Okay, I admit a little bait and switch. This is what we WON’T be doing in the Armorer’s Course. But we WILL be fitting extractors, safeties, and working on triggers.
After our recent series of articles on the 1911, many folks have gotten the impression that I am down on the 1911 platform, but this is not the case. I have carried a 1911 on the job for better part of 13 years, and dedicated countless hours and dollars to learning about and supporting the 1911 system. I think I speak for Hilton when I say our hope is to ensure potential end users go in with both eyes open should they choose to carry a 1911 on the job, or adopt it for team or agency use.
To this end, we offer the 10-8 Consulting 1911 Armorer’s Course. This is by no means a gunsmithing course, but goes significantly further than our 1911 Operations/Diagnostics curriculum in that it covers the skills necessary to perform basic maintenance and parts replacement. Unlike factory armorer’s courses, this class gives the student a broad spectrum approach to understanding how the 1911 works and will go beyond replacing factory parts. Included in the curriculum is a full overview of the cycle of operation as it pertains to the 1911, pistol and magazine maintenance, a full limited technical inspection worksheet, extractor replacement and tuning (geometry and tension), basic trigger work, and reliability modifications. We also provide an in depth explanation of the 10-8 1911 Function Test Protocol, where it came from, what it means and what it doesn’t mean. Continue reading →
