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Close it, to return here.
To begin, field strip the gun down to the frame assembly (the Para Ordnance manual details this or you can follow the steps for any other 1911 style pistol). Next remove the grips. The magazine release can be removed at this time also but isn’t needed. To remove, push in as if you are releasing the magazine and turn the screw head on the opposite side a quarter turn CCW. It doesn’t take any force so just vary the position of the magazine release side to side until the screw head turns. Your gun should now look like the figure below.
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The next step involves driving the Mainspring housing pin out and allowing the housing to drop low enough to get the beavertail out. You will also need to remove the safety lever at this time and then both items will be free. The safety lever comes out by putting it in the safe position and pulling it out. Don’t force it, it will come out but a little wiggling may be needed. You will now have it looking like this.
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The next step is to remove the mainspring housing as well as the spring assembly it traps in the frame. There is a small coil spring (as shown by the arrow) as part of the assembly.
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The next step is to remove the first pin from the location shown by the arrow. Once it is out, the three pieces it holds in place will be free to come out in a downward motion. The parts are shown in the picture below.
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The next step is to remove the last pin (arrow) and take the hammer assembly out in addition to the two plates shown. To unhook the L-shaped plate from the trigger, the trigger needs to be pulled until it can be pushed into the recess and off the pin. The parts are illustrated below.
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At this time, your frame is completely stripped except for the trigger. I didn’t bother to take that out but it appears that the pin needs to be driven out allowing the trigger and spring to be taken out of the frame.
This will be the difficult part since some of the parts need to be jostled around to get all of them in their proper locations. Start by working the hammer assembly into it’s proper location. It needs to be put in well below it’s actual location and then raised up into position within the frame. Once the hammer is in place, you can insert the L-shaped plate from the direction shown below.
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With the hammer and L-shaped piece in place, push the hammer all the way forward in the frame, this will allow the small plate to be put into position (there is a ledge that it sits in and it can’t go into place unless the hammer if forward). Once the second plate is in place, put the hammer into it’s proper position and put the pin in place.
The next step is to slide the small plate into it’s proper position as shown in the picture. It lines up with the Safety pin hole. A recess can be seen (arrow) where the part rests in.
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Next, we will insert the Sear and two adjacent plates. First install the sear making sure the end of the spring
from the hammer assembly sits in it’s notch (arrow). The frame should look like the picture below at this point.
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The two plates will be installed next with the L-shaped one going in first. It is shown in the picture below but for more clarity on orientation, refer to the exploded view diagram in the Para Ordnance manual.
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The last piece goes in on the opposite side of the sear from the previous step (arrow). Once all three pieces are in place you can install the pin completing this sequence.
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The next step is to install the spring assembly and capture it in place with the Mainspring housing. The coil spring engages the last piece you installed in the previous step and the pin on the flat spring. Once it is in place, line up the other end of the flat spring with the notch in the frame and slide the mainspring housing over it to keep it in place. You will also need to make sure the hammer strut goes into the plunger in the mainspring housing.
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The last step is to put the grip safety in place (make sure the little plate is still in place from earlier) and install the safety. To install the safety, the hammer will need to be cocked and the trigger pulled slightly (or at least the hammer pulled back a bit). Push in the plunger on the tube and push it into position with it’s orientation in the safe position. Once the safety lever is seated completely, you can put it into the fire position. At this point you can install the barrel and slide assembly along with the grips and magazine release. Make sure you have no left over parts and verify the functionality of the gun before loading.
If you find any details that need to be expanded on or changed, please email me at john_barr@cox.net so I can correct this procedure for others.
