with a threaded bushing stuck in it, put that one in first. Otherwise, the grips will flex and they could crack.
Screw the rest of the grip screws on.
Grip Installation (image)

Step 5: Magazine Reassembly

Put the spring back in. Hold it in place with a finger.
While you hold the spring in place, slide the metal retainer plate in. Keep your finger on the metal plate
Then put the base plate back on. You’ll need to push down as you slide it into place.
Hold the metal plate down as you slide the base plate into place.

That’s a reassembled 1911 Series 70. We hope you found this explanation useful. If you have any questions, comment below. Thank you for reading!