Accurizing the 1911
There are many differences between an ‘out of the box’ 1911 and a National Match (NM)1911 – most competition shooters will tell you that. A lot of work goes into creating an NM, but the secrets of the trade tend to be closely guarded…which, I believe, is complete hogwash. Out of the box, a 1911 is meant to be versatile with any kind of ammunition – despite the fact it was originally created with military hardball in mind (230gr round nose, full metal jacket) – and under any kind of circumstance. It’s reliability was paramount and continues to be, but an NM 1911 ends up being quite picky about its diet – which sometimes gives it a bad rap to the ignorant class of shooter. There isn’t a more popular style of handgun, in the world, when it comes to competition shooting; be it Conventional Pistol, IDPA, IPSC or any of it. Hundreds of companies turn out the 1911 in one form or another, all fitting for what they’re intended. From ‘beer can’ guns to ‘race’ guns to the famed ’2″‘ gun – the 1911 wears many faces. Its calibers have changed over the years as well, and even the loads of those calibers. No longer stuck in the ‘.45 ACP 230gr FMJ’ arena, the 1911 can be found eating steady diets of 185gr SWC, 9mm, 38 Super, 40 caliber and even .22 LR (with the recent popularity of ‘conversion kits’). John Moses Browning’s 1911 is steadily approaching the 100 year anniversary (2011) of its incorporation into the US Army’s arsenal, though the handgun was actually created – in this particular caliber – in (approx) 1906. Nit-picking the years, notwithstanding, the 1911 has stood the test of time with no reasoning or inclination that it will face any decline in its popularity…ever.
These days one can purchase a 1911 for relatively little money. Of course, you get what you pay for – along with reliability and accuracy. Springfield Armory sells a pretty inexpensive 1911 which is completely stock/mil spec for around 4-600 dollars, depending on where you pick it up. There’s also the Rock Island Armory 1911 – though I don’t want to write that too loud because it’s often seen by ‘smiths as complete garbage, LOL – a person could get one of those for under 300 bucks. At the other end of the spectrum, there are 1911′s from custom shops like Les Baer and Clark Custom – which could easily run you about $2000 on a good day. The differences in these options are not without reasons, all dependant upon for what you’ll be using the gun. If you’re a plinker or a beer can shooter – you have absolutely no need to spend $2000 on a handgun, that’s just plain stupid. However, if you want to knock a 2″ hole, with ten rounds, at fifty yards – you’re gonna have to fork out the cash. Unless, of course, you know how to accurize a 1911 yourself.
Surprisingly, it isn’t that hard to do – but it takes patience to do it well. Clark and Les Baer have been doing it for eons, and could probably do it in their sleep – but they don’t have the market cornered on what needs to be done. Accurizing the 1911 is basically the same no matter who you take your gun to, the biggest differences are only in the techniques. Back “in the day” gunsmiths didn’t have all the fancy gadgets and things you can get today, from places like Brownells. They had their hand tools and a lot of sweat, turning out 1911′s which were just as accurate as the ones of our generation – if not more. The very first 1911 I built, with the end goal being a 2″ gun, was all done with hand tools. The gunsmith who taught me refused to let me use any “machines” (save those you’d be stupid not using), just for the sake of having me appreciate the work and patience inherent to the craft (yes, part of it was probably him screwing with me). Today, it’s much easier – especially if you have a fixture for everything – but I still find myself leaning to what I’ve learned.
So, who am I? I’m nobody. You’ll never see my name on anything I work on – I’m just “that guy” who people talk about when they say “this guy I know did it for me”. There are hundreds of sets of my custom grips floating around the world, because I do “stupid” stuff that most places won’t do – or would charge astronomical amounts to accomplish. For example, one guy wanted a set of grips with pictures of his daughter inlayed into them – they came out great; and I did them for nothing – though he insisted on sending me a $30 gift certificate to Woodcraft Supply, LOL (thanks Lt.). A guy from the Air Force National Pistol Team dropped off to me a box of parts and said ‘build me a hardball gun’ – so I did…then he retired, LOL. I made ‘furniture’ for a Crosman air pistol, a Sears-esque plinker, just because I was asked to – again, for nothing. Recently (2008), one of my 1911′s was in the hands of a TSRA junior when they took first in their matches at Camp Perry. A 2″ gun built on a ‘low cost’ Essex frame and mil-spec parts, which ended up costing his mom only $300 (I ‘gave’ the guy a lot of parts). No – it shouldn’t have cost more, the kids and their parents, who love shooting, aren’t made of money. The Air Force and the AMU were building 2 and 3 inch guns for decades before the advent of readily available ‘match grade’ parts…the availability of such things today just makes it easier…and more expensive. I take pride in everything I do, especially when it comes to firearms. Am I a “gunsmith”? Not by a long shot; never got the ‘official schooling’ – Uncle Sam doesn’t do that. Would I put myself in the same category as the Les Baer’s and Clark’s – HELL NO!
Do I shun the ‘custom shop’ guys? Absolutely not – if you have the money, go that way – they’re not at the top of their game by accident. However, if the price is too steep for you, there’s nothing to say you can’t improve what you have. There’s nothing to say that you can’t make something just as good or just as accurate – it just takes a bit of fortitude, patience and the willingness to learn. It also takes a willingness to accept failure, to understand that you will make mistakes – no one (save Jesus) popped from a womb with the inability to fail. These days, however, most people are content with having someone else do their work for them – which is completely okay. The ‘industry’ has tacked things like “to be installed by a qualified gunsmith” on a lot of stuff, and most people adhere to that; again, that’s fine. But if you’re like me, you ignore that – you do it yourself. If it goes well – awesome! If it doesn’t, you buy the part again and give it another shot – avoiding what you did to screw it up the first time and voila – it’s awesome again. Maybe the part cost $50, so you’re in it for $100 at that point – but that’s $100 compared to; the $50 for the part and the $42 an hour you’d have to pay a gunsmith. It’s an hour at least and up front, most fluff it to two or three because they only take a cut of the store’s profit. So, your way cost $100 – the gunsmith way cost $176; the way I see it – you saved $76 and learned to be self sufficient, LOL. Of course, if you screwed up again the second time, you a) should’ve read the detailed instructions (this isn’t Walmart furniture you’re dealing with) and b) are probably not the type of person who can handle DIY – go to the gunsmith, LOL.
I mentioned that the gunsmith industry has a tendency to guard their secrets. To a point, this is wholly true and not me being petty. So, in the next few weeks, I am going to be posting some pretty cool stuff. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get all “internet marketer” on you. I have a lot of tried and true information that I’d just like to pass on. Specifically, I am going to cover accurizing the 1911 from the ground up. No, it won’t be a “step by step” manual in that it will be completely dumbed down. You will be expected to understand a thing or two without kindergarten explanations. The good part is (as you can tell) I won’t BS you – you can run anything I post, in those articles, through whomever you know who “thinks” they know a thing or two about it. You can test it all for yourself. In fact, I encourage that. If you don’t understand something, ask – if you think something is incorrect, point it out (along with your source – and, if you’re the source, that’s okay too). For now, I’ll tell you my primary learning sources were/are publications by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Unit, the Army Marksmanship Training Unit, the Air Force Gunsmith Shop, the Marine Corps and all of the ‘detailed instructions’ which come with parts from Brownells – to include 4.5 years alongside a ‘real’ gunsmith (meh – he went to school 
) with over 25 years experience in military and Olympic firearms. It should be a good time; maybe I’ll even go pick up a POS 1911 and build it up with the articles so you can see that I’m not full of crap, LOL.
Till then…
Seems like you know your business………..
OK…. I purchased a new Firestorm .45 government 1911 deluxe.
I paid less than $500 it seemed to have most of the bells and whistles installed.
I don’t know who actually makes this gun although it appears to be a pretty tight piece.
It already has the beaver tail, fancy hammer, fancy trigger and Dot sights, the barrel ramp has been polished……….Nothing done to the slide and rails that I see.
I have shot one box of factory ammo…..no stove pipes, no hangups….
Do you know anything about this pistol?
I would like to be able to make it shoot at least 2″ groups at 25 yards……
I have not sand bagged it yet……….
thanks
Gus
Firestorm pistols are imported by a parent company called Import Sports in New Jersey. They are made by Fabrinor (Spain) i.e. the Llama firearms. None of that matters at all
It doesn’t make a difference what name is on the gun – what matters is the material; the steel and the quality of the construction. Industry standards are allowed to be as much as .010” “off” from original mil-spec in things like where the sear/disconnector pin hole is compared to the original print – for example. This would cause “drop in parts” not to be so easily dropped in – as well as a nightmare for “fitting” parts if one is used to the original standards. As for fitting, especially in the slide to frame, if the steel is shyte then severe gauling will – not might, but WILL – occur when shaping the rails (worse than stainless, which is manageable), and the slide won’t hold a ‘squeeze’. Take the Rock Island, for example. As a “test” I fit the hell out of it – gauling and all. I had it tight without a single peep of rattle – it bested 2.25” at 50 yards from a Ransom rest (185gr SWC; 4.2gr Bullseye – Atlanta Arms). However, after 100 rounds it loosened up a bit – after 500 rounds it would barely hold 4” at 50. My work was spot on, but the steel was too poor of a quality for the slide to hold a squeeze and the frame rails and ways just got all out of whack. Don’t get me wrong, it still shoots like a champ, flawless functioning and a nice trigger – but it won’t ever be a 2” gun unless I go through A LOT of trouble (i.e. hardening; inserts maybe). So the question should never be “what kind of gun is it?”, rather “what is it made of and how well is it made?”.
Now, after all of that, it seems you’re generally happy with the way the gun operates. My question would be – why 2” at 25 yards? Does the gun fulfill a purpose to make that necessary? If it doesn’t, then I would leave well enough alone until the gun has started to break in (more than 500 rounds) and it’s demons (if any) start to come out. Blow out a few boxes, clean it – then take it to a gunsmith for firing from a rest. The “sandbag”, while great for quick and easy, is NOT a true test of a firearm’s accuracy – all human factors must be removed. There are a lot of places around the country who’ll charge like $25 plus ammo to rest a gun for you – often, it’s worth it. Then you’ll have absolute proof of what your firearm is doing right now – THEN – you can see what needs to be done to get it where you want, if possible. Be warned though, there are a lot of precocious gunsmiths who might laugh at the idea of accurizing a “Firestorm”. They might have cause – I don’t know much about the metal; but if they shun you ‘just because’ it’s a $500 Firestorm then move on.
I recently purchased a colt 1911 series 70b at a gunshow for around $800, the gun caught my eye because I notice a few changes made by a gunsmith(Mario Ruffino). The sights are his own patent,the mag release is extended, the grip saftey is not factory,the barrel throat has been polished as well as the ramp although the barrel is a factory piece,the trigger has been worked,the two tone color I believe is custom as well. The gun has low round count and my father thinks I payed a bit much for the pistol,I havent shot it yet. I think its going to be a shooter, and I have been trying to age the pistol I believe its between 1981-1983. what is your opinion.
Never take anyone’s opinion about a firearm and it’s ability without that individual first having seen and inspected said firearm
That being said; the work on any gun won’t matter to a bucket of slop if it’s not done well. Mario Ruffino gets pretty good reviews, but I am only familiar with his work in passing – that is, I don’t have extensive knowledge of it. Nevertheless, a stock series 70 for 800 bones isn’t that bad at all, depending on the condition. Throw in the extras and it’s a pretty good deal – HOWEVER: don’t ever be impressed by parts like mag releases, grip safeties (most of the time) and the like. These days, they’re drop in and amount to new hub-caps for a car, no effort and decent return. So many people get raped by paying crazy amounts of cash for a ‘gunsmith’ to install a part when they could have done it themselves…bah, I don’t want to rant, hehe. At face value, I wouldn’t call it a bad deal – but the truth will be when/if you put it in a rest and test it—unless you can personally shoot two inch (or less) groups at 50 yards 
Years ago I came across a very nice Les Baer custom 6inch stainless steel slide single stack, with all the bells and whistles for about 1500 at a pawn shop. I know, I wasn’t there to buy a Les Baer but I could not pass up the deal. Later I priced the pistol at about 2500 retail. Anyway, long story short… I realized it was a mistake to sell it.. I wanted to trade it in thinking, Its the Ferrari of 1911s and its just going to sit in the garage and not be shot much. I could have bought three pistols with that amount of money or at least customized a new ar-15. After researching the 1911 for over 7 years now i have grown to appreciate it much much more and now realize the world’s obsession with the pistol. My question if I was to start building from the ground up, (on my own) what tools and starter gun kit would I need to start building a good 2 inch shooter at 50 yards? For example, trigger slide to frame fit sights barrel so on and so forth?
If you’re going to build a starter took kit for 1911′s specifically, you definitely need to start with the basics. However, the ‘basics’ are not sets and sets of tools, so that should be some relief, hehe. You definitely need a bushing wrench, but I figured you guessed that or have one. Apart from that, a good vise is paramount, along with a good frame fixture. I won’t tell you what to get in that regard because I don’t want to come off as a salesman for Brownell’s, LOL. They have a few (Marvel, Weigand etc), but I think Midway USA does as well – and a google search would probably find some good deals. Moving on…a screwdriver; you only need one. While a multi-set would be good to have, there’s only 1 use on the 45…the grip screws (unless you have one with hex heads). Yes, I know the mag catch usually has a ‘tiny flat head’ – but you can turn that with the corner of a standard driver in a pinch; I’m trying to keep this simple. So far we’ve got Bushing Wrench, Vise (and frame fixture), Screw Driver…next would be a ball peen hammer, a metal file, a small punch set and that’s it for ‘basic tools’ I think (you’ll have to make some adjustments for 1911′s which have hex instead of flat heads). Save the frame fixture, the lot of it can be had at Lowe’s or Home Depot – so that what makes them basic tools…to me. Geeze, this is getting long, I should make it a post, LOL. The specialty tools, apart from the frame fixture, are a completely different beast and will, most likely, cost you a lot of scratch. However, since we aren’t talking about $$$ here, this is what I’d recommend you must have on hand to rework or build a 2 incher: I already said a vise and fixture
, Slide fitting bars, fine, med and coarse stones, a GOOD set of metal files AND jewler’s files. Stepping back a sec, I can’t stress the slide fitting bars enough – it is nearly impossible to get a perfect slide fit without them. So far, your little tool box might look like this; Vise, frame fixture, bushing wrench, screw driver (maybe a set), hex wrenches (if necessary), ball peen hammer, small punch set, metal file set, jewler’s file set, a set of stones and slide fitting bars. Finally, thinking of sights, you’ll add those tools – but it depends on what you have or are going to get. True Colt style is to have a tang for the front sight, which requires staking or silver solder. Generally, I use silver solder with a MAPP gas torch from Lowe’s – it’s cheap and works like a charm. The staking tools are good too, but they’re a single use item and not really worth the money, to me. The rear sights are the same story – it depends what you buy or have. If you’re lucky, rear sights can be drop in these days, BUT if you’re going the mil-spec route and want to replace such a sight with a Bo-Mar (for example) you’ll have to cut the slide. This can be done by hand with a file, but that takes a lot of work. The easy way is a dovetail cutter, but you need a machine to use it 
I have a mini-mill in the garage, but not many will go those lengths, and I haven’t always had it. I did start by hand and it sucked, LOL. If the choice were to be had, I say get a pre-cut slide, LOL. Now, there are a bunch of other things which you can buy to make tasks easier, or to pretty up your 1911 – but they’re not basic tools. Some are cheap, others, not so much. Things like checkering/stippling tools are great – but the same effect can be attained by using skateboard grip tape, hehe. As far as parts…I’m a HUGE fan of people starting with a gun instead of starting from scratch. What I mean is, buy a Springfield and work that into a two incher instead of buying the parts and building a gun. First, it’s less expensive. Second, it will give you valuable experience before you jump into things like that $100 match trigger set cold, and “C”, it’s easier 
But if parts are what you have to have, then you can’t go wrong with Les Baer or Caspian slides and frames. Even the Essex stuff is great – I’ve built a lot on those, with great success…plus they have a nice price tag. Triggers – I like the old Videki (sp?) steel triggers, but most prefer the aluminum. I don’t side with any manufacturer on those though. Realistically, with the exception of few, they’re all the same…or can be fit to be the same, LOL. Sear/Disconnector/Hammer sets – all depend on what you’re going for. Like, you wouldn’t put a ‘speed demon’ hammer on a service pistol; first because of the appearance (i.e. not a spur) and second because of the weight and the need of the service pistol to be 4lbs pull. Barrels; Kart, Barsto, even Ed Brown are great – but with a bit of welding, even a stock mil-spec barrel can shoot just as good. Sights – that’s all personal preference and the gun’s intent (i.e. can’t have night sights on a bullseye gun). Alright, this has gotten really long – let me know if I missed anything, or if I lost you, LOL.
You hit it right on the nail.
I have been shooting for about twenty years and have tinkered with all sorts of firearms. Most of the tools you mentioned I already have and carry with me… Some like a a vice, lathe drill milling press and polishing stones as well as slide fitting bars will be added to my collections of tools as soon.
Any advice on gun smithing videos? Do you recommend them?
good deal! It took me a while to muster all of the things as well – but I had the luxury of working in a great shop. As for videos – I’ve seen a few, all from AGI (http://www.americangunsmith.com/) and they’re good…well, as good as a video which teaches something which should be learned ‘hands-on’ can be, hehe.
I want to buy a GI .45 1911 from Springfield Armory. I am in the Marine Corps and love the nostalgia of what my Grandfather carried in WWII, however I would like to accurize it to be a more accurate weapon (as I have shot them and talked to those who own them and reccomend, “a little fixxing up”). I was wondering if you could reccomend anyone/necessary improvments to have a “respectable” gun. Preferably with out spending more than I pay for the gun. I would enjoy doing it myself, but being in the Corps kind of limits my time to “do it yourself,” so I’m looking for someone who can do the work. Thanks.
For under the price of the gun – it goes back to the old question; what’re you gonna use it for? There are things you can do, which will help for operation and accuracy, but only so much; without forking out the cash, your best bet is to get with a 2112 (MOS) at Quantico or something
Those guys are amazing; I got to pick a couple of their brains at Interservice a few weeks ago…Sgt P and SSgt S are the poop! Though I did make the mistake of demoting the Staff Sergeant by calling him Sergeant…meh, I’m in the Air Force, he let it slide the first couple of times, hehe. Anyway – a Kart easy fit barrel should be your first purchase. Under $200 it will increase the accuracy of a Springfield quite a bit. Brownells sells it in a ‘kit’ with the file and fixtures you need to do a decent enough job…just follow the directions. The next would be a drop in trigger kit. Now, that won’t actually help with the impact of the bullet at the mechanical level, but it will help you control it by giving you a better feeling trigger than out of the box. After both of those is spending a few bucks on ammo and breaking that bad boy in…it’s a little known truth with some guns, made by some manufacturers, that it will shoot it’s best once broken in and usually below 5000 rounds (heck, the Army throws out their barrels once they hit the 5k mark). If you want to harness the potential of an ‘as is’ gun, with only a new barrel and trigger, then go from the other end and find ammo that’s shoots acurately in YOUR gun. If you’re gonna use hardball, don’t f**k around, get the good stuff. If you’re gonna use wad-cutter; find one that groups the best in your gun. Ammo is as important to accuracy as the match grading is.
I have a RIA 1911, which I have replaced the frame with an essex frame, custom fit the bushing for a nice tight fit, but still leaving enough room for reliable performance. The barrel is a stock mil-spec barrel which i have fitted to the new slide, and the lugs and link to the frame. The frame has no signs of galling after 500 rounds, and is still tight as can be… my question, other than barrel/bushing/slide/frame fit, are their any other issues to worry about in terms of having reliable performance and decent accuracy (not looking to make a bullseye gun, just a nice accurate plinker/self defense piece…) I have everything else except the trigger, mainspring, and sear/disengage stock GI parts, trigger pull is about 4lb 4oz….
Well, it’s not really an RIA anymore, with an essex frame
That said – I think you got it. The slide/frame/barrel/bushing are all ‘necessities’ to accuracy – the rest of it is “shooters choice”. Except the magazines – don’t forget to ‘fit’ those…most malfunctions are magazine related. The actual mechanics of the trigger, kind of sights etc have little to do with accuracy — it’s the shooter who controls that. Polishing the ramps is a great idea as well, removing all machine marks – but if I recall, the Essex frames are pretty squared away already. Can’t beat those things for the price – wish Essex would get back up and running already.
For ‘reliability’ in the personal defense realm – beyond weapon function – is the ability t draw from concealment. I like to take a dremel to all the edges of the weapon and even round out the bushing a little. It prevents ‘dragging’ from a holster. I also make the grips asymmetrical – which helps me (personally) get the same grip from draw every time because my hand can only land in one spot…I wish that were legal for service pistol, LOL.
Okay! You have inspired me to do the accurizing myself. I am sure I will curse your name sometimes but most good men are cursed reguarly. I am planning on buying the new HiCap Springfield GI 45. I want to dabble in local competions and conceal and carry. I recently acquired a FFL and feel I am responsible for protecting any firearms I transport so a accurate handgun is important to me. I hpoe to see your directions concerning this soon. I will not be offended if you dummy it down just a little.
STEPHEN
I might have to caution against ‘match grade accurizing’ a carry gun. Carry guns need to be 100% reliable and, while match guns need to be as well, there’s a difference in what ‘reliable’ means to both. For instance, in a match gun, reliable means it will always function, mark X’s and whathaveyou – with specific ammo, in controlled, match conditions. Reliable carry guns are those which always function under ANY condition, with ANY ammo and ANY ‘target’ – which is hardly ever the size of an “X”. In a situation where you’d need to draw a carry gun, you can almost guarantee a ‘limp-wristed’ shot, for example…I don’t care how “good” you are. If you ‘limp-wrist’ a match gun, it WILL malfunction – due to the tighter tolerances and the need for perfect form in controlled conditions. You can make a carry gun more accurate, yes. But you wouldn’t want to give it the whole ‘match grade’ treatment. So, the first thing you’ll have to do is shoot it and see if it does the job already. Draw from a holster, draw from under a shirt, fire with one hand hastily – basically, re-create an imagined situation where you might have to employ it. If it functions perfectly and hits the target – I wouldn’t mess with it, except for swapping out parts you might prefer to have changed, like a grip safety or sights. That’s my two cents
I agree with you 100%. That is why I am trying to convey my need of an accurized handgun but not actually a match grade. Something a little better than the average handgun and not over the top. Will you coach me through it? I also would like to be able to build match grade firearms for other people. I hope to have a gunshop in the next 3 to 5 years and would like to be able to offer accurizing as a service. Not only match grade but to be able to give customers just what they need. You know those hard things to find…honesty, integrity, good service and affordable quality. Firearms should be (good firearms) within the reach of the common man not just the rich. Thanks for your reply!
STEPHEN
Just a quick note. Springfield’s Custom Carry. 3 dot sights,speed trigger, match barrel and bushing, extended thumb safety, beveked magazine well, commander hammer, polished feed feed ramp and throated barrel, tuned extractor, lowered and flared ejection port, fitted slide to frame, full length spring guide rod and walnut grips. Can’t I upgrade a GI 45 to this level?
STEPHEN
You can. 1) 3 dot sights; easy install. Kensight should sell them for ‘drop in’ to the Springfield dovetail in the back – I’m assuming you want fixed sights…easy. Front sight, still ‘easy’ but more work. Springfield’s front sight on the GI is a tenon (i.e. a stem); you’ll either have to get the tenon version and silver solder or stake it in or cut a dovetail. 2) “Speed” trigger – not worth the money, but you can do it – minor fitting. 3) Match Barrel & Bushing – Kart’s ‘easy fit’ would be the best bet there and it’s a self install if you can follow simple directions. 4) Extended Thumb safety – drop in; piece of cake. 5) Beveled mag-well; easy – dremel. 6) Commander Hammer – drop in, usually pretty easy…but your trigger pull might change. 7) Polished Feed Ramp and Throated Barrel – LOL! I always laugh when I see the word ‘throated’…but that’s a rant about how people get robbed for another time. The Kart barrel is already taken care of, but you might wanna run a dremel on the frame’s feed ramp. 8 ) Tuned extractor…that’s a funny one too…tuned for what? How do they know what you’re shooting, hehe. But yea, you can ‘tune’ your extractor…but I’d leave it alone and worry about the ejector. 9) lowered and flared ejection port – okay, if you want to – it’s not always necessary
Carry guns are usually loaded with ‘hot’ ammo, so flaring and lowering becomes ‘cosmetic’ most times. Lowering and flaring the ejection port is most often done with ‘lighter ammo’ or if you’re trying to get your brass into a brass catcher. Anyway, piece of cake…got that dremel handy? hehe. 10) Fitted slide to frame – yea, but you’ll have to be careful. The fit for a carry shouldn’t be as tight as it is for a match…about a .001-.002″ difference. Too tight and your gun will shoot 1.5″ groups at 50 yards – but will turn into a finicky bastard, not good for a carry gun 
That and the GI is mil-spec, not much metal to work with for fitting…cosmetically, you’ll be able to tell. 11) Full length guide rod and walnut grips – yep all drop in.
Now the kicker – it’s going to cost you close to the same amount of money to turn a GI into a CC; and then there’s the time. You also won’t get the benefit of things like the high-cut grip of the Cc’s frame (lowers the center of balance) unless you mill that in too, the high grip beaver tail unless you buy that also – things like that. Personally, if you gotta have it, go for it – but you’d save money and end up with a ‘better’ gun if you just bought a caspian slide and frame and built the thing from scratch
Oops…missed this one. First off, let me help you out
“accurizing” isn’t about parts like extended safeties, mag releases or any of that stuff. I have real small hands and still HATE extended anything..they just get in the way…but that’s just me 
Anyway, ‘accurizing’ is solely about making the firearm accurate and reliable – the gun, not the shooter. All those bells and whistles are about the shooter – not the gun. Customers will always want what they want – whether we think they should have it or not, so we give it to them. Doing it at a ‘better price’ I am a huge fan of and do my best to do that. But so many are sold on the ‘name’ of the manufacturer rather than the function of the part…I digress. Where 1911′s are concerned, and your goal being to offer accurizing; learn how to properly fit things like the slide and frame, the barrel and bushing, the sear and hammer etc…all the parts which make the gun accurate and reliable. Put the “custom carry” stuff on the shelf for now. Anyone can drop in parts and make the gun look fancy – but it takes A LOT of skill to make it reliable AND deathly accurate.
Thank you very much for your time and advice. Now I’m going to try to get some more from you. You gave me a lot of clarity now can you share some of the distributors you get your parts from? I find many barrels and smaller parts but I am having troubles with the lower receiver. Also what about mixing steels? Can I put a stainless steel barrel in a carbon steel handgun? To learn the more intricate tecniques should I seek some formal training in gunsmithing? I have been a machinist for 20 years so I believe I can transfer some of my skills to this trade. Or do you think I can teach myself through some informative books? Once again, thanks for your time.
STEPHEN
I get 99% of my parts from Brownell’s, or the person I’m building the gun for. I only do one or two guns at a time (maybe three), so I have no need for ‘distributors’, so to speak. Frames and stuff; again – purchased by the person I’m building the gun for…most of the time. However, I do take advantage of the Caspian ‘second hands’ at Camp Perry – outstanding deals! Last year I picked up 4 in one shot; and the ‘blemishes’ are VERY minor and easily removed. You CAN mix steels – but stainless is the worst to work with, period. You have to be VERY careful because it galls even if you look at it funny, hehe. You can’t use a vigorous technique with stainless as you can with carbon. The best gunsmiths ARE machinists. In fact, let’s take the Marine Corps (2112′s) guys – more than 2/3 of their training are as machinists. You can build an outstanding gun by hand, without a single machine (that’s how I learned – it sux, LOL) – but these days, machines make it a helluva lot easier. BUT you will absolutely, positively need more training as a gunsmith. Yes, the books and classes are good – but nothing beats apprenticeship. So many ‘bad’ “cough-smiths” read a book or two, maybe take an online class (these days) but never spend any time with a ‘real’ gunsmith – that’s why they usually suck and I wouldn’t let them work on my bicycle
My point is, you can teach yourself to a point…for example; if you had a student and wanted them to learn something basic on a lathe, but all they did was read a book – would you let them near your machine? I wouldn’t 
“head knowledge” is always different than ‘practical experience’, they’re not always interchangeable – if you get where I’m going with that. In this particular case, the end result or end item can kill someone.
Mine’s an old auto ordinance frame with a remington rand slide. Am I starting with junk or something good enough for bullseye?
and when do we get started? hehe
Those should be fine; as a matter of fact – I still have a couple of those in my inventory. They’re mil-spec, so you shouldn’t have any issues apart from what anyone who uses mil-spec runs into.
LOL. Yea – I’ve been busy getting everything ready for Interservice.
Hi,
What do you think of the Armscor hcap 1911? Is it a quality firearm or can it be improved? Is it worth investing in?
Stephen
Hi!
What do you think of the Armscor HiCap 1911? Is it worth investing in? Is it a good quality firearm? I read a review from a avid shooter on the internet and he was fairly happy with it. He said it handled as well as his colt. He said the trigger was sloppy and the finish had a couple of marks on it. He was going to replace some parts on it eventually. What say you? I left a message earlier today but when I checked later on it was gone. So sorry I am sking the same question twice.
Stephen
I do believe diferrent because my friends and family use another model.It’s relaxing and i love it’s very much.But next drill driver I am going to think of this as drill driver stuffs that you present.Grate!!!
Sorry for the late reply, the bullseye season gets a bit hectic. Okay, the Armscor…well…let’s just say that’s not my area of expertise, LOL. I don’t see many of them in my world, with the exception of being in the hands of brand new shooters. That being said, they have a fan base in the ‘carry’ world, but not so much in the bullseye world. Mechanically, it’s hard for a manufacturer to really botch a 1911 – but I do know that, spec-wise, the Armscor’s can be a bit off. That doesn’t hurt them in their own right, mind you, but it can make accurizing it a heckuva pain. Apart from that I don’t really subscribe to ‘hi-cap’ either…lest I fall into the same mentality as the ‘more bullets = better’ crowd. To me, 7 or 8+1 rounds means I can kill that many bad guys, not that I have that many presents for one enemy
HI!
Are all components from 1911 pistols interchangeable? For example : can the Wilson Combat competition match trigger be put in the Para USA Expert GI?
STEPHEN