1911 Project Gun - Progress Thread

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  • vermilionbird

    Marksman
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    Oct 17, 2020
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    South Bend
    I'm starting a progress pic thread for my project 1911. Nothing really exotic, I'm just following along the 10-8 Performance duty tune DVD. I also only have basic hand tools (I literally have 3 files and sandpaper) and no dremel so some work is gonna be farmed out. I'm also just a hobbyist so don't use this as a guide or anything; I'm just posting stuff here to document my progress.

    My base gun is a Springfield Mil-Spec 1911. I'm planning on replacing most of the parts with barstock Wilson Combat, EGW, and 10-8 parts but I'll also be throwing on a Colt rat tail grip safety for a nice retro look that *conveniently* lets me not have to file the tangs to fit a modern beavertail. Anyway, follow along for the ride and we'll learn together!

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    vermilionbird

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    I'll spare you all the stuff you can find from the Springfield product page but I wanted to point some stuff out. For casual newbies like me, Springfield guns offer a few things out of the box that are really nice and convenient. The magazine well is already slightly beveled and many of the edges around the gun are already dehorned. We'll still be working on those because not all surfaces and edges get that treatment from the factory but it is nice both for someone like me who just wants to tinker and for the avg gun owner who just wants a nice entry-level 1911 that isn't super sharp on all the edges.

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    vermilionbird

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    Gonna start moving beyond the very first impressions here. Out of the box, this gun had a 6lb trigger pull so... not great for a 1911. But I was also a revolver shooter before I came to 1911s so maybe my tolerance for heavy triggers is higher than most? The extractor also pulled just 12oz on my Weigand gauge when ideally we want it to be around 24-28. On the bright side, the plunger tube was nicely staked. This is all I'm posting tonight because I gotta get back to work but expect more updates later this week!

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    vermilionbird

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    Next I'm checking the barrel and feed ramp gap which should be ~1/32". This one looks good. Springfield also appears to have changed their procedure on machining the feed ramps so that they're deeper compared to examples from the mid 2000s. A quick plunk test with a cartridge showed good headspace and the transition edge from the barrel throat to the chamber had been softened as well. However, we'll still be finish reaming and throating the barrel as cheap insurance.

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    vermilionbird

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    One place we'll be looking to improve is the fit of the bushing to the slide and the barrel. Using my not-so-precise cheap calipers, the slide's ID measured 0.701, the bushing's OD was 0.697, the bushing ID was 0.581, and the barrel's OD was 0.580. We'll be getting an EGW angle-bore bushing that already has the right dimensions cut using our measurements and we'll lap that in to tighten things up a little. An easy way for casual hobbyists to improve their bushing fit.

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    vermilionbird

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    I have a lot of spare barstock parts already on hand. If I'm this far into the weeds, I don't mind replacing a vast majority of the small parts. Besides, this is a project gun. I'm doing some of the work for the practice and educational value of working on them so this isn't a project where I'm trying to find that perfect balance of practicality and effort invested.
     

    drillsgt

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    Nov 29, 2009
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    Sioux Falls, SD
    I have a lot of spare barstock parts already on hand. If I'm this far into the weeds, I don't mind replacing a vast majority of the small parts. Besides, this is a project gun. I'm doing some of the work for the practice and educational value of working on them so this isn't a project where I'm trying to find that perfect balance of practicality and effort invested.

    You found a good base gun, those Mil-Spec Defenders are a good value.
     
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