Upgrading my Springfield MilSpec, missing anything?

[vtb11]

Just got my Springfield 1911 Mil-Spec today! Very excited after much reading of the 1911 model and recommendations! I have been trying to read what I can about the parts, but there is quite a lot of info to take in at the moment.

Anyways! I got the mil-spec because I wanted a basic 1911 and then pick and choose what parts I wanted to upgrade, rather than buying a "loaded" 1911.

Here are my potential parts list:

*Wilson Combat Beavertail Grip Safety High-Ride Semi Drop-In 1911 Series 70, 80 Stainless Steel

*Ed Brown Videki National Match Trigger 1911 Aluminum Silver

*Wilson Combat Skeletonized Ultralight Hammer 1911 Stainless Steel

*Wilson Combat Deluxe A-2 Sear 1911

My main concerns:

Do I need other items such as a sear spring?

Would it be better to get a Wilson Combat Trigger over the Ed Brown because of compatibility issues? (which I mostly doubt at the moment, so I guess I am really asking is if Wilson would fit better over the Brown)

Most/All of this work will be done by a gunsmith, but I am just looking to buy all of the parts at once to ease the process

Thanks!

[Candiru]

Whether or not those parts are any good depends on what you plan to do with the pistol. Have you considered just shooting it stock for a while to see how you like it?

[vtb11]

Yes, I have been shooting yesterday and today. I am less concerned about achieving any special match-competition level of a gun. I just like the styling of the beavertail, skeletonized trigger, etc.

[FLINTFOREVER]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/lonewolf5347/new1911andduckpictures004.jpg
My SA 1911 used to be stock

[toolman]

I used the Wilson parts you named on my Series 70 Colt, the hammer and sear have been great but I'm not to happy with the BGS. It doesn't have enough meat on it to allow a proper blending with the frame. It functions just fine though.

[vtb11]

how do i tell the difference if i have a series 70/80 1911?

i found out my 1911 is the GI model, not mil-spec model

thanks

[toolman]

To the best of my knowledge (and I'm sure someone else will correct me if I'm wrong) Springfield doesn't use the Series 80 firing pin block mechanism. But just to check and make sure, on the underside of the slide the Series 80 pistols have a plunger that must be pushed up by the corresponding parts in the fire control group (FCG), un-blocking the firing pin and allowing the firing pin to move. If your Springer doesn't have this plunger its not a Series 80. I think I remember (again correct me if I'm wrong) someone saying the Springer uses an ultralight firing pin and heavier firing pin spring in place of the Series 80 firing pin block mechanism.

Series 70's are the old original GI style.

[RickB]

The Wilson drop-in beavertail is not going to be a very good fit on the Springfield frame. Wilson makes a beavertail that fits Colt Government Model (pre-'92) frames, and one that fits Commander (and post-'92 GM) frames, and the Springfield is in between. There will be large gaps in the fit if you use the former, and the latter will require removal of material from the safety, if it's going to fit.

[vtb11]

Well, since the SA GI model I have is their first 1911 based on their website, not sure of any discontinued models, it's safe to say it's a series 70? I will have to check when I go home, though being an amateur, I don;t think I can tell the difference in your parts mentioned

[vtb11]

The Wilson drop-in beavertail is not going to be a very good fit on the Springfield frame. Wilson makes a beavertail that fits Colt Government Model (pre-'92) frames, and one that fits Commander (and post-'92 GM) frames, and the Springfield is in between. There will be large gaps in the fit if you use the former, and the latter will require removal of material from the safety, if it's going to fit.

Someone recommended me to go with Ed Brown all the way, any notes I should be aware of about those parts? Thanks for your info on the Wilsons too

[torrejon224]

Smith & Alexander make the best MSH and Beavertail for a Springer in terms of fit and function and all Springers are what we would call Series 70 guns. The only extra safety is the ILS and that's easily disabled. If your going to replace the sear go all the way and do the disconnector and strut. Then you have a complete ignition job done. Have fun and good luck!

[RickB]

Someone recommended me to go with Ed Brown all the way, any notes I should be aware of about those parts? Thanks for your info on the Wilsons too

Cosmetically, the Ed Brown will be a bust, too. It is also dimensioned for a Colt frame, and there will be a resulting mis-match if fitted to a Springfield - and extensive external fitting is required. As noted above, the S&A beavertail designed for Springfields will result in the best fit, albeit with some external fitting required.

[captiva]

http://www.smithandalexander.com/gripsafety.html


and yes your Springfield is a "series 70"

[vtb11]

ahh, that helps a LOT

what about the other parts beside the beavertail, like hammer/sear/trigger? makes sense for the grip safety to need more fitting, but the internals seem to be fairly simple yes?

thanks!

[Tom in Ohio]

Springfield ships their 1911's with a 9mm size titanium firing pin. I'd replace it with a high quality steel firing pin and a wolff extra power firing pin spring. The titanium pin is there to pass California's stupid drop test, I believe, and titanium will gall easier than steel. Just make sure you get the right size for a Springfield.

I would also dump the ILS mainspring housing. The directions to do so are stickied.

Check your extractor and make sure that it doesn't "clock" - that it doesn't rotate slightly. If it does, replace it. I'd get the extractor from EGW, and while you are at it, replace the firing pin stop with the EGW stop.

All three of the above mods are easily done with few tools. The parts are cheap too if you do screw it up and they don't permanently alter the pistol. I think they are good mods for reliability and they can get you started on the road to doing your own gun-plumbing and learning the 1911.

[vtb11]

Very very helpful, thanks!

I was checking out the sticky just now and the mainspring housing definitely is a job a noob like myself can do! Picking up an ed brown housing shortly! can't wait to get my hands dirty and learning the innards of the 1911

i think i will leave the extractor & firing pin for future work or by a real gunsmith unless i get real comfy with the parts

[toolman]

Be sure and get a new main spring and main spring plunger to go with the new main spring housing. They aren't the same as the Springer.

[vtb11]

:) already added the ed brown frame rebuild kit which has it all

[kcshooter]

I hate to do it, but it's a pet peeve.

Springer's aren't Series 70. They just don't have a firing pin block.

Ok, sorry, now back to your regularly scheduled programing.

[vtb11]

oh, theyre a series 80? all of them or just my springfield GI?

[kcshooter]

No, sorry, I should have clarified. Series 70 is a Colt specific name regarding the specific non-firing-pin-safety set of pistols. There are also pre-series 70 ones but the difference here is the series 80 has a firing pin block.

Familiarly, when people say a pistol is "series 70" they are refering to a lack of a trigger-activated firing pin block in the pistol, and series 80 meaning there is a firing pin block.

Springfields will never be series 70 or series 80. But their design is the series 70 style, where there is no firing pin safety. So as far as parts are concerned, series 70 parts will fit.


It's just a pet peeve, as I said. Like when folks say "clips" when they mean "magazines", and Springfield "GI MilSpec" when they mean "GI" or "MilSpec". The later is most commonly mistaken on Gunbroker. Drives me nuts, but I'm a little OCD.

[vtb11]

ahh... that gunbroker comment.. i fell into that.. i bought this when it listed it as a Springfield mil-spec pistol. they did not mean milspec model, and expected me to realize it from the photos. kinda pissd me off bc i wanted the milspec not GI. now theyre only giving me $40 refund bc of it. :(

[toolman]

+1 kcshooter

The primary difference between the "pre series 70" Colt and the "series 70" is the spring collet barrel bushing with it's spring loaded fingers that attempt to grip the barrel instead of the more common solid bushing. My 1911 is a genuine Colt Series 70 made in the early 1980's.

BTW, what in tarnation is a Schwartz type safety like on the Kimbers? (since we're allready on the subject).

[kcshooter]

Yes, that is indeed the difference between series 70 and the pre-sereis 70 Colts. I didn't want to add to the confusion I had already caused the OP.

The Swartz firing pin safety performs essentially the same function as the series-80 style safety but it is activated by the grip safety rather than the trigger. It is used on Kimber series II and Smith & Wessons.

[Greyswindir]

vtb11...You don't need to go with the Ed Brown, click on the link below if you want to know more about BT installs and which manufacturer's grip safeties fit other manufacturer's frames. If not, then buy the Ed Brown but you'll have to get your frame tangs welded up!


Rick,

Were you specifically speaking about only the Wilson drop-in not fitting properly on the S.A. G.I. frame or all the Wilson grip safeties? If you were speaking about all Wilson BTGS than you've made a mistake. I fitted a Wilson 298B BTGS on my Springfield G.I. and it was a perfect match. The underside of the tangs matched up without any gaps. I made the decision to go with a Wilson BTGS after reading an excellent article on BT grip safeties, and which fit best with which frame. John Harrison of Harrison Customs was the one who wrote the article and it was very helpful.

Here's a link to the article:

Harrison's BTGS article (http://www.harrisoncustom.com/TextDesc/Beavertail.htm)

I hope you find the article useful vtb11!

-grey.