Cleaning my R51

[1911SHOOTER]

     I finally have got a system to field strip my R51.  Took me all this time since I bought it
to figure out how to do it with old decrepit 82 year old hands.  (Very Carefully)
When I finally got the gun clean, I could almost hear a sigh of relief.  I still use my
rubber coated channel locks to hold the barrel, but after that, (after watching 6 different videos
of disassembly) I got it down pat. God was that gun dirty after 1000 rounds or so!
Gun had not been thoroughly cleaned in 5 months.  Says something for the R51 right?
And in that 5 months, never a hiccup.  But the damn gun still won't rack on a full mag!
So I lock the slide open, and insert a full mag, and let the slide slam home.  Not a problem
when I carry it, to pull the mag and put in the 7th round, giving me 8 in the gun plus two
extra mags.
Blackie

[valvestem]

Let me suggest this, get some machinists blue, or use a black magic marker to coat your top round in the magazine, insert the mag in the gun,  Rack your slide, stop when it wont rack, remove the mag, look at the top round to see if has had the marker had been scraped off.  Then you know something is hitting it.  Then coat the underside of the slide inside where the most likely interference is happening, insert the full mag again, rack the slide till it stops, remove the mag, and look in through the mag well with a light to see if you can spot where the marker interfered with the top round.  Or you can disassemble the gun to look at the underside of the slide.   Go from there.  The marker can be removed with plain rubbing alcohol.

[Texas-Mark]

Let me suggest this, get some machinists blue, or use a black magic marker to coat your top round in the magazine, insert the mag in the gun,  Rack your slide, stop when it wont rack, remove the mag, look at the top round to see if has had the marker had been scraped off.  Then you know something is hitting it.  Then coat the underside of the slide inside where the most likely interference is happening, insert the full mag again, rack the slide till it stops, remove the mag, and look in through the mag well with a light to see if you can spot where the marker interfered with the top round.  Or you can disassemble the gun to look at the underside of the slide.   Go from there.  The marker can be removed with plain rubbing alcohol.

I don't think there is any mystery about what is hanging up. This is a result of the design of the breech block. If you don't (or can't) rack the slide fast enough, the block will hang on the case rim. I posted this picture (and some more) in the thread linked below.



http://r51pistol.com/r51-general-discussion/racking-with-a-full-mag/msg881

[1911SHOOTER]

ValveStem and Tex,
     Good advice, but my gun goes Bang! every time so if it ain't broke I ain't fixin' it.
Not being able to rack the slide with a full mag does not bother me.
I carry cocked and locked so I do not have to rack the slide.  I just remember to
keep my finger outside the trigger guard when I draw the weapon.   
Blackie

[valvestem]

OK, then please delete my post, I thought you were equally concerned about not be able to rack with a full mag.

[1911SHOOTER]

OK, then please delete my post, I thought you were equally concerned about not be able to rack with a full mag.

Valvestem,



To your credit, you are correct in that when I first started shooting the gun, I was concerned abut racking.
Then, After thinking about, I realized that I always have carried cocked and locked for more years than
many of these fine lads have been around.  So, not to worry.
Blackie

[sirbrian]

I saw a video at youtube that showed someone using  a spring loaded clamp to hold the barrel for disassembly. I tried it and it works very well. I bought one at home depot for $1. The end of the clamp has a rubber overmold.

[1911SHOOTER]

I saw a video at youtube that showed someone using  a spring loaded clamp to hold the barrel for disassembly. I tried it and it works very well. I bought one at home depot for $1. The end of the clamp has a rubber overmold.

Sir Brian,
     I saw that same video on you tube.  I posted the URL on here.   I got one of the clamps from the outfit that made the clamp on Youtube.
It is really stout. And has a plastic set of jaws on it.  If I knew how to post a photo on here, I would put it up.  I am going to get the
directions from Tex hopefully.
Blackie.

[Rog54]

Hi Guys,

I just cleaned mine today.  Didn't have  the clamp shown but I did have a cheap harbor freight pistol grip type smooth ratcheting type.  It worked very well also.

Rog