I recently picked up one of the Springfield Armory Mil-Spec 1911 pistols. This inexpensive model already has a beveled mag well, a relieved ejection port, and three-dot sights - so it makes a great base for the "Home Gunsmith." Springfield also sells a "loaded" model that has a lot of neat features as standard, but there's nothing like doing it yourself.
I added:
Smith & Alexander Palmswell Grip Safety (Brownell's #849-009-027)
Cylinder & Slide Tactical Match Trigger Pull Set (Brownell's #206-103-050)
Lew Horton Cocobolo grips (from eBay)
Brownell's 3-hole V Series (Videki) trigger (Brownell's #377-000-002)
Ed Brown allen head grip screws (Brownell's #087-011-004)
The grip safety installation required cutting the frame. This was easily accomplished using
Smith & Alexander's installation jig (Brownell's #849-009-000). All you need to do is strip the frame completely, install the jig (bolt it through the existing grip safety holes) and cut (grind/file/sand/polish) your frame until it matches the radius (.220") of the jig. I urge you to take your time during this step.
The trigger pull set (hammer, sear, & disconnector) was a drop-in installation;
Cylinder & Slide really makes an outstanding product. The trigger itself was a different story. It is sold oversized to allow the installer to custom fit it to his pistol. All this requires is patience, a file, and some 600 grit sandpaper to smooth it up. I also used a Brownell's Trigger Track Stone (#080-721-230) to clean up the tracks where the the trigger bow travels.
Another goal was to remove the stupid Springfield
Integrated Locking System (ILS), which requires a key to be inserted into the mainspring housing to enable the pistol. I used the following parts to accomplish this:
Ed Brown blued arched mainspring housing (Brownell's #087-000-025)
Wilson Combat mainspring cap (Brownell's #965-011-161)
Wilson Combat mainspring cap pin (Brownell's #965-011-165)
Wilson Combat mainspring pin retainer (Brownell's #965-011-163)
Colt mainspring housing pin (Brownell's #160-116-133)
The
Cylinder & Slide trigger pull kit included a new sear spring and hammer spring, which are also necessary to complete the
ILS elimination.
I prefer the feel of an arched mainspring housing, but if you would rather have a flat housing, you can use the Ed Brown (or another brand) flat mainspring housing (Brownell's #087-816-120) in its place.
I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out - so far. I'm still considering a set of night sights, and perhaps a slightly longer thumb safety.