1911 kits?

yggorf · December 15, 2009, 11:05 PM

I think I may take on the building of a 1911 from a kit. Who makes good kit components (esp. frame and slide) these days? I glanced through the Brownells catalog and didn't notice any kits, but did see alot of parts. Many times the same part is offered by numerous makers - Wilson Combat, Nighthawk, Cylinder and Slide, STI, etc. etc. Is there a maker that is generally deemed the highest quality or best?

10-96 · December 16, 2009, 04:07 AM

I don't recall seeing any kits for sale. However- I may have a feasable idea. You can pick up just about any of the used Phillipine or Turkish 1911's, then detail strip them and go back in with purchased innards.

The reason I say this, is if you ever come across a partially finished frame and slide (SARCO used to sell these) you will need a fairly well equiped machine shop to properly finish one out to spec. According to Kuhnhaussen's (sp) book, I would say with confidence that basic hand tools will not come close to getting even a 90% finished frame and/or slide up to 100%. This is way more important than it may superficially seem. For instance, if you don't have the bbl lugs properly mated to the slide with correct timing- your pistol could fire fine for 1000 rounds until the lugs shear with very little pre-warning. Also, there are snags, hangups, and boogers that can catch you way off guard. I am currently having the dickens of a time getting my extraction/ejection woes ironed out. And to be honest, this ordeal may in fact lead directly to my personal neurotic breakdown and cause such things as excessive drinking, cursing in front of womenfolk, and eating un-buttered grits!

mega twin · December 16, 2009, 07:29 AM

UN-BUTTERED GRITS??!!??
Isn't there a help line you can call,man??

CowTowner · December 16, 2009, 07:46 AM

Quote:

UN-BUTTERED GRITS??!!??
Isn't there a help line you can call,man??

Thank goodness he didn't say un-salted as well.

10-96 is correct though. You'll need more than basic hand tools to build a kit 1911. SARCO does still sell these "45 Auto Builder's Kits". Go here: http://www.sarcoinc.com/
And scroll down until you get to the links for the shotgun news ads. Page 4 of the Dec. 10 ad (Page 73 in SGN )has the kit listed.
Or try this link to get the .pdf directly http://www.sarcoinc.com/12-10-09_1-13.pdf

yggorf · December 16, 2009, 09:23 AM

This article (http://how-i-did-it.org/1911-project/index.html) details one person's experience with the Sarco kits, so I wanted to avoid those.

I do have a mill and lathe, so can do some machining when needed.

Casimer · December 16, 2009, 09:42 AM

Fusion has kits with the major cuts already performed - http://www.fusionfirearms.com/

December 15, 2009, 11:05 PM	#1
yggorf Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2009 Posts: 125	1911 kits? I think I may take on the building of a 1911 from a kit. Who makes good kit components (esp. frame and slide) these days? I glanced through the Brownells catalog and didn't notice any kits, but did see alot of parts. Many times the same part is offered by numerous makers - Wilson Combat, Nighthawk, Cylinder and Slide, STI, etc. etc. Is there a maker that is generally deemed the highest quality or best?

December 16, 2009, 04:07 AM	#2
10-96 Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2005 Location: Tx Panhandle Territory Posts: 4,159	I don't recall seeing any kits for sale. However- I may have a feasable idea. You can pick up just about any of the used Phillipine or Turkish 1911's, then detail strip them and go back in with purchased innards. The reason I say this, is if you ever come across a partially finished frame and slide (SARCO used to sell these) you will need a fairly well equiped machine shop to properly finish one out to spec. According to Kuhnhaussen's (sp) book, I would say with confidence that basic hand tools will not come close to getting even a 90% finished frame and/or slide up to 100%. This is way more important than it may superficially seem. For instance, if you don't have the bbl lugs properly mated to the slide with correct timing- your pistol could fire fine for 1000 rounds until the lugs shear with very little pre-warning. Also, there are snags, hangups, and boogers that can catch you way off guard. I am currently having the dickens of a time getting my extraction/ejection woes ironed out. And to be honest, this ordeal may in fact lead directly to my personal neurotic breakdown and cause such things as excessive drinking, cursing in front of womenfolk, and eating un-buttered grits! __________________ Rednecks... Keeping the woods critter-free since March 2, 1836. (TX Independence Day) I suspect a thing or two... because I've seen a thing or two.

December 16, 2009, 07:29 AM	#3
mega twin Senior Member Join Date: August 15, 2006 Posts: 434	UN-BUTTERED GRITS??!!?? Isn't there a help line you can call,man??

December 16, 2009, 09:23 AM	#5
yggorf Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2009 Posts: 125	This article (http://how-i-did-it.org/1911-project/index.html) details one person's experience with the Sarco kits, so I wanted to avoid those. I do have a mill and lathe, so can do some machining when needed.

December 16, 2009, 09:42 AM	#6
Casimer Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2007 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Posts: 1,918	Fusion has kits with the major cuts already performed - http://www.fusionfirearms.com/