# reassembly from detail strip question



## mintaka (Jun 7, 2009)

i purchased used loaded 5" 1911 springfield with curved mainspring housing...i have never totally taken apart the mainspring housing, but the spring and hammer receiving hole stick 1/2 inch out of the top of mainspring..very hard to compress...shouldnt top of hammer plug in mainspring housing be about flush with top of housing??? if so is a part missing or what???


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

There should be a tiny cross-pin holding it in place, just BELOW the top of the housing. Review this link from Brownells (great pictures!), and see if it answers all your questions:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=11480/guntechdetail/Mainspring_Housing_Replacement

Actually, the few times I've has to replace the guts in a mainspring housing, I found it was easier to clamp a pin punch in the vise (point up), turn everything upside-down, and compress the spring downward while holding the housing in my strong hand, slipping the cap cross-pin in with the other hand after the spring was compressed far enough.


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

The Springfields may be different if it's using the integral locking system (ILS), if the main spring housing in question came from Springfield, there is no main spring cap retaining pin.

The Springfield manual shows some funky take down procedure requiring a pin to keep the mainspring compressed on pg 14 if the ILS is present.

From Midway:


> *Notes: *
> 
> Please note: *The mainspring cap pin is removed and put aside in order to replace the mainspring cap with the new one provided. Once the new mainspring cap is installed, the mainspring cap pin is NOT re-installed.* When placing the mainspring housing back into the pistol, make sure the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position. You will be compressing the mainspring, (16 lbs on the Government model, 22 lbs on the Officer) so this will take some pressure.


It is also possible that who ever had the gun previously replaced the main spring housing (MSH) with a non ILS MSH and just ordered the housing and not the internals in which case the retaining pin would be missing.

Pending on what kind of main spring housing you have, you may or may not need the pin.

:smt1099


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

I did not know this; my instructions were for a generic 1911 .45.

That may well explain the difference in his gun; thanks for the Springfield-specific info, VAMarine! :smt023

(Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I learn something new every day...)


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

DJ Niner said:


> I did not know this; my instructions were for a generic 1911 .45.
> 
> That may well explain the difference in his gun; thanks for the Springfield-specific info, VAMarine! :smt023
> 
> (Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I learn something new every day...)


That's one problem I've had with "generic" take down instructions, I feel sorry for the guy that tries to take down a Para LDA or any other non generic 1911 using those same instructions. I remember the first time I took my Para apart before I knew about the Series 80 firing pin safety parts...yeah I spent a lot of time on the internet that night.

Don't feel bad, just the other day I posted about how to adjust hammer spring tension for a K frame trying to help someone on a J frame....go figure the two are different and I missed it in a fuzzy schematic.
tumbleweed

On a side note, if I were to buy a current production Springfield that has the ILS, I'd probably order a regular MSH (Non ILS) and parts and replace it.


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

VAMarine said:


> On a side note, if I were to buy a current production Springfield that has the ILS, I'd probably order a regular MSH (Non ILS) and parts and replace it.


That's a fact there. Dang things are a pain and I really don't see a use for them. It's like ..Lets make it more of as pain to reassemble but at least they can have these little two prong keys that no one will ever use :smt083

I'm a big Springer fan. But those things are usually quickly replaced.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

My son inlaw has a GI Springer and it had really bad trigger pullitus. Kinda like shooting a spring loaded staple gun.:smt107 I offered to see what I could do for him. Well the main spring housing was full of a bunch of crap. Must have been that IPS system. Anyway that all came out and was replaced by standard parts plus a Wolff spring. The pistol has a really nice but slightly firm trigger pull now.


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