1911 Part Identification

T

TunnelRat

New member
Hey All,
I've been shooting my S&W 1911 quite a bit lately and I am very happy with the gun. To give me a bit of added grip, pun intended, and to save the very nice looking wood grips that came with the pistol, I recently bought some Hogue wraparound grips. Step one was to take off the wooden grips. My misfortune was that the top screws of each grip had apparently been tightened too much. Thus when I went to take the screws out, the sleeves into which the grip screw connects with, and which themselves screw into the frame, came off. I managed to get the sleeves off with a pair of vice grips (so I could get the grip screws and the wood grips apart), but the threads on the sleeves are now stripped and won't screw back into the frame.

In the attached pictures you will see one image with one side of the steel grip. You will see one hole with the sleeve inserted, and one with the sleeve missing. Then I have a close up of the sleeve and a close up of the empty hole.

I have had good luck before with getting S&W to send me random parts no questions asked. However, in all honesty I don't know what the damn things are actually called. Are they referred to as sleeves? I want to make sure I ask for the right part.

Thanks
-TR
 

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J

Jim Watson

New member
That is the grip screw bushing.

FLG salvaged my bushings stuck to the screws by Loc-titing them back into the frame, then removing the screw. The U.S. Army required that grip screw bushings be staked into the frame so that wouldn't happen. But they could be removed if necessary.
 
T

TunnelRat

New member
Awesome, thanks guys! I apologize for my ignorance.

I had tried screwing everything back in as one, and then trying to get them apart by unscrewing slowly, but no luck.
 
H

Hunter Customs

New member
As Jim stated you can use loctite to hold the bushings in the frame instead of staking them.
I actiually prefer to loctite them over staking them.
I use the same red loctite (#271) for the grip screw bushings that I use to loctite compensators on threaded barrels.
Be advised if you use the red loctite it's best to apply heat to the bushing if you want to remove it from the frame.
I never had any problems with my bushings coming loose after they have been loctited.
However if the frame of the gun is submerged in cleaning solvent it may loosen the loctite.
Try not to damage the threads in the frame as that can be an expensive do it yourself repair. If that happens it may be best to let someone that has the tooling do the repair.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
D

dcody40

New member
You got almost all the excellent answers you need.

Now one trick nobody mentioned in the pesky grip screw and or bushing removal /replacement.
Once you learn this trick the bushings will last longer, when you use the correct slotted flatblade or the special bushing screwdriver, most of the time the bushing will not budge, here's the trick to break them loose, turn it just a tiny bit tighter, then real fast counterclockwise to get the grip screws loose, then your good to go. You can purchase an extra set of the bushings and grip screws, from as mentioned brownells. Once you master the trick, it will be easier in the future. I carefully ground a large flat blade screw drive to fit the screw slots perfectly to keep them from getting dinged up. It's your hangun and you want to treat it with TLC right !
Use locktight, as once you figure out the trick, you won't be messing them up very much anymore. Good luck and shoot straight.
Most of my 1911's have the allen head screws and after market bushings.
Just don't mess up the fine threads in the frame itself. There is a solution for that also, but we'll leave that for another day.
And remember this, working on guns, is not a brute force issue, it's a finess issue. Remember these guns will outlast you and I.

Duane USN/ret
 
T

TunnelRat

New member
@Skadoosh
That is a great tool, thanks!

Again, thanks guys this should be a big help.

Do you guys recommend getting hex or similar grip screws?

As a note, I just called S&W and the bushings are in the mail, even two new grip screws for kicks for no charge. Honestly, for those of you who haven't had experience with S&W warranty you don't know what you're missing.
 
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S

Skadoosh

New member
Do you guys recommend getting hex or similar grip screws?
Click to expand...

I used to think that hex screws were better...and prettier. But they wind up being a PIA when you dont have a hex head screw driver. I switched back to plain old flat head screws.
 
4

45Gunner

New member
Do you guys recommend getting hex or similar grip screws?
Click to expand...

For what it's worth, I have changed almost all my 1911's to hex grip screws. In my opinion, they look nicer than the regular screw and I find that a flat head screwdriver can do damage to the grips and it is very easy to scratch the grips with a flat head screwdriver...something that is eliminated by using a hex wrench.

No self-respecting 1911 owner should be without a 1911 multi-tool which has a hex wrench as part of its hardware.
 
K

KyJim

New member
If you decide to remove bushings, don't use a standard screwdriver. There's a bushing screwdriver that supports the outer portion of the bushing and keeps it from breaking when you twist. It's also advisable to apply heat to the area before doing so.
 
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