Custom California Build -- Help Feed the Addiction!

[xdpackin]

Hey everybody,

I'm getting started on a 1911 build. This will be my first 1911 and I would like a little input on which gun to start with. I've done lots of research and wanted to know what people think about my options. I love California, it is 60 and sunny today, but the gun laws are stupid. If a gun make/model/color/etc isn't on the list then you can't have it. Also, you can't purchase just a frame and build from there, unless you can find a private party sale in state. But you can get an 80% frame and build from there if you want.

I'm not worried about the skill level needed for this project. I'm a mechanical engineer who has years and years of hands on fabrication experiance. I own a lathe and a milling machine along with all the other good stuff you would find in a well stocked shop. I'm 100% sure that I could start with a 80% percent lower and build it into a quality gun. However, I don't think I'm going to beat down that exact path. I have access to a CNC milling machine so I would just make a new frame from scratch if I really wanted to invest the time in the "unfinished" frame idea. cncgunsmithing.com has a solid model posted and I've got solidworks + surfcam so it wouldn't be that bad.

My first choice would be to start with a nice frame like a caspian and go from there. However, that is out the window so I'm looking more towards getting a lower end gun and making the changes I want. I liked the STI Spartian and PT1911 but they aren't on the list. So now I'm thinking about a Rock Island GI, Springfield GI and the Springfield Mil-Spec. To start with I want to:

1. beavertail
2. bomar adjustable sights
3. trigger, sear, hammer
4. match bushing

and later a match fit barrel and other goodies! I guess I could just get a Dan Wesson PM7 and have a bunch of nice brand name parts setup pretty close to what I want. However, I'm thinking of this as more of a science project which all my hobbies eventually become.

[xdpackin]

one more thing, whatever I get I'm going back and forth between pulling out the parts I know I'm going to replace and selling them off in new condition or putting the gun through a two day 1000 round blast off to start. But then everything is broken in. Also, I might just end up breaking the gun in and doing a trigger job as is and then replace a little more slowly? Anyway... I need some advice because I'm now hooked on 1911 crack and this thread is the dealer!

[Hawkmoon]

Any of the pistols you mention would be a solid base for building up. I might add to the list a Colt 1991, which I believe is CA-approved and is built using a forged slide and a forged frame.

Pick the one you like and go at it.

[Ericthenorse]

Howdy fellow Left Coaster.... I am having the same problems here in the PRK.. Any of the guns you listed would be a great base for a project... I started out with an RIA.. Mostly because they are the cheapest, but still decent quality. You can usually find them for around $300-400 new, and cheaper used.... What part of CA are you in???

[xdpackin]

I'm in Chico CA which is just north of Sacramento. I like the RIA idea because they seem to be cheap and a good place to start. How much better is the frame to slide fit on a springfield vs. RIA? I guess I can always get a guide and hammer and use it on the rails to tighten things up if I want. There is a gun show just a little while from where I'm at that I'll be checking out for good deals. I also think the springfields might be a little expensive for what you get. CA is really goofy isn't it? I love the weather and the great outdoors like the Sierra Nevadas and all the fun stuff you can find to do in places like LA and SF, good food, music, art, etc... just wish the people who make the laws had more practical experiance with guns. I'm sure they seem scary to people who have never used them but IMHO cars are much more dangerous and they kill 44,000 people a year in the US at this point. It is easy to feel safe around something you have lots of experiance with.

[Ericthenorse]

Both of my RIA's have a nice tight fit.... I would assume that fit wise, there probably is not much difference between most low cost 1911's. I have only handled the Springfields at the store, but it looks and feels like about the same quality. While you are at the show, keep your eye out for a used Colt. You might be able to find something that is "cosmetically challenged" since you plan on doing work to it, it might be OK....