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Thinking of building a 1911

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1911
1K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  JLA 
#1 ·
Looking for pros, cons and any other advise. I have built/worked on other guns. I'm very mechanical and have plenty of hand tools but I do not have access to mill, lathe, etc. I'm thinking I should be able to buy parts and fit everything by hand. Is there any specialty tools I should consider purchasing?
 
#2 ·
youll need a barrel lug cutter, a front sight stakig tool (if tenon slide is used) a bushing mandrel for your drill press, sear and hammer jigs,, slide fitting bars, lapping compound, a rubber mallet, a sturdy vise and a quality set of needle files as well as a chainsaw file.
 
#3 ·
and don't get caught up fitting the frame and slide. only about 2% of the pistols accuracy is obtained thru precise slide to frame fit.

Fitment at the barrel hood, lugs, and bushing are far more critical.
 
#4 ·
Thanks JLA. Looks like I'll start trying to get a list together then. Are there any good books on the process that you know of?
 
#5 ·
this is what I consider the gold standard:

http://www.brownells.com/books-vide...-m1911a1-pistols-a-shop-manual-prod13815.aspx

Jerry's Volume II is awesome, used this on my first build.

to add to JLA's list, some dacum layout fluid for doing the final fitting is very helpful. Some go/no go headspace gauges are handy (just found a site this week where you can rent chamber reamers and headspace guages for cheap!), a receiver block for holding in a vice is nice. Checkering kit if you plan to do any of that on your own....

pros: satisfaction of building you own from scratch, you will have tools for doing future builds or repairs, you buy/fit your own selection of parts for exactly what you want

cons: more expensive buying tools, more time consuming of course
 
#6 · (Edited)
Without the shop metalworking machines, you can still build a 1911 type by just assembling parts you can buy from Brownells & others. Here is one of my 'creations' using a frame made in the Philippines, innards from Numrich, with a Ceiner .22 conversion upper. It could be a .45ACP by assembling it with a .45 slide, barrel & mag, etc. No fitting was required - just put the parts together.



Seems like assembling from parts is the only way to go without serious shop equipment.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the link to the book aa1911. I'm looking at doing the actual build next winter, so I have a year to get everything together. Beautiful piece rhmc24.
 
#8 ·
Don't bother with checkering. Do stippling. A stippled frame has so much me bite than a checkered one due to the completely random angles the steel is raised at when stippling is performed.
 
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