Well, here she is. This is a DoubleStar frame with a "1911.45, Slide, Current Mfg." from Sarco. I've been working on it on and off for about a year (trying to save for a wedding.) So far I've got about $450 in it and I can see it going well into $800+. Started with a parts kit from Sarco, just to have cheap parts that I can ruin without worrying about it. I've slowly replaced a great deal of them with Wilson Combat parts, as I can afford them. Right now it's sporting a Wilson beavertail, MSH, ext. safety, sear spring, sear, disconnector, and mag. catch. All that really needs to be done before I can test fire is to fit a barrel, but I plan on doing every mod possible to this thing in order to gain the experience. I really want to bobtail it, but can't bring myself to buy the jig...may have to make it. Everything that I've worked on so far has been cold blued to protect it. When I'm nearing completion, I'm going to sand blast (frame and slide are park'ed) and do a home park job.

Without further ado...(as a side note, these pictures show the pistol in a barely assembled state...there are no internals installed)

(the little basket to the left has all the small parts in it.)





Thanks to the fact that I have access to some pretty serious machine tools, here's some tools I've made in the past year. Today I'm going to attempt to turn a regular mill file into a 25lpi checkering file.

(Brown style beavertail jig, barrel holder, barrel alignment gage, and a hood length gage.)



Lessons learned:

It's not easy to make it perfect, but it isn't impossible either. I haven't fitted the barrel, but I think that it can be done by a non-gunsmith. That being said, I am a machinist.

You will not, I repeat, will not save any money doing this (at least not the first time.) I'm in it for the experience only. However, now that I have a C&R license, parts are a lot cheaper from Brownells and MidwayUSA, so I highly suggest that you get one. It'll pay for itself the first time you make an order.

Good luck and thanks for looking.

-Jbot

BTW, thanks for the arena, SGB.

I could not think of anything I wanted for Christmas this past year, so I had my wife buy me a Kimber .22 kit with the intentions of building it into a full pistol. I picked the silver, because I wanted a 2 tone pistol. Found a brand new one on Gunbroker for way less than anywhere else.

Next I ordered parts. I got almost everything from Midway and Brownells (my C&R discount really helped here). The hard part was finding parts to match the finish of the Kimber. The Silver is not shiny like stainless. It is textured and most parts are polished. I got lucky and the Chip McCormick Beaver tail and thumb safety were a good match. I decided to go with a prefit trigger from EGW. All it needed was a little stoning. I also used some take off parts I had laying around. I used the mag release I had removed off a Springfield. I disabled the ILS from a Springfield MSH and used it. I also had an extra set of grips laying around so I just used them.

For a frame, I jumped through hoops to find an Essex (I wanted a blued frame). Midway did not carry them yet and everyone else was on backorder so I just got one directly from Essex. I got the enhanced frame with the ejector and plunger tube already installed, a .250 beaver tail cut and the undercut front strap. It was about $60 more and looking back, I should have just gotten the basic frame because I still had to use a jig to fit the beaver tail.

All the parts went into the frame without difficulty. The slide to frame fit was great with very little work. Only part I had to really get after was the area of the frame where the barrel lug fits. The Kimber kit has a lug that is part of the barrel. After talking to a gunsmith at Essex, I had to remove a good bit of metal from the frame. It took some time, but it fits great.

Here are some pics.









I believe final cost was:
$195 shipped/transferred for the Frame
$265 for the Kimber kit
$200 in parts from Midway and Brownells
Estimate: $660 or so.

I am not 100% on my parts price, because I ordered duplicates of many to see which one would work better and returned the unused parts. I think it was lower than $200.

It was a good bit of work. Not as much as fitting a barrel to a slide or a slide to a frame, but it had its moments. Not too bad considering my local Gander Mountain had a dedicated Kimber .22 1911 for almost $900. I spent almost $700 building a .22 pistol, but I don't regret it.

My home brew:  

Started from Fosters frame, Caspian slide, Schuemann clark ramped-bushing barrel.  Made the grips from green canvas Micarta.  The magwell is mine as well, made from aluminum then hard anodized and IonBonded.



Here's the magwell in the white:


Tools from Brownells:
Barrel fitting kit (complete)
Marvel Checkering jig
Marvel Sear jig
Manson .45 reamer
60* dovetail file
#2 pillar file, 10" and 6" bastard, 2nd cut, Smooth hand files

Other tools:
100g, 240g and 600g cloth
Wilton 4500 bench vise (crucial tool)
brass/nylon gunsmith hammer
Dremel 110v (advanced tool!!!)
.25" radius jig for the beavertail safety out of .5" round bar from Lowes.


Can you build a cheap 1911 yourself?  Sure, but I wouldn't take less than $2000 for mine.  It's not for sale.

springer conversion to 9mm parabellum

Two frame up Caspian/Essex builds. Both in 9mm Parabellum

Very nice guns.

Saving my spot. I just ordered the parts. A big thanks to those of you who talked about becoming a "member" @ Brownell's. After the SHOT Show discount, I saved a substantial amount of money.

Frame & Slide
Caspian carbon government 45ACP slide hand fit to carbon government model reciever w/ integral plunger tube. Caspian is cutting the beavertail and installing the ejector & grip screw bushings for me.
-Ball radius cut.
-Novak Lo-Mount Rear, Novak Front.
-Extra Serrations.
-Bevel Package.
-Serrated round top.

Guts
-Kart N/R NM Barrel fitted to a Kart NM Bushing
-Brown Extended tactical mag catch
-Brown auto grip screws
-Brown hardcore firing pin & FP stop
-Brown hardcore extractor
-Brown rebuild kit (pins, springs & small parts)
-Brown memory groove grip safety
-Brown recoil spring guide & plug
-EGW ignition parts (hammer, sear, disco, sear spring)
-STI extended thumb safety
-Wilson Combat BP Slide stop
-Wilson Combat match trigger (3 hole)
-Wilson Combat hammer strut
-Wilson Combat flat/20LPI checkered MSH
-Wolff Recoil Spring; 16.5#
-Novak Lo mount tritium sights green/green

Completion
The plan is for the gun to go off to Miller Custom once im done hacking. Heres the work that is planned:
-Hard Chrome Finish
-Fitted Davidson horned lizard grips
-20-30 LPI front strap checkering
-Undercut trigger guard
-Ejection port lowered/flared
-Heinie magwell installed

Foster Industries Gov frame
Surplus National Match slide
all the guts and parts are take offs from a Springfield Armory GI
Grips were a gun show special $15 rosewoods, dunno who made them but I like the way they look more so than the Springfield GI grips
Grand total cost: $305

Tools used: files, sandpaper, valve grinding compound
References used: A DVD on 1911 smithing as well as Blindhog's website and another website, but I can't remember the name
Experience: This was my 1st 1911 and is 1st pistol.



it's a work in progress....I'm going to upgrade the parts this summer.  Plans are to do the MSH and mag release first (just getting a raised one), followed by the trigger, hammer, thumb safety, grip safety and sear all at one time most likely since they really should be fitted with one another.  Might as well do the leaf spring as well too since it's a cheap part .  All those take off parts will be reused on a 22LR or 9mm 1911 I'm building with my dad.

Started out with a brand new Springfield G.I. and fully customized it.... after building, I have switched the sights around a couple times, I do believe I am staying with what I have now.. I have replaced just about everything on this pistol with better quality parts,  I had Chuck Rogers do the front strap and MSH treatment, otherwise I did the rest of the machining/ ect.... The blueing was a home brew from Blindhogg's website that turned out very well.  I ground and polished the slide flats to a mirror before blueing. I would probably build one gun a year if the wife would let me, just to much fun and it keeps my hands busy. I learned quite a bit about details ect... check everything 3-4 times before blueing just to make sure all details are covered.. it's amazing what you don't notice. I'm all set, except for a frame and slide, for my next build.. might be a few months before I get started.. I see Caspian has Damascus slides in stock...better get pre-approved from the wife for that.

Tools: Go, no Go gauges for headspace, barrel fitting kit from Brownells, a couple files and some Dremel tool polishing bits, beaver tail fitting jig, sight dovetail cutters.. the rest I have access to as a machinist...Blueing supplies cost me $40.00 including the stoneware pot... I already had a the campstove super burner from brewing beer..

parts list:

Kart Nm barrel, crowned and installed
Cylinder and slide fire control group
Bomar Bmcs rear sight- low mount installed
Novak fiber optic front sigt installed
Ball cuts
Beaver tail grip safety installed
flush cut Ed Brown MSH to frame
lower and flare ejection port
Hot blue
fit Ed Brown ejector
fit Ed Brown extractor
Ground and polished slide flats to 2000 grit
Remachined the cocking serations rear and added
cocking serrations to the front of the slide..
Installed Chip Mc Cormick ambi thumb safety
Shortened slide stop and countersunk frame
full dehorn
Custom CNC milled Palladin logo into slide
Ahrends grips

Last years,   I did most of it except the rear site and stippling
Fit beavertail
Lowered/flared EP
fitted trigger and internals
Started life as a Colt series 80 GM that was well used

I fitted a Wilson MSH today, thought I'd share.

This is the same pistol as in the first post. Wilson checkered MSH I've had for a while that was about 1/8" proud where it met the frame on the sides. Been meaning to blend it.

I'll be re-checkering it later.









Don't mind the sh!tty finish...it's Cold Blue.


-Jbot

MY HOMEBUILT 1911:

Here is my first effort on a ground up build.  It is a Caspian frame with a slick Bul/Kimber slide.

About 1500 rounds through it now.  It still runs 100%.  I am more excited about that than anything.  Jump in and build something.

Still "in the white" for now.  I have finally finished fitting the beavertail, sear, disconnector, hammer, ejector, extractor, magazine release, trigger, slide stop and thumb safety; all fit by hand with the proper tools (which in itself was expensive and TIME consuming). The barrel is one complicated fitting and too much for my limited skills (as it were).  I had a gunsmith do that for me.  It passed all function tests and ejected  live rounds and empty shells.  The only magazines it won't accept are the CMC 10 rounders and my one MecGar (because of that magwell).



Nope haven't fired it yet.  That will be this weekend.  After that, a complete disassembly and more polishing on the rounded areas.  I am doing this the reverse of what most blued guns are (the flats will be less shiny than the rounded areas).  Why?  Just to be different..

Comments are welcome (as long as they are nice ones).  




ETA:
Oh yeah, and that front sight?  That's going the way of Davey Jones' locker.  I don't like it.  I'll probably put a Novak tritium on it or just a plain front sight from Heirloom Precision so I can fit it.
Update:

New fitted front sight and new grips.  Getting better with the polishing and probably will be hot blued this summer!








Hot Blued !!

Here is mine.  One economy version, and one First Class.  The parked frame one is a  .45 built on a Doublestar frame, with a Colt slide and barrel.  The two-tone is a 9x23mm, (some times a 9x19, or a .38 Super).  It is built on a Caspian frame and likewise has a Colt slide and barrel.  Minor parts are a mix of Ed Brown, Wilson, USGI, and who knows?

Some of this stuff came off E-Bay.  I miss those days!  Some I bought back when Ronald Reagan was president.  I have certainly learned a lot putting these two together.

I upgraded this plain vanilla Springfield GI 5" .45 to make it actually shootable (IMHO a standard GI 1911 is too crude to shoot). Actually, I won the gun in a 3-gun match, and also most of the parts, so in all the whole gun only cost me maybe $200 in parts and services I still had to buy.

I installed a proper .250" beavertail grip safety to get the highest possible grip... I care more about getting the best handling than about the cosmetics of the beavertail fit, hence the typical springer gap just above the beavertail (although I have a TIG welder, I did not bother to try filling this gap). The trigger took a lot of time to get exactly the way I like, but now it matches the feel of my STI IPSC gun (2.5lbs and crisp like a glass rod breaking):

Originally Posted By grendelbane: Here is mine.  One economy version, and one First Class.  The parked frame one is a  .45 built on a Doublestar frame, with a Colt slide and barrel.  The two-tone is a 9x23mm, (some times a 9x19, or a .38 Super).  It is built on a Caspian frame and likewise has a Colt slide and barrel.  Minor parts are a mix of Ed Brown, Wilson, USGI, and who knows? Some of this stuff came off E-Bay.  I miss those days!  Some I bought back when Ronald Reagan was president.  I have certainly learned a lot putting these two together. i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm90/grendelbane6/45and9x23.jpg

They look sweeeet! are you using a ramped barrel on the 9?

No, it is a regular Colt barrel and slide.  They were one of those lucky E-Bay purchases I used to make from time to time.

With Winchester brass, a ramped barrel is not necessary.  With the Starline, I haven't pushed it quite as hot, but it will still do pretty good.  Factory Silvertips will do a little bit better than 1500 FPS.  One of my favorite handloads will push the Hornady 147 XTP over 1300 FPS.  Some have got it to 1400, but I am a little bit on the conservative side.

If John M. Browning had it to do all over again, this is the 9mm the entire world would be carrying.  Mauser came close, as did the 9mm Largo and Steyr.  I really do hate that semi-rim on the .38 Super.  Doesn't keep me from shooting it, of course.

Here's my Springfield with drop in parts.

My latest insanity.

Well, I started with a SA WW2 USGI 1911 for around $500.  It went pretty slowly, doing a new trigger, beveling the sharp edges, open the mag well.  Then I fit a S&A beavertail to it and did some reliability work, replaced the extractor (wilson combat), hammer and sear (Chip Mc) and fit a LB match bushing to the SA barrel.  Little did I know the feedramp on the barrel was not the right angle, I had a rather large gap between the feed ramps.  It pretty much stayed that way for a while until Josephs in CT reopened as JoJos!  I had them mill the front dovetail and went with Novak front NS and a YoBo Retro Rear wide notch.  Couple thumb safeties later (screwed one up, didn't like the second, settled on a Wilson Slim Tac single sided), STI Long Poly trigger, Kart EZ fit, fit tuned by JoJo's after they tightened frame and slide a tad for me, new Wilson Combat bushing fitted to it, lowered and flared ejection port a tad, Wilson Combat MSH to replace the ILS one.  Stippled the front strap. Black Oxided by JoJo's.  JoJo's custom Micarta grips. Now here she is!


10 yd target with Ultramax ammo!


Cost a total of around $2000, with the parts I screwed up, work JoJo's did, etc.  I used mostly hand tools, files, sandpaper, the beavertail fitting jig from S&A, and the Dremel for the lower and flaring the ejection port.  Pin punch and hammer for stippling.  JoJo's did the machine intensive stuff, like milling the dovetail, tighten frame and slide and lapping,  finishing, fitting thumb safety, etc.  

I will prob lower the ejection port, clean up some sharp edges and then have it black ceracoated.  I may do a Bobtail Conversion on it first!  I wanted to keep a simple, clean 1911 with things I wanted or needed (BT, sights, thumb safety larger, more reliable) but not go crazy with polishing the finish.  Basic black is fine for me!  I have been using this pistol in my NRA classes and the students like it because it makes them look like good shooters and boosts their confidence!

This is my home made jewel. I bought the slide off eBay before they banned that sort of stuff. The frame is an Essex that I checkered the front strap and fitted an Ed Brown Memory Groove Safety to. All of the internals are Ed Brown parts. The Magwell is from Evolution Gun Works and the grips are White Cocobolo from Fusion Firearms. The mags are Sig GSR’s with Wilson Combat followers and basepads…  

Here are 2 1911 builds I have done.

This one is a 80% KT frame I bought years ago. Never worked right as a .45. The slide release hole is off enough to cause a timing issue. But I tried a Kimber 22 upper on it and it works great. Good thing as I would have hated to toss the frame.
Integrals are left overs from other builds so nothing fancy but it works.







Next is my Caspian frame with a Colt slide. Barrel is a surplus one I bought new in wrap. Had planned on fitting  amatch barrel on it but this one shoots pretty good even though it is ugly.
Mix of internal parts in it and it has been evolving and I have swapped a few parts since it was first completed. Finish is alumahyde until I finalize everything and get a real finish on it.

Originally Posted By chuck1: Here are 2 1911 builds I have done. This one is a 80% KT frame I bought years ago. Never worked right as a .45. The slide release hole is off enough to cause a timing issue. But I tried a Kimber 22 upper on it and it works great. Good thing as I would have hated to toss the frame. Integrals are left overs from other builds so nothing fancy but it works. img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/chuck1/DSC02235.jpg Next is my Caspian frame with a Colt slide. Barrel is a surplus one I bought new in wrap. Had planned on fitting  amatch barrel on it but this one shoots pretty good even though it is ugly. Mix of internal parts in it and it has been evolving and I have swapped a few parts since it was first completed. Finish is alumahyde until I finalize everything and get a real finish on it.

Nice....
who did the front strap and mainspring housing treatment?

Originally Posted By hooks: Originally Posted By chuck1: Nice.... who did the front strap and mainspring housing treatment?

I did them myself. Played around with some round stock and tried a few different patterns to see what I liked.
I found that  the S&A mainspring housing/magwell guides were sold  smooth so that is what prompted me to five it a try over checkering, which I do very badly .  

height=8

Originally Posted By chuck1: height=8 Originally Posted By hooks: Originally Posted By chuck1: Nice.... who did the front strap and mainspring housing treatment? I did them myself. Played around with some round stock and tried a few different patterns to see what I liked. I found that  the S&A mainspring housing/magwell guides were sold  smooth so that is what prompted me to five it a try over checkering, which I do very badly How do you like the chain link stypling/checkering?

Originally Posted By fightinblu51: Originally Posted By chuck1: Originally Posted By hooks: Originally Posted By chuck1: Nice.... who did the front strap and mainspring housing treatment? I did them myself. Played around with some round stock and tried a few different patterns to see what I liked. I found that  the S&A mainspring housing/magwell guides were sold  smooth so that is what prompted me to five it a try over checkering, which I do very badly .   How do you like the chain link stypling/checkering?

I like it a lot. Definitely provides a lot of grip. The .22 came out even more aggressive and would probably be painful on a harder recoiling pistol.

Caspian High Cap Carbon Steel Frame with Stainless Slide

Kart 9mm NM barrel - Caspian sear, extractor, pins and some other small parts -  EGW ejector and FLGR, Wilson slide stop, Nowlin bushing and sear spring, STI rear sight and hammer, Hi Viz FO front sight, Ed Brown firing pin, 10 pound recoil spring, 19 round Caspian mags

Minimal tools used - maybe $4-500 worth - a few files, sear jig, some stones, bushing reamer, chamber reamer, barrel lug cutter, and a rotary tool - oh, and a $14 sand blasting gun from Harbor Freight.

Never cracked the cover on the Kuhnhausen or any other manual - I learned just about everything I know from the internet - I couldn't have done it without the internet, so I'd like to send out a big thanks to Al Gore for creating the internet. Thanks Al!

I think I have just under, or right around, a grand into it, including 6 mags.







This last pic is with a near twin of the above gun, but in single stack configuration - it's an aluminum Springfield frame with an identical Stainless Steel Caspian slide and pretty much all of the same parts, except the Springfield frame, BT safety, thumb safety, S&W MSH, Caspian trigger and Ergo grips.

Those look great!

HELLO. sorry to ask a stupid question, im new in this site and first timer in guns.  But what is that part called attached in front of the barrel??

Barrel Bushing...

I've always had a fascination with building a 1911, but more specifically a longslide 1911. I knew about the AMT Hardballer, but just didn't trust the lower frame assembly, so I luckily found (searched GB for almost a year) a like new condition AMT longslide 1911 stainless slide and barrel assembly and set out to mate it to a SA 1911 GI stainless lower. There was a fair amount of fitting involved, and I replaced the SA internals with upgraded parts including an adjustable target trigger, speed hammer, sear and disconnector. Had to blend the back of the slide and frame as they did not match, (see below pics) but it turned out nice in the end. Also had some custom grips made, a custom made mid-length solid guide rod, and a fitted bbl bushing.

It cost a bit more than I planned,  but is a very reliable and accurate informal target shooter that gets it's share of looks at the range. I think it turned out nice for my first build.






The slow blending of the back frame and slide (below) was the biggest challenge, but it turned out pretty nice.

Originally Posted By Viper1357: I've always had a fascination with building a 1911, but more specifically a longslide 1911. I knew about the AMT Hardballer, but just didn't trust the lower frame assembly, so I luckily found (searched GB for almost a year) a like new condition AMT longslide 1911 stainless slide and barrel assembly and set out to mate it to a SA 1911 GI stainless lower. There was a fair amount of fitting involved, and I replaced the SA internals with upgraded parts including an adjustable target trigger, speed hammer, sear and disconnector. Had to blend the back of the slide and frame as they did not match, (see below pics) but it turned out nice in the end. Also had some custom grips made, a custom made mid-length solid guide rod, and a fitted bbl bushing. It cost a bit more than I planned,  but is a very reliable and accurate informal target shooter that gets it's share of looks at the range. I think it turned out nice for my first build. img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/viper1357/Guns%20stuff/SA%20AMT%20LS%20Project/1amt_sa_ls140.jpg img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/viper1357/Guns%20stuff/SA%20AMT%20LS%20Project/2_saamt_wrkarea149.jpg The slow blending of the back frame and slide (below) was the biggest challenge, but it turned out pretty nice. img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/viper1357/Guns%20stuff/SA%20AMT%20LS%20Project/3_saamt_1frmsld142.jpg img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/viper1357/Guns%20stuff/SA%20AMT%20LS%20Project/4_saamt_2frmsld146.jpg img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/viper1357/Guns%20stuff/SA%20AMT%20LS%20Project/7b_saamt_cmplt164.jpg img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/viper1357/Guns%20stuff/SA%20AMT%20LS%20Project/7c_saamt_cmplt168.jpg img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/viper1357/Guns%20stuff/SA%20AMT%20LS%20Project/7e_saamt_cmplt173.jpg

Holy huge slide batman!!!     Nice looking pistol you have there.

They always cost more then planned but it's a great feeling being able to do the job yourself.

I started with an Essex Select receiver w/ rail, stainless Essex slide and a Sarco parts kit.
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1776/whiteoutfj7.jpg
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/9646/l493ac9a374482dee973dcdvl8.jpg
The only thing out of the Sarco kit still on the gun is the barrel and bushing.  There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with the Sarco stuff, I just went crazy ordering parts.
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7425/img7289cl8.jpg
Ended up duracoating it in Matte Black... very happy with the results.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/6676/l5eccbad5f10eaf2e050833zc8.jpg
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/9715/l42f1c45ca1e417fd97ef9dcl8.jpg
I've only put about 500 rounds through it and I initially had some feed issues, but that turned out to be one of my mags.  Been flawless since then.

I have enough parts left over that I can pick up a cheap frame and slide and put another one together.  That will probably happen this winter.

Originally Posted By MisterFubar: I started with an Essex Select receiver w/ rail, stainless Essex slide and a Sarco parts kit. img148.imageshack.us/img148/1776/whiteoutfj7.jpg img502.imageshack.us/img502/9646/l493ac9a374482dee973dcdvl8.jpg The only thing out of the Sarco kit still on the gun is the barrel and bushing.  There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with the Sarco stuff, I just went crazy ordering parts. img167.imageshack.us/img167/7425/img7289cl8.jpg Ended up duracoating it in Matte Black... very happy with the results. img221.imageshack.us/img221/6676/l5eccbad5f10eaf2e050833zc8.jpg img87.imageshack.us/img87/9715/l42f1c45ca1e417fd97ef9dcl8.jpg I've only put about 500 rounds through it and I initially had some feed issues, but that turned out to be one of my mags.  Been flawless since then. I have enough parts left over that I can pick up a cheap frame and slide and put another one together.  That will probably happen this winter.

I have been thinking of doing this for a while now and the kits you chose seem to fit more or less what I had in mind (I considered caspian but for a 1st build it might be too pricey.) How much did it cost you to build and did you have to buy any tools?

Originally Posted By MisterFubar: I started with an Essex Select receiver w/ rail, stainless Essex slide and a Sarco parts kit.

Very nice. What kind of light is that?

Not a complete build, but certainly a "home" project so I want to post it up here.  

Never let someone tell you "can't be done".



www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=49&t=64807

height=8

Originally Posted By Viper1357:

Hitman anyone?

Nice!

I want to ask you a tech question.
On the mainspring housing, I know
some are flat some arched, is this just
a preference or is there a tech reason for it?

I read an older post where someone stated that
for a period Kimber used a plastic housing & the
guy said & I agree they sucked. I would guess
they quit such a cheap, tacky pratice?

I'm glad they quit before I purchased one
Cause I dam sure don't want a plastic pistol
unless it's one of my Glocks.

Well, not a complete DIY project, but certainly my first 1911 project i i ever made one. I don;t have the pics of the pistol as it originally started out, but most know and recognize the old Argentine made Sistema M1927 pistols, Colt 1911A1 clones made under license in Argentina by the DGMP-FMAP (Directoria General Fabricas Militares - Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles) and were made using Colt designed machinery and under Colt technical supervision.

So anyways, the pistol was in excellent physical condition with about 80% bluind in it (probably reblued before i bought it) and the only thing wrong with it was a few light dings on it and  replacing two of the four grip bushings, which I did. The dropped in a WW2 Colt slide and  as many original USGI parts I could find, , the slide was a perfect match in terms of fit, which was very little, plus resplacing th ejector, springs and the recoil spring plug and then repark the entire pistol.

End result...







You can see the original hardening test done, which verifies that the slide is original WW2 manufacture; i bought the slide on GUnbroker; seems the original owner thought the black coating was superficial and proceded to use a Dremel to try and remove it, messing up the finish on the slide; he decided to put it on Gunbroker and I picked it up..

Not too bad for a put-together, "no-actual gunsmith-work-done -on-it" pistol; I love the way it came out and with the repro M3 holster I have, i use it on my WW2 reenactments and when I go to the range with her.

I like that big slide... maybe one day i'll give it a try... are the 5" ones hard to come by? I've seen them talked about but don't really see that many

Altogether I spent about 800, but that includes almost enough parts to build another one, and more than a few extras of a few parts when I was trying to decide what I liked.

If I count just what is on the gun I ended up with I'd put the cost at about 500.

I didn't buy any special tools for the project.  A good set of jewelers files, a bench block, and a good assortment of sand paper was about all I needed.  Don't let me discourage you from buying any of the special tools though, I'm sure I could have saved a lot of time had I bought some.

Some cheap Insight M3 knockoff I got on ebay.  I actually like it more than the real M3 I have.  

They are Done.

ARe they in .45?

yes they are.

Does re-finishing a home built count as a new home built?  If so, here is what mine looks like with Duracoat.  Welll, Duracoat on the slide, matte black, and duracoat on the frame, OD.  The mainspring  housing is a modern reproduction of the old lanyard equipped housings, in dark park.  The recoil spring plug is torch blued, the grip safety is nitre blued.  The safety lock was originally GI surplus, but some how I got it to turn dark gray, not really sure how that happened.  Green canvas micarta grips round out the fashion ensemble.

*placeholder til I host the pic*

This one I built for my wife so she'd leave mine alone.

1943 Remington Rand slide with old King's #102 hardball sights
Caspian Classic frame, United States Property marking in WWI location at my order
Storm Lake drop-in barrel and bushing set
USGI trigger, hammer, slide stop, thumb safety, grip safety, and mainspring housing
Pachmayr wraparound grips for a MEU-SOCish look
Wolff 16 pound recoil spring, USGI spring guide with Wilson Shok-Buff
Most pins, springs, and small parts either Wilson or Nighthawk from Brownells on my C&R.

Fitting was very easy and a lot of dumb luck involved. The slide went onto the frame with just a few strokes of 600-grit. Barrel and bushing went right into the slide, then I went ahead and installed the recoil spring assembly so I went ahead and then just cycled the slide about 500 times while watching TV.

I'd asked Caspian to do the ejector and plunger tube at the factory, but it didn't happen. Allen's Gun Shop over here on the west edge of Clarksville handled it for me. Chief Allen did both for twenty bucks since I had the parts. Well worth it for the extra classes on fitting and assembly I picked up in there.

Internals went together with one issue. I was using a Wilson safety as a placeholder, and the gun refused to go together or function with it. The WWII safety arrived from a friend, and it went together and cycled flawlessly. The WWII parts recognized the interloper. Anyone who says sixty year old forged steel doesn't have little demons living in it doesn't work on on enough old guns.

The test fire had multiple failures to feed. The feed ramp needed going over with 600-grit and an old wooden dowel from my buddy's dad's Camp Perry toolbox. The good news was it was insanely accurate when it actually worked. Whatever old shooter had filed that King's front sight was dead on for GI-spec ball at 25 yards. Nothing but 10's and X's.

200 rounds later, it still stovepipes ten percent of the time. I know I'm going to have to lower the ejection point just a tiny bit. It beats up the brass, too. I just don't want it to become a super-high round count pistol because I know the stainless steel barrel's locking lugs will eventually chew up the slide lugs.

*waits for pic*

I didn't build this from scratch - I rebuilt a Colt I'd had for years into something a little different.  It was inspired by the old USMC MEU(SOC) 1911.  The biggest thing I accomplished was fitting an Ed Brown match grade barrel.  It is very accurate.