Welcome to M1911.ORG
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site


John needs your help
Please read this message.


Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from the companies advertising above, or near the bottom of our pages, please use their banners in our sites. Whatever you buy from them, using those banners, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 12

Thread: 1911 gunsmithing tools

THREAD CLOSED
This is an old thread. You can't post a reply in it. It is left here for historical reasons.Why don't you create a new thread instead?
  1. #1
    Join Date
    15th November 2010
    Posts
    1
    Posts liked by others
    0

    1911 gunsmithing tools

    I'm new to 1911's and VERY new to gunsmithing. I'm not looking to do anything drastic but I've got a beater that I can mess around with and try my hand at installing/fitting high quality parts. What tools will I need to get started?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    29th May 2004
    Location
    Athens, Greece, Earth
    Posts
    28,076
    Posts liked by others
    204
    Blog Entries
    2
    A set of punches, a set of jeweler files, some emery clothes, I guess you can start with those. Brownells is your best friend.
    John Caradimas SV1CEC
    The M1911 Pistols Organization
    http://www.m1911.org

  3. #3
    Join Date
    1st June 2004
    Location
    Washington State
    Posts
    7,984
    Posts liked by others
    13
    I know there are a lot of tools one could purchase, but after looking thru my tools there are a few that I use every time. John hit on those, but I added two more; a bench block and double headed hammer;

    http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=2...E_BENCH_BLOCKS


    http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1...N_BRASS_HAMMER
    If it isn't durable, it isn't reliable.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    13th March 2009
    Location
    Dark Side of the Moon
    Posts
    2,235
    Posts liked by others
    0
    I'd add a couple of stones, and I like the hammer to have a brass head on one side and plastic on the other, or two hammers.

    not just flat head punches either, cupped tip also so you don't mess up the heads on the pins.
    cold on ice it's a Deadman's touch...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    22nd December 2004
    Location
    Orlando, FL USA
    Posts
    5,997
    Posts liked by others
    22
    This list:
    http://10-8performance.com/1911_ToolKit.html

    plus the bench block Wichaka mentioned, and a few small files like John mentioned will get you off to a good start and cover almost everything. The only other thing I would add is the small punch, 1/16-inch I think, that is called out in the Colt Armorer's manual. It's used for the mainspring cap retaining pin, and the pin on the ejector.
    "The 1911 was the design, given by God to us through John M. Browning, that represents the epitome of what a killing tool needs to be. It was true in 1911 and it's true now." - Col. Robert Coates commanding, U.S. Marine Corp Special Operations Command Detachment 1 (DET 1)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    19th December 2008
    Location
    North East
    Posts
    63
    Posts liked by others
    0

  7. #7
    Join Date
    25th September 2006
    Location
    South of Lake Superior
    Posts
    14,085
    Posts liked by others
    127
    After acquiring the tools mentioned by these fine folks there will come a time when you'll wonder "How big is this thing supposed to be?" and "How big is it?"

    • The only dimensions available to the public are contained in the Army Ordnance blueprints for the 1911's parts. Your three sources for these are the set available in our Tech Issues section, the set from Nicolaus Associates http://www.nicolausassociates.com/ and those contained in Vol II of J. Kuhnhausen's book on the 1911.

    • Here's a list of some of the measuring tools you may need/want, sort of in the order of their importance:

    -- 6" flexible machinists's rule with 16R graduations
    -- 0-1" micrometer caliper (aka, micrometer) (analog, mechanical digital or electronic digital)
    -- 6" slide caliper (vernier, dial, or electronic digital)
    -- Small beam protractor
    -- Set of small hole gages, split ball with flat balls
    -- Set of feeler gages with ¼" wide tips
    -- 4 Diopter magnifying hood with auxiliary magnifier

    Regards
    When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind. [Lord Kelvin]

  8. #8
    Join Date
    9th December 2008
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    1,196
    Posts liked by others
    1
    If you want to do any trigger work a jig of some kind will let you work on the sear. I use this one and like it: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1...AUTO_SEAR_JIGS

    Also, I haven't seen anyone mention a vice, but I use a cheap drill press vise all the time. A quality machinist's vice would be better.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    19th December 2008
    Location
    North East
    Posts
    63
    Posts liked by others
    0
    May I suggest this thread be made a sticky?
    "What's the 1911 starter took kit?" is probably one of the first questions a 1911 gunsmith novice may have.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    20th August 2009
    Posts
    261
    Posts liked by others
    1

    Thumbs up quality set of gun smithing SCREW DRIVERS

    Don't forget good screw-drivers

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  



Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from Brownells, please use their banners above. Whatever you buy from them, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Non-gun-related supporters.
Thank you for visiting our supporters.