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How It Works
By Jerry Kuhnausen
American Rifleman August 1999 issue.
In the following paragraphs, the cycle of operation of the M-1911 is shown. Since any operating
cycle should begin at some point, the basic M-1911 operating cycle illustrated here is based on a
full magazine first being inserted into the pistol and the slide either having been manually pulled
back and released or having been released from the slide locked open position under the pressure
of the stored energy in the compressed recoil spring.
Cartridge Feeding Phase
The cutaway in Fig.1 illustrates the relative position of components in the M-1911 during the
feeding phase. Cartridge feeding is defined in two ways: (1) The successive upward movement
of all rounds in the magazine. From an ordnance viewpoint, cartridge feeding takes place when a
round in the magazine is moved upward into the path of the slide by the magazine follower and
spring assembly; and (2) the cartridge ramping action that occurs as the slide moves forward and
begins to strip and thereby feed a round forward from the magazine.

Cartridge Chambering Phase

Chambering occurs when a round is fed from the magazine and placed in the chamber. This
action takes place as the slide moves forward under compressed recoil spring pressure; strips a
cartridge from the magazine; and pushes the cartridge up the frame/barrel ramp and into the
chamber. The initial portion of the chambering phaw is completed as the cartridge breaks over
the horizontal plane, aligns with the chamber and the cartridge case rim is engaged by the
extractor.

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Locking Phase A: Barrel Link-up

Barrel link-up or link-up/cam-up in pistols without custom fit bottom lugs, occurs as the slide
assemble continues to move forward and the barrel extension contacts the breechface causing the
barrel to pivot upward on the barrel link (arrow). This causes the locking lugs on the top of the
barrel to index with the corresponding locking recesses in the slide. Barrel link-up/cam-up in M1911 pistols with custom-fit bottom barrel lugs is assisted by the camming action of the radiused,
bottom front barrel lug surfaces as they bear on and cam upward on the slide lock crosspin.

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Locking Phase B: Barrel and slide locking

Vertical barrel and slide locking occurs as the slide causes the barrel to swing upward on the
barrel link as in figure 3A. Aggregate barrel, slide, frame, slidestop and barrel link dimensional
tolerances determine the extend to which a given barrel will link upward and locking lugs will
vertically engage in any given M-1911 pistol. Locked slide position (arrow, fig 3B) permits the
disconnector to move upward. This action -see disconnector function below- connects the trigger
and sear and prepares the pistol for firing.

Firing Phase A: Lugs horizontally engaged

Firing is split into two phases because of the thrust vector existing between the bullet and the
breechface, which horizontally engages the locking lug surfaces while the bullet is under
pressure in the barrel. Firing occurs in the M-1911 pistols when the grip safety is depressed; the
trigger is squeezed; and the interaction of the trigger, disconnector and sear releases the hammer.
The released hammer then transfers its energey to the inertial firing pin, which, in turn, strikes
the primer. As the primer ignites the propellant charge in the chambered cartridge, the hot
powder gasses expand, building pressure that forces the bullet down the barrel. As shown, the
barrel and slide remain locked together both horizontally and vertically during the initial firing
phase.

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Firing Phase B: Horizontal disengagement

At the end of the firing phase, the bullet exits the muzzle and drops gas pressure inside the barrel.
Bullet departure breaks the balanced thrust vector established when the bullet was in the barrel as
in fig. 4A. In terms of the effect on the pistol, this action enables the top locking lugs to
horizontally disengage (see National Match barrel note in next phase) and imparts a rearward
force on the slide assembly equal to the inertia of the departing bullet. Then, because the slide
assembly has a greater relative rest mass -plus the added benefit of the recoil spring- inertial
energy is absorbed as the slide recoils to the rear.

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Unlock/Linkdown Phase: Vertical locking lug disengagement

In pistols with standard ordnance dimension barrels, barrel linkdown and vertical locking lug
disengagement begin momentarily after the lugs horizontally disengage at zero breech pressure
just after the firing of a chambered round. Fired cartridge case extraction (see next phase)
actually begins at the start of barrel linkdown with the initial breaking of friction between the
fired/expanded cartridge case and chamber wall, as show at A below.
ote:
ational Match
barrel hoods are hand-fit to maintain horizontal lug engagement until the barrel links down.

Fired case extraction phase

As shown in fig. 6, fired cartridge case extraction occurs with continued rearward movement of
the slide and as the breech begins to open when the barrel links down. The rim of the fired
cartridge case is held firmly against the breech face by the extractor as it is drawn back by the
energy of the recoiling slide. Continued rearward movement of the slide then fully withdraws
and thereby extracts the fired cartridge case from the chamber.

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Fired case ejection phase

As the slide moves further rearward after firing, the fired case is extracted from the chamber as
shown in fig. 6. The extractor hook retains the cartridge rim and holds the case against the breech
face. Continuing rearward slide movement then brings the left side of the case into sharp contact
with the front of the ejector located on the left side of the frame. This action causes the fired
cartridge case to pivot upward and to the right; frees it from the extractor; and ejects the case
through the ejection port.

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Cocking Phase
Cocking occurs as the hammer is positioned to fire the next round by the continuing rearward
movement of the slide. Specifically, the slide rotates the hammer back, as shown at A below;
moves the hammer strut downward; compresses the hammer spring and enables the sear, under
sear spring pressure to engage the hammer's full cokc notch at B. Further rearward slide
movement, C, then fully compresses the recoil spring for the next firing cycle. When the
magazine is empty, the magazine follower forces the slide stop upward to engage the slide stop
notch in the slide and thereby locks the slide open.