[Robert McLeod]

It's really easy to do. Clear the gun, and make sure it's empty-

Holding the gun in your right hand, retract the slide to the point where the slide release pops out, and remove it. Place your left hand over the slide with your fingers under the "dust cover", and slide the slide forward under control. The spring will try to climb out from under your fingers, so control it with your index finger. Relase the spring tension under control.

Reassembly can be done this way too, just compress the spring, and hook it on the front of the lower lugs on the barrel. As you slide it onto the frame move your fingers out of the way of the frames dust cover.

If you have a full length guide rod, it's way easy- just remove the slide stop and the whole upper end stays intact.

This is the method that I always use to take down and reassemble all of my 1911s. By doing it this way it is easier maintain the integrity of your bushing to barrel fit.

 

[Robert McLeod]

It's also the way I've been doing it for some time. FLGR or not. The reason it's easier on the barrel and bushing fit is the barrel isn't being held in battery with the same force as it is when on the frame.

LOG

Exactly, once the slide is taken from the frame and the recoil spring assembly is removed, then you push the barrel "flange" at the mzzule end out of the bushing. Then, when you are twisting the bushing to remove it, the fit is a lot looser.

The guy that showed me this technique has put a LOT of rounds through tuned 1911s. This was the SOP at his old unit when disassembling their pistols.

All of my 1911s are equiped with the GI guide rod and I have never had an issue with a kinked recoil spring.