1911 needs work

[uuolf]

Flitz, felt tips, and the baby Dremel

get those felt tips and go to town.

Have you striped it down completely? yet

It's actually on the way... I wanted to be ahead of the game... I can be very impatient and figured I'd better know what I should or shouldnt do BEFORE I put my hands on it... And what I would need the moment it came in...lol it looks like I'll be able to pick it up at my FFL Thursday or Friday... Fingers crossed... One thing I could not get over was the price... I was a little worried about the company and the gun... However seeing others on here that have the same one from the same company made me feel at ease... I figured it would be the perfect one to start my 1911 days... Being so inexpensive and probably needing to be refined...lol

 

[tark]

Much can lead you to deep water with the 1911, I hope everyone here will accept some buoyancy offered by other THR members if and when you venture therein.

Amen.

Why? The frame rail cross section over the magazine well is so thin that it has little effect on the fit and will wear back fast. The double stack mutants don't even have rail there.

1911 frames can vary. Some have a solid rail over the tombstone , some have a notch cut in the rail, to prevent cracking in that area. If the frame has the notch, it is wise not to peen in that area. Peening the right side rail is just the way I was taught. Some smiths don't do this. Every smith has his own technique. I see no reason why this area will "wear back fast (er), than the front and rear sections of the rail.

Then how will you ever get it done if you have not done the first one?

A valid point. There is a first time for everything. Just realize that you might mess up a part or two before you get it right.

I don't know of anybody specific doing it to 1911 types but every Beretta has a chamfered firing pin hole.

Just checked my Baretta. Firing pin hole is definitely chamfered...all the way around. The guy in the video was talking about chamfering the hole "between 11 and 1 O'clock.

Never heard of that.

 

[Mark_Mark]

It's actually on the way... I wanted to be ahead of the game... I can be very impatient and figured I'd better know what I should or shouldnt do BEFORE I put my hands on it... And what I would need the moment it came in...lol it looks like I'll be able to pick it up at my FFL Thursday or Friday... Fingers crossed... One thing I could not get over was the price... I was a little worried about the company and the gun... However seeing others on here that have the same one from the same company made me feel at ease... I figured it would be the perfect one to start my 1911 days... Being so inexpensive and probably needing to be refined...lol

watch put for the safety plunger tube. It’s weak and can pop off if you drop it, then you will need a $75 tool from Brownells to peen or whatever they call it back in place

 

[tark]

Not as expensive as a mis-shaped sear filed/stoned the wrong way . .

And the gun going full auto on you. A .45 1911 going full auto us a potential disaster. The gun is uncontrollable, assuming you don't drop it from the surprise. I witnesses one go full auto when I first started with Les, when he was running the Custom Shop at Springfield Armory. The gun emptied the magazine in about a half a second. Fortunately, Les held on to the thing and no one was hurt.

 

[Jim Watson]

Just realize that you might mess up a part or two before you get it right.

Oh, yes. And be sure to work on the cheap part. PCCs seem to be the biggest generator of wrong or botched parts these days.

The guy in the video was talking about chamfering the hole "between 11 and 1 O'clock.

Meant to prevent the case rim from snagging on a sharp edged firing pin hole as it comes up under the extractor at a slight angle.
Most 1911s get by with just a smooth breech face but Beretta was being cautious on a GI pistol.

watch put for the safety plunger tube. It’s weak and can pop off if you drop it, then you will need a $75 tool from Brownells to peen or whatever they call it back in place

The most common cause of a loose or lost plunger tube is insufficient countersink on the INSIDE of the frame for the "legs" to swage out into. The second most common cause is short legs.
One gunsmith, maybe even Les Baer himself, said a new plunger tube and countersink will usually fix it, a military plunger tube will always fix it. Restaking one with the legs already chewed up is a temporary repair.
You can get a frame with an integral plunger tube from some vendors.

And the gun going full auto on you. A .45 1911 going full auto us a potential disaster. The gun is uncontrollable, assuming you don't drop it from the surprise. I witnesses one go full auto when I first started with Les, when he was running the Custom Shop at Springfield Armory. The gun emptied the magazine in about a half a second. Fortunately, Les held on to the thing and no one was hurt.

Owner of an off brand gun had that happen. Fortunately everybody was surprised, but no damage done. Local guy fixed it. I really miss him, a skilled hand tool gunsmith and crack shot; killed in a car wreck.

 

[tark]

watch put for the safety plunger tube. It’s weak and can pop off if you drop it, then you will need a $75 tool from Brownells to peen or whatever they call it back in place

The plunger tube is one of the few weaknesses of the design. They are staked in place with a special tool. If they have to be removed they are not re-useable. On some 1911s, they are integrally cast into the frame.

 

[tark]

Meant to prevent the case rim from snagging on a sharp edged firing pin hole as it comes up under the extractor at a slight angle.

Makes sense on the GI guns having the large diameter firing pin. Les never used them, that's probably why I haven't heard of this.

 

[Mark_Mark]

The plunger tube is one of the few weaknesses of the design. They are staked in place with a special tool. If they have to be removed they are not re-useable. On some 1911s, they are integrally cast into the frame.

you mean, they cast the plunger tube as apart of the frame? wow!

you guy know how to get the safety to click smoothly and positive. My STi’s with extended safety is good, but my colt and SDS is a but stiff and mushy. Colt and SDS has standard safety

 

[Mark_Mark]

Makes sense on the GI guns having the large diameter firing pin. Les never used them, that's probably why I haven't heard of this.

I’m going to do this, ordering a excato right now! 11 to 1

Lets see what happens

 

[Mark_Mark]

And the gun going full auto on you. A .45 1911 going full auto us a potential disaster. The gun is uncontrollable, assuming you don't drop it from the surprise. I witnesses one go full auto when I first started with Les, when he was running the Custom Shop at Springfield Armory. The gun emptied the magazine in about a half a second. Fortunately, Les held on to the thing and no one was hurt.

that’s scary, you guys seen the recent tragedy of a RO clearing a malfunction and the gun ran away? RIP RO

 

[uuolf]

And the gun going full auto on you. A .45 1911 going full auto us a potential disaster. The gun is uncontrollable, assuming you don't drop it from the surprise. I witnesses one go full auto when I first started with Les, when he was running the Custom Shop at Springfield Armory. The gun emptied the magazine in about a half a second. Fortunately, Les held on to the thing and no one was hurt.

I'll stay away from the internal trigger parts for a bit... Full auto sounds intriguing... But not with a 45acp pistol... And especially not when it's a surprise...

 

[uuolf]

In the early days of my AR phase I polished the sear surfaces a bit too much... Once... Luckily my dad taught me to always expect the worst... So I only had two rounds in the mag. And knowing what parts I'd been messing with made me that much more aware of what to watch out for. Now I just buy a drop in two-stage trigger and call it a day... Or leave it mil-spec for safety.

 

[uuolf]

And the gun going full auto on you. A .45 1911 going full auto us a potential disaster. The gun is uncontrollable, assuming you don't drop it from the surprise. I witnesses one go full auto when I first started with Les, when he was running the Custom Shop at Springfield Armory. The gun emptied the magazine in about a half a second. Fortunately, Les held on to the thing and no one was hurt.

In the early days of my AR phase I polished the sear surfaces a bit too much... Once... Luckily my dad taught me to always expect the worst... So I only had two rounds in the mag. And knowing what parts I'd been messing with made me that much more aware of what to watch out for. Now I just buy a drop in decent two-stage trigger and call it a day... Or leave it mil-spec for safety. Thanks for all your great info.

 

[Skylerbone]

you guy know how to get the safety to click smoothly and positive. My STi’s with extended safety is good, but my colt and SDS is a but stiff and mushy. Colt and SDS has standard safety

Has to do with the shape of the thumb safety’s shield. You’ll need to reprofile for a more positive click when the plunger detent comes to rest.




Red line added to show general area.

 

[CapnMac]

They are staked in place with a special tool.

The classic, non-dovetailed sight, also needed a special staking tool, too. But, the tool was typically less expensive than getting a front sight dovetail milled in (especially with the lack of standardized front sights)

they cast the plunger tube as apart of the frame?

There was a company, long, long ago, that set the plunger tube on a "fin" that dropped over the top left hand grip screw post. Which was ok, if you had the overlap bosses installed, but, otherwise a bit floppity.

Which is likely why that was a passing fad.

 

[Skylerbone]

I'll stay away from the internal trigger parts for a bit... Full auto sounds intriguing... But not with a 45acp pistol... And especially not when it's a surprise...

Remember that when changing or “polishing” or otherwise fiddling with the FCG you will be at risk of losing operability of the thumb safety. That means fitting a new one and a whole other lesson in parts fitting.

 

[tark]

I’m going to do this, ordering a excato right now! 11 to 1

If your gun has the small diameter firing pin this will probably be a waste of time. If the FP ( the tip ) is about same the diameter as the lead in an ordinary wooden pencil, you have a small diameter FP. If it is twice the dia. of the lead, you have the GI sized pin and chamfering may help.

 

[Mark_Mark]

If your gun has the small diameter firing pin this will probably be a waste of time. If the FP ( the tip ) is about same the diameter as the lead in an ordinary wooden pencil, you have a small diameter FP. If it is twice the dia. of the lead, you have the GI sized pin and chamfering may help.

noted!!

I’ll test the FP tonight to see how tight it is! Love a Project!

 

[Skylerbone]

Staking the disconnector is another small project that, with the correct tool isn’t overly challenging while adding modest improvement.

 

[Mark_Mark]

In the early days of my AR phase I polished the sear surfaces a bit too much... Once... Luckily my dad taught me to always expect the worst... So I only had two rounds in the mag. And knowing what parts I'd been messing with made me that much more aware of what to watch out for. Now I just buy a drop in decent two-stage trigger and call it a day... Or leave it mil-spec for safety. Thanks for all your great info.

the PSA enhanced LPK are better than I can polish. It’s really a good

 

[Skylerbone]

Here’s a teaser for you, @tark no helping, why did I file a slot in my 1911’s slide? What is the potential downside that causes me to discourage others from doing the same?

 

[tark]

You got me on that one. I have never seen that modification. What does it do?

 

[Skylerbone]

You got me on that one. I have never seen that modification. What does it do?

I was going to give people a little time but I’ll spill. Notching the disco rail allows the disconnector to glide down the rail as the slide returns to battery, making the pistol smoother and also saving some wear on the disco’s head.

The possible downside is that it also cuts into the heart of the rail which strips the top round from the magazine, leaving the best point of contact forever gone. I read about it years ago, thought through the dimensions, then marked the rail and went for it, one of my questionable choices to be sure, though it’s held up after a good many rounds.

 

[Navy87Guy]

I may only do one and done... But seeing all the info here... I kinda feel like I'll be hooked rather quickly... Thanks for the great info

I started the year with two 1911’s…and I picked up #13 and #14 last week. They’re like potato chips!!

 

[Jim Watson]

The plunger tube is one of the few weaknesses of the design. They are staked in place with a special tool. If they have to be removed they are not re-useable. On some 1911s, they are integrally cast into the frame.

There is one plunger tube with four posts. There is another that screws on.