Half way to another 1911.

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GunnyUSMC

GunnyUSMC

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Last week I stopped in at the local Pawn/Gun shop. I know the owner really good, worked for his dad years ago. So I’m always going behind the counter and helping customers from time to time. While behind the counter I saw a 1911 slide sitting on the workbench. I asked about it and was told that they had just found it in the back and they weren’t sure what they were going to do with it.
I stopped in again five days ago and I was asked if I would be interested in buying the 1911 slide. It was made by High Standard and it was a complete upper except for the recoil spring plug. They wanted $150.Well, as some of y’all know, l have more stuff then I know what to do with, but $150 wasn’t that bad. There was a little surface rust but not much. I said I would think about it and left.
I wasn’t able to stop in again until today. The 1911 upper was still on the workbench. I thought I would try my luck and offered $125 for it and was told it was mine. As I was getting out the cash my friend handed my a Wichita 1911 comp. and said this goes with it.
So now I need to pickup a frame and decide how I want to build it.
1E08FD42-DBC5-4E5C-8CEE-12FC452B5BA6.jpeg FF1D2BC5-7339-4E13-89C1-DD50C04C1801.jpeg E8ADC3D1-3514-4C0B-884F-085D18B87C1A.jpeg 478648CA-9B0A-4DA5-A143-9C49333F51AC.jpeg
 
I believe Sarco has stripped RIA (Philippine) frames.

A couple of years ago, I was in a similar situation to your's, having a GI slide, barrel, and other parts. In my case I got a whole RIA gun and discarded the upper half.
 
You know, if I had cheap enough parts to build a 1911, I'd make an absolute Frankenstein gun.

I mean, just as an entertaining project gun. Put everything necessary into it to create a reliable, decent shooting gun, but make it into something that looks like it was dragged through a gravel pit behind a truck for a week.

You know...a real, nasty looking, pitted, scored exterior with a pristine interior.

What an AWESOME carry piece that would make!
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
You know, if I had cheap enough parts to build a 1911, I'd make an absolute Frankenstein gun.

I mean, just as an entertaining project gun. Put everything necessary into it to create a reliable, decent shooting gun, but make it into something that looks like it was dragged through a gravel pit behind a truck for a week.

You know...a real, nasty looking, pitted, scored exterior with a pristine interior.

What an AWESOME carry piece that would make!
Click to expand...
I had just that- called it the FrankenColt.

Federal Ordnance frame, IMBEL slide, Wilson barrel, bushing, and beavertail.......the finish on every part was different and the only Colt stamped part was the magazine!

My buddy owns it now, it is still the most accurate 1911 I've ever shot and one of the ugliest!
 
Nice score, congrats :) . You can't go wrong with High Standard parts, especially vintage High Standard before they went out of business in the late 60s. From what I understand most of their tooling was bought and shipped to the Philippines and the high standard name was acquired by Metro arms and they started making high standard products along with along with other in-house names like Rock Island using the original high standard tooling :) ...
 
Right now the plan is to clean it up and start looking for a frame. Was thinking about having it parkerized and build a frame with the GI parts I have.
Not sure what I’m going to do with the Wichita comp.
 
Cool buy! I wouldn't put too much work into the compensator I doubt you will find it very effective.

If that deal came my way I would be building my own 80% frame. An 80% frame won't save you any money... I would just really enjoy building my own gun and get a real nice tight but smooth slide to rail fit.

I would blast the whole thing once I had it finished and try my hand at putting a nice Cerakote finish on it... something else I have always wanted to try.

But to each their own.
 
Gunny

I did it the other way around; picked up an Essex frame years ago and then set about building a slide to go on it! After a number of "issues" (never buy one of the "every part you'll need for finishing your 1911 frame" from a surplus parts dealer), and finally buying quality parts from known manufacturers, I finished my gun. I had picked up a complete Springfield Armory slide in .38 Super for a decent price and proceeded to start working on loads for it. Everything worked fine and accuracy was okay though nothing to write home about. Ended up giving the slide away to a friend of mine who was in the market for a .38 Super.

So now I was back to Square 1 with a finished frame with nothing on top of it! Toyed with the idea of building another .38 Super (this time with a Caspian slide), but decided I wanted a .22 conversion assembly for it instead. Looked at the Marvel units but they were always out of stock on the one I wanted so I went with a TacSol .22 conversion kit. Very nice quality and fit right on the frame with no extra fitting needed. Works like a champ too!

eqPVfL0.jpg
 
You bring back memories. I bought a Rem-Rand slide for $25 (new) and an Essex frame for $28 through Shotgun news and picked up all the other parts thru SG News dealers too. That was back in the 70's. Cheap huh? The whole gun cost me about $125.. sheesh back then parts were cheap. Then I sold it... groan
 
I have to admit to not paying enough attention; Are there polymer 80% 1911 lowers out there?

Might be kinda cool to have an FDE frame with the dark slide, and probably dark "parts" on the frame. (Although, a dark forest green cerekote would not be amiss).
 
JeeperCreeper said:
I'd finish it with paint thinner... Rat rod 1911!!!

Gunny, compared to your polymer80, how much tougher is a 1911?
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Glocks are the AR of pistols as far as building. No fitting. 1911's require fitting and the knowledge of what to fit how. Jerry Kuhnhausen's Two Volumes on the 1911 are the best reference out there; I learned the hard way: Armorer school.
 
CapnMac said:
I have to admit to not paying enough attention; Are there polymer 80% 1911 lowers out there?

Might be kinda cool to have an FDE frame with the dark slide, and probably dark "parts" on the frame. (Although, a dark forest green cerekote would not be amiss).
Click to expand...
1911 80% lowers are made of steel and are a lot more work then Polymer 80 Glock lowers.
https://www.stealtharms.net/1911-80-frame.html
 
bannockburn said:
Gunny

I did it the other way around; picked up an Essex frame years ago and then set about building a slide to go on it! After a number of "issues" (never buy one of the "every part you'll need for finishing your 1911 frame" from a surplus parts dealer), and finally buying quality parts from known manufacturers, I finished my gun. I had picked up a complete Springfield Armory slide in .38 Super for a decent price and proceeded to start working on loads for it. Everything worked fine and accuracy was okay though nothing to write home about. Ended up giving the slide away to a friend of mine who was in the market for a .38 Super.

So now I was back to Square 1 with a finished frame with nothing on top of it! Toyed with the idea of building another .38 Super (this time with a Caspian slide), but decided I wanted a .22 conversion assembly for it instead. Looked at the Marvel units but they were always out of stock on the one I wanted so I went with a TacSol .22 conversion kit. Very nice quality and fit right on the frame with no extra fitting needed. Works like a champ too!

View attachment 796262
Click to expand...
I bought a Kimber 22 conversion back in 2003. I got tired of swapping the changing upper when I wanted to shoot 22’s so I picked up a Rock Island frame in 2007 and built it to put the Kimber 22 conversion on. It’s been a great shooter.
6F3E3881-8545-44BA-A9CB-7199BB14FEA0.jpeg
 
GunnyUSMC said:
1911 80% lowers are made of steel and are a lot more work then Polymer 80 Glock lowers.
https://www.stealtharms.net/1911-80-frame.html
Click to expand...

If it were easy... where would the fun be? You can get 80% 1911 frames in aluminum... but steel would be better (I would seriously consider stainless). You could even use some old ammo cans as practice for a cool looking camo Cerakote job on your 1911 build.
 
MikeInOr said:
If it were easy... where would the fun be? You can get 80% 1911 frames in aluminum... but steel would be better (I would seriously consider stainless). You could even use some old ammo cans as practice for a cool looking camo Cerakote job on your 1911 build.
Click to expand...
I can buy and build a Rock Island frame cheaper then I can a 80% so, I’m going to buy a Rock Island.
 
GunnyUSMC said:
I can buy and build a Rock Island frame cheaper then I can a 80% so, I’m going to buy a Rock Island.
Click to expand...

Yep, building a 1911 frame definitely doesn't save any money! This is what has kept me from building one. Hard to justify building a 1911 and pay 50% to 100% more than buying one will cost... then having a weapon that has pretty much no resale value when you are done!
 
Gunny

Your Kimber .22 conversion on top of the Rock Island frame looks mighty nice! Is that an aluminum slide? I tried another one similar to that (aluminum slide), but I couldn't get it to go on my Essex frame.
 
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