1911 bobtail / carry cut

[T-DOGG]

I was getting bored with this Tisas Stainless Carry in .45, so I thought I'd do my first bobtail / carry cut on it. Fusion mainspring housing and jig.

Here is the gun before I started.



Mount jig, align outer hole with 5/32" drill bit.



Install frame onto jig, retain with original pin into the jig's inner hole. Spot drill first to keep drill bit from walking.



Drill hole through first side only.



Remove frame and check fitment of housing to hole. Mainspring housing needs some material removed from the flat pad area at the bottom to slide all the way into the frame.





Started removing material slowly by hand. Decided the disc sander was faster. Learned it was very fast and removed just a little too much (disc sander is still fairly new to me). Hole lines up, moving forward.



Drill completely through to the other side. Then check fitment of housing, good.

 

[T-DOGG]

Chamfer holes and then begin removing material to contour the area of the frame to match the new housing.





Disc sander time again, a little more cautiously this time.




Slowed the process way down and got the flat files out. Had I known I was going to file this flat, I would have saved time and did most of this on the disc grinder.

 

[T-DOGG]

Some blending with emery cloth.



Some 1000 grit sandpaper work and this is the stopping point for now. To be continued.

 

[MindfulMan]

Wow ..... all of that precision calculating, and executing would surely chase the boredom right outta you, DOGG !
That Bobtail looks like a match made in heaven.

 

[ChrisK]

Great Job Travis!!!

 

[NHT3]

I can see there's a little hand work involved there as well as the machining. Top notch work

 

[WebSnyper]

Love a bobtail. Nice job.

 

[T-DOGG]

Thanks for the compliments.

More progress this evening. Cold blued the housing and polished the back side of the frame all the way up to the grip safety tangs. That will do for now until I get around to bead blasting.

Now I wait for the housing guts to arrive, hopefully next week (Fusion messed up and forget to send them). Tonight I need to sit down and pick out grips and grip screw bushings and get those ordered as well.

Next chapter for this gun will be slide work with the mill.

 

[bcannon]

Job well done Spicy

 

[bobzilla]

Looks amazing. I definitely don’t have the skill, tools nor patience for that.

This made me wonder if you can Bob a compact?

 

[DadSmith]

Great job.
Looks fantastic.

 

[T-DOGG]

Looks amazing. I definitely don’t have the skill, tools nor patience for that.

This made me wonder if you can Bob a compact?

That I don't know. Probably a better question for @AllenM

 

[T-DOGG]

Speaking of Allen, a long long time ago, I shot a bobtailed 10mm Commander he built, at a gathering down at MCF&G. I've had a bobtailed 1911 Commander on the back burner in my mind ever since then. That gun was the inspiration, even if took me a really long time to see it come to fruition.

 

[Born2vette]

Nicely done TD!

 

[AllenM]

Looks amazing. I definitely don’t have the skill, tools nor patience for that.

This made me wonder if you can Bob a compact?

Since I got tagged in this question.
No I dont think you can do a true bobtail on a compact.
Bobtail msh requires a shorter hammer spring and not much room to shorten that spring on a compact.
I do think that round butt msh's are available though and that would be about as bobtail as you can do to a compact.

I did not google this so... That is just my opinion

 

[AllenM]

Excellent work btw T-DOGG

 

[T-DOGG]

Excellent work btw T-DOGG

Thanks! I really appreciate that. I've fallen in love with this platform.

 

[Steel and wood]

Great job as someone that’s has a few 1911’s and just a few bobtails yours look great.
And really looking forward to you working the slide over, always though that tri-top we’re way cool.

 

[AllenM]

Thanks! I really appreciate that. I've fallen in love with this platform.

there is such an opportunity for not only creative work but also to be precise and meticulous with fit and finish.

 

[Amishman44]

I've fallen in love with this platform.

T-DOGG...nice work on the 1911 bobtail...it takes a while and requires patience to achieve quality work, especially when working with metal.

I, too, love the 1911 platform but, anymore, only if it's bob-tailed...OEM or aftermarket, it doesn't matter to me, I'm just at the point where I won't have one that isn't bob-tailed!

AllenM did this one for me several years ago...still my favorite 1911! Now I want a 9mm 1911...