Can I cut a 1911 slide shorter?

2ndchance · October 12, 2008, 05:48 PM

I'll wait for all of you to stop laughing first.... OK.

I have a old 1911 Gov't have wanted to turn this into a project gun. I wanted either a commander size gun with a single port comp (so it would be gov't length when finished) or a Gov't length and have it ported (both slide and barrel).

I'm leaning more towards cutting the gov't slide to a commander length and adding a full profile comp. See pic.

It looks like Rogers Precision took a Commander slide and cut it to fit this comp, then milled the comp to match the profile of the slide. Is it? If so, can I do the same with a Government slide?

Anyone qualified to do this type of work. Rogers Precision is so backlogged, he's not taking any new work for awhile.

Harry Bonar · October 12, 2008, 09:17 PM

Sir;
That is one awful bunch of expensive work. My late son cut a 1911 off, milled a new bushing slot and did that - but not what modification you're wanting!
I truthfully think you would be better off buying a compact! But, I know how it is once we get an idea in our heads.
Harry B.

James K · October 12, 2008, 09:26 PM

At the risk of being laughed at, I will have to say not to cut the slide back of the recoil spring tunnel. I knew a guy who did that, welding the parts back together. The job looked nice until the rear part broke off and came back at him. Fortunately, no injury, but a lesson I have remembered every time someone talks about making a short slide out of a long one.

Jim

Slopemeno · October 12, 2008, 10:53 PM

If you look closely, that gun uses a reverse spring plug that loads in from the rear of the slides dust cover, and that goes quite a ways into the bottom of the comp. That gives enough spring length to work. Since that's a cone barrel, you don't have any bushing to worry about either.

I built a smaller version similar to that, using an Officers frame, Commander slide shortened to OACP length, a Clark short cone setup, and comp blank.

If you don't know exactly what your doing and WHY- I'd hesitate to build one. While they work slick once the functioing issues are hammered out, unless you know what youre doing you'll be lost when the problems start to crop up.

My suggestion: Buy someones used comp gun (hopefully in .45) and learn it front to back- THEN once you have a real good understanding of what's going on in there, build your own, bottom end first.

Jim Watson · October 13, 2008, 07:34 AM

I had one like that, only not as prettified. It shot very well, I sort of wish I had not de-comped it when I got into IDPA.

It would be very expensive to have done now. There is not the selection of compensators that there was 15 years ago, for one thing.
Wilson still builds a Carry Comp model in their own lineup, they would probably turn your gun into a reasonable approximation.

2ndchance · October 13, 2008, 10:16 PM

I'm definitely not qualified to do this myself. That's why the last sentence in my post was "is there anyone qualified that can do that?"

Slopmeno is correct, it uses a coned comp so a bushing is not necessary. A reverse plug is used for the recoil spring and guide rod. I think that it'll be an expensive venture either way.

I use to own a Kimber Pro Carry II in a commander length and I added a GansGuns short comp on there. I had Frank Glenn @ Glenn Custom/Accuracy Unlimited do the install.

It was fantastic, but I figured that what I really wanted was a full profile comp.

That's why this one appealed to me. I guess I can use this excuse to buy another 1911 and just buy the clark custom full profile comp blank.

Slopemeno · October 14, 2008, 12:24 AM

Here's a pic of the OACP/Commander/Quadraport I built. It was my first build back in '88.

The checkering was not my best work, but it was only my second job. Wichita 2nd generation sights, Brown BT, Brown magwell, Videki trigger, Weyland "Double-Diamond" grips, Clark barrel and cone/weight with our own thru-barrel porting system. That gun barely moved when you shot it-very fast cycling slide. It uses Magpack Officers ACP-7 shot mags. The owner has an Ernie Hill 5" Fast-Track rig for it that works great- it's about the least bulky comp gun I've ever carried.

The bluing has certainly faded since I last saw it. The owner put on his own mag release and safety, IIRC.

Hunter Customs · October 14, 2008, 08:05 AM

Yes it can be done, depending on how much machine time is involved it could be expensive.
I built commander size comp guns, however I used officers model slides when doing them. The best comp I've ever seen for the small guns was the ones that Nowlin made, these short comps actually worked very well.
Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

Mike40-11 · October 14, 2008, 10:35 PM

Years ago my dad knew a guy that had an old 1911 he wanted to fiddle with so he had it cut down to commander length.

I don't know who did the work, but they obviously didn't know any better either. He wasn't really a gun guy so it was only many years later that he realized what he'd done. It was an all original Singer.

Harry Bonar · October 17, 2008, 07:22 PM

Sir;
I know they're necessary on some designs, but I do not like guide rods on 1911s!
Harry B.

October 12, 2008, 05:48 PM	#1
2ndchance Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2008 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 180	Can I cut a 1911 slide shorter? I'll wait for all of you to stop laughing first.... OK. I have a old 1911 Gov't have wanted to turn this into a project gun. I wanted either a commander size gun with a single port comp (so it would be gov't length when finished) or a Gov't length and have it ported (both slide and barrel). I'm leaning more towards cutting the gov't slide to a commander length and adding a full profile comp. See pic. It looks like Rogers Precision took a Commander slide and cut it to fit this comp, then milled the comp to match the profile of the slide. Is it? If so, can I do the same with a Government slide? Anyone qualified to do this type of work. Rogers Precision is so backlogged, he's not taking any new work for awhile.

October 12, 2008, 09:17 PM	#2
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	cut-off Sir; That is one awful bunch of expensive work. My late son cut a 1911 off, milled a new bushing slot and did that - but not what modification you're wanting! I truthfully think you would be better off buying a compact! But, I know how it is once we get an idea in our heads. Harry B.

October 17, 2008, 07:22 PM	#10
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	cut down Sir; I know they're necessary on some designs, but I do not like guide rods on 1911s! Harry B.

October 12, 2008, 09:26 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	At the risk of being laughed at, I will have to say not to cut the slide back of the recoil spring tunnel. I knew a guy who did that, welding the parts back together. The job looked nice until the rear part broke off and came back at him. Fortunately, no injury, but a lesson I have remembered every time someone talks about making a short slide out of a long one. Jim

October 12, 2008, 10:53 PM	#4
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	If you look closely, that gun uses a reverse spring plug that loads in from the rear of the slides dust cover, and that goes quite a ways into the bottom of the comp. That gives enough spring length to work. Since that's a cone barrel, you don't have any bushing to worry about either. I built a smaller version similar to that, using an Officers frame, Commander slide shortened to OACP length, a Clark short cone setup, and comp blank. If you don't know exactly what your doing and WHY- I'd hesitate to build one. While they work slick once the functioing issues are hammered out, unless you know what youre doing you'll be lost when the problems start to crop up. My suggestion: Buy someones used comp gun (hopefully in .45) and learn it front to back- THEN once you have a real good understanding of what's going on in there, build your own, bottom end first.

October 13, 2008, 07:34 AM	#5
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	I had one like that, only not as prettified. It shot very well, I sort of wish I had not de-comped it when I got into IDPA. It would be very expensive to have done now. There is not the selection of compensators that there was 15 years ago, for one thing. Wilson still builds a Carry Comp model in their own lineup, they would probably turn your gun into a reasonable approximation.

October 13, 2008, 10:16 PM	#6
2ndchance Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2008 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 180	I'm definitely not qualified to do this myself. That's why the last sentence in my post was "is there anyone qualified that can do that?" Slopmeno is correct, it uses a coned comp so a bushing is not necessary. A reverse plug is used for the recoil spring and guide rod. I think that it'll be an expensive venture either way. I use to own a Kimber Pro Carry II in a commander length and I added a GansGuns short comp on there. I had Frank Glenn @ Glenn Custom/Accuracy Unlimited do the install. It was fantastic, but I figured that what I really wanted was a full profile comp. That's why this one appealed to me. I guess I can use this excuse to buy another 1911 and just buy the clark custom full profile comp blank.

October 14, 2008, 08:05 AM	#8
Hunter Customs Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: Osborn, Missouri Posts: 2,697	Yes it can be done, depending on how much machine time is involved it could be expensive. I built commander size comp guns, however I used officers model slides when doing them. The best comp I've ever seen for the small guns was the ones that Nowlin made, these short comps actually worked very well. Regards Bob Hunter www.huntercustoms.com

October 14, 2008, 10:35 PM	#9
Mike40-11 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: Missouri Posts: 841	Years ago my dad knew a guy that had an old 1911 he wanted to fiddle with so he had it cut down to commander length. I don't know who did the work, but they obviously didn't know any better either. He wasn't really a gun guy so it was only many years later that he realized what he'd done. It was an all original Singer.