It is not an easy task to build a 1911. However, it is possible to make a gun with your own personal touch.
I’m a bit of a dinosaur in my generation. I don’t have much technology, but I do hunt and grow a lot of my own food and I have a deep love for the 1911. I am an old man, at an early age. Through my experience with this venerable platform, it has earned my respect for its reliability, both mechanically as well as in terms of accuracy. I have spent hundreds of hours working on the 1911 and can honestly say that 90% of those hours were spent fixing something wrong.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that a 1911 built by hand will be functional or accurate. The argument is that a hand-built 1911 will allow you to take pride in your ownership and bragging rights, as well as tighter tolerances. Many consider it a sign of one’s personal ability to build a 1911. Although I love the pistols that I have worked so hard on, there is always that doubt that something was wrong. If this is the journey you are looking for, then go for it. This is not the right way to go if you are trying to save a penny. It’s hard to understand why people think they are saving money by spending at least 40 hours on top of the parts cost to make a gun that will perform better than a factory gun. The Colt M45A1 is a great 1911 straight out of the box. This factory-built pistol comes with night sights, match barrels, and a great trigger. You get everything you need for the price of a gun such as this. Is it possible to build one better? It’s possible, but it will be expensive. It’s not only the finished product that you’ll end with, but also a variety of specialized tools that will be required to get this old warhorse running. I’ve done it with the right tools, the wrong ones, and a few tools. It doesn’t matter how prepared you are. What about a frame? You might consider a frame or a slide. You might be surprised to see that your dream gun can cost up to 50 percent more than a factory gun. This is not a deterrent. I just want to encourage you to thoroughly investigate the requirements. Let’s take a look.
You will need a Dremel tool that has every attachment, a drill press, files, sandpaper and lapping compound. A radius cutting jig, punches and drifts tools, calipers and lug cutters are all you will need to build a 1911. It takes about 3 to 6 months to build one. Customizing a frame is a simple way to achieve success. The 1911 features LOK grips, Cylinder & Slide interiors, a checkered mainspring house, and a Brownells RMR slide that is easily fitted. The frame is the only Sig part of the gun. All other parts are aftermarket. Although instructional videos are great, they don’t give you a good idea of how the parts should look once they’ve been worked on with specialized tools. This can cause problems on a large scale. What if the slide that you bought allows your barrel drop in? Is there something wrong or right? It has happened to me that the lugs on a barrel were correct but the lugs inside the slide were too big. It was an incorrect fit and I began to work it over. It’s easy to see how much that poor calculation cost me. The 1911 is different from today’s drop-in parts for the AR and Glock. Every part must be measured and inspected in detail. Although I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, you must inspect every part, including the tension of springs, and how they interact. It can be frustrating to build these guns. You might just end up putting the parts in your bin and replacing them with factory guns as needed. I have been there. A radius jig will be needed to cut the proper angle for installing a safety in the frame. Drop-in safetyties are possible, but they don’t look as neat or feel as nice. This is a great example of a tool that you must use.
I have a method I prefer if you want a custom 1911, but don’t want the hassle of doing it yourself. Some will accuse me of being a cheater for building custom 1911s this way. However, I believe my method is sensible and produces a reliable and accurate pistol almost every time. Why waste my time on this when I can buy a 1911 used and have a functioning gun? The frame is what I want. Many factory guns I have seen are lacking in features or have poor internal parts. A factory frame has parts that I can fit. This is what I love about it. This frame has fitted rails. However, the slide in question was badly damaged due to a poor measurement. It is possible to make mistakes with the 1911. I will measure the new parts and compare them to the old ones so I can draw exact numbers and specifications. Then I can fit them. I can make the parts smaller if I need to. Although it’s personal preference, I don’t like the profile of their slides or external extractors. I don’t like the Series 80 safety internals, but I do like the Sig frames. The best thing about Sig frames is that they are hard stainless steel. Also, the frame rails are often just a hair (actually less then a hair) larger than the slide. I find it a bonus that Sig frames are pre-checked on the grip’s front. This allows me to ensure that my pistol has a cohesive and functional wrap-around texture. The pleasure of building the pistol is often lost in these cases. I am left with a great gun, but little time to do the work. These extra parts are kept as backups in the event of an issue with the custom gun. The extra parts can be used if I have a need. Selling them is another option. You might be able fund most of the new parts by selling your old ones. This tool can also be used to repair or replace the plunger tubes of used guns. This is a highly useful tool that every 1911 enthusiast should have. I don’t know how many guns I’ve seen with loose tubes.
1911 guys believe that my “cheater” method is the wrong way to do things. I counter by asking if it’s less work to build a bolt-action on custom actions or an AR on a stripped receiver. It is usually a matter of attaching the barrel and chambering it to make a custom bolt-action build. But what about a Remington build. I have never heard anyone tell me that customizing a factory 700 is as simple as attaching a barrel and chambering it. But what about a Remington build? I don’t have a clear answer so I consider my method safe and effective for home builders to learn the craft. It comes down to the fact that there are so many things that could go wrong when building a hand-built slide. This is why it is important to take this intermediate step to ensure that you understand how the 1911 works. Once you have this knowledge, you can move on to the barrel. It is easier to learn each step one at a time, rather than trying to master the entire elephant. Is your 1911 “custom” equipped with a new safety feature? I would say no, but I don’t know if there is a line between an accessory-equipped factory gun and a custom gun mounted on a factory frame.1911 Builder Beware
If you decide to tackle this daunting task, I would suggest starting small with a 1911 to start fitting custom parts. If you have to, you can always put the old ones on again. Building is a rewarding experience that will never end. I recommend asking for help if you have any questions. You can’t mess up more than a Dremel slip, and that can lead to costly mistakes. You will be unable to complete the project if you don’t have the right knowledge. As long as you are aware of these things, your 1911 offering will be a hit with the 1911 gods. Download your Storm Tactical printable target pack62 printable MOA targets with DOT drills – Rifle range in YARDSThis amazing target pack is from Storm Tactical and contains 62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range usage. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. Get Free Targets
