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Hand fitting...?
- Thread starter CLC
- Start date
Jolly Rogers
New member
A lot of replacement parts are made oversize to allow fitting to a large number of guns. Files, abrasive stones, sandpaper, mills, lathes, rotary tools are all used and depending on the smith some combination of them may be required.
Joe
Joe
Check out this video about how Les Baer makes a 1911. Lots of hand fitting vs CNC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpdy8...ature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpdy8...ature=youtu.be
loose_holster_dan
New member
i'm building one right now. i had the frame, slide, and barrel all fit by a gunsmith. all of this is possible for someone with minimal tools and an intimate understanding of the gun, but they are the major components of an accurate gun, so i wanted it done professionally. it is still requiring some fitting of other parts like the grip safety, thumb safety, trigger, etc, but this can all be done with a file and some sandpaper.
if you are looking to do something easier for your first go around, start with a basic mil spec 1911 and just replace all the internals. that way, you know you have a fit slide, frame, and barrel. you will gain a more intimate knowledge of the gun, and learn some basic fitting, without having to tackle the hard parts.
if you are looking to do something easier for your first go around, start with a basic mil spec 1911 and just replace all the internals. that way, you know you have a fit slide, frame, and barrel. you will gain a more intimate knowledge of the gun, and learn some basic fitting, without having to tackle the hard parts.
i'm building one right now. i had the frame, slide, and barrel all fit by a gunsmith. all of this is possible for someone with minimal tools and an intimate understanding of the gun, but they are the major components of an accurate gun, so i wanted it done professionally. it is still requiring some fitting of other parts like the grip safety, thumb safety, trigger, etc, but this can all be done with a file and some sandpaper.
if you are looking to do something easier for your first go around, start with a basic mil spec 1911 and just replace all the internals. that way, you know you have a fit slide, frame, and barrel. you will gain a more intimate knowledge of the gun, and learn some basic fitting, without having to tackle the hard parts.
This IMHO is not as easy as you are making it out to be. It used to be everyone built the 1911 to the same spec. You could dump the parts out of 10 different GI 1911s and mix them up and reassemble 10 working guns.
This is no longer the case if you are talking about different manufacturers. These days there are so many people building 1911s and they consider the orginal spec to be a suggestion instead of an actual blue print. SA is one of the biggest culprits. Even within the same manufacturer the tolerances which are allowed to pass QC are not what they used to be. Take 5 different 1911s from the same manufacturer take out a set of calipers and you will find variances between the pistols and some will not be within spec.
Aftermarket parts may or may not fit. Unless you understand the original spec on top of the spec being used by manufacturer X you can run into problems. Some drop in parts will work but this is far from universal. Some will work in one gun and not another. The true standardization of the platform is gone IMHO.
So many 1911s have been buggered because people without the proper knowledge think they can swap out parts. Too often I see guns which have been messed with that are worse off than if they had simply been left alone.
This does not mean it cannot be done but to properly work on a 1911 you need more than a few files and some sand paper.
Last edited:
loose_holster_dan
New member
oh yeah. don't get me wrong. it will be a lot of work, but i definitely think it is doable if the knowledge is there.
i also bought a drop in wilson combat trigger, hammer, sear, etc kit, and it was far from drop in. some simple filing, and it went right in, however.
i also bought a drop in wilson combat trigger, hammer, sear, etc kit, and it was far from drop in. some simple filing, and it went right in, however.
loose_holster_dan
New member
i'm a tinkerer. i just mess around until i figure it out. being an engineer helps. this will help you a lot too.
if you decide to go forward with it, buy matched frame/slide/barrel kit from fusion. for your first go, i would have him fit the trigger assembly for you as well. if you are mechanically minded, i really don't think you will have too much trouble if you let him do those hard parts for you. if you have specific questions, email him. he is very good about working with beginners. he has a 10mm longslide kit.
the website blows, but here it is
here is his email - rserva@stny.rr.com - his name is Bob Serva
if you decide to email Bob, tell him I sent you. PM me, and i'll give you my real name (fun fact - it isn't Dan)
if you decide to go forward with it, buy matched frame/slide/barrel kit from fusion. for your first go, i would have him fit the trigger assembly for you as well. if you are mechanically minded, i really don't think you will have too much trouble if you let him do those hard parts for you. if you have specific questions, email him. he is very good about working with beginners. he has a 10mm longslide kit.
the website blows, but here it is
here is his email - rserva@stny.rr.com - his name is Bob Serva
if you decide to email Bob, tell him I sent you. PM me, and i'll give you my real name (fun fact - it isn't Dan)