Posted: 3/31/2017 3:32:32 PM EDT
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Finally burned out on building AR's, looking for a new addiction.
Where do I start? |
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The brownells series of articles on building will give you an idea of what's involved.
http://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&pw=55963&ctc=j0yjv3ngz000zk8a00y51&mi=10077&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brownells.com%2F.aspx/lid=12537/guntechdetail/Building_A_1911___Part_I Several youtube cideos as well ive built two now, one a 9mm commander for my wife and a government 45 for myself. I probably have almost as much money in files, jigs, reamers and stones as I do in either of the guns. I have another frame in the safe I am looking to build into a 6" 10mm. My my first two builds. I'm going to redo the parkerizing on the government Attached File Attached File |
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You start by buying a good book like the kuhnhausen shop manual and read it cover to cover twice before buying a part or picking up a tool. Forget you tube as there is a 50/50 split of skilled people and butchers posting videos.
Recognize that 1911's take a lot of fitting to get right and you WILL make mistakes and scrap parts. Some like the build experience and if that is you god bless. But keep in mind to get a decent final product you will very likely spend more money than you would buying a new mid range Springfield or Colt and end up with a gun half as valuable. |
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Quoted:
You start by buying a good book like the kuhnhausen shop manual and read it cover to cover twice before buying a part or picking up a tool. Forget you tube as there is a 50/50 split of skilled people and butchers posting videos. Recognize that 1911's take a lot of fitting to get right and you WILL make mistakes and scrap parts. Some like the build experience and if that is you god bless. But keep in mind to get a decent final product you will very likely spend more money than you would buying a new mid range Springfield or Colt and end up with a gun half as valuable. The best eat piece of advice I can give is that if you are getting frustrated put down the file and walk away. It took a lot of hours to build my first as I was learning and very very cautious. My second took about half the time. My first build has some places where fitting could have been better, mostly around the grip safety) but I rushed it because I got frustrated. Speaking of grip safeties, order your frame from caspian with the radius you desire, I ordered my first two caspian frames from brownells with the .250 radius and they weren't and it took a lot of work to get there. I have a frame I bought from caspian direct with the radius and test fitting a Wilson grip safety it looks like a little minor polishing of a couple spots and I will have a tight fit safety. Oh and don't buy an STI grip safety if you aren't familiar with the dimensions of the safety's arm. On the STI I had file in every angle and dimension. The Ed Brown I used on the second build only required me to file the notch to provide clearance to the trigger bar. As as far as value goes, I have no intention of selling something I put this much effort into but if I did I could sell the frame slide and barrel alone for the price of any mid range gunmaybe more since they fit tightly. I've let friends who are huge fans of 1911s shot my two builds and they have all been impressed with the fit (for the most part) and all of them grin when they pull either trigger for the first time. |
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Thanks for the advice guys!
I know I can buy a mid range 1911 for less money than I will spend on this build. I have 3 Kimbers and a Colt already. I'm doing this for the experience and the challenge. I've built somewhere in the ballpark of 70-80 AR15's in the past 20 years, with maybe 20 of those being what you would consider budget builds for people who just wanted a fun plinker. I don't have a budget or a max $$ amount for this build and no time table either. I just want to build a quality piece that I'll be proud of when its done. I need to pick up a few files but for the most I have smithing tools, drill press, sanding machine, grinders, polishing tools, vices etc. I'm kind of leaning in the direction of a Commander style build, but already have a Colt and 2 of my Kimbers are 4" guns, so maybe a 3", not sure yet. I'm set on stainless so a 3" might be better. Also need to decide if I want another .45 or possibly a 9mm or .40... Any thoughts? |
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Quoted:
Thanks for the advice guys! I know I can buy a mid range 1911 for less money than I will spend on this build. I have 3 Kimbers and a Colt already. I'm doing this for the experience and the challenge. I've built somewhere in the ballpark of 70-80 AR15's in the past 20 years, with maybe 20 of those being what you would consider budget builds for people who just wanted a fun plinker. I don't have a budget or a max $ amount for this build and no time table either. I just want to build a quality piece that I'll be proud of when its done. I need to pick up a few files but for the most I have smithing tools, drill press, sanding machine, grinders, polishing tools, vices etc. I'm kind of leaning in the direction of a Commander style build, but already have a Colt and 2 of my Kimbers are 4" guns, so maybe a 3", not sure yet. I'm set on stainless so a 3" might be better. Also need to decide if I want another .45 or possibly a 9mm or .40... Any thoughts? |
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I built the 9mm commander for my wife and it is so fun and easy to shoot I will be building myself one. Thinking of maybe getting an officer Frame and slide after that but first the next build is a 6" 10mm |
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I built this a couple months ago. I used a Sarco parts kit and a Stealth Arms 80% frame and jig. It didn't take real long I had it together and functioning the first night I opened the box. After it was together I did spend some time tweaking the sear spring trying to figure out what weight I wanted the trigger pull to be but that was just me being picky. The trigger pull weight when I put it together was about 5.5lbs and I played around with trigger pull weights from 2.5lbs to 6.5lbs finally settling on just under 4lbs.
To get it together and working most every part required some minor fitting but not a lot of fitting. 
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Quoted:
I built this a couple months ago. I used a Sarco parts kit and a Stealth Arms 80% frame and jig. It didn't take real long I had it together and functioning the first night I opened the box. After it was together I did spend some time tweaking the sear spring trying to figure out what weight I wanted the trigger pull to be but that was just me being picky. The trigger pull weight when I put it together was about 5.5lbs and I played around with trigger pull weights from 2.5lbs to 6.5lbs finally settling on just under 4lbs. To get it together and working most every part required some minor fitting but not a lot of fitting. https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16507997_1828880427373300_6145646659673682900_n.jpg?oh=6462674c8e29753cf77d76d1fab41950&oe=599AD7AE Ive toyed with the thought of doing an 80% build but I'd have to build a few to see any savings after buying the jigs . Especially when I can buy fosters special Caspian frames for only a few more dollars. |
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Quoted:
Ive toyed with the thought of doing an 80% build but I'd have to build a few to see any savings after buying the jigs . Especially when I can buy fosters special Caspian frames for only a few more dollars. |
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I'm sitting in the garage polishing and ren waxing my slide now Attached File |