I know this is stupid, but what does the plunger tube do?

[Magic_Salad0892]

I ran a search, and only came up with better plunger tubes, how to stake them, and how to back drill your slide stop.

What does the plunger tube actually do, and why is it necessary on a 1911, but not other pistols?

[tb-av]

I don't understand your question. You mean aside from housing the spring and pins for safety and ss?

[theJanitor]

The plunger tube retains the spring and detent pins that keep your thumb safety and slide stop in place. It's attachment to the frame, is a weak point in the gun's design. Soldered/welded tubes, integral tubes, extra staking, properly fitted grip panels all are designed to mitigate the risk of failure of that part

[Magic_Salad0892]

I don't understand your question. You mean aside from housing the spring and pins for safety and ss?

I didn't know it did that until right now. Sorry if there was some part of the question I didn't make clear.

Thanks for the answer, Janitor. I appreciate it.

(I briefly owned a Colt Series 70 when I was first getting into buying firearms, so basically I know how to change sights, change grips, shoot them, load them, field strip, and clean them. And that's about it. I'm trying to really learn about them more, because I wanna build one for my brother after he joins the Marines.)

[tb-av]

I didn't know it did that until right now. Sorry if there was some part of the question I didn't make clear.

Oh.. ok,, well if you ever take one apart they only go back together one way. and the spring looks "broken". It's supposed to look that way.

..and I can't remember if that spring is "one way" or not. It might be bent right in the middle or it might be offset a bit. I can't recall.

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/199...rry-kuhnhausen

http://how-i-did-it.org/detail-1911/frame_detail.html

[wilco423]

..and I can't remember if that spring is "one way" or not. It might be bent right in the middle or it might be offset a bit. I can't recall.

Should work either way.

[CAVDOC]

Putting together a functional 1911 is much more difficult and technical than building an ar. No offense but if you don't understand the basic mechanics of what the plunger tube does you have no business trying to build a 1911. Heck I have been around 1911's for 30+ years and would not even consider putting together one myself

[tb-av]

I agree, it's very complicated. I would love to build one. I have no issues detail stripping one but if I were to actually try to build one I would expect to have to read and understand several books, several videos, buy a load of special tools and finally take an in person class.

That's thousands of dollars and many hours and even then you might need a bail out.

You can build an AR with a couple hundred dollars of tools and watching a few Youtube videos. Maybe read a few detailed threads. But you could build a working AR on a Saturday never having seen one before.

If I set out to build a 1911, I think I would consider myself very lucky if I could do it in a year and not go broke in frustration during the process.

Hell just take the thumb safety off and look at all those little surfaces that have to be just right. I think I could spend a month just trying to understand and craft that alone.

How someone invented that whole setup is beyond me.

[smoky]

That little plunger tube/spring can be annoying. On top of spending many hours looking for that little spring after it shot across the living room, I had one bind up in the tube on my Springfield which caused the gun to auto forward. Also had a plunger tube work its way loose on my Dan Wesson while I was firing it.

[Wildcat]

Oh.. ok,, well if you ever take one apart they only go back together one way. and the spring looks "broken". It's supposed to look that way.

..and I can't remember if that spring is "one way" or not. It might be bent right in the middle or it might be offset a bit. I can't recall.

Should work either way.

The -spring- works either way but the plungers are specific; put the skinny one in the tube first.
Also the reason to put a jog in the spring is to keep the spring /plungers sub-assembly from from launching off into oblivion when the safety is dismounted from the frame.