1911 Customizing or Buy New?

keys85 · January 19, 2009, 07:56 PM

What would you do if you picked up a well built, accurate and reliable Springfield GI 1911 (at a ridiculously cheap price) but wanted a .45 with some of the features you can get stock from a nice, well built Kimber? Would you opt to have this pistol customized, which most likely would go over the price of a new Kimber, or shop around for a used Kimber and keep them both?

(I'm not interested in any other brands other than Kimber)

**Shane Tuttle** · January 19, 2009, 10:38 PM

Customize the Springer. You get exactly what you want upgraded and have the choice of the exact brand of parts to use to put on an already well made production 1911.

Answer is simple for me. Depends on how bad you want a Kimber that claims to be "custom" when it really isn't...

Andrewh · January 19, 2009, 10:56 PM

depends on how cheap, and what you want done.

A GI isn't going to have a beavertail.
So right off the bat, with drop in only parts and having a smith put it in, it will run around 110 bucks.(just priced this out myself). Wilson beavertail and commander hammer.

Some people are not happy with the gap left by drop in parts.
So now you are into fitting a part which brings you up another 50 to 100 depending on your smith.

This cut into the frame, so now you have to get it refinished.

Say a cheap blue job, up another 100. But a good finish is probably closer to 200.

Now you are into the gun for call it 300 not counting the price of the gun.
That didn't count any internals, or tuning.
If you got the gun for 400 and under, then you are only into it for 700, you would be spending another 200 to 300 for a custom kimber. I'd say you were ahead.

Ofcourse all the prices drop if you do the work yourself.

Hunter Customs · January 20, 2009, 09:45 AM

You could make a Custom Springfield like the one in the picture using your Springfield GI model as a base gun.
This is the Spartan package I offer on the basic Springfield guns and it don't break the bank having it done.
Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

WESHOOT2 · January 20, 2009, 12:49 PM

Now THAT'S a 'buy'......

(What I did: I bought used 1911s and upgraded them according to my needs and budget. Except my first 1911 is an all-custom Caspian.)

hunter11 · February 6, 2009, 05:39 PM

I just finished building a custom frame and adding a 22 conversion so I didn't have to change Barrels. I have built several Customs from Colt Government models and several from scratch. I have over $600.00 in my frame I just finished and about 3 months labor this is not working all the time as I have other things I do but there are a lot of hours Stonning and lap fitting. Agood Custom takes a lot of work it is tedious and every one I build I learn more about what to do when. Dan

View Poll Results: Customize Springfield GI or Buy a Kimber?
Customize the Springer	13	92.86%
Buy a Kimber	1	7.14%
Voters: 14. You may not vote on this poll

January 19, 2009, 07:56 PM	#1
keys85 Junior member Join Date: September 21, 2008 Posts: 199	1911 Customizing or Buy New? What would you do if you picked up a well built, accurate and reliable Springfield GI 1911 (at a ridiculously cheap price) but wanted a .45 with some of the features you can get stock from a nice, well built Kimber? Would you opt to have this pistol customized, which most likely would go over the price of a new Kimber, or shop around for a used Kimber and keep them both? (I'm not interested in any other brands other than Kimber) Last edited by keys85; January 19, 2009 at 08:02 PM.

January 19, 2009, 10:38 PM	#2
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,455	Customize the Springer. You get exactly what you want upgraded and have the choice of the exact brand of parts to use to put on an already well made production 1911. Answer is simple for me. Depends on how bad you want a Kimber that claims to be "custom" when it really isn't... __________________ If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

January 20, 2009, 12:49 PM	#5
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	Hunter-gun Now THAT'S a 'buy'...... (What I did: I bought used 1911s and upgraded them according to my needs and budget. Except my first 1911 is an all-custom Caspian.)

February 6, 2009, 05:39 PM	#6
hunter11 Member Join Date: January 31, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 66	Custom 1911 I just finished building a custom frame and adding a 22 conversion so I didn't have to change Barrels. I have built several Customs from Colt Government models and several from scratch. I have over $600.00 in my frame I just finished and about 3 months labor this is not working all the time as I have other things I do but there are a lot of hours Stonning and lap fitting. Agood Custom takes a lot of work it is tedious and every one I build I learn more about what to do when. Dan

January 19, 2009, 10:56 PM	#3
Andrewh Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 1999 Posts: 966	depends on how cheap, and what you want done. A GI isn't going to have a beavertail. So right off the bat, with drop in only parts and having a smith put it in, it will run around 110 bucks.(just priced this out myself). Wilson beavertail and commander hammer. Some people are not happy with the gap left by drop in parts. So now you are into fitting a part which brings you up another 50 to 100 depending on your smith. This cut into the frame, so now you have to get it refinished. Say a cheap blue job, up another 100. But a good finish is probably closer to 200. Now you are into the gun for call it 300 not counting the price of the gun. That didn't count any internals, or tuning. If you got the gun for 400 and under, then you are only into it for 700, you would be spending another 200 to 300 for a custom kimber. I'd say you were ahead. Ofcourse all the prices drop if you do the work yourself.

January 20, 2009, 09:45 AM	#4
Hunter Customs Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: Osborn, Missouri Posts: 2,697	You could make a Custom Springfield like the one in the picture using your Springfield GI model as a base gun. This is the Spartan package I offer on the basic Springfield guns and it don't break the bank having it done. Regards Bob Hunter www.huntercustoms.com