[Boats]

Okay, here is the deal:

I have two Officer's model Colts. One is a range beater. The other I have is a just about bone stock, flat-top slide, blued steel framed Series 80 Colt Officer's Model that I bought NIB in 1991, primarily because my wife liked it.

After a bonehead temporary trade with my brother for a Glock 30 a few years back, my pistol came back with ruined blueing and an idiot scratch where my brother had difficulty field stripping the pistol and then tried to fix a jeweler's screwdriver scratch he put into the frame near the plunger.

Over the years this pistol has grown on me, primarily because it was a good day at the Colt factory when it was made. The pistol has about 450 rounds through with no failures. It is more than accurate enough so I do not desire an aftermarket barrel.

This pistol is a keeper. You have $1000.00 or so to spend "refurbishing" it. What do you do? Note that the plastic trigger and the nylon MSH are already gone and I have an Ed Brown extended mag catch on it.

Goals:

Get rid of scratch in the frame.

Beef up the recoil system.

Ensure that the reliability of the stock pistol is not degraded.

Choose some night sights to fit stock cut-outs (no Novaks).

Get a beavertail in place of the spade grip safety.

Put a low profile ambi safety on it. (I am a southpaw).

Get some presentation qaulity grips.

Refinish the pistol.

Where to send it? What to have done? Go for it! I am actually soliciting advice.

[DMK]

I just went through a similar situation with my Argentine Sistema. It had a cracked slide so it really did need a bunch of work and I decided for a complete rebuild using quality modern components. My budget was about the same as yours.

In my opinion a pistol is a very personal thing. Nobody can tell you what is right for you. That's why custom pistols are so great. It isn't a pistol that Colt or Kimber built for some faceless customer. It's a pistol built to your individual preferences.

Let me show you what I did for mine: I decided to look the pistol over objectively. I tried to determine why I owned the Sistema in the first palce. What did I expect it to do? What modifications would help the pistol and I work together to best do that effectively (within budget of course). Then I called and/or emailed about ten different gunsmiths for quotes and opinions.

I finally settled on John Harrison of Precision Gunworks. He's a great guy. He and I communicated almost exclusivly by email except for the one time he called me to discuss some worn parts he found when he first dissassembled it. He spent a lot of time on his initial quote, explaining each component in detail, why some components were better than others for my application. On top of that he was quick and reasonably priced. I'd highly recommend at least contacting him for a quote. Just do a search on www.1911forum.com for Precision Gunworks and you'll find his contact info. He's a member over there.

Let me throw another kudos out to Tripp Research who did the Hard Chrome finish. John sent my pistol to them just a few days before Christmas. Both he and I fully expected that it would be halfway into January before I saw it due to the holidays. They had the pistol back to him by Dec 31st! They even coated the entire magazine and the grip screws as well. Their workmanship is absolutely beautiful. If you close your eyes and rub your fingers across it, it feels like you're rubbing cold, hard Teflon.

http://home.mchsi.com/~dmk0210/1911/

http://home.mchsi.com/~dmk0210/1911/Sistema_3.JPG

[RussB]

In 1992 I had my 1991A-1 Compact done over. It sports a Wilson FLGR w/reverse plug, Wilson steel MSH, Chip McCormick trigger, thumb safety & mag release. Ed Brown beavertail, IMI night sights and nickle plating (which doesn't how up well in this scan) The hammer is a re-contoured unit from a 1991A1 full-sized pistol. Grips are Eagle rosewood. I also undercut the triggerguard, ala the Colt "enhanced" models of that era. This gun has been both carried and fired a lot.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid46/p68ae871b3518b46b389672699253ecf1/fccbcabf.jpg

[Jim Watson]

Goals:

*Get rid of scratch in the frame.

Part of refinishing. It might or might not be possible to level the scratch completely out, but a good shop can at least smooth and minimize it.

*Beef up the recoil system.

ISMI flat wire recoil system and King's bushing.
http://www.ismi-gunsprings.com/

*Ensure that the reliability of the stock pistol is not degraded.

A good shop will enhance reliability.

*Choose some night sights to fit stock cut-outs (no Novaks).

IMI, Trijicon, and Mepro look like the crop without mill work. I would pick the one with the most white ring for daytime. I have one gun with a tritium front and a plain rear, that has been enough so far.

*Get a beavertail in place of the spade grip safety.

I like the King's No 206 or 206C, but get a recommendation from the 'smith. He will likely have his preference and be set up to do the neatest job with one brand, even if he is willing to do others.

*Put a low profile ambi safety on it. (I am a southpaw).

King's. Have the left side lever trimmed way back.
http://www.kingsgunworks.com/newcatalog/page03.html

*Get some presentation qaulity grips.

Navidrex Micarta

*Refinish the pistol.

Not something I have put much thought into, my guns are either blue or stainless. But a good plating or coating would be more protective; once you are sure the rest is just to suit you.

[Penman]

Ditto on Jim Watson's advice on changing the recoils system, to include the King's bushing. Don't know why Colt bothered to slightly flare the barrel muzzle and then add a flimsy bushing. If you plan to carry this as a defensive piece, follow Jim's advice.

I carry a LW OM, that Novak's lightly customized.