So  I officially took a power tool to my GI. My one and only 1911. And first.  Just a dremil I polished the feed ramp.  Then today I stripped it all the way down. Also a first, had some problems putting it back,  but test shot it and its good.   I took it appart again to inspect and make sure everything looked ok.  It did
So what do I do now?

Is there anything with out fitting that's worth it?  
 
Sights are in the future soon after x mass.  But novaks doing that.  
I keep thinking about performing a bob tail on it. I am gonna carry it if it proves fit for the job.   Is a msh hard to blend in?  I run a mill and laith at work so I know about polishing.    
Let me know where to go from here.
Thanks

The natural progression at least for many of us is to buy another one!

Bubba, is that you?

Ya. I want a bobtail comander or a real cco  in a bad way lol.   But saving up the cheddar is the hard part.    

I have never priced them but how much is a custom from a reputable Smith like novak or miller and so forth.   I know that's a endless number but where would it start.  Looking at like 1500 or 2?  


Is there any good links to how to disable the lock on a sa msh?    


Ps.
Is that your Forest?    
(couldn't resist).

Get yourself a Dan Wesson CBOB commander length bobtail and don't look back.   They can be had for $850-950 with night sights.

I'm ready to get one myself, but this EBR disease is in full effect for at least another 2-3 months.

Be very very careful using a dremel tool to polish the feed ramp. Some have accidentally polished it until there was not a gap between the feed ramp and barrel throat, thinking this would help feed hollowppints. What they actually did was destroy the frame.
It is much better to polish it by hand using a dowel and a very very fine abrasive. you want to only polish, not remove metal.
You may also want to polish the breech area, and tension the extractor properly. That alone will solve a lot of problems.

Jim

:rofl:

Thanks for the tip I did only polish it, taking only a small amount of metal off. Should have used a dowel never thought of it i as for the gap or step its still in there might be a little bit smaller but its there.  And it fed fine thru 50 rounds of ball ammo. Have not tried jhp s yet.  Keep my fingers crossed though.    



Ok what's up with the buba thing. My name is bill robbert da.   Lol.  
Oh and I did just move to wv.

Just some good-natured ribbing

but it is rooted in some concern. Easily 50% of the 1911 mythology about bad reliability comes from owners "fixing" what ain't broke, causing them to have problems. I just read a few of your other posts and noted your eagerness to get your hands dirty before doing some research may lead you to some costly 1911 misadventures. Granted, you are looking for some non-fitted mods now, which is much more sensible (although you should beware how many "drop-in" mods require fitting)

ETA: I just saw the WV bit

I push this every time this subject comes up but replacing your trigger will make it feel like a different gun.

The trigger that SA puts on the GI is the biggest piece of improperly fitted shit I have ever seen.

Try moving your trigger up, down, back and forth and feel that slop.

Replacing the trigger with one that actually fits and has an over travel stop will make it feel like its lbs lighter and much cleaner when it breaks.

I'm not talking about the mechanism behind it, just the trigger itself which includes the metal bow that goes back into the grip.

Its like night and day. IMHO there is nothing else you can do with $20.00 and 20 minutes that will make this big of an improvement in the way your gun shoots.

Ok so ya, your right I'm bubba. Lol.  Sad part is I really did move to wv.   Lol no, wait, not funny. Oh ok lmao.  
I did have some ftf's so I polished the feed ramp.   Sometimes the case gets stuck on the slide causing a jam.    I counted out magazine issues.  Well maybe on the ftf.  But I tried to mark them and it was not any specific one.  I mixture of some novaks mags and Wilson combat.  
I guess the old saying is right. If it isn't broke don't fix it.  There really isn't any other problems. Maybe the trigger but I might as well leave that to the pro's.  Or maybe after I get some more experience.

Any tips on the extractor?  Any other solution to the fte's ?    


Thanks for the advice.  I'm a noob to all of this and I'm sure I will give many other chances for someone to poke fun a little bit.  No big one I would do the same if I knew anything. Lol.

My next progression is to build my own.  I have a Foster frame and Caspian slide coming my way in 6-8 weeks.  They are out of slides so the long wait.  I calc'd the cost and for a little bit more I could have gotten a Wilson.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm making the right decision.  I'm going to get everything I want and the way it looks assuming I can put it together.

My one and only 1911 is a Loaded Black Stainless Target model.  Accuracy is decent but not great.  Was thinking of fitting a Kart barrel to that one.  

I really like the 1911 platform but it gets expensive to get to the next level.

The extractor is one of the easier "home gunsmithing" projects you can do. I buy Wilson Combat Bulletproof extractors for the 1911s I carry (that don't have one installed already), and I have had good luck getting them to run right off. They come with instructions and the only tool you might need is a file.

I  will try that extractor.  I have been eye balling it in brownells for a while now.  Hopefully this will stop it from throwing brass at my face also.    

I bought this gun from family for 250 bucks so a little goes a long way.  If I can put 4 in it and have what I want it would be sweet.  And if I f*** it up well its a learning experience.    Hopefully I won't

My question this time is why does there have to be a gap between the feed ramp and barrell throat?
I was so close to blending them in smooth.  But that would have took a lot of dremiling.  The gap or step is probably only .035 of a inch now before it might have been twice that.  But its still there. I need to try more ammo I'm scared I messed it up.  It works for cheap white box though.  

If you smooth that out  wouldn't it be more like a ramped barrell?
They don't have a gap.  

You very well may have messed up your frame. Hopefully not, but either posting definitive measurements or trying it out at the range will be the only way to know for sure. You may have also altered the angle of the feed ramp, which is bad ju-ju as well.

Thanks for the help I scaled it and its 1/32 maybe a little longer. I did make sure I stuck with the angle I figured it was all about that. to steep or not steep enough.   How much gap is there to start?  Hell it was only with a felt wheel and low grit compound.  I was really only trying to get the machine marks out.  Glad I didn't try emery.  I was gonna hit it with some 600 grit damn I would have f***** it up then.  
Can you pollish the lip on the barrell also. I was to afraid to hit the rifling to get it with a dremil. I did polish it a little by hand but it is nothing like the feed ramp.
Will that hurt? The feed ramp is like mirror and the lip is well not that good. Will that cause hang ups?

And I still have no clue how a ramped barrel would work. Is it A different angle.  Damn I'm full of questions. Sorry.   I need to get some books.  Jmb head would be spinning. Lol.    
I'm still young enough I should be able to get this down pat before I die.      Maybe lol.  I wish I started out with a 1911 instead of a glock. Damn the 90s.

Oh ya and what I said before. My name isn't billly bob just making a joke at us who live in wv.

In my case the progression so far has been:

1.  Buy a Springfield GI because I used 1911A1s in the Army and after researching the GI style 1911s, I liked the Springfield best

2.  Buy and read the military manual and Kuhnhausen shop manuals, along with some other references.  Sign up on www.1911forum.com, read the FAQ and Links in the 1911 forum here.

3.  Replaced the mainspring housing, trigger, thumb safety and mag release with checkered USGI or USGI units.  Replaced the MIM internals with tool steel ones, which also resulted in a much nicer trigger pull.  Made sure all of this was done.

4.  Shoot shoot shoot.

Now I'm thinking about a more modern full-size 1911 carry gun



I've been looking at building, as well.  I've accumulated a lot of 1911 tools  I might as well get my money's worth out of them.

Although a noobie here, I can tell you that you should invest in Jerry Kuhnhausen's book The Colt .45 Automatic-A shop Manual. Most of the concerns and questions you post are answered in that book. I've just finished reading it and will be purchasing my first 1911 in two weeks when my dealer returns from Afghanistan. I can't wait to get it, strip it, spec everything, and see what can be improved, if anything. Good luck!

Ya that's what I have ordered. Part 1 and 2.  I'm glad to hear it has my answers.   I have had my. GI for about 6 months. I was tired of the few problems I was having and wanted to try to fix them. First I asked here what books to get.  Mr. Miller from miller customs told me the the same books as you. Looking at the quality work he puts out. I ordered them a few days ago.   I couldn't wait for the books to come so as you read I attacked it with little knowledge in the matter.    

I wish I I would have had those books 6 months ago.  

You did it in the right order.

It sounds like no 1911 owner should be without.  

Now it probably won't get it to Monday now.    
 
I guess to then I have the hive for support.

I thankyou all for helping out but I done till I get the books. Besides shooting some hallow points thru her and making sure I didn't f*** it up

The gap is there to help the round load into the chamber. I don't really understand it, but the timing on a 1911 is complicated to understand. The round doesn't just slide into the chamber. It goes through a few different angle changes. I believe the step helps it go from a nose-up angle to flatter.
Here is a page with a pic of what to avoid. There is a link to what to look for.
Here is a link to a technical page on the 1911.org forum. That is THE place to go for info on the 1911 pistol.

Jim

Good advice. I have both of the 1911 books and I don't do any real work on any of my 1911s but I still feel I need to know the how, why and wherefores of 1911 work if for nothing else than to keep Bob Miller honest.

(Before anyone loses it, the remark about Bob Miller is NOTHING but humor.)

The nose of the round actually bounces off the feed ramp.  It does not slide up it.  Dannys frame (link), will slide the rounds up and they will stick on the lower edge of the barrel.  

Tuning extractors takes a little skill too.  Not too much, not too little tension.  Shape the hook, clearance the hook as to not hit the edge of the rim etc.


You sould be able to build your own for 1/3 the cost of a Wilson.  That is while still using A+ top shelf parts.  Mine came out under $1000 with every high dollar part I could through at it (Schuemann ramp barrel, EE hammer/sear/diconnect etc).