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Posted: 5/24/2017 7:24:37 AM EDT
I've been tossing around the idea of building a 3" 1911 from an 80% lower.
I was checking out Sarco's ad in Firearms News and later browsed their site.

Compact 80% Frame

3" Slide

What kind of hang-ups am I going to run into? Should I stay away from Sarco (or Para Ordnance) and go a different route?
I don't have machining equipment but I have access to it.
Maybe I should just buy a 100% lower and build from that? 
What are some other places to go for compact 1911 parts?
If I want to go 9mm instead is that option available for compact builders?

Sorry, lots of questions but I trust you guys more than "Google"

Background: I'm a mechanic who has built @dozen AR's from 80% lowers and a Glock 19 from a poly 80%.
I'm new to the 1911 platform but always wanted one. I figured if I'm going to buy/build one,
it might as well be something I can carry since I don't carry full size handguns due to size/weight concerns.

Thanks for your help.
Link Posted: 5/24/2017 7:52:56 AM EDT
[#1]
when you start getting the barrel length less than a Commander (yea I know there is an Officer's Model) reliability with the short spring systems starts to go down hill, especially if the frame is originally a Government Model... I'm sure others have perfectly running short 1911's, so take my comments with a grain of salt...but I've been around a lot of the short Para guns that didn't work... with the slide/barrel locking lug system taking up room  in front of the chamber you start to shorten the working length of your spring system... the newer pistols that lock the chamber into the ejection port have more room for the spring to work, and are more successful as short pistols YMMV
Link Posted: 5/24/2017 11:39:02 AM EDT
[#2]
IIRC those frames are not officer frames. They're slightly shorter. 
Link Posted: 5/27/2017 8:04:00 AM EDT
[#3]
Please help the 1911 noob:
I just bought a 3" slide and 80% frame from Sarco.

Link to slide: SLIDE
Link to frame: FRAME

80% frame is described as "double action". I thought 1911's were single action?
My slide is described as "single action" as expected. Will the slide and frame work together or did I just buy mis-matched parts?

They also have this 3" 80% frame that is listed as a single action but I did not want aluminum and I did not want a double stack. SA FRAME

Obviously I'm a bit confused even after trying to research this myself.

ETA: Oh yeah I messed up big time. I started looking at Para's products and found out that they offered double action 1911's.
I definitely don't want one of those. I just emailed them to cancel the frame. I don't really want the aluminum double stack I listed above so I guess
I'll be frame shopping again.
Link Posted: 5/27/2017 8:55:47 AM EDT
[#4]
My advise if you want to build one is to call caspian/fosters and tell them what you want to build. More often than not they have a couple things not listed online. I don't know if they have 80% frames but there is a lot of fitting required on complete slides and frames. Frame rails are oversized and the pin holes are undersized all needing to be "fitted"
Then the small parts have to be done to not only fit the frame but the integration with one another for correct function. Nothing like AR's and glocks even if the frame was 80% all the parts on those are drop in.
I'd avoid the para stuff at sarco, them and another place bought everything they had when para closed the doors. The LDA stuff is different and I don't know if anyone else is making those parts.

I have a caspian recon frame and flat top slide all the small parts are Wilson Combat bullet proof. Haven't been able to order the files stones jigs and reamers so i can to get to work because I keep seeing other things finally available that i cant live without, like the m4 mag conversion for my .223 wasr3 which is in the mail.
Link Posted: 5/27/2017 9:08:56 AM EDT
[#5]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
My advise if you want to build one is to call caspian/fosters and tell them what you want to build. More often than not they have a couple things not listed online. I don't know if they have 80% frames but there is a lot of fitting required on complete slides and frames. Frame rails are oversized and the pin holes are undersized all needing to be "fitted"
Then the small parts have to be done to not only fit the frame but the integration with one another for correct function. Nothing like AR's and glocks even if the frame was 80% all the parts on those are drop in.
I'd avoid the para stuff at sarco, them and another place bought everything they had when para closed the doors. The LDA stuff is different and I don't know if anyone else is making those parts.

I have a caspian recon frame and flat top slide all the small parts are Wilson Combat bullet proof. Haven't been able to order the files stones jigs and reamers so i can to get to work because I keep seeing other things finally available that i cant live without, like the m4 mag conversion for my .223 wasr3 which is in the mail.
View Quote
Thanks for your help. Yeah I'm seeing now that the Para LDA system is proprietary and something to avoid. (I don't want double action anyway) Like I said I'm canceling the LDA lower but I think I'm going to try to use the Para slide. For $48 I'm not out much if it does not work. I'm also leaning away from the 80% route but I still want to assemble it from parts for the whole learning process/DIY idea.  Maybe I can find a stripped 3" steel single stack lower somewhere.....
Thanks for lead on Caspian/Fosters.
Link Posted: 5/27/2017 1:58:18 PM EDT
[#6]
That slide is a 45acp, your op hinted 9mm options and there is a difference between the two.
That slide you linked is dam cheep so could be worth playing with but is also the cost of a good thumb safety as well, just saying.
Go get a copy of kuhanson's (spelling?) 1911 volume 1 and 2 shop manuals and read them twice before you order anything else.
Link Posted: 5/28/2017 3:08:23 PM EDT
[#7]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
That slide is a 45acp, your op hinted 9mm options and there is a difference between the two.
That slide you linked is dam cheep so could be worth playing with but is also the cost of a good thumb safety as well, just saying.
Go get a copy of kuhanson's (spelling?) 1911 volume 1 and 2 shop manuals and read them twice before you order anything else.
View Quote
Now I've pretty much decided to stick with 45 cal on this build.
The more research I do, the more fear I have that I'm going start impulse buying parts that won't work together. I need to step back and learn a little more
about compatibility of parts with 1911 platform. I think things tighten up on compatibility even more when moving away from the full size frame. I'm too accustomed to the AR world where 90% of everything fits...
Link Posted: 5/28/2017 3:13:40 PM EDT
[#8]
There is less slop allowed in the shorter guns to still have everything operate correctly.

I carry a 1991A1 compact and have have a spare hanging around.

It took some tweaking to get things reliable but both of them are now.

Both had to have new barrels installed and link length set up correctly.

While a full size (and even a commander) can operate with a bad link length the compacts appear to be more sensitive.

The greater barrel swing is probably a lot of the reason.
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