Advice on building a 1911 from spare parts

[cavalrymedic]

I am seriously considering building a 1911 from spare parts that I find on gunbroker and many other sourced. I got the bug bad when looking through Shotgun News and saw a vendor that sells 1911 parts kits pretty cheaply. They include everything but the frame. I was wondering if anyone has any experience doing this? If so, a few questions:

I'm not trying to build a competition grade gun, but is it possible to get a good quality gun?

Is it worth the effort in sourcing parts, money spent, etc?

Any other concerns I'm not seeing due to my giddy dreams of a 1911?

Is it possible to do this for a USGI 1911 too?

Thanks

[rmcc]

I think this is one that is best to say , you can go as deep as you want!! I tried going the route you are thinking of and all I can say is you probably get a gun more tailored to what you want and may not be as good as factory, maybe better. I screwed up by going cheap on frame and slide. Bought high end parts the rest of the way. Rattled and never shot up to my expectaions. Was reliable and looked good, just wasn't that accurate. Now have 2 Para's that I had Competion Specialties go through and smooth up. Have about the same in them as if I had built ground up. I know I have not really answered your question but just saying what I did.

Rich

[Uncle45Auto]

I have worked on a number of 1911's over the years. It's quite possible to build a good shooter from parts. Remember, for some years the U.S. Military kept rebuilding these war horses and reissuing them. The old timers would say that the average Army .45 was alot more accurate than the average shooter. On the plus side, in the last 60+ years alot has been written about repairing and improving the M1911 (and M1911A1).

There is no point in busting the bank when building a .45.

The most important investment you can make is reading and learning everything you can about how to accurize the M1911.

[KYCaster]

Start with Kuhnhausen's book and don't expect good results on your first attempt.

I know....not what you want to hear!! :groner:

Jerry


After re-reading your OP I'll add......


"I'm not trying to build a competition grade gun, but is it possible to get a good quality gun?"

Yes, of course it is possible...that's how the custom builders do it.


"Is it worth the effort in sourcing parts, money spent, etc?"

Only if you enjoy self-abuse...not if you want a good quality gun at a decent price. :shock:
Just kidding....it's very unlikely that you'll be satisfied with your first attempt so keep it as cheap as possible and write it off as a learning experience. One of the kits sans frame may be the cheapest way to start.


"Is it possible to do this for a USGI 1911 too?"

If you're talking about altering an original then I'd avoid that route. Any complete gun you find is either collectible or its somebody else's attempt at assembling parts. You can find plenty of mil-spec parts at the gun shows, but the kit you found will probably include the same parts and will save you quite a bit of leg work, if not cash.

Good luck with your quest. The journey can be very rewarding even if the destination isn't what you imagined. :drinks:

[RugerFan]

I got an Essex 1911 frame and slide from Brownells and a parts kit from Sarco. I had to lap the slide, main spring housing and firing pin stop to the frame. Then a gunsmith friend had to do some filing/stoning to the thumb and grip safeties (and also did some trigger work to lighten up the pull). It was a pain to put together, but now is surprisingly accurate for a plain-Jane model. (And I wouldn't do it again. Once was enough.)

[jmsj]

calvarymedic,
I have done a couple of builds and have really enjoyed doing them.
One was a Detonics lower mated to a Comander length slide and the other was a 5" govt type.
KYCaster reccomended the Kuhnhausen book and I strongly agree w/ him. That book has all the specs and procedures for putting a 1911 together.
You ask if it is worth the effort, if you enjoy hobby gunsmithing and have a little patience, it is a great learning experience.
Good luck, jmsj

[cavalrymedic]

So, are we talking about the Kuhnhausen M1911 Shop Manual? Sounds interesting, I think I'll go on an expedition for it. Apart from the $150 one I saw on E-bay...yikes!

[cavalrymedic]

I would be keen to do a build. I probably would enjoy the learning and the learning curve, but I'd be a little bit wary of ruining a good slide or frame with excessive lapping etc.

[gmsharps]

I did the same thing many years ago. the only frame available then was the Essex and it had a reputation of some being good and some being real bad. I lucked out and got one that was pretty good but not perfect. I had been scrounging around for some time by then and had picked up several parts and was pretty much ready to go when I picked up my frame. I was able to get the gun together and it would function but not to what I wanted. I was in the military then and had a friend that worked with the AMU Army Marksmanship Unit. He proceded to show me where I had gone wrong and helped me get the gun to function better and to shoot a lot better than I would ever be able to. I have since used my bast### gun as I call it in several now called IDPA matches and it can still shoot better than I can. This project to me was very worthwhile and I learned so much from it in how the 1911 works and why if it does not. The Kuhnhausen book is definitly worthwhile and there is a huge amount of info on the different forums and folks usually are ready to help if you are receptive. Good luck on your project and go for it. PS You can probably buy a Kimber Custom for not much more than what it will cost to put it together and the kimber would probavly be worth more on the resale but what you learn can not be replaced.

[jhrosier]

.....Is it worth the effort in sourcing parts, money spent, etc?...

Yes. The whole point of building a 1911 is to get the exact configuration that you want.

Start with a frame & slide and then add the details that suit you. If you start out with a "kit", there will be a lot of unwanted parts left over.

If you are just going to buy a kit and assemble it, you would be better served simply buying a stock 1911. I just bought a new Remington 1911r1 for just over $600 and it suits my needs almost perfectly. I will only replace the short trigger with a long one and I'm good to go. Unlike a kit, it has a warranty and a maker to stand behind it.

Jack

[Buddy]

Check out the 1911forum, there are quite a few accomplished builders there that would steer you in the right direction. I've been learning alot there in my quest to customize a Colt.

[82nd airborne]

There is a military 1911 manual that you can download for free. It may not be as good as the civilian written books, but it is written in privates terms, and It will help if you are sitting there with a leftover part, scratching your head, it will help. Or just toss that part, you dont need it anyway!
On a side note, In my teens I was taking my browning buckmark apart in our cluttered basement when a spring and something else went flying. I never found them, and it still runs just fine to this day. I have no Idea what the spring did, because I cant find where it would go!

[Dannix]

You may want to look at the frames and kits from Fusion.

http://www.fusionfirearms.com/

[JIMinPHX]

I'm with KYCaster. Buy the Jerry K shop manual.

If I were you, I would read that book first & then decide if you want to dive into fitting up a complete 1911 yourself. There are a lot of little things in there that need to be made to fit right. It helps to have all the right tools & fixtures when working on them. If you are just going to build one gun, then it is probably less expensive to buy a low-end assembled gun to start with. If you want to build a gun to learn about how they work, then the cost of the first gun vs the cost of a parts kit & the tools needed would probably not be the primary concern.

One place that sells the Jerry K books for reasonable prices is www.territorialarmory.com
The 1911 book is on page 5. It's about $30. Shipping is probably about another $5 on top of that.

[flounderman]

I started out to build one from parts and even bought a few parts. I found a complete slide, new I believe, at a good price. I found a complete frame at a fair price. I needed a barrel and sights., and a magazine and I was in business. I had to ramp the barrel so it would feed and some other parts needed some adjusting,but I ended up with a decent gun, fairly reasonable. I would try to find a slide with a dovetail front sight as I had trouble holding the staked one in. it takes some knowing where to remove metal to make everything function right. I think the nra has something about gunsmithing the `1911. I would buy assemblys instead of a bag of parts and I wouldn't go for high dollar assemblies. you can always change a part or two after you gain the knowledge and get it working right.

[cavalrymedic]

Thanks guys. I think I've made up my mind to go ahead and do a build from parts and parts kits. I ain't skeered of learning how to fit parts and remove metals. I'm going to have to learn what "ramping" a barrel means. I'll start with the free download and then try and find the shop manual. I like the $30 price that JminPHX pointed me to.

I just like building things. I have a feeling that my first attempt won't be perfect, but I can always get new parts and keep going until I get it right. When I'm done, having something that I made will make me love it even more. I fall in love easy.

[bob208]

now that is the right way to think. if you don't do it you will never know if you can or if you can learn.

i have built a few using essex frames. even shortened 2 to make combat commanders. used gi slides that was when you could get them. they all shot good. the trick and the hardest part was fitting the nm bushings.

[218bee]

Good luck to ya and hope it turns out ok. I seriously considered it myself and may build one from scratch someday but in the meantime I bought a brand new Rock Island Mil-Spec (Armscor made in Phillapenes) for $400. My plan is to put 500 or 1000 rounds through it and then try my hand at "tuning" it up if it needs it and really see how the parts fit and wear and where I can possibly make improvements. I did buy the book mentioned above and its very informative.
I figured the $400 I spent on this could is probably cheaper than buying parts only, although parts alone would probably be better quality. But we'll see I'm not too afraid of screwin this one up...and plan on usin it for my learning tool. We'll see.
Once again good luck to ya and keep us posted

[andremajic]

Thanks guys. I think I've made up my mind to go ahead and do a build from parts and parts kits. I ain't skeered of learning how to fit parts and remove metals. I'm going to have to learn what "ramping" a barrel means. I'll start with the free download and then try and find the shop manual. I like the $30 price that JminPHX pointed me to.

I just like building things. I have a feeling that my first attempt won't be perfect, but I can always get new parts and keep going until I get it right. When I'm done, having something that I made will make me love it even more. I fall in love easy.

Just make sure you don't "ramp" the frame that leads up to the barrel. Light light polish without changing the angle. We're talking maybe removing a little parkerising is all. Better yet, leave it alone and let the bullets polish it from use.

If no one has suggested it yet, rent the AGI gunsmithing videos one building a competition 1911 from www.smartflix.com

Don't rush anything. Like my Dad said "If you don't have time to do it right, when are you going to have time to fix it?"

Andy.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

I am just starting in on one. I had always wanted an STI to shoot IPSC, but my gosh! the cost.
I was happy to trade one of my Series 80 GC's for a Para-Ordnace Limited in 45 acp with the bells and whistles and a Dillon SDB.

Now, I have the STI fever again. Brownell's only stocks the frame with black grip, and gets an extra $125 for the Red grip. I called, and they were kind enough to check with STI, and order me one with the red grip at no extra charge. Good Folks there!

Rich

[pistolman44]

I have built quite a few. Some I used Essex Arms recievers, The enhanced models only. They already have the .250 radius cut for the high grip beaver tail. I always used Colt 70 series slides, Always use top grade parts. I used Nowlin ignitions parts. There is a lot of work to this and it usually cost me more than $600 to complete a build. Here is a couple of my builds, one compact and the other full size. RRA 45's are a good buy.

[Lee W]

Here is my parts gun..It has been a few years, and it is still going strong.

My post with parts list.

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=181748