The Colt Officer, as all the 1911 derived
models, is locked breech operated. Upon firing, the slide and barrel recoil together under
the gas pressure. When moving back, the barrel is forced to tilt down by a rotary link
beneath the chamber. Its mechanical link with the slide is then broken. The slide,
separated from the barrel, achieves its full rearward inertial movement and, under the
recoil spring pressure, slams back to its initial closed position, stripping off a fresh
bullet from the magazine to chamber it. The sequence below, shows a manual loading cycle.
To get more information about the technical aspects, refer to our book.
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![Officer.avi (183468 octets)]()
