Improvements over the GI 1911

[wv109323]

If I had a stock basic GI I would do the following for a CCW gun. Add Novak style sights to eliminate sharp corners on the rear sight. (Night sights if needed) I would polish feed ramp with Dremel and jewelers rouge , not removing any material. IF not done I would throat the barrel for improved feeding with SWC.
Put a fitted trigger with over-travel adjustment. (long or short) I would have a crisp trigger 4-5 lbs . I would polish extractor groove if needed.
So many of the later guns (by various manufacturers)have many of these mods already done. Later guns have tighter tolerances on the barrel/slide/frame fits which makes fitted barrels unnecessary unless used in competition.
I would buy ammo and shoot it.
John Browning was a smart man but I don't believe he knew much about sights especially considering the 1911 sights. I don't know why he didn't come up with the overtravel adjustment and throating the barrel is not necessary with ball ammo. The polishing would have been done on the parts I mentioned above in the year 1911.

[wv109323]

If I had a stock basic GI I would do the following for a CCW gun. Add Novak style sights to eliminate sharp corners on the rear sight. (Night sights if needed) I would polish feed ramp with Dremel and jewelers rouge , not removing any material. IF not done I would throat the barrel for improved feeding with SWC.
Put a fitted trigger with over-travel adjustment. (long or short) I would have a crisp trigger 4-5 lbs . I would polish extractor groove if needed.
So many of the later guns (by various manufacturers)have many of these mods already done. Later guns have tighter tolerances on the barrel/slide/frame fits which makes fitted barrels unnecessary unless used in competition.
I would buy ammo and shoot it.
John Browning was a smart man but I don't believe he knew much about sights especially considering the 1911 sights. I don't know why he didn't come up with the overtravel adjustment and throating the barrel is not necessary with ball ammo. The polishing would have been done on the parts I mentioned above in the year 1911.

[KYCaster]

In the GI 1911A1 variant, most people don't have trouble with hammer bite as the grip safety tang is extended and the hammer spur shortened over that found on the original 1911.

My problem with the GI grip safety is not hammer bite, it's abrasion on the knuckle of my thumb where it lays against the sharp edge on the side of the safety. The beaver tail is much better, but even most of those require a bit of work to be comfortable for me. Life is way too short to deal with a gun that hurts every time you pull the trigger.

I can't really disagree with most of what has been said here, but everyone is built a little different and I see no reason not to alter a gun that you intend to shoot a lot. If you don't want to destroy any collector value, then you probably shouldn't be shooting that gun a lot anyway.

What KCSO says about carry vs. competition makes a lot of sense, but there's no reason why a gun suitable for action pistol games can't make a good carry gun or vice versa. The demands on the gun are the same....they have to be reasonably accurate, they have to be user friendly and they have to be dead-nuts reliable.

Here's my primary competition gun....

Attachment 28269


It's a Springfield 1911 A1("slightly" modified)...the cheapest thing I could find at the time. I use it for USPSA Single Stack and Limited 10 divisions. It also stays very handy at home. If I were going to carry it daily I'd lose the mag well. That's the only thing I'd change. I'm fairly competitive at the local matches...if I don't win my division, it's certainly not the fault of the gun. I use Wilson 8 round mags and McCormick 10 round mags and don't have any problems with any of them....some of them stay loaded for extended periods with no ill effects. The gun feeds ball, SWC, Silver Tips, Gold Dots, Hydra-shock, Black Talon....and anything else I care to feed it without a hitch...and I haven't touched the feed ramp, barrel throat or breach face.

My point is...you don't have to spend a lot to get a good 1911...but neither do you have to accept something that doesn't suit your particular needs (or wants). Whether you're focus is competition or self defense, you need practice to stay proficient and if you're bleeding after you've fired 100 rounds, you're not going to get the best results.

Do what you have to do.

Jerry

[35remington]

Mk42:

Can't say I've ever heard of such a thing happening due to the arched housing, but to each his own. I'd warrant most don't have such a complaint against the arched housing based on the people I've seen shoot a military 1911A1, which I saw a fair amount of in the NG armory as well as in private life. Hammer bite for most is a long hammer spur/short safety tang issue and addressing that cures it for the vast majority.

Anyway, for "minimal mods" of the type in the OP's query the advice still applies, which is shoot it first! What's great and needed for these guys or me might not be for you.

And some of us regard the other's advice as superfluous (including argumentative me) and that's why this thread is getting so gol darn long.

We're talking about the majority versus individual preference, which is why you've got to form some preferences of your own.

Did I mention you need to shoot it first to do this?

[pbraceguns]

Leave the gol durned feed ramp alone unless you know exactly what you're doing.

More 1911's have been screwed up by "polishing the ramp" than any other single modification that individuals have felt competent to try. They were not, much to their regret.

The instances where the ramp needed "polishing" are truly very very few and far between.

The ramp angle, ramp to barrel throat distance and sharpness of surfaces are absolutely critical. One screwup and you've made the gun either less reliable or a downright jam-o-matic.

Any corrective action intended as an "improvement" should only be in response to any known deficiency after you've shot it. Otherwise you're making improvements that are not needed, and many are not.

Ejects fine? Leave the ejector, extractor and ejection port alone.

Feeds fine? Leave the ramp and barrel alone.

Shoots well enough? Leave the bushing and barrel fit alone.

You've got to know what you're lacking before you can assess the real need for any "improvement."

Trigger too rough? Sights too small?

Fix em. Sights and trigger get my vote. Anything else that is not related to fixing a problem fits in the category of "not needed."

As a Pistolsmith, I concur on every single point here. Feed ramp mods are dangerous unless properly done. I've fixed more than one 1911 with ramps done so poorly that they would blow out cases.Had to either tig up the area and redo the feedramps, or cut them for a fully supported barrel (not a cheap mod). A light polish with a Cratex wheel without modifying the angles cut from the factory is all that is needed, and then ONLY if cast slugs are hanging up on the ramp. I have seen VERY few 1911's that won't feed correctly with Good quality magazines.( the main source of poor feeding 1911 pistols)
I will add that a beavertail safety with the pad on them does take away bite, while insuring the safety gets deactivated when gripped. Pining or otherwise deactivating ANY safety is foolish at best, and can make you liable for wreckless endangerment charges in the case of a AD that causes someone injury or worse.

[MtGun44]

If it is a real GI gun, not modern production, you'd be crazy to muck with it. The darned
things are up over $2000 or more if original, bubba'd up they will be a $450 shooter,
after spending a bunch on it.

There are 20 companies building custom grade 1911s, much better than anything you will
make out of a stock milsurp 1911.

Bill

[unclebill]

i never heard of getting pinched by a 1911 until i got online.
i have average sized hands and it isnt an issue.
that said i have met a kid that is 6.6 tall and has giant hands .
when he gripped my S.A.1911A1 G.I.
i could easily see how it could happen.

[Von Dingo]

i never heard of getting pinched by a 1911 until i got online.
i have average sized hands and it isnt an issue.
that said i have met a kid that is 6.6 tall and has giant hands .
when he gripped my S.A.1911A1 G.I.
i could easily see how it could happen.

He's got an inch on me. It really is an issue that is dependant on individual needs. I'm just glad my scars faded...

[casterofboolits]

Modifications to 1911's are personal to what fits your hand and your shooting style. The advice about shooting the 1911 before deciding on any modifications is valid. Otherwise, you won't know what needs to be altered to fit you. Poor ammo or magizines cause 99% of malfunctions in 1911's.

Myself, I still have a scar in the web of my hand from shooting a pair of unmodified Colt Combat Commanders for years in IPSC. I finished every match with blood running down my hand. I started applying a bandaid on my hand to before a match to prevent this.

Then purhased the Colt after market wide beaver tail as soon as they came out. I didn't like the feel of the Colt downswept beaver tail as it was hard for me to get a good grip when drawing. Both Commanders were fitted with Wilson beaver tails which completly eliminated the problem. I like a 4 to 5 pound crisp trigger on my carry guns. I changed the sights to a bit higher set. MMC if I recall correctly.

Anyway, shoot first with the ammo you intend to use and then decide if any changes need to be made.