MGC Colt 1911... Is this a Dummy Version?

I'm sure one of you more knowledgable members can answer this one!

Did MGC ever make a Colt 1911 that only cycled rounds by hand? A dummy version that is, not one that fires cap loaded rounds and blows back?

The latest 1911 I've aquired is shown here:






The rounds don't dismantle but have a 7mm (approx) hole drilled in the nose. The "primer" in the cartridge rim floats and when pushed can be seen protruding into the bottom of the 7mm hole.

Filling the magazine with the 6 rounds supplied and dry cycling the gun by manually pulling the slide back and releasing it will strip rounds into the chamber and extract and eject them nicely but...

Loading a cap into the round (charge facing outwards) is easy enough but I'm not convinced now it's correct.
The first loaded round fired itself as it got stripped from the mag and fed into the chamber. A good loud bang sure enough but the trigger hadn't been pulled. It idn't blow back either so no ejection and automatic reloading.
Feeding a loaded round into the chamber by hand and pulling the trigger produced nothing. No ignition and obviously no blowback.

This gun only seems to function properly as a dummy and dry cycling.

I can't figure out how to strip it either! Looking at the set of instructions posted o the forum, the slide catch needs pushing out from the right side to allow the slide to travel off the frame giving access to the barrel etc.
The catch lever doesn't seem to want to push through although it moves up and down ok.

I thought I'd bought an older type of firing modelgun but now I ain't so sure anymore.

Any help would be really appreciated please!

Thanks very much

Cerwyn
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Hobby collector of mainly WW2 era uniforms, headgear, field equipment and replica weapons.

Post by 8ace

All of the colt's have stripped in the same way as you have described but you have to line up the slide catch top with the smaller cut out on the slide before you push through.

Thanks very much 8ace, I shall try that!



I have another question to ask please?

Watching videos on "youtube" of real M1911's being stripped, they all start by removing the barrel bushing first. The recoil spring rod looks like it's being pushed back to allow the shaped bush to twist around.
Once the rod and spring are out the slide's removed after lining up the catch with the smaller recess.

The recoil rod on mine doesn't want to move! I take it for granted that as these things usually field strip as per the real ones the b arrel bushing has to come off first?

Cerwyn
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Hobby collector of mainly WW2 era uniforms, headgear, field equipment and replica weapons.

Post by Spencerman

If you push in the button at the front to allow you to turn the bushing and remove the recoil spring, then it would be easier to strip as you release the pressure from the recoil spring. However, model versions are no where near as harsh as a real one, so you should still be able to remove the slide locking bar without too much trouble, easier though if you cock the gun first as again it releases some of the pressure from various other parts (but cock it before you remove the front end).
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Thanks Spencerman,

I'll let you know how I get on.
I hope this doesn't turn out to be a dummy one after all this!

Cerwyn
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Hobby collector of mainly WW2 era uniforms, headgear, field equipment and replica weapons.

Post by shazhib

Cerwyn,

If your 1911 is really a version of MGC early model, then, taking down is not the same with real one. For this model, barrel bushing and recoil spring plug is in one unit. Therefore, what you need to do is:

- release mag
- strip out a slide stop as 8ace advised
- un-screw you will see inside the slide, below a barrel, kind of end of recoil spring plug.
- then, one unit (bushing & plug) can be removed from muzzle side. Also, you can remove a recoil spring which sits around the barrel (not sits below the barrel as in a real gun)
- gently pull the barrel down(or up) from the slige, barrel come off with an ejector

Try this and let me know if this works.

Regards,

Post by Doc



Cerwyn

I have just put a couple of pages for this type on the manuals thread .

Although from looking at your photos it looks like the lower part is the early type but the slide may be later HW , hard to say until its apart

DOC
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We need guns...lots of guns....

.... well anything mechanical that can kill people is interesting ...

Thanks DOC,

Now I'm armed with enough hints, tips and written instructions I can get on with stripping this thing.

It looks like it must be a firing version after all then which is good news although it remains to be seen why it doesn't actually fire.
I noticed the 2nd instructions page posted has a big red cross through the MG Cap box.
If the 7mm plastic caps aren't correct for this type, what is please?

Thanks for all the help!

Cerwyn
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Hobby collector of mainly WW2 era uniforms, headgear, field equipment and replica weapons.

Post by Doc

Not too sure what the crossed off boxes means .
Edit : (Phil is of course spot on ...obvious when you have a good look with your eyes open )

Once apart let us know what the det pin looks like .

Also I have seen a plastic type .45 shell for these older ones , can any of the old modelgun masters shine a light on this ?

DOC
_________________
We need guns...lots of guns....

.... well anything mechanical that can kill people is interesting ...

Last edited by Doc on Thu May 03, 2007 11:35 am; edited 1 time in total

Post by Phil_D

The first box are 5mm caps, the second box is paper caps and the third box are not blowback rounds, this is why they have a cross through.

7mm Caps are ok
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Too many to list now and the collection has stopped still growing.

Thanks Phil!

Feel a right berk now, I must have had my eyes shut when I read that

Cerwyn
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Hobby collector of mainly WW2 era uniforms, headgear, field equipment and replica weapons.

Post by shazhib

Yeah, Phil_D is correct. I think this is a first Capped 1911 for MGC, MGC wanted to make sure people won't get confused with a size of Cap, type of Cap and type of rounds.

The plastic rounds are even older than this open Cap rounds.

Regards,

Thanks to Claymore (Top Man!) my non functioning Colt 1911 is now firing and doing what it should

The gun had been supplied with the wrong type of rounds, they cycled and ejected ok by hand but wouldn't fire at all.

The correct rounds are the small older type with chrome bodies and copper tops. All I need to do now is get some!

I'd like to thank everybody for their help and suggestions and to Claymore especially for sorting it!

Thanks very much everybody!

Cerwyn
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Hobby collector of mainly WW2 era uniforms, headgear, field equipment and replica weapons.