New to the site, I have a question.

[Bama1911Shooter]

I inherited a good but not perfect shooting m1911a1 from my uncle its a blast to shoot but it clips the brass on ejection, and while it is pretty accurate, with a 3.5 to 4" group at 25 yards with no bags or braces from a bench hold. I even bullseyed 5 times and shot in the 10 ring 35 times out of 50 rounds, all of which was done with heavy correction on my part; as on bullseye, the gun shoots 6" low and to the left on its own sighting. its the shots that didnt land well but still on the papaer that bug me. It may just be my shooting as i lose focus but my friend said the the barrel is worn out and it needs a spring kit. He said my shooting was fine, it was the gun but i think I could be to blame. the gun is stock, with mostly origional peices. I know it could use work and be great, but my question is this; should I start with what I have to build a true match grade gun on or buy one done from a good company? I am pretty sure mine is a very solid foundation for a great gun at a sigificant cost savings, but what do you guys think? Thanks!

[ar15jules]

Price out with a qualified gunsmith what it would cost to do what you want done. It may be worth it to keep the 1911A1 original. There are surely others here who will be able to answer your 1911 questions better than I.
Jules

welcome to the forum!!!!!!!!!!!

[synergy]

The 1911 is a complicated beast to make run at its best. I know countless shooters who've been around the block and know a lot more than I do, who've given up on the gun. It has the potential to run like a top, but when you try and milk every ounce of recoil out of it, try and get everything to lock up like a bank-vault...you can expect some issues. Think about how many hours of maintenance a Nascar race-car gets, versus a Toyota Camry...

Odds are your barrel is not shot out....depending on how it was fit to the slide originally, it might be locking up too tightly...or your bushing might be loose/ worn. You gotta shoot a LOT of rounds through a .45ACP to shoot the rifling out...

With the gun TOTALLY empty, drop the slide, and hold onto it. Make sure you're holding onto the slide, and run your thumb around the muzzle...trying to see if it'll move. If you can feel it shifting in the slide...then yeah, the gun isn't as accurate as it could be. You can buy a new barrel and have it fit if you want. This is gonna cost you....you don't want to skimp on this. This and your bushing fit are the most critical links in the "accuracy chain".

As far as springs being worn out...that might be true. It wouldn't effect accuracy, though. You might as well get a new spring kit from Wolff gun spring though, just because.

[FromMyColdDeadHands]

it you truly have an original 1911A1 from the WWII era then dont shoot it, clean and store it. Go to the store, drop a few bucks, get a good entry level 1911 springfield or RIA or even Para Ord. and shoot that!!! Dont destroy a peice of history...sounds like u can shoot well with a 1911 though...

[Xringshooter]

I agree with FMCDH, if it is a WWII original, clean it up real good and display it as a piece of history. Se if anyone can give you any history about it. Research the s/n and see what you can find out.

Although you can shoot it I wouldn't, but I'm kinda a military history buff and would keep it as a historical piece.

You can get good entry level 45's that shoot good and you can always upgrade it later.

[synergy]

Why does everyone think this is a war relic?

All was said was that it's a 1911a1 inherited from the guy's uncle....

[pred]

Down and to the left is a tell tale sign of a flinch, If you can, get a dummy round and have a freind load a mag full of live rounds and 1 dummy round, Have him watch you closly as you fire the weapon, He will know whick is the dud, and my guess is that you will dip the gun as you pull the trigger!
The 1911 has a good amount of recoil, and usually the first 2 rounds shoot fine, But the next ones dont, FLINCH,
When I really try I can shoot my 1911s pretty darn good, But I shoot them best after many rounds of .22 first.
The WWII guns have the hardened slides, and since the gun is not in 99% condition, Shoot it and have fun!
Order a new recoil spring from whoever you want, Get an 18 lb recoil spring and have fun!
I have 2 1911s from the teens which are in 90+ condition, and without the hardened slides, I dont soot them very often at all,
If you have a 22, Run 30-40 rounds through that, then shoot the 1911 and see how you do, And try handing it off to someone else who has some range time before you deciede that the gun shoots poorly. I doubt that the gun has any real issues, Sorry, I have seen this too many times to overlook. And try the dummy round test. A snap cap may feed well enough to work perfect!
Peter.
If you post the ser# I can tell you the date!

[synergy]

If you post the ser# I can tell you the date!

How, we don't even have a brand!

How does anyone know this isn't a Kimber Custom II his uncle bought 5 years ago?

[TonyF]

I inherited a good but not perfect shooting m1911a1 from my uncle its a blast to shoot but it clips the brass on ejection,

Typical of USGI military pattern 1911's that don't have lowered and flared ejection ports as do modern 1911's. Weak recoil springs can also contribute.

and while it is pretty accurate, with a 3.5 to 4" group at 25 yards with no bags or braces from a bench hold. I even bullseyed 5 times and shot in the 10 ring 35 times out of 50 rounds, all of which was done with heavy correction on my part; as on bullseye, the gun shoots 6" low and to the left on its own sighting. its the shots that didnt land well but still on the papaer that bug me. It may just be my shooting as i lose focus but my friend said the the barrel is worn out and it needs a spring kit. He said my shooting was fine, it was the gun but i think I could be to blame. the gun is stock, with mostly origional peices. I know it could use work and be great, but my question is this; should I start with what I have to build a true match grade gun on or buy one done from a good company? I am pretty sure mine is a very solid foundation for a great gun at a sigificant cost savings, but what do you guys think? Thanks!

It's difficult at best to analyze errors in shooting technique via the internet.

Regarding that pistol as a base gun, I doubt many gunsmiths would want to customize it as there are better choices. And it does have some collector value. If anything I would try to restore it (e.g. new spring kit, new USGI barrel if in fact it is worn out, etc.).

[Bama1911Shooter]

Thanks for all the good input, I appreciate it. After consulting with some gunsmiths and others versed in 1911's, and having tracked my gun's numbers somewhat, it has been determined to be a 60-61, as I was told. It was carried during the vietnam war by my uncle. It is an ithaca. In worn but solid condition. I have decided to restore it to its totally origional mil spec configuration,finishes and parts. It has a couple but very few aftermarket add ons which will go soon. As was stated, noone wants to modify it and says they will restore it but thats all. so, I have decided to purchase a new one and have found myself a stainless steel taurus pt1911 I am considering. I know that is a controvertial choice but I've read nothing but stellar reviews, and handled the gun, which seems to me as a high quality peice with lots of great features for the money. But it isnt my final decision yet. But I like it. Thanks again for your input and different viewpoints. And as far as my shooting, I plan to take my new pistol and my old one to the range and see where the problem lies with my old one, or myself, and go from there.