Will pick up my new to me Ithaca M1911A1 soon.
This is my first 1911 so I checked out two Youtube videos on field stripping and reassembly.

One of the videos used a plastic bushing wrench and the other a thumb.

From the videos, I would rather use my thumb so I will be able to see what I am doing. Should I expect to "need" a bushing wrench?

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Unless there is a very stout recoil spring installed, your thumb will do just fine. The wrench is really only required for tight fitted bushings which if stock, your's wont need one.

Completely unnecessary for a GI 1911A1, in my opinion... I've had dozens of 1911s and never needed a bushing wrench. YMMV.

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I had a NM bushing fitted to my slide, and I did need a bushing wrench. But that was fitted to be very tight.

I still have the gun 30 years later, and shoot it often, I do not need the wrench to remove the bushing now.

This is the no-wrench video
I found it short, sweet and to the point
If anyone cares to watch can you please tell me if this is all I need to know at first

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I've never needed a wrench to remove the barrel bushing on a GI or std. Govt. Model .45.

I use a popsicle stick to depress the spring plug. Saves wear and tear on your thumb and allows you to see whats going on.

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I don't have to use a wrench on my .45 Colt Government, but if I did, it would be plastic or non marring. You're gonna love your 1911. I hope.
Peace,
Gordon

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better have that checked

I have a bushing wrench in my tool box I picked up someplace, but my thumb works fine on my Ithaca.

I'd pick one up to try,you might prefer it,they are cheap enough

About the only bushings that require a wrench are fitted Match bushings, which are supposed to fit tightly in the slide. Be careful with strong springs, as I have managed to launch a couple of spring caps (plugs) into outer space, never to be seen again. That's why I have spares.

When I was building 1911's in the early 80's, I had one to speed the fitting process and repeated disassembly. It is one of the tools I carry in a mag pouch behind a spare mag (when camping/canoeing) along with a WWI style screw driver/pin punch.

While the 1911's were designed to be taken apart with no extra tools (and blindfolded) you'll most likely make it stay tight better with tools!

Ivan

I would like to see photos of it apart. Those old original 1911s have taken off in the last few years.

I've picked up a couple of those wrenches over the years and don't even know where I put them. I think I used them once or twice and found out they are harder to use than your thumb.

I have two 1911's that require a bushing wrench - a Les Baer Thunder Ranch and a Dan Wesson Valor. Other than those two, I've owned dozens of other 1911's, including a number of GI issue guns, and I've never needed a bushing wrench at all. Thumbs work fine.

First lay down a soft towel, then ensuring it's not loaded, with slide forward hold over towel with left side down, shake vigorously and presto it's disassembled! That was an old joke with the old guy's! Now there is one thing, when rotating the bushing to release the recoil spring and plug do not have it pointed towards your face or fluorescent over head lights. If it gets away from you it will zip right out of there!

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I would take great exception to complete lack or proper nomenclature and sloppy clearing technique. "Divots" and "thingies" ??? Any sergeant would go apoplectic and have him pushing Fort Jackson to China. Otherwise he has it mostly right, but a copy of FM23-35 would be helpful.

http://www.90thidpg.us/Reference/Man...-35%201946.pdf

Any bushing that need a wrench, needs a wrench. Not something made out of plastic.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

old tanker has a point. The video covers the dis-assembly / re-assembly fairly well, but the MUTE button is needed for his parts nomenclature.

Another thing or two. The recoil guide rod, which he calls a ???, is, and should be, a tight fit on the closed end of the recoil spring, meaning, if you re-assemble (like he does), you will likely never "fish" the recoil spring onto the guide rod.

Also, if you assemble a 1911 other than what has become known as a "type 70", you will find it very difficult to put it together with the frame inverted. The firing pin block will flop up and stop the slide from going all the way on.

Granted, old tanker, and most all us G Is were taught to lay the slide, sights down, and slide the up-side down frame on. It helps to keep the barrel link aligned.

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The Ithaca M1911A1 has been brought home from the LGS and it did not need a wrench to turn the bushing. Was rather easy to depress cover and turn the bushing.

Cleaning, pictures and a range report to follow in due course.

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I find that a pencil in the breach holding the slide back 3/8 of an inch ,moves the bushing off of the raised portion of the end of the barrel ,allowing the easy turning of the bushing with your fingers

I was 20 years in this man's Army. We had the 45 then. Never found one that I couldn't turn the barrel bushing by hand.

Troops in WW1, WW2, Korea, and Vietnam didn't use them, don't find where I would find it necessary either.

Randy

Before you disassemble your Ithaca, google and read a bit about "idiot marks". Aside from that, you'll find disassembly and reassembly of most any U.S. military arm of that era simple, and no, you don't need tools.

You probably won't need a wrench for an older gun. I've owned several different 1911's and only needed a wrench for my Dan Wesson. My hand strength isn't what it used to be and the fit is so tight I finally gave in and used a wrench.

I would learn how to completely disassemble your 1911. There may come a time when you need to replace the main spring or sear spring or another part. Some people are intimidated by the 1911 but it really isn't that difficult. You will need tools to do so.

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You really only need a wrench if you have a gun with a very tight bushing/slide fit.A wrench,brass punch and a rubber mallet are worth having around with these guns.

Fortunately for my wallet this WWII era gun came pre-scratched and with holster wear, giving me every reason to enjoy shooting this gun at the range:



UPDATE:
I was able to get the Ithaca disassembled, cleaned and reassembled.
For me, never having had a 1911, this is a small but satisfying accomplishment.

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I have never seen a Govt, 1911 that needed a wrench. They were
made to strip with no tools. Some that have replacement springs
can be stiff. The only 1911s I have had trouble with, are the new
Rems. Has nothing to do with spring, machining so poor that the
bushing has to overcome burrs in the slide. Will make your fingers bloody. There may be other after market 1911s with these
problems. I have had 2 Rems owners stripped to clean and were
unable to get bushing back in, because of machine burrs.

Outer space isn't bad. Let me know when you launch one into your forehead! Yea that hurts!!!

I use pencil, pen, finger tip, anything strong enough to push down the spring without bending or breaking

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

The recoil spring plug on GI and most Colt commercial pistols has a little indent at the front, you're supposed to twist it onto the recoil spring so some of the spring goes behind the indent, keeping the plug in place if you lose control of the spring. It works........most of the time. Many of the clones don't have this feature.