HOW A 1911 CAN GO FULL AUTO OR AD WHILE LOADING IT

THE ORDINARILY RELIABLE 1911 STYLE SEMIAUTO PISTOL HAS A POTENTIAL FOR GOING FULL AUTO UDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES.
TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAN HAPPEN LET US FIRST LOOK AT THE DESIGN AND PARTS WHICH ARE INTENDED TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.

WHEN THE TRIGGER IS PULLED WITH A FULLY COCKED HAMMER AND A LIVE ROUND IN THE CHAMBER, THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IS AS FOLLOWS. THE TRIGGER BOW PUSHES THE DISCONNECTOR TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE PISTOL. IF THE SLIDE IS FULLY IN BATTERY, A NOTCH UNDER THE SLIDE HAS ALLOWED THE DISCONNECTOR TO SLIDE UP AND SLIP UNDER THE SEAR HEEL. WHEN THE DISCONNECTOR IS PUSHED TO THE REAR BY THE TRIGGER BOW, IT THEN PUSHES THE SEAR HEEL ALSO AND CAUSES THE SEAR TO PIVOT OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HAMMER. THE HAMMER THEN DROPS, STRIKES THE FIRING PIN, THE GUN DISCHARGES.

ALL OF THIS MAY SEEM ELEMENTARY, IT IS WHAT HAPPENS ON THE RELOAD CYCLE THAT CAN CAUSE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE SLIDE IS OUT OF BATTERY, THE DISCONNECTOR, AS NOTED EARLIER, IS PUSHED DOWN OUT OF THE NOTCH IN THE SLIDE. IT IS PUSHED BELOW THE HEEL ON THE SEAR, AND IS HELD TO THE REAR BY THE TRIGGER, WHICH IS STILL HELD IN A REARMOST "PULLED" POSITION, NOT HAVING BEEN RELEASED BY THE FINGER OF THE SHOOTER. THIS ALLOWS THE SEAR TO TRAP THE HAMMER, WHICH WAS COCKED BY THE RECOIL OF THE SLIDE.

AFTER THE SLIDE PICKS UP A FRESH CARTIDGE AND CHAMBERS IT WHILE GOING BACK INTO BATTERY, THE SHOOTER RELEASES THE TRIGGER, WHICH MOVES FORWARD, ALLOWING THE DISCONNECTOR TO RISE INTO THE NOTCH AND MOVE BACK UNDER THE HEEL OF THE SEAR. THE GUN IS NOW READY FOR ANOTHER DISCHARGE. THIS IS THE WAY IT IS DESIGNED TO OPERATE, AND IF ALL PARTS ARE FITTED CORRECTLY IT WILL.

LET US SEE WHAT HAPPEND WHEN THE SLIDE IS "DROPPED" ON A LIVE ROUND AND THE TRIGGER IS DELIBERATELY NOT BEING HELD TO THE REAR DURING INITIAL LOADING. START WITH A SLIDE THAT HAS BEEN RETRACTED OR WAS LOCKED BACK BY THE SLIDE STOP. THE DISCONNECTOR IS PUSHED DOWN FROM UNDER THE HEEL OF THE SEAR BECAUSE THE NOTCH IN THE SLIDE HAS MOVED AWAY.

NOW HERE IS WHERE THE PROBLEM WITH A LOOSE TRIGGER ARISES. THERE IS A "WINDOW" OF ABOUT .1+" IN MOST 1911s IN WHICH THE NOTCH MOVES BACK OVER THE DISCONNECTOR JUST BEFORE THE SLIDE SLAMS HOME IN BATTERY. SHOULD THE DISCONNECTOR MOVE UP QUICKLY ENOUGH, IT COULD SLIDE UNDER THE HEEL OF THE SEAR AND BE IN A POSITION TO PUSH THE SEAR OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HAMMER BEFORE THE SLIDE ACTUALLY SHUTS. THE TRIGGER BOW MAY OR MAY NOT BE IN CONTACT WITH THE DISCONNECTOR, BUT THE SLIDE SLAMMING INTO BATTERY TRANSFERS A FORWARD MOTION TO THE FRAME, AND TRUE TO THE LAWS OF MOTION, THE TRIGGER AND DISCONNECTOR TRY TO REMAIN STATIONARY WHILE THE FRAME MOVES FORWARD UNDER THE IMPACT OF THE SLIDE.

A HEAVY, OLD STYLE TRIGGER, A LIGHT SEAR SPRING AND A SLIGHTLY SHORT OR WORN DISCONNECTOR CAN SET UP A SITUATION IN WHICH THE MASS OF THE TRIGGER AND DISCONNECTOR ADDED TOGETHER MAY BE ENOUGH TO KICK THE SEAR OUT OF THE HAMMER, CREATING AN ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE.

CONSIDER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE INITIAL LOADING AND SLIDE DROPPING IS ACCOMPANIED BY A FIRM HOLDING DOWN AND IMMOBILIZING OF THE TRIGGER. THE WAY TO DO THIS IS TO INSERT THE LOADED MAGAZINE, PULL THE TRIGGER, AND DRAW THE SLIDE BACK AND RELEASE IT WHILE HOLDING THE TRIGGER. ALTERNATIVELY, IF THE SLIDE IS ALREADY LOCKED OPEN, PULL THE TRIGGER, INSERT THE MAGAZINE, AND RELEASE THE SLIDE WHILE HOLDING THE TRIGGER. THIS OBVIOUSLY MIMICS THE OPERATION WHEN THE GUN SELF-LOADS. WHEN THE TRIGGER IS HELD BACK THE DISCONNECTOR IS PREVENTED FROM RISING BEHIND THE HEEL OF THE SEAR. IT REMAINS TRULY "DISCONNECTED" AND THE SEAR IS FREE TO TRAP THE HAMMER AS IT IS COCKED BY THE SLIDE. AT THIS POINT THE GUN IS LOADED AND THE HAMMER IS COCKED AND THE TRIGGER IS STILL HELD BACK.

RELEASING THE TRIGGER AT THIS POINT COMPLETES THE LOADING CYCLE. LISTENING CAREFULLY THE SHOOTER WILL HEAR AND FEEL THE CLICK AS THE DISCONNECTOR IS RETURNED TO THE "ARMED" POSITIOM. THE GUN IS NOW ARMED AND READY TO SHOOT.

IF THE SHOOTER IS NOT READY AT THIS POINT TO FIRE, THE FINGER SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE TRIGGER AND NOT RETURNED UNTIL READY TO FIRE.
ADMITTEDLY, THIS METHOD OF LOADING REQUIRES CAREFUL ATTENTION TO SEQUENCE, AND A LAPSE IN ATTENTION MAY CAUSE A NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE. NEVERTHELESS, IT IS THE SAFEST WAY TO LOAD A 1911 PISTOL WITH A VERY LIGHT TRIGGER PULL.

NOT TO CAUSE UNDUE ALARM, LET ME SAY THAT ANY 1911 WITH A TRIGGER PULL OF 4+ POUNDS, IN WHICH MOST OF THE TENSION IS SEAR SPRING, IS NOT LIKELY TO AD IN THIS FASHION. THIS IS AN EXPLANATION OF WHY GUNS WITH A VERY LIGHT SEAR SPRING CAN ACCIDENTALLY DISCHARGE WHILE BEING INITIALLY LOADED WITHOUT THE TRIGGER BEING IMMOBILIZED. WHEN ADJUSTING TRIGGER PULL IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE MOST TENSION ON THE SEAR TAB. THE DISCONNECTOR/TRIGGER RETURN SPRING SHOULD ONLY HAVE ENOUGH TENSION TO ASSURE RETURN OF THE DISCONNECTOR TO THE ARMED POSITION, BEHIND THE SEAR HEEL.