Sear/Hammer Engagement 2

I told you all that to tell you this.

I took the classes.  Basic Armorers Class you learn how to detail strip a 1911 and put it back together and whether your gun is safe or unsafe.  "Hey, T-Bolt, the hammer falls if I squeeze really hard with the safety on, then take my finger off the trigger and disengage the thumb safety."  Yeah, that's bad.
 
Intermediate Armorers Class you learn all the ins and out on your fun of good frame to slide lock up, what kind of sear hammer engagement your gun has, how to check and adjust your extractor tension.

Great! Now you are turning into a discerning 1911 owner and buyer.  In the rare chance someone will let you detail strip a gun you are bout to buy you do all sorts of checks.  Or, you can take your new gun home, do the checks, and return the gun unfired, maybe, if they'll let you, if it isn't up to snuff.


Is there another way?

Yes.

The gunsmith can pull the trigger and discern many things.  I have seen him do this.  I am only part way to understanding this myself, but it is sort of a gunsmith goal.

Really.

He pulls the trigger on a gun brought into his shop and can tell if the disconnector is loose in its hole, whether both hammer hooks are engaged and which one isn't if so.  Whether the Sear-Hammer engagement is negative or not.  Multiple safety checks with the thumb and grip safety and...  Other things as well that I haven't begun to grok.

He hasn't even looked at it with his eyes, closely, yet.

"How do you know he isn't just blowing smoke, T-Bolt?"

Because I've then seen the results after a detail stripping. Yup, I can see the disconnetor wiggle, I can see from the smoke lamp the left hammer hook is what is holding the sear and that by only 10% of the surface, and...

I am starting to see and feel what a 1911 with negative Sear-Hammer engagement by pulling the hammer my ownself.   This is easier to see with the thumb safety removed, but you can do it just by feel.