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5K views 27 replies 14 participants last post by  ivarr 
#1 ·
I recently purchased an inexpensive 1911 with the intent to customize it later to improve accuracy, etc. What would be on the top ten list of modifications that should be done? Trigger is obvious... The gun in question is a RIA. Basic, standard model, 5" barrel. What should I do to address some of this gun's weaknesses?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Internals. Replace them all. Not that the RI set is OK but to get any good trigger longevity you need to replace the internal. I guess to be more specific, get a new sear, disconnector and hammer. Just realize that these parts need to be fitted to function 100% correct and to allow the thumb safety to function 100%. Moving on from there, get a new hammer spring, sear spring and have a barrel bushing properly fitted. Still feeling saucey? Replace the mainspring guide rod and plug with a full length guide rod or a EFK Firedragon 2 piece guide rod. Heck, why stop, replace the barrel, drop in's OK, but for more you can go get a oversized and have it fitted so its rock solid on lockup.
This all depends on what you deem as Ok its good enough.

If anything replace the sear and disconnector and a good sear spring. You'll see the biggest difference with the least amount of money. Just remember, if your replace the sear, some minor adjustment may need to be made to the thumb safety.

See what JLA says too, he's done some sweet builds.
 
#3 ·
I think the RIA will be a good base for custom work. You state you want the pistol to be more accurate. Start with properly fitting the barrel or install a Kart EZ fit barrel. Expensive but will be worth the money if you are outshooting the stock barrel. If you decide to keep and fit the stock barrel, weld up the barrel hood and barrel lugs and recut to fit. Then fit a NM barrel bushing. Be sure to check the barrel link for a proper fit by doing the long link,short link test. Now is the time to install an oversized slide stop. This must be perfectly fitted into the barrel link.Then on to a good trigger job. You will also need to get rid of the crappy military sights. For target work, I'd suggest a BoMar adj rear sight and a dovetailed front sight of proper height. Then lower and flair the ejection port. The one or two piece full length guide rod is a fix to a nonexistent problem but it's pretty cool eye candy.

There are many orther things to do to get those one hole groups but the above will get you in the ballpark. And as Helix stated, replace ALL internals with good quality aftermarket parts.

Everything you need is available from www.brownells.com.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. :)
 
#4 ·
Buy cheap and spend tons of money fixing up when you should have saved up and bought a Colt or Kimber to begin with....

mike
gn
 
#8 ·
Buy cheap and spend tons of money fixing up when you should have saved up and bought a Colt or Kimber to begin with....

mike
gn
Here's the deal, Mike... We aren't all men of money, like yourself. I just picked up a RIA 1911A1 in .9mm, I've wanted a nine on this platform for many years, but haven't been able to pick one up because there is always something in the way financially. Now I have the piece, 433.00 dollars out the door... I simply didn't have 3000.00+ for the Wilson Tactical that I really want, but I can build on it slowly as I have the money, I get to get my hands dirty, if you will, in the process, I "make it mine a little at a time", and that simply means that it isn't just an expensive piece in the safe, but it's a labor of love, something that I've reformed and molded into an item that actually means something to me even if it takes years to do so.

It's like my drum kit, I didn't get to buy the kit that I really want, but I've been waiting for years... I waited long enough, so I got a low end set and I'm jamming instead of wishing, now I can purchase a custom or high end piece to add to it every now and then as the funds are available and eventually have a BA kit.

I'm gonna get me a damn Harley if it hair-lips the pope, but I already know that I'll start with a 1200 and people will start asking why I settled on a B!*^$ bike, my answer will be in the form of a question "what do you ride"? "Oh a Geo Metro, that's right", as I put 'er in the wind. :D

Crpdeth
 
#9 ·
Rast, Ill combine shooter45's advice and helix's and add my own recommendation. Step #1 is practice. Shoot the ever lovin crap out of it, learn it in every way it can be learned. shoot it in the rain, freezing cold, dead of summer, at night, at rocks, into a mudhole, whatever floats your boat, but the point is get proficient with it. Once you have become able to outshoot the pistol as it is, begin the upgrades. I would start with a good set of sights, pick some that work for you. I like Heine straight 8s, but you may like bomar target sights, get some that work for YOU. more importantly, get some that work with the weapons current POI. And once fitted, its time for more practice.... Next step id recommend is a nice fire control upgrade, this will include trigger, hammer, sear, disconnector, sear spring, mainspring, plungers, pins, firing pin, firing pin spring, possibly even the safety if you dont like the mil spec style. Once fit and finished here, yup, shoot it. Anytime you change somethin, learn it all over again... lastly i would recommend the barrel be re-fit or replaced. Chances are the factory barrel is capable of some fine accuracy but just needs to be 'tightened up', keep in mind if you want a one hole gun, you shouldnt be able to field strip it with your fingers... along with a well fit barrel, link and bushing should be a properly mated slide and frame, and once properly mated the rails should be polished to reduce drag. This should round out your accurizing package only leaving functional reliability upgrades such as the lowered and flared ejection port, and if it makes you feel better, a nice one piece guide rod assembly, which i do prefer.

all your left with at this point is a bitchin refinish job and a kickass set of grips. I highly recommend a cerakote finish, matte black slide on a matte black frame with a set of ivory polymer punisher grips. should make all the guys at the shooting range jealous, especially when they see it performs on paper too..
 
#10 · (Edited)
-Trigger job
-Match barrel
-Target sights
-Lowered & flared ejection port (my RIA already had it)
-Beavertail grip safety

Assuming this is the M1911A1 GI-spec model. Because I do believe RIA sells a model with all the bells & whistles on it.
 
#12 ·
Rastminikov:

I have an RIA that I customize for two purposes: as a frame for my Marvel Conversion Unit No.1 and as a project for 45ACP. The latter was an after thought as I bought the gun just to get the frame for the Marvel conversion unit (could not at the time buy just a frame according to CA laws as interpreted at the time).

To get the best possible trigger pull I replaced ALL the internals of the frame with drop-in parts: Hammer, trigger, sear, grip safety, mainspring, trigger/sear/grip safety spring. I did not intend to replace the safety but I screwed up the RIA one trying to fit it. That safety was the only part that required fitting to the all new internal parts and the replacement did require fitting. With all this, the trigger pull was very good and met my standards for the Marvel conversion.

With the left over 45ACP slide and barrel I decided to make the gun look like a 1950's Bullseye gun. I added a Bomar full length rib with Bomar sights. I added a Group Gripper. This is a special recoil spring guide with a flat spring in it that pushes on a special link on the barrel to make the barrel fully seat up in the slide exactly the same with every shot. Past testing of this device and a fitted barrel busing reduced my group sizes by 30%. I installed a fitted barrel bushing on the RIA barrel and slide. As a 45ACP this gun now shoot amazingly well.

This was a very successful project for me.

LDBennett
 
#13 ·
Here's the deal, Mike... We aren't all men of money, like yourself. I just picked up a RIA 1911A1 in .9mm, I've wanted a nine on this platform for many years, but haven't been able to pick one up because there is always something in the way financially. Now I have the piece, 433.00 dollars out the door... I simply didn't have 3000.00+ for the Wilson Tactical that I really want, but I can build on it slowly as I have the money, I get to get my hands dirty, if you will, in the process, I "make it mine a little at a time", and that simply means that it isn't just an expensive piece in the safe, but it's a labor of love, something that I've reformed and molded into an item that actually means something to me even if it takes years to do so.

It's like my drum kit, I didn't get to buy the kit that I really want, but I've been waiting for years... I waited long enough, so I got a low end set and I'm jamming instead of wishing, now I can purchase a custom or high end piece to add to it every now and then as the funds are available and eventually have a BA kit.

I'm gonna get me a damn Harley if it hair-lips the pope, but I already know that I'll start with a 1200 and people will start asking why I settled on a B!*^$ bike, my answer will be in the form of a question "what do you ride"? "Oh a Geo Metro, that's right", as I put 'er in the wind. :D

Crpdeth
SOUNDS LIKE A HARLEY MAN!!!
 
#17 ·
The Kuhnhausen book is THE most complete book on the 1911 but it is not a "How-To" book. It covers every possible specification for every part and piece of the 1911. It also covers some customization parts. If you want to become a 1911 expert or are a gunsmith with a heavy 1911 business this is the book.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=..._THE_U_S__M1911_M1911A1_PISTOLS_A_SHOP_MANUAL

The Wilson combat series might be a good choice (4 DVD for $135):

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=24926/Product/COMBAT_CUSTOMIZING_THE_1911_AUTO___VOLUME_1

The AGI series looks good too. The first volume ($80) may do it for you:

http://www.americangunsmith.com/app/products/view/21/The-Ultimate-1911-Video-Course-Volume-1

LDBennett
 
#18 ·
All I can add is that I am one of those that purchased a cheap version, and then dumped a ton of cash into it, a Jim Clark special. I can tell you right now that even though I have shot it a lot, it can still out shoot me! So I agree that you should shoot the gun untill you become proficient with it, then look to upgrade.
 
#19 ·
I agree with Carver. The first part is to master your weapon, then push the limits. Then again, I shouldn't talk because I traded my RIA for a Springfield with all the bells & gadgets on it.
 
#22 ·
Don't buy cheap unless you're gonna do the work yourself. If so and its a learn as you go situation, start slow and tune up one thing at a time. Study everything you can on the improvements you want. Most 1911's can be greatly improved without all the high dollar add ons. Trigger and sights should be first. You need a good set of stones to work the sear and trigger engagements(again, study before touching), polish bearing surfaces and take to the range to see how much improvement you have made. There is no hurry. Take your time and enjoy the learning process. You will have a much greater sense of accomplishment if you can improve the pistol yourself. You will find other areas to work on as you go. Good Luck and be safe!
 
#23 ·
The big advantage of buying a "drop-in" hammer/sear is the engagement angles are usually changed as well as the amount of engagement. Stoning originals or even replacements can turn a good trigger into an unsafe one unless you know exactly what you are doing and have the tools to keep the stoning square with the parts. A match set of hammer/sear rarely need anything like stoning. The change in trigger pull can be huge (for the better).

Over the last 20+ years most all my guns have had trigger jobs done on them. Before ever doing the first one I read everything I could find on how to do it correctly. All the guns done were safe and better than stock but I ruined a sear or hammer or two along the way. When I got the AGI professional triggers job video I found out how to really do a trigger job. It is not that I was doing it completely wrong but the AGI video told me how to do it completely right by explaining the principals behind the operation of the fire control system with diagrams and example guns. It took several viewings to absorb what was being taught but I finally got it and I now can do a successful and safe trigger job on almost any gun you can name. The video is expensive and may now have limited availability as it now rated as a professional level course.

Just stoning the engagement surfaces will get some improvement if you do it right but there is nothing like knowing how to really improve the trigger or leave it to the professionals, like a gunsmith or match grade "drop-in parts". This is expecially true of a 1911 since it is so well supported in the market place with match grade ignition parts.

LDBennett
 
#25 ·
Here is the RI with the mods (Bomar rib, etc.) I referred to in the earlier post. These are scanner pictures... this approach is fast, easy and works well with my scanner).

LDBennett
What trigger & sights are those? What weight mainspring are you using? I'm gonna put together a list of items for customization purposes so when I feel it's time to move up I can just "pull the trigger" rather than go search... I was looking at a 17lb spring, would that be too much of a decrease straight from the factory 23?

Thx
 
#26 ·
Rastminikov:

The sights are Bomar and came on the rib. For hammer and sear use what fancies you but buy those two as a matched pair. Brownells sells many different sets of these. Just read the literature to see which one you like. The trigger itself can be any of the light triggers. Light trigger are less likely to follow the hammer with light trigger pulls. The hammer spring is a 17 pounder and works fine for both 45ACP and the Marvel Conversion unit. The recoil spring is the standard weight for a 1911. Get that too light and the recoiling slide will beat up the frame. (The Marvel Conversion Unit, of course, has its own recoil spring as well as barrel and slide.)

Part of the key to a light trigger is the trigger/sear/grip safety spring under the hammer spring assembly. There are many available but the ones that have separate legs for each thing it controls is the better choice. See Brownells. They have a whole catalog of nothing but 1911 parts and pieces.

A key to accuracy without squeezing the frame or pounding and honing the frame is the Dwyer Group Gripper from Wilson (??) and Brownells. It forces the the barrel fully into the locking recesses of the slide with spring force exactly the same every shot. Installed with a fitted bushing, it can be the biggest accuracy increaser of all the drop-in things you can do to a 1911. I have regularly seen a 30% reduction in group sizes from this mod alone.

LDBennett
 
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