[Raven_Mad]

Hey guys, need some advice or guidance regarding a potential 1911A1 build, not certain I'll proceed yet. This Springfield slide has never been used. Years ago an older neighbor bought the entire pistol just to swap for a .22 conversion, then sold that much later, having forgotten about the slide. He has no box, can only guess this is from the 70s, but he's not even sure of that.

For background, when I have built in the past, I've always ordered race-ready for competition. This time I would be building a beater that I wouldn't have to worry about. So beyond that I don't know much when it comes to current manufacture, I've exhausted the threads here and done enough surfing on this. Unless you're going high end, this sure seems like a mixed bag to me, and this seems to be the options available:

1. Brownells has a standard carbon steel Caspian for $189.

2. STI is $204.

3. Numrich is pushing RemSport for $217: "Fully-forged...4140 steel billet, CNC and hardened to close, rigorous tolerances (Rc 26-30)." That includes 25 LPI front strap, the high-grip undercut and a "blued finish" which could mean almost anything.

4. At Sarco, Rock Island or Essex for less, only the online buzz isn't good, claims like outta spec ...hard to tell if those reports are real.

5. I saw another post that claimed Armscor frames are the same manufacturer as Essex, but much higher quality.

If anyone could help make sense of this, or point me in the right direction, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks for your time.

 

[WHSmithIV]

As a beater, I think I'd just find myself a 1911 of any manufacture that had a pitted/rusted slide and buy it, change the slide to the one you have, change out the recoil spring and possibly the barrel - there's the beater.... would be much cheaper than making a build from new parts.

 

[Raven_Mad]

As a beater, I think I'd just find myself a 1911 of any manufacture that had a pitted/rusted slide and buy it, change the slide to the one you have, change out the recoil spring and possibly the barrel - there's the beater.... would be much cheaper than making a build from new parts.

I agree 100% ...I've been in the hunt for just that and have found nothing. I have more than enough quality parts to do this, and no frame?

The few real beaters I've found around here, idiots wanted a hefty sum. I won't tolerate that kind of nonsense.

 

[Helix_FR]

From experience the STI frames are top notch for the price. Ive bought wilson frames and they dont hold a candle to the finish on the STI. IIRC the sarco frames are all out of spec and a mess to deal with.

 

[H-D]

Sti makes frames for fusion also , they can be had with all sorts of bells and whistles, for what it's worth I bought an armscorp frame it has a few out of spec features but I got it for 89 bucks, for the money the foster ( caspian second) frame I got was much better quality, if you go with caspian or fusion/sti I doubt you will be disappointed