D.I.Y.: have u ever...?

[Ithabrown]

ok, i have now completed purchase of all parts i need to build up a lean and mean fighting 1911! but u know what, folks?

i get this temptation urging me to "do it yourself" (DIY), especially i have the much sought-after kuhnhausen's book. i know i shouldn't...it's stupid...

but have you ( a non-smith) ever "tried" to build a 1911 by your own?

[kotonk]

i'm not gunsmith, but i'm working on a norinco. here's some picks:

http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=97

and our friendly neighborhood moderator looks like he'll end up being a pro gunsmith:

http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=4

what i found really helpful were these videos:

clark: customizing the 1911 (http://www.gunvideo.com/pgroup_details.php?pgroupid=843)

wilson's combat customizing the 1911 auto (http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=16470)

[stumbler]

Go for it! There is not a better way to get to know about the 1911. With all the references available (and this friendly forum), you should not have too much trouble. Keep us informed. :) (and the only dumb question is the one not asked)

[wakal]

With all the good (and inexpensive) parts available these days, building a 1911 has never been easier! It isn't like back in the day, when you had to whittle grip safeties out of pieces of wheat...




Alex

[Kerwin]

Go ahead, do it your self! i did it twice using SAM parts and used but serviceable usgi parts. Have your files ready, and if you dont own a foredom or dremel tool, clamp your drill on a vice. It's good enough to polish your feed ramp. Use J.Kuhnhausens book as reference and if you can, buy that Wilsons book on customizing 1911's. Careful with removing metal from the parts, you can't build up what you removed with a file. Enjoy!!! :)

Kerwin

[Ithabrown]

ok, guys! now that you've set me on fire, what are the specific tools I would need?

[stumbler]

Try to fit parts together first.
How does the slide fit the frame?
How does the barrel bushing fit the slide?
How does the barrel fit the frame?
How does barrel fit the frame with slide stop in place?

Check parts against info in Kuhnhausen's book to see what is not in spec.

This will take the most time. The key is to do a careful preparation and have lots of patience. :)

[Ithabrown]

Try to fit parts together first.
How does the slide fit the frame?

...very tight. should i machine the frame rails or the slide instead?

How does the barrel bushing fit the slide?

... not applicable. i'm using a bushingless barrel.

How does the barrel fit the frame?
...actually, the slide assembly is laready in place, and adjustment of the extractor tension as well as cutting its protrusion in the rear of the slide are the only jobs left in it.

How does barrel fit the frame with slide stop in place?
...oh, this one is a swell fit.

Check parts against info in Kuhnhausen's book to see what is not in spec.

This will take the most time. The key is to do a careful preparation and have lots of patience. :)

....copy! I will try to take photos of my project and then scan and upload them here. Thanks again!

[kotonk]

ok, guys! now that you've set me on fire, what are the specific tools I would need?

stuff i would say have been the most helpful to me are:

safety glasses
minimum 4" vise
leather vise jaw pads
1/8" roll punch
1/16" pin punch
3/32" pin punch
brass drift punch
nylon drift punch
1" nylon/brass hammer
magna-tip law enforcement handle
magna-tip stubby handle
magna-tip long straight bit(#445-00)(mag catch screw)
magna-tip long straight bit(#445-30)(slotted grip screw)
(they have torx and allen bit grip screw bits as well)
magna-tip grip screw bushing bit

nicholson needle files(don't waste your money on cheap stuff...you'll just end up getting these or other high quality files anyways)
needle file handle
if you're installing a beavertail on standard tangs you'll need a beavertail jig...for .250 radius cuts, wilson and ed brown have them.
i used a 8" mill bastard file to file down the tangs but you can use a bench grinder or belt sander to get close to the .250 before you fine tune the radius(i used a 6" smooth cut mill file) and finish off with a dremel.

dremel(i have a 10.8v cordless)
various grit cratex #11 bullet points(buy 3-5 of each grit for starters...or just get the 25 packs and go to town on everything dremelable in your house)
bullet shaped felt bobs(3-5)
flitz polish
1/8" ball carbide cutter
1/4" cylinder grinding stone

various grit wilsons polishing sticks

long tweezers or hemostats
smooth needle nose pliers
bushing wrench
masking tape

trigger pull gauge
you can get a sear/hammer jig with polishing stones...but on my first go around i'm going with a professionally prepped action group(i'm thinking yost-bonitz ~$110)

if you go with a kart ez fit barrel you can get the fitting kit for that, or if you're going to do it the hard way with a gunsmith fit barrel you can use the files above plus a #2 cut parallel round file and barrel lug file(or if you have money to spend you can get the lug cutter kit from brownells ~$142.00).

there are tons more tools you can buy. alot of the tools you don't really need, but specialized tools make the job alot easier than trying to go without them. if you don't mind getting all the right tools you should end up spending more for your tools than your pistol.

oh and lastly, a bar of soap...to wash your mouth out from time to time for inadvertant verbal indiscretions.

-kotonk

[kotonk]

this is helpful as well:

blindhogg's tools (http://www.blindhogg.com/gunsmith/tools.html)

[kotonk]

also, if you have cheap components, it's good to have a dial caliper and kuhnhausen vol I.

[Ithabrown]

also, if you have cheap components, it's good to have a dial caliper and kuhnhausen vol I.


by components, do you mean the small parts that make up the whole? i have brand name parts (e.g., Chip McCormick, Ed Brown, Kings, etc.)

[stumbler]

Pins, springs, frame, slide, etc... IMO, you should check specs of all parts. Sometimes even "name" parts may be out of spec (it doesn't happen often, but can).

[kotonk]

basically, any part of the gun. i don't put a caliper to everything i buy, but only when i need to figure out what is the problem. generally, whenever i buy a part i throw it in where it's supposed to go. if it fits and works i'm all finished. if two parts don't fit properly, you need to figure which one is out of spec and work on that one that is faulty....if you're going with name brands you should be safe....a dial caliper isn't a "must have" but it is nice to have.

-kotonk

[valor1]

I suggest buy kuhnhausen's books and befriend a gunsmith to allow you to watch him work. This link will help:
www.roderuscustom.tzo.com

Good luck.

[Kerwin]

Bring all your parts to a gunsmith, have him check it out. Tell him that your going to do it yourself, then :D ask him how much he is going to charge for it if he assembles it for you, or pester the experts here for help, they will be happy to assist you. :)

[Ithabrown]

I suggest buy kuhnhausen's books and befriend a gunsmith to allow you to watch him work. This link will help:
www.roderuscustom.tzo.com

Good luck.



i have the book already. no equipments though

[Ithabrown]

stuff i would say have been the most helpful to me are:

safety glasses
minimum 4" vise
leather vise jaw pads
1/8" roll punch
1/16" pin punch
3/32" pin punch
brass drift punch
nylon drift punch
1" nylon/brass hammer
magna-tip law enforcement handle
magna-tip stubby handle
magna-tip long straight bit(#445-00)(mag catch screw)
magna-tip long straight bit(#445-30)(slotted grip screw)
(they have torx and allen bit grip screw bits as well)
magna-tip grip screw bushing bit

nicholson needle files(don't waste your money on cheap stuff...you'll just end up getting these or other high quality files anyways)
needle file handle
if you're installing a beavertail on standard tangs you'll need a beavertail jig...for .250 radius cuts, wilson and ed brown have them.
i used a 8" mill bastard file to file down the tangs but you can use a bench grinder or belt sander to get close to the .250 before you fine tune the radius(i used a 6" smooth cut mill file) and finish off with a dremel.

dremel(i have a 10.8v cordless)
various grit cratex #11 bullet points(buy 3-5 of each grit for starters...or just get the 25 packs and go to town on everything dremelable in your house)
bullet shaped felt bobs(3-5)
flitz polish
1/8" ball carbide cutter
1/4" cylinder grinding stone

various grit wilsons polishing sticks

long tweezers or hemostats
smooth needle nose pliers
bushing wrench
masking tape

trigger pull gauge
you can get a sear/hammer jig with polishing stones...but on my first go around i'm going with a professionally prepped action group(i'm thinking yost-bonitz ~$110)

if you go with a kart ez fit barrel you can get the fitting kit for that, or if you're going to do it the hard way with a gunsmith fit barrel you can use the files above plus a #2 cut parallel round file and barrel lug file(or if you have money to spend you can get the lug cutter kit from brownells ~$142.00).

there are tons more tools you can buy. alot of the tools you don't really need, but specialized tools make the job alot easier than trying to go without them. if you don't mind getting all the right tools you should end up spending more for your tools than your pistol.

oh and lastly, a bar of soap...to wash your mouth out from time to time for inadvertant verbal indiscretions.

-kotonk



good post, thanks, kotonk!

actually, the slide assembly is complete, save for 2 things: cutting the protrusion it makes at the rear and adjusting its tension correctly.

the receiver story is different. that's the meat of the work! do we need tools only or machine equipment to do the (1) BARREL SETTING (or is it seating) and (2) slide-frame fitting?

thanks again for all your comments!

[Ithabrown]

aside from the barrel seating (or setting) and slide-frame fitting, do i need machine to assemble parts which include trigger job?

[OD*]

Can't really say I built this, more like assembled from parts.
The only thing that really needed fitting was the slide-frame (Caspain and Rem-Rand).
http://gunpix.com/gallery%2FHandguns%2FSemi%2DAutos%2Ffranken45%2Ejpg

[Ithabrown]

ok, what tool did you use 4 your trigger job? was it easy?