Rebuilding a 1911 with other parts

[insnekamkze86]

Hello there after i buy my colt 1911, later down the line i wish to build a 1911 not from the ground up but from a detail strip from another 1911. Its like building a 1911 but without all the hassle. What would be a good starting point to go from as to buy a 1911 fully assemble and then build w aftermarket parts or parts from another company? I know most things with the 1911 gun but not enough to be comfortable to build one from scratch. Excuse me if i sound like a complete noobie with this question. I love 1911 guns i dont own any yet just have fire them but its one the best things i have ever done, when i start i dont want to stop. So after i finally own one i want to build one too.

[Joshua M. Smith]

I did the same thing.

I bought a bare bones RIA, then stripped it down. I replaced all the springs and most MIM parts, machined it for a beavertail, changed out the thumb safety, and just made it into what works best for me.

Just take it slow. Define what you want it for before you start - that's where I made a mistake. I didn't know what I wanted, and when I finally sat down and figured it out, I ended up building something very close to the MEU pistol (I'm outdoors a lot). I adjusted things as needed from there (different safety, different set of wrap around grips, etc.)

Josh <><

[John]

Get your first one, start learning and come back. Keep in mind that there is no such a thing as a drop-in part for the 1911s. If something goes in a pistol and works as it should, consider yourself lucky, but don't expect it to do so when you buy the part.

[rekladan]

Keep in mind that there is no such a thing as a drop-in part for the 1911s.
Well, maybe the grips. Usually. :)

[insnekamkze86]

K i will thank you, i know that parts just dont drop in with out some tinkering unless u are really lucky, also if its grips. It'll be a while before i build my 1911 but just was wondering about things before i ever start building one. Also what are some tools i should look at for taking the gun apart as in detail strip and maintenance? I know to get a handgun cleaning kit, gun oil, what r some other thing besides these should look at getting?

[leam]

Note that I'm a minimalist, so my list might be different. This is what works for me.

Get a Brownell's catalogue, *and* their 1911 specific one. The 1911 specific is a duplicate but keeps things in one place.

Get Kuhnhausen's books.

Tools, get a couple AR-15 firing pins and grind one down to a more rounded small tip.

Get a light hammer and a small screwdriver that fits the magazine catch lock.

If the grip screws are anything but flat head screwdriver, replace them and get a flat head screw driver to put in your range bag.

Some Break Free CLP.

Needle nose pliers with serrations on the front. Useful for pulling out the magazine follower and the safety lock plunger.

That's it for tools. Depending on finger strength maybe a bushing wrench. That's on my list--I've shot more than one recoil spring plug across the shop.

As for a base to work from, my preference is an Argentine Sistema. The parts *are* drop in if you're looking for base functionality. Obviously, as noted above, you want to fit things properly for best function. I've dropped all sorts of parts in Boopsie and she shoots better than I probably ever will.

I've not worked on a RIA but if the others speak for them I won't disagree. Anyone have thoughts on a Norinco?

Leam

[Dave Berryhill]

I usually recommend that for a first build you start with a basic working 1911 (Springfield GI or Mil-Spec or something similar) and "upgrade" it one part at a time rather than start with a bare slide & frame. This allows you to see how the parts are fit and interact before you change them.

Changing one part at a time allows you to do any troubleshooting on that part before moving on. If you build a complete pistol and it doesn't function it can be a little overwhelming for a beginner to figure out what isn't working.

[leam]

I usually recommend that for a first build you start with a basic working 1911 (Springfield GI or Mil-Spec or something similar) and "upgrade" it one part at a time rather than start with a bare slide & frame.

Amen!

Leam