how hard is it to build a 1911 from a bare frame?

[93-2.3]

been thinking about building one but wanna know if its worth my time want ported barrel with comp light trigger all kinds of stuff

[CHEMICAL]

Originally Posted by 93-2.3

been thinking about building one but wanna know if its worth my time want ported barrel with comp light trigger all kinds of stuff

man, go on youtube and type in "1911 build" or "building a 1911"...looks kind of complicated to me. i dont know what your skill level is, but it seems that alot of fit n finish is needed.

[knight0334]

So long as you get the following pre-fit, building a 1911 is a cakewalk.

1. frame to slide (rails)
2. barrel to slide (hood and locking lugs to slide)
3. plunger tube placed

Minor hand fitting of the grip safety, the thumb safety and sometimes the slide catch can be done with a round and/or a flat file. The rest of the gun goes together like a tinkertoy.

[Steeltown]

I have always been fascinated with the 1911 and how the design has evolved over time. I bought a DVD that shows how to disassemble/reassemble the entire gun just because I like to know what parts do what. I think the ideal thing would be to find a cheap non-working 1911 that you can tear down and reassemble to give you an idea of what your getting into. I think the key thing (besides cost) is time and patience, one thing for sure is there are a wide variety of 1911 parts available. Good luck.

[93-2.3]

so maybe i should find a cheap messed up one to base a build off of if i want to build? atleast maybe frame and slide will match up.. i already have a federal ordenance 1911 the got match trigger, an extended mag releash, houge grips and a barrel bushing compensator on it it shoots well so i dont want to tear it all down to start over again but would rather start fresh if i do and go all out

[Steeltown]

Originally Posted by 93-2.3

so maybe i should find a cheap messed up one to base a build off of if i want to build? atleast maybe frame and slide will match up.. i already have a federal ordenance 1911 the got match trigger, an extended mag releash, houge grips and a barrel bushing compensator on it it shoots well so i dont want to tear it all down to start over again but would rather start fresh if i do and go all out

I agree, if you are going to build a 1911 you would want to do it with quality new parts, I just thought having a cheap non running 1911 would be nice to practice assembling before you try it for the first time.

[RobW]

Originally Posted by 93-2.3

so maybe i should find a cheap messed up one to base a build off of if i want to build? atleast maybe frame and slide will match up.. i already have a federal ordenance 1911 the got match trigger, an extended mag releash, houge grips and a barrel bushing compensator on it it shoots well so i dont want to tear it all down to start over again but would rather start fresh if i do and go all out

Here's my thing about "amateur" gunsmithing. For mundane stuff (change sights, grips, whatever) I am a DIY type of guy. Where accuracy is not particularly important (working on a Glock or M&P for IDPA, for instance) same deal, I'll do it myself. Building a custom 1911 I put in the "pro" category. If you just want to build a shooter without any particular needs, buy the cheapest base model you can find from Springfield or whatever and change out the crap MIM parts with top shelf drop-in parts. The caveat, you may screw up when final fitting. You can work up a pretty cool 1911 with drop in parts, but it will not be a custom gun by any stretch. That level of fit and finish takes time, experience, and the "bitchin set of tools" that go along with it.

My .02
--RobW

[93-2.3]

honest if i do complete build id do the fitting i feel confident in and probabally end up sending the rest to a smith possibly based off of what they recomend for parts