After being aways from 1911s for about 30 yrs I decided to get back into smithing. Rather than start with a complete build I elected to buy an SA Mil-Spec and do a complete upgrade. I paid $675 for the SA then spent another $600+ on Ed Brown parts for the upgrade except for the Beavertail Safety which is Wilson Combat. The main work was fitting the new barrel bushing, trigger, firing pin, thumb safety, extractor, ejector & beavertail. I also did complete trigger work and some work on the barrel lugs for better lockup. The only parts of the pistol that are original are the frame, barrell & grips. I own other 1911s that I paid $2000 for and my SA MS upgraded shoots just as good and I have the satisfaction of doing the work myself. I probably should note that I had previous experience from years ago. My project next winter will be a complete Caspian build.
