Old gummed up 1911A1

[marklyftogt]

I came across and old 1911 that is so gummed up that the slide won't move.
I got the trigger, hammer and mag release to move by putting on some Hoppes but no luck on the slide.

How would you recommend that I can loosen it up?

Solvent bath and if so what solvent?

Sonic bath?

I don't want to hurt it.

[carbine]

you dcould try Kroil. It is an excellent penetrant

[EMC45]

kroil

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Fire the gun that should get it to move.:kidding:

[mstarling]

Soak it in a pan of red ATF or Kroil for a couple of days. Use dead blow soft hammer on the rear of the slide to get it to budge. Then work it back and forth.

Might take a while. If the parts are recoverable the time will be well rewarded!

[375RUGER]

If it's gummed up that bad then you will want to check inside the mainspring housing too and get that cleared.

[marklyftogt]

Thinking of getting a clean paint can and filling it with kerosene and giving the gun a bath for a week?

[376Steyr]

Have you checked to make sure the chamber is empty? A loaded round corroded in place would tie things up until the extractor slips off the rim.

[JMax]

This is very serious and you need to scrap it out to one experienced in safely recovering the current scrap value, like me and I will pay shipping.
:bigsmyl2:
Seriously soaking it in solvent is the answer and good ones have been provides be careful there still might be a live round in the chamber. Do not look down the barrel but use a small mirror and light to examine the interior for a bullet to firing pin Holbein the breech face.

John

[marklyftogt]

This is very serious and you need to scrap it out to one experienced in safely recovering the current scrap value, like me and I will pay shipping.
:bigsmyl2:
Seriously soaking it in solvent is the answer and good ones have been provides be careful there still might be a live round in the chamber. Do not look down the barrel but use a small mirror and light to examine the interior for a bullet to firing pin Holbein the breech face.

John

First thing I did is point it at a mirror and I could see the firing pin. Great minds think alike:)

[bob208]

you allready did the most important thing making shure it is not loaded. now take off the wood grips put it in a tub or bucket of kerosene and forget get it for about 2 weeks min.

[Char-Gar]

The man who told you to fire it is dead wrong. No telling what is causing that pistol to be frozen and firing it could cause all kinds of bad things to happen. Never every fire a firearms that is not in tip top working condition! I find it hard to believe somebody would advise you to fire a frozen autopistol.

If I had it, I would remove the grips and magazine, drive out the pin holding the mainspring housing, and remove the housing. If would turn the bushing and remove the recoil spring. Watch out it doesn hit you in the eye. Run Kroil in every nook and crannie I could and let it sit for a few hours. With a little encouraging you should be able to move the slide far enough back to remove the slide lock and field strip the pistol for a through cleaning. If all it is is dried grease and oil, that should do it.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

The man who told you to fire it is dead wrong. No telling what is causing that pistol to be frozen and firing it could cause all kinds of bad things to happen. Never every fire a firearms that is not in tip top working condition! I find it hard to believe somebody would advise you to fire a frozen autopistol.

I guess someone did not see the little chain pulling symbol.:kidding::kidding:

[Multigunner]

Have you checked to make sure the chamber is empty? A loaded round corroded in place would tie things up until the extractor slips off the rim.

Many years ago a gunsmith in Knoxville once tried freeing up a rusted shut 1911 without determining whether it had a round in the chamber.
He put the frame in a vice oiled everything up and tapped gently on the slide.
A cartridge was in the chamber and it ignited.
The bullet passed through a wall at a high angle and exited under the eaves of the shop. The bullet then traveled across a four lane highway and through the window of a convenience store striking a patron in the head, killing him instantly.

Sometimes old grease can set up as thick as half dried paint.

The USN Blue Jackets manual suggested soaking weapons taken from storage in aviation gasoline to dissolve hardened grease or cosmoline.

[marklyftogt]

She is enjoying a keep bath as we speak. We shall see.

[Bret4207]

PB Blaster is designed to soften old, dried grease.

[Char-Gar]

I have used acetone to remove old dried grease from firearms and it works very well.

[MBTcustom]

Put it in a bath of ATF and add heat.
make a container out of PVC pipe deep enough to immerse the gun in the fluid, and make a stand so that it will not fall over. Wrap the container with a heat strip and leave it set for a couple of days.
Take the gun out and wipe it down with paper towels, and before it cools off, wrap a thick piece of leather over the muzzle of the gun and slap it with a rubber hammer a few times. It should move about 1/4" or more. Return it to the bath and let it set for two more days. repeat the operation except use the rubber hammer and leather from the back of the slide as well as the front until you can move it through its entire range with your hand only. Works every time, no muss no fuss.

[10 ga]

Take the scales off the handle and soak in Ed's Red (google for formula). That will get most of the old junk out of it. Then field strip and clean all the parts and examine for any damage etc... Proceed with caution. Safety first! Good shooting. 10 ga

[MtGun44]

ATF and solvent (acetone, for example) 50-50 remove grips and soak overnight. Bump
with a rubber hammer at muzzle end of slide.

Bill

[John Boy]

ATF and solvent (acetone, for example) 50-50
Plus 1 ... I just cleaned a Schuetzen rifle, spotlessly, that had hard rock oil/grease and was laying untouched in a gun case since the end of WW II with the mix

And the ATF:Acetone, 50:50 mix as a rust penetrate?


Machinist's Workshop magazine tested penetrates for break out torque on rusted nuts. They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist, Bud Baker.

They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.
*Penetrating oil ..... Average load*
None ...................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ................... 238 pounds
PB Blaster ............... 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ......... 127 pounds
Kano Kroil .............. 106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix.......53 pounds

[marklyftogt]

I soaked it in Kerosene for 3 days. No change even with some light tapping.
I know three days isn't much so I was going to put it back in it's bath.

I was reading through another thread I started on another site and saw the idea of boiling it. That made sense. It could liquify the old grease/oil.

So i put it in a pan of boiling water for about 2-3 minutes.

Took it out with a tongs and let it cool on a cloth.
Tapped it a few times and then.....

.....tried to move the slide and she went!

I would guess the kero and tapping helped loosen things up but the boiling water did the trick.

I have a shooter!!!

Thanks guys. :)

[10 ga]

I hear there is an opening at "Aberdeen Proving Grounds", lol, seems like you added another twist to how to get grease out. Good info, I'm always learning stuff on this site. Best, 10 ga