You really need some pretty wood on that 681!!!!!!!!
You really need some pretty wood on that 681!!!!!!!!
Assembling 1911 in my opinion is not like building an AR for instance. Building a 1911 goes beyond a simple how to, basic tools, and a couple of specialize ones.
I totally get what you are saying about being a hands on part of the process. There are gunsmith out there who offer workshops on building 1911s. Bill at C&S comes to mind. Mike Bay at Trident Precision always seemed to have a few customers who wanted to hang out while there 1911 was being built. You won't necessarily save any money doing it either of those ways. What you will have is a functioning reliable weapon and the knowledge of what it takes to build a 1911.
I totally get what you are saying about being a hands on part of the process. There are gunsmith out there who offer workshops on building 1911s. Bill at C&S comes to mind. Mike Bay at Trident Precision always seemed to have a few customers who wanted to hang out while there 1911 was being built. You won't necessarily save any money doing it either of those ways. What you will have is a functioning reliable weapon and the knowledge of what it takes to build a 1911.
It sounds like this book: "The Colt .45 Automatic: A Shop Manual Volume 1" Book by Jerry Kuhnhausen
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=199119
and probably this book: "The U.S. M1911/1911A1 Pistols: A Shop Manual Volume 2" Book by Jerry Kuhnhausen
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=193148
should be on your reading/reference list.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=199119
and probably this book: "The U.S. M1911/1911A1 Pistols: A Shop Manual Volume 2" Book by Jerry Kuhnhausen
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=193148
should be on your reading/reference list.
that is how we got it....if I had some to put on I would
That's perfectly understandable, and again my comments weren't directed at you or any 1 person or even this thread in general. There's been quite a few threads lately that contributed to my post. Wanting to do it yourself is fine as long as you understand you're not going to get it right with a hammer, screwdriver & a dremel tool. If you want to take the time to learn from someone with the knowledge & experience it takes, that is willing to show you how, cool. Like I said assembly is the easy part. It's the hand fitment of the components that take the skill & precision. You can buy drop-in parts, but many people have found that drop-ins usually don't. Also, it's near impossible to send the parts off for fitment and sent back for you to reassmble. They're not only fitted to each other but to the gun as well. Not all pistols have pin locations etc. in the exact same place.
Doing it youself is cool, just don't be surprised if you mess something up. The books suggested are good reading for 1911 owners. Keep in mind even things like over polishing the feed ramp can cause you problems. I'm sure you can learn how & do a great job. I just wanted to comment on the lack regard I've seen for these guys lately.
Probally the first DIY Mod would be to fit a Match barrell bushing to your pistol, Just remember to always fit the part and not the gun, What i mean is dont alter the barrell, Slide or frame to make another part fit, A barrell bushing fit is time consuming and it will shoot more acurate for you, provide you dont hurry it and mess it up.
Mine has the bull barrell. No bushing. I was thinking about having a new barrell with the bushing installed but I think I'm gonna just put sights and grips on it and then focus on shooting better before I make a bad ass gun. I am interested in polishing the feed ramp, though.
Timmy, is the RIA you have the compact length barrel? If so, you won't be able to swap it to a bushing barrel. The barrel length on them is different than the Commander length barrels (RIA-4.00 vs Commander-4.25), so you won't be able to find a bushing barrel to swap it out to. This is just from memory, so I could be wrong.
If it's a bull barrel, the slide is likely not milled for a bushing anyhow, but, there are a few Officer size 1911's with a bushing'ed barrel... think Colt Defender.
Similar threads
