1911 Build

[OneJaggedHole]

I have been looking around, and while I see it as a time consuming task, I love the satisfaction of building something with my own hands.
WOuld some of those who have experience building 1911's please give me some tips like:
Which frame should I start with, slide, barrel?
Minimum tools to hand lap and put it together?
list of parts needed and a good video to watch.
I have never built my own and I understand the workings, I have rebuilt car engines and the like so I do have some mechanical aptitude.
Any Ideas? I have about $2000.00 to spend. I know go buy a Wilson or the like, I already own a Nighthawk, which I love. Having that gun actually intrigued me as to custom built guns. Yes, I know it won't be anything like that, too many years experience there,compared to me, zero 0.

[shoe1966]

First thing is to decide what your intended use for the pistol is.

Once you've decided on that get a Brownells catalog go to your local range see what others have as far as parts like safeties and such, figure out what you like and want and order the parts.

I am partial to Caspian frames and slides. Good quality at a fair price.

A good set of files and stones are in order. Brownells carries just about every tool you could need.

Not many videos out there that will tell you everything you need to know, but I have watched the ones Wilson Combat sells and there not to bad, better than a couple of the others I have seen. Ask question here, there is allot of knowledge right before you in this form.

[mitchjoe]

OneJaggedHole:

Kuhnhausen's books are definitely required reading. I've also heard good things about the video series by AGI. Two-grand is a plenty ample budget for just about any 1911 you'd want to build :D . Use good stuff & take your time.

mitchjoe

[Hawkmoon]

What are your expectations for the finished product?

I built one awhile ago. I wanted to learn how it works. I bought a parts kit from Sportsmans Guide Company (they still sell it, but I believe their source is Sarco, and you can buy what I think is the same kit directly from Sarco for a good bit less.) The kit included everything except a frame. Nothing of custom gunsmith quality, but everything was there, and the slide already had sights mounted on it.

I bought a frame from Caspian, mostly because John convinced me that their tolerances are closer than Essex, which would have been cheaper. It sort of blew my budget, but I did it. My goal was to assemble a 1911 and learn how it works. My attitude going in was that, if it actually functioned when I was done, I would be way ahead of the curve but I would have learned a lot even if it didn't shoot.

Everything went together as it should, which may be testimony to the accuracy of the Caspian frame. I had to do extermely minimal fitting on the slide rails, which was handled with a couple of passes of a fine-tooth file followed by emery cloth followed by crocus cloth.

I had a few awkward moments, and needed help from John and a couple of other members to get me past a few stumbling blocks. I did NOT have a video. I did have the 5- or 6-step "build your own 1911" series found on the technical side of M1911.org ... I printed out all the installments, but they were next to useless. They assumed a lot of knowledge I didn't have, and they omitted crucial steps without telling you they were skipping over them.

In the end, I had what appeared to be a 1911-shaped pistol. Took it to the range and warned the owner what I was about to do. He knew about the project, because the frame had to be delivered through an FFL, and he was the FFL. The range happened to be empty that morning, so he set me up on a lane and he and his assistant hid upstairs.

I loaded, cocked, took aim at a target that was 15 yards out (I think -- might have been 25 feet), pulled the trigger ... and the gun went BANG without blowing up. I was inordinately happy. But I was disappointed not to see a hole in the paper. So I reeled in the target, to find a hole in the 'X' ring less than an inch from the exact center.

I took that target off and mounted another before continuing.

My project pistol cost me a bit more than an entry level RIA or Springfield would have cost me. I have no illusions that it's going to compete with a Nighthawk in terms of accuracy, appearance, fit-and-finish ... any criterion you want to choose, my project pistol is rough and ready. But ... for a bit more than the price of an entry level pistol I have something I built (well, "assembled") and that will function for its primary purpose ... self-defense. I couldn't ask for anything more. It is morphing. I upgraded the mil-surp plastic grips to wood double-diamond grips. The kit included a GI spur hammer that looked very out of place on a pistol with slanted forward and rear cocking serrations, so I replaced the hammer with a McCormick combat style hammer, and a matching sear. And I replaced the arched mainspring housing that came in the kit with a flat one, because that's what fits my hand.

If I can do it, I am certain that you can do it.

[OneJaggedHole]

Thanks Hawkmoon, you hit it right on the head. I am more interested in function and learning than appearance right now. Although with 20 or 30 years I might be able to do some fine work. :D

[Hawkmoon]

In that case, I suggest you log onto the Sarco web site. From the home page hit Search, and search on 1911. Pick the first hit the search returns, it'll be a listing of all their 1911 parts. Scroll down, and about half to 2/3 of the way down you'll come to the kit. For a rough and ready DIY project, buy the complete kit -- it includes everything except the frame.

The hammer will likely be a GI spur-type hammer, and the grip safety will be a GI style, not a beavertail. The slide you get may have front and rear serrations like mine did, or may have rear only. Either way, it should have sights already installed. You can ask to confirm that.

Then you just need a frame. Caspian is a good choice, but you can get an Essex from Brownells for a good bit less money. BTW, the Sarco stuff is blued, and SS is not an option, so all you need is a blued frame (unless you like 2-tone pistols).

[AnthonyRSS]

I think you can get the Essex frame cheaper from Essex than Brownells, though.