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?

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

wilson's combat customizing the 1911 auto

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)

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

__________________
USPSA L2484, IDPA SO A17008, SASS 21509
NRA Training Counselor, TX CHL Instructor
...and chief cook and bottle washer...

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

__________________
I love the smell of gunpowder in the morning...

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

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.

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

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

this is helpful as well:

blindhogg's tools