building a 1911

bamafan4life · March 22, 2009, 06:42 PM

hey im wanting to build my own 1911 but have a few questions. first how long does it take u to build one if all the parts are in front of u? will every brand of frame fit every slide and barrel?. wats the most reliable ammo for a 1911. im wanting crimson trace laser grips on this (i know its ganna cost alot.) wats the best defence ammo for the .45 auto. ive found part kits online for sale and probly ganna buy one after i get done tinkering with my turkish mauser (i like to work on/alter my guns in spare time its a hobby.) well if you would please shine a light in my direction im pretty sure ill have even more questions later on. thank you.

bamafan4life · March 22, 2009, 07:15 PM

heres anouther question wat tools are required? idc the cost of them cause ill probly make more in the future.

PetahW · March 22, 2009, 07:33 PM

All your answers are here, fan:

(part 1)

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=505

(part 2)

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=522

(part 3)

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=522

(part 4)

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=522

(part 5)

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=545

(part 6)

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=555

Enjoy yourself !

.

bamafan4life · March 22, 2009, 07:39 PM

wats the best parts kit i here the ones from sarco aint that good.

chief · March 22, 2009, 07:58 PM

That's a pretty cool project, keep us posted..with pics of course..

bamafan4life · March 22, 2009, 09:38 PM

yea ill start posting pictures as soon as i get a new camera (let my brother borrow the last one and he couldnt get it to work right so he chucked it into the lake lol oh well it was old and cheap and on its last leg anyways). a rock island gun is possible for a base gun 2 (but u cant beat a ''i built it myself'' for braggin purposes)

WESHOOT2 · March 28, 2009, 12:50 PM

i recommend a Caspian frame and slide.

I recommend great patience, and slow going.

Great 'small parts' come from Caspian and EGW and Ed Brown and Wilson and others.
Barrels come from Bar-Sto and Kart and others.

Expect EVERY SINGLE PART will REQUIRE proper (stare directly at that word until you recognize its exact meaning) fitment.
All.

Brownells is your friend, and can guide and assist you the entire way.

burrhead · March 28, 2009, 11:20 PM

Plus 1 to what WESHOOT2 said. Also be aware that it will be considerably cheaper to buy a new Colt and be done with it than build a scratch 1911. If you want a learning project, go for it but, you will not save money; just the opposite.

TheTinMan · March 29, 2009, 03:31 PM

Having spent over 3 hours yesterday fitting a new firing pin stop and extractor (for the first time), I think the advice to start with a low-end 1911 and re-build everything a little at a time makes an awful lot of sense. You are going to screw some things up along the way. Better to do it on a gun you don't care too much about instead of trying to build your dream 1911 from the start.

Just my 2 cents, YMMV, etc.

zonamo · March 29, 2009, 04:08 PM

Found this great write-up on DIY 1911 assembly. Lots of lessons learned in there about going too cheap on parts:

The 1911 Project

**Unclenick** · March 29, 2009, 05:51 PM

And trigger work is an acquired skill. I went through three sears and two hammers before I got my first one both right and safe—and I had supervision. If you don't know how to do this work but persist in trying it, just make sure nobody else is around when you test it with live ammo.

Tintop · March 30, 2009, 08:17 PM

Several years ago I customized a Norinco 1911. I found "Hallock's .45 Auto Handbook" by Kenneth R. Hallock to be an invaluable source of information. Using this book as a guide, I turned an otherwise pretty useless piece of crap into an accurate and reliable weapon. Hope this helps and have fun!

March 22, 2009, 06:42 PM	#1
bamafan4life Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Posts: 190	building a 1911 hey im wanting to build my own 1911 but have a few questions. first how long does it take u to build one if all the parts are in front of u? will every brand of frame fit every slide and barrel?. wats the most reliable ammo for a 1911. im wanting crimson trace laser grips on this (i know its ganna cost alot.) wats the best defence ammo for the .45 auto. ive found part kits online for sale and probly ganna buy one after i get done tinkering with my turkish mauser (i like to work on/alter my guns in spare time its a hobby.) well if you would please shine a light in my direction im pretty sure ill have even more questions later on. thank you.

March 28, 2009, 12:50 PM	#7
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 12,923	brain damage i recommend a Caspian frame and slide. I recommend great patience, and slow going. Great 'small parts' come from Caspian and EGW and Ed Brown and Wilson and others. Barrels come from Bar-Sto and Kart and others. Expect EVERY SINGLE PART will REQUIRE proper (stare directly at that word until you recognize its exact meaning) fitment. All. Brownells is your friend, and can guide and assist you the entire way. __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

March 28, 2009, 11:20 PM	#8
burrhead Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 1999 Location: Chihuahuan desert, Texas Posts: 324	Plus 1 to what WESHOOT2 said. Also be aware that it will be considerably cheaper to buy a new Colt and be done with it than build a scratch 1911. If you want a learning project, go for it but, you will not save money; just the opposite. __________________ Join the NRA. The older I get the better I was.

March 29, 2009, 05:51 PM	#11
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 9,153	And trigger work is an acquired skill. I went through three sears and two hammers before I got my first one both right and safe—and I had supervision. If you don't know how to do this work but persist in trying it, just make sure nobody else is around when you test it with live ammo. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Patron Member

March 22, 2009, 07:15 PM	#2
bamafan4life Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Posts: 190	heres anouther question wat tools are required? idc the cost of them cause ill probly make more in the future.

March 22, 2009, 07:33 PM	#3
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 3,285	All your answers are here, fan: (part 1) http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=505 (part 2) http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=522 (part 3) http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=522 (part 4) http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=522 (part 5) http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=545 (part 6) http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gun...?p=0&t=1&i=555 Enjoy yourself ! .

March 22, 2009, 07:39 PM	#4
bamafan4life Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Posts: 190	wats the best parts kit i here the ones from sarco aint that good.

March 22, 2009, 07:58 PM	#5
chief Member Join Date: February 24, 2009 Posts: 29	That's a pretty cool project, keep us posted..with pics of course..

March 22, 2009, 09:38 PM	#6
bamafan4life Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Posts: 190	yea ill start posting pictures as soon as i get a new camera (let my brother borrow the last one and he couldnt get it to work right so he chucked it into the lake lol oh well it was old and cheap and on its last leg anyways). a rock island gun is possible for a base gun 2 (but u cant beat a ''i built it myself'' for braggin purposes)

March 29, 2009, 03:31 PM	#9
TheTinMan Senior Member Join Date: December 8, 2008 Posts: 102	Having spent over 3 hours yesterday fitting a new firing pin stop and extractor (for the first time), I think the advice to start with a low-end 1911 and re-build everything a little at a time makes an awful lot of sense. You are going to screw some things up along the way. Better to do it on a gun you don't care too much about instead of trying to build your dream 1911 from the start. Just my 2 cents, YMMV, etc.

March 29, 2009, 04:08 PM	#10
zonamo Member Join Date: December 1, 2004 Location: The Old Pueblo Posts: 59	Found this great write-up on DIY 1911 assembly. Lots of lessons learned in there about going too cheap on parts: The 1911 Project

March 30, 2009, 08:17 PM	#12
Tintop Junior Member Join Date: March 15, 2009 Posts: 4	Several years ago I customized a Norinco 1911. I found "Hallock's .45 Auto Handbook" by Kenneth R. Hallock to be an invaluable source of information. Using this book as a guide, I turned an otherwise pretty useless piece of crap into an accurate and reliable weapon. Hope this helps and have fun!