Frank, great find. I assume you can do a basic field strip on a 1911 since you own a BHP. The 1911 & BHP must be carried cocked & locked, no other way. The handgun is a tool of conflict resolution.

Field stip it, remove the stocks, then:
To Remove Safety Lock: A)Cock hammer. B)Grasp thumbpiece of safety lock between thumb and index finger, pull steadily outward and rock it back and forth.

To Remove Hammer: A)Lower, do not snap hammer. B)Use safety lock to push out hammer pin, removing from the left side. C)Lift out hammer and hammer strut.

To Remove Mainspring Housing: A)Using hammer strut, push mainspring housing pin out from right side of receiver. B)Slide housing and its contained spring down out of its guides. C)Push in on mainspring cap, at the same time push out mainspring cap pin.

To Remove Sear and Disconnector: A)Using hammer strut, push out sear pin from left side of receiver and remove sear and disconnector.

To Remove Mag Catch: Press in checkered left end to permit turning catch lock a quarter turn to left out of its seat in receiver, using long leaf of sear spring. Remove catch, lock and spring being careful to not let spring jump away when released.

To Remove Trigger: Pull straight to the rear.

To Remove Slide Stop Plunger, Safety Lock Plunger, and Plunger Spring: Draw straight to rear.

Hope this helps, compliments of SAOTW, 9th edition.

Now, I am not a beleiver in original GI issue firearms, though some certainly exist, guns were scavenged from battlefields, refurbed and put back into service. Guns were arsenal rebuilt between wars and re-issued to our troops and/or loaned to forces of other nations, both friendly and defeated.

Should yours be totally original, it may well be worh far more in it's current condition than you could imagine. Get it appraised by a reputable dealer. Take some really great photos and post them on www.jouster.com, a military collector site with many knowledgeable and honest folks there. You might be able to sell that gun for enough to replace it with a modern, precision built 1911 that would truely make you happy.

That 1911 you have suffers from a short trigger, loose fitting mil-spec parts, poor sights, and age. You could buy yourself a custom built Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk to name a few.

BTW, that S&W .32 Handejector of your grandpa's isn't useless. Take off those stocks and look for a "N" stamped in the frame to signify it was factory nickled. The hammer and trigger appear to be color case hardened which would be correct for a factory nickle gun. See if the stocks are numbered to the gun, as factory M-O-P stocks are rare.