1911 hammer doesn’t drop all the way

[.44]

I have a Colt Government 1911 Series 70 I got for $250. When I pull the trigger with the hammer at full cock, the hammer falls and will sometimes stick at half cock without making contact with the firing pin. Has anyone encountered this issue before?

Reminds me of the Remington 1911 I had that would still fire at half cock. Hammer guns are losing their appeal real quick!

[SkyHawk]

Could be an issue with the trigger travel stop screw. Back it out half a turn or so and see if it makes a difference. If that doesn't work or you don't have one, you need to start looking at everything: disconnector, hammer, sear, trigger bow, leaf spring etc

[XDJYo]

The overtravel stop was my initial thought too.

Whatever you do, don't do live fire until you get it sorted out.

[FeuerFrei]

My guess is a table top 1911 YT diy trigger job gone wrong. Sear/disconnector /hammer relationship.

Time to detail strip it and take a look see. Look for file swipes and overly polished hammer etc.

Good price for it tho. Thumbs high!

[Snoopy47]

Score of a deal for a Colt Frame.

Sorting it out isn't a bid deal. I'm guessing like the above over travel screw in too far, or someone fiddled with the sear springs, or at worst fiddled with the sear and hammer engagement itself.

Worst case, it's probably an easy fix with a new sear spring, and hammer/sear Mil Spec drop in kit. $200 maybe.

I do it all the time when tuning trigger pull weight. You can take some edge off the trigger weight by tweaking a leg on the sear spring, but run the risk if hammer follow if you go too far. It's not a big deal to correct and tune, but you need to know how to do it.

This sounds like what a previous owner was doing.

[Tarmy]

That has been tuned for Alec Baldwin iffin’ he tries something with it.

The others have covered detuning from ole Alec setting to normal gun lover…good luck OP.

[newbie1234]

I guess, the sear is not pushed forward all the way so the sear stuck at the hammer half cock notch.
(1) Read SkyHawk post #2. Trigger travel screw and disconnector bar.
(2) Adjust the leaf spring (left, center, right), adjust the left leg backward to create less force to the sear, be careful because if you adjust too light then the sear will NOT engage to the hammer.
If (1) and (2) do not work then I don't know.

[.44]

Haha it has the Alec Baldwin tune

[Che762x39]

I have a Colt Government 1911 Series 70 I got for $250 ...

I think that is why you got it for $250.

[Snoopy47]

I think that is why you got it for $250.

But if the gun is complete, and the barrel, frame, and slide are all OEM, and none of them filed on regardless of current state, he got a scream'n deal.

Whatever is going on with the
Trigger
Hammer
Sear
Sear spring

is going to cost well below the fair market value of a working colt to get it working (so long as nothing has been filed or banged on).

[ar15barrels]

But if the gun is complete, and the barrel, frame, and slide are all OEM, and none of them filed on regardless of current state, he got a scream'n deal.

Probably got it 10-15 years ago and just never got around to tinkering with it.

[.44]

Probably got it 10-15 years ago and just never got around to tinkering with it.

Just bought it in TX (I am a TX resident) off a young kid in the Navy, cash and carry (signed bill of sale) at a Goodwill parking lot. I got a S&W 586-1 and Colt Govt Model manufactured 1977 for $500

[ar15barrels]

Just bought it in TX (I am a TX resident) off a young kid in the Navy, cash and carry (signed bill of sale) at a Goodwill parking lot. I got a S&W 586-1 and Colt Govt Model manufactured 1977 for $500

Then you did good.
Even if you had to put another $150 into that 1911, you still did good.

[Colt]

Is it all stock? I’d take it all apart and see if:

1) all stock
2) what’s been modded, especially if done at WECSOG
3) what looks worn

Also, replace all the springs. All of them.

Screaming deal. Even with the cost replacing the entire ignition set and a few other things it”s still a screaming deal.

Good luck.

[JTROKS]

Then you did good.
Even if you had to put another $150 into that 1911, you still did good.

Yes indeed.