A gunsmith I knew built this and years ago gave it to a family member who has given it now to me.

I have no idea what it is. I don’t know the first things about 1911s other than it’s single stack and a year.



It’s currently a 38 Super and I’d like to buy a 9mm barrel for it. I don’t know if I need ramped or not, or if I can get any barrel that will entirely drop in. Can I get one threaded?

I hate the grips more than anything. Magpul makes a 1911 grip, would those fit on here?

It seems to function nice the sights could use an upgrade, they’re Novak now, so any 1911 Novak style should fit?

IDK. Anything I need to know about this thing other than the above? I don’t have a 1911 takedown tool yet and haven’t been able to turn the barrel nut thing enough to get it apart so maybe there are surprises waiting for me, no idea.

Any help would be appreciated!!

Looks nice!

Yes, Magpul stocks will fit, though most would consider that a downgrade.  Functionally, Magpuls are great, but cosmetically, you kind of have to like the minimalist approach.

A 9mm barrel can be fitted, (a gambling man would say that there is a chance it would drop in).  The extractor shouldn't be a problem, but might require tweaking, (mine didn't).

The ejector will be shorter than that of a 9mm, for range use this shouldn't be a problem.  I have fired many 9mm rounds through a couple of converted .38 Supers with no ejector related problems, but I still prefer .38 Super or 9x23mm Winchester for any serious use.

Magazines are different, but if you are just going to shoot cheap 9mm FMJ the .38 Super magazines will probably work fine.  Proper 9mm magazines have a spacer to account for the shorter cartridge.

As far as recoil springs go, you can probably get by with what you have for both cartridges, but springs are easily changed, so no problem there.

You can buy a bbl already threaded which is the easiest thing to do. Bar-Sto makes a bunch of them & they're top quality. Other options are Kart, Wilson, Ed Brown & Nowlin, among others. Some may or may not make threaded barrels, you'll just have to hit their web sites & see what's what, IMO.

Once a slide is cut for a Novak fit, then all Novak's should indeed swap in.

For your bushing wrench, allow me to suggest a plastic one over a metal one. Plastic won't scratch nor mar the finish.

I doubt you're going to see any sort of "real" surprises once you get it apart, IMO. It looks to be a decently made gun without a lot of garbage added on. Personally, I would leave it in .38Super caliber & shoot the thing. I bought a Colt LW Commander in .38Super that I use in my carry rotation. I've been enamored of this caliber since I was a kid reading stories in Guns & Ammo. Besides, who wants to be lumped in with everyone else?  

Your Springfield frame has a "NM" prefix, which means it's an Imbel frame, made in Brazil. My very first 1911 also had this & I still have it. Damn good gun, if I do say so myself.

Classic two tone Springer that's seen a few miles.  .38 Super is a very fun and capable cartridge.  If you reload, it can be loaded from mild to wild.  You can go from mild 9mm power all the way up to .357 Magnum power.  Factory JHPs can be had with velocities up around 1350fps.

Here are the three major types of barrels.  Whichever one matches the barrel that's in the pistol now is what you'll want for a 9mm barrel.




My personal preferences:
I'd replace the grip screw bushings and screws with Challis bushings, screws, and O-rings
I'd replace the ambi safety with EGW
I'd replace the grips with VZ grips
I'd replace the recoil spring with a 12lb or 14lb Wolff
I'd replace the mainspring (hammer spring) with a 23lb Wolff

Grips and springs are drop in but very little else is.  A new thumb safety will have to be fit by someone who knows his way around 1911s.  A 9mm barrel should be fit by a pro or very advanced hobbyist.

Get a 10-8 armorers tool.  It'll be of great help with assembly/disassembly.

Watch a few You Tube videos on how to disassemble/assemble a 1911.

Well that’s all a lot better year than “lol, what a turd”. Buy a Wilson you poor!

These grips are very wide, that’s why I don’t like them. I’ll start researching grips.

I had a buddy with a 1911 9mm that racked like the spring wasn’t even there I’ll have to look in to what issues that would cause or what spring pressure I want to feel.

The ejector, consider this I’d want to set up for not just range use. I can just buy a 9mm extractor and get it in there? Any 9mm extractor?

Aren’t there “series” of 1911s like “80’series”? Seeing the frame I have, what factory gun would this most be like? Obviously some Springfield, but is this “government” style? Or etc?

I’ll get 9mm mags. I was told once to only ever buy Wilson mags, but that was years ago. Are the D&H 9mm that BCM sells any good? Any “look, just buy this”’advice is welcome

I’m not sure what else to ask yet. What are the top couple things people fuck up on 1911s?

The frame is Imbel, but if it’s marked NM the finish work was done in the USA by Springfield. Forged steel and quality. It has the older squared off front strap which some find less desirable. It’s a early SN#

Anything on the barrel hood?

OP, I will trade you Magpul grips in every color for those.

It's a mid to late 1980s Springfield frame that was prior to Imbel become supplier for Springfield. I believe Imbel start making 1911 parts for Springfield in 90s. Slide appears to be unique to Les Baer judging by the fine slide serrations.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1005704454

The front strap looks fatter because Op's grips are narrower in width. With a proper sized grip, it will look like this one (close in SN# range) that I used to own.

Ha, I might go for that once I can figure out what they are. You have any idea?

Barrel hood says NOWLIN something which makes enough sense that it’s their barrel. So I SUSPECT that a NOWLIN prefit 9mm should drop right in. Unfortunately they don’t make a threaded it seems. Though... in that case would I just buy a 6” and have it threaded?

The hammer is probably NOWLIN too. Looks like one of theirs.

Side question, would another slide release drop in?

Stag, and they aren’t cheap.

ETA: I’d recommend Ergo grips, but that’s just me.

School me on bushings and Orings quick, I saw VZ grip screws and then your link. I get what an oring does here, but what about the bushings? How would different ones help? How would I know if there is anything wrong with mine?

What is the difference in the saftey you linked?

I’ll definitely be trying a 12 and 14 lbs recoil spring probably among everything else you linked.

Keep it just the way it is.  It's  a beautiful gun.

Only Colt has a 70 and 80 series of 1911s. The 80 series has a firing pin block in the slide, the frame is the same. Springfield went with a mainspring lock to make their 1911s politically correct. I'd say yours was built long before all that came about.

Generally speaking, all 5" 1911 models are considered to be a "Govt" model. Some mfgrs add marketing words like "Combat Govt" or some such but by & large they're all simply 5" models.

As for "fuck-ups" by owners, they're all over the place. Mis-fitting barrels and/or safeties, buggering up sights, botched trigger jobs, you name it & it's been done quite a bit. A 1911 is a bit like a Swiss watch, it needs its parts to fit correctly in order to operate correctly. I can (and do) detail strip my 1911s down to the bare frame once every 3-4 years for deep cleaning. It's not difficult if you take your time & pay attention. Having said that, *I* would never attempt to fit a barrel or safety to one as *I* don't know WTF I'm doing with that aspect. Some things are best left to the pros, IMO.

Be sure to visit Wolff Gunsprings & check out your spring options. A new recoil spring is only around $10 or so, cheap insurance against frame battering.

Also keep in mind the .38Super firing pin IS different than the .45acp firing pin, in case you're wanting to swap some things out.

Don't be afraid of the oil when lubing before you shoot. A great deal of 1911 issues can be resolved with simple proper lubrication.

Chip McCormick mags are good to go in all things 1911. They make all the major calibers as well.

Thickness of the grips will vary, which means one set of bushings may or may not work with the next set of grips. Your bushings may need to be shorter, or taller, in order to match the grip thickness. Bushings are best removed with a dedicated bushing tool. They're often lok-tited & a regular screwdriver can (and WILL) strip them out. As long as you don't move to slim grips or oversized ones, your bushings should be good to go, IMO.

Grip screws can often dress up a gun as well as the new grips. Using a contrasting color (stainless, for example) makes them stand out. Some people prefer the low profile look. There's also allen & torx head screws to further give one options.

Remember I wrote that my list was personal preference.

I particularly like Challis bushings, screws, and O-rings for use with  grips made from G10 or other non-compressible material.  The bushings are manufactured with grooves that hold the O-rings in place.  The parts all work together to hold the grips very snugly and prevent them from shifting around and scratching the frame.  I doubt very much there's anything "wrong" with yours.  As long as the grip material is compressible (wood) you'll be fine with what you have.

Again, personal preference.  I don't like ambi-safeties and the EGW has lots of extra meat so I can carve it into any shape I want to suit my grip style.  EGW parts are top-of-the-line.

A selection of recoil springs will allow you to experiment with different loads to determine which spring weight works best for you.  If you do put a 9mm barrel in the pistol I strongly suggest you get 10lb recoil spring as well.  You may also want to pick up a selection of mainsprings (hammer springs) as well.  I suggest 23, 20, 18, and 16lbs.  9mm generates so little recoil that you may need the lightest spring combination to get it to run.

Good suggestions from others who have posted.

Allow me to amplify their posts.  Do not expect any part to simply drop into a 1911 and work optimally.  1911s love oil.  This is not a Glock.  You can chuck a 1911 into a vat of oil for a week, take it out, let it drip for a while, then shoot it.  You'll know it has too much oil when you get splashed in the face every time you pull the trigger.  Okay, a little over the top but you get the idea.

Do not ever allow the slide to drop onto an empty chamber.  It accelerates wear & tear, is poor 1911 etiquette, marks you as a novice, and is just plain bad ju ju.

There are several ways to disassemble your 1911.  One way is to push and hold the slide backwards 1/4" then twist the barrel bushing to release the recoil spring and recoil spring plug.  The spring and plug will fly out of the pistol at warp speed so you must prevent this.

If mine don't mist my glasses, then something is wrong. I've seen too many gun matches where the shooter is doing a tap-rap-bang drill over & over for lack of lube.




Nah, let 'em fly! How else will he learn about this????  

I vote for the same too. This gun appears to have been built nicely with some classic configuration - original Swenson thumb safety, old style Wilson Combat grip safety and stag grips. A excellent set of real stag grips can bring very good money $100-200.

The hole on the magazine release is to attach extended button. Magazine release can be replaced with any standard one. Most likely a drop in, but sometimes you run into one that will require minor filing to ensure magazine insert and drop functioning as intended.

Judging by your description, the gunsmith fitted a match barrel bushing which fit tightly to the slide. You will need a barrel bushing wrench to turn it. As you mentioned the the barrel is made by Nowlin. So this is looking more and more like a nice full custom built.

I suggest change nothing mechanically and shoot it for a while before you decide what to do.

In terms of grips, it's personal preference. If stag grips is not your style, sell it and replace with what you like. Just don't sell it cheaply as mentioned a nice set of stag is expensive.

Have you shot it yet ? If it works, leave it as is and get a ready built 9mm 1911.
If you do anything other than change grips, you'll turn what's probably a functional 1911 into a paperweight and pay money for the priviledge.
You have a Clark safety, a Nowlin barrel, hopefully fitted to the bushing, slide lugs and slide stope pin, a Swenson safety that'll be fitted to the sear, ( and a commander style hammer that's fitted to that sear). The recoil springs will be set up for 38 super. You might get lucky, drop in a 9 barrel and recoil spring and it's all fine. Or you could mightily fuck it up and spiral down the money/time pit of changing out parts hoping to find the combo that works. Which is all fine if you just want something to timker with, but not if you want something to shoot.

The "barrel nut" turns 2 ways- push in the plug so you can turn the bushing 90 degrees counter clockwise to release the plug and spring, then take off the entire slide, then turn the bushing clockwise until it stops and you can pull it out of the front of the slide followed by the barrel. If the bushing is too tight to turn it might be because it's fitted tightly to the slide, or tightly to the barrel or both.- you can try pushing the slide back 3/4" or so, that will loosen it relative to the barrel and it might turn then. If it still doesn't, then you need a nylon or poly wrench to release it from the slide.

Let me expand on this a little.

If the pistol has a barrel bushing that is a tight fit to the barrel, don't wrench on it unless the muzzle is forward of the bushing about 1/2".  Otherwise the nice tight fit will be compromised.

Another way to disassemble the pistol is to push and hold the slide back to where the slide stop aligns with the little half circle shaped disassembly notch in the slide then remove the slide stop.  Allow the slide to come forward slowly making sure your hand is under the slide to prevent the recoil spring from jumping out and flying around the room.  Once the slide is off the frame you can pull the recoil spring and plug out then push the barrel forward so you can remove the barrel bushing.  You Tube is your friend.

Here's a LINK to a post that addresses grip screw bushings that you might find to be of some help.

This.  That's a nice looking build with quality parts, some of which are now very difficult to find now.

I'd add some era correct checkered wood grips and leave it.  Just seems like a shame to tear it down and throw random parts at it like others have suggested.

Stag grips are worth $100 +

Here's a video about lubricating rifles and handguns that may be of interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9bOT_d60LM&feature=emb_logo

Well, the barrel and ejector to 9mm, and spring I'd of course be keeping the 38SuperDuper parts. I'm not going to tear the gun apart in any serious way.

It's good to know the grips will sell. While they look good, they just aren't for me. Bushing are going to be a pain though.

@mlin

You wouldn't happen to know who's mag release this is do you? If I wanted to find an extended button, I assume I would want to know what brand made this one.

It's hard to tell. Not sure what thread size is on yours. Many companies made them. The style is out of favor decades ago.

You can still find some by King's, Wilson, Ed Brown. But kind of expensive to get the whole unit when you can get a regular one for $15 and less.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1935400
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1485452281
https://shopwilsoncombat.com/Magazine-Release-Extended-Blue/productinfo/31B/

I have one of those like King's, but checkered. I removed it and leave it as is on my MC Operator. Let me get back to you with photos later today or tomorrow. If you want to try it on yours and you can just pay me for the postage later.