Okay I have lurked here for years finally joined.I've been seeing all of incredible projects that you guys come up with and felling quite inept to say the least.I've been beating myself up quit a bit over it. Then it dawn on me I can do something!
For several years I wanted a 1911 45 ACP,a NICE one. Looked into building my own and there was no way I could build one cheaper that buying one so I shelved the idea for a year or two. Then one day I said the H--L with it go for it and I jumped in head first. here are the steps I took with the prices I built two but I'll start with the 5" GOVT. model.
I bought a slide kit that included a slide barrel and all the parts to build one for $189.00 from a company named SARCO. The slide is supposed to be a Rock Island Armory but is un marked parkerized and has nice sights not the GI ones
Next I bought a stainless frame from Caspian Arms they have a line of Blems under the name Foster and like $40 bucks cheaper. It was around $150plus the shipping and FFL. That's how i went figuring if I screwed it up no big deal. I got the frame from my FFL and was amazed of the quality if it had a blem we couldn't see it.
Then I got a set of small jewelers files off E-BAY for like $12. I already had a DREMEL!!! If you go to ANY1911 forum this is Taboo!!! if you use a Dremel The World will stop rotating! I have calipers as well a must have.
Armed with my tools and a cold beer I went to work at my coffee table in the living room. The rails are oversized on purpose and must be made to fit the slide. It must be done evenly on both sides. I needed to take off about .020 to get started. File check,file check,file check. After an hour or two and several beers I busted out the Dremel and in a couple of minutes I was getting it to start. I messed up a little and should have taped off the frame under where I was working.I slipped once and put a small beauty mark on her.
I kept at it a while and got it on about 3/4 the way. I then went to my shop and got some valve lapping compound using the course first then fine. slide 100 times clean,replace,repeat. After 1 million 957 strokes and driving my wife nuts I had it smooth as glass.
I'm not gonna go into every painful detail but there is other spots that need filing. You'll figure it out if you do it. It took me around 2 nights to get ready for a test run. I mixed up a blob of grease and lapping compound and greased her up good focusing on the rails. I use my handguns for defense and don't want it so tight that it's not reliable. So out the back door we go. The first clip I had a couple of jams, FTE etc. 2nd one a little better, some mag malfuntions. I'm a cheapskate so of course I bought the cheapest I could get. After the 4th mag she was running pretty good.
Brought it in the house cleaned worked on the feed ramp some regreased. still pretty tight. Next go round running good locking back on the last round and all. Figured out which mags where bad. I can't think of the brand right now but the folks made them for the ARMY.ordered 3. Got her running good on those after about 100 rounds. next is the TEST so I can feel confident enough to carry this hunk of steel, She's heavy dude. The MEN that carried these in to battle where just that REAL MEN.
The test is 200 rounds of factory ammo with no hiccups. None of my reloads!!! Passed first go round.
I took to the range and a kid said "man that Kimber is sweet" I smiled and said "son you don't even know"
I got a lot of joy doing this so much that I built another Officer model with a 3.5" Bull barrel next. I'll update on that later.Gonna try to figure out how to post pictures now. Govt. on the bottom.
For several years I wanted a 1911 45 ACP,a NICE one. Looked into building my own and there was no way I could build one cheaper that buying one so I shelved the idea for a year or two. Then one day I said the H--L with it go for it and I jumped in head first. here are the steps I took with the prices I built two but I'll start with the 5" GOVT. model.
I bought a slide kit that included a slide barrel and all the parts to build one for $189.00 from a company named SARCO. The slide is supposed to be a Rock Island Armory but is un marked parkerized and has nice sights not the GI ones
Next I bought a stainless frame from Caspian Arms they have a line of Blems under the name Foster and like $40 bucks cheaper. It was around $150plus the shipping and FFL. That's how i went figuring if I screwed it up no big deal. I got the frame from my FFL and was amazed of the quality if it had a blem we couldn't see it.
Then I got a set of small jewelers files off E-BAY for like $12. I already had a DREMEL!!! If you go to ANY1911 forum this is Taboo!!! if you use a Dremel The World will stop rotating! I have calipers as well a must have.
Armed with my tools and a cold beer I went to work at my coffee table in the living room. The rails are oversized on purpose and must be made to fit the slide. It must be done evenly on both sides. I needed to take off about .020 to get started. File check,file check,file check. After an hour or two and several beers I busted out the Dremel and in a couple of minutes I was getting it to start. I messed up a little and should have taped off the frame under where I was working.I slipped once and put a small beauty mark on her.
I kept at it a while and got it on about 3/4 the way. I then went to my shop and got some valve lapping compound using the course first then fine. slide 100 times clean,replace,repeat. After 1 million 957 strokes and driving my wife nuts I had it smooth as glass.
I'm not gonna go into every painful detail but there is other spots that need filing. You'll figure it out if you do it. It took me around 2 nights to get ready for a test run. I mixed up a blob of grease and lapping compound and greased her up good focusing on the rails. I use my handguns for defense and don't want it so tight that it's not reliable. So out the back door we go. The first clip I had a couple of jams, FTE etc. 2nd one a little better, some mag malfuntions. I'm a cheapskate so of course I bought the cheapest I could get. After the 4th mag she was running pretty good.
Brought it in the house cleaned worked on the feed ramp some regreased. still pretty tight. Next go round running good locking back on the last round and all. Figured out which mags where bad. I can't think of the brand right now but the folks made them for the ARMY.ordered 3. Got her running good on those after about 100 rounds. next is the TEST so I can feel confident enough to carry this hunk of steel, She's heavy dude. The MEN that carried these in to battle where just that REAL MEN.
The test is 200 rounds of factory ammo with no hiccups. None of my reloads!!! Passed first go round.
I took to the range and a kid said "man that Kimber is sweet" I smiled and said "son you don't even know"
I got a lot of joy doing this so much that I built another Officer model with a 3.5" Bull barrel next. I'll update on that later.Gonna try to figure out how to post pictures now. Govt. on the bottom.
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