Cleaning My 1911 - Now That Was Different

I just got finished cleaning my new Remington 1911 R1 pistol. It was pretty fouled for a brand new pistol meaning either that Remington test fired it and did not clean (or did not clean it very well) it or that the dealer from whom I bought it shot it some and did not clean it (or did not clean it well).

Now that I got my 1911 apart and back together again, I can understand why many people think the 1911 an archaic pistol and why many others think it a pain in the arse. There are an awful lot of parts to disassemble just to field strip it for cleaning and there are also an awful lot of steps involved in disassembly and reassembly. You also need a special tool to field strip it (although maybe in the future, after shooting it some, the parts will have loosened up a tiny bit allowing me to do it without the tool). 

I did not mind any of that though, I thought taking it down and getting it back together - so it seemingly will actually function again - was interesting and fairly easy. I will say that the Remington manual was lacking just a bit as for the instructions on the reassembly side. Not lacking much mind you but there were one or two small tidbits of info that they not only could have included but probably should have included. Nonetheless, I got it back together pretty quickly, no problems, and am sure it will get easier and easier each time I do it.

Now all I have to do is wait for the ammo to arrive before heading out to the range. If I become inpatient I could always use up some of the JHP ammo I have had in my ammo locker for the past few years. I could also go to Dick's Sporting Goods to see if they have any .45 Auto at a decent price. I am pretty sure that I still have $70 to $75 on a gift card there. That gift card may be better if saved to buy something else if only because their ammo prices are sure to be way too high compared to online dealers. I think I'll just wait for my ammo order to arrive; hopefully I can make it that long without the 'I gotta shoot it now bug' biting me. I much rather break in the gun, and break in me as a new 1911 shooter, with FMJ rounds and save my JHP rounds for more serious shooting. Once I have familiarized myself with the new pistol and how it shoots, with the less expensive FMJ rounds, I'll shoot the JHP rounds through it. I almost cannot wait but my order has already shipped so it should be here in a few days.

All the best,
Glenn B