Ok everyone has probably already seen my 1911 that I have been changing little by little over the past few months.
It started out as a Springfield Armory Mil-Spec as faras I can tell (my dad bought it for me in used condition). It appears to have a slide Springfield puts on its Loaded pistols. It had no ILS and a commander style grip saftey and hammer and Novak LoMount rear sight.
The first thing I did was shoot it alot. I recently graduated from high school and found some more time to play with it. I shot it a little more and decided that the arched mainspring housing had to go, my hands are too small and I wasn't getting a comfortable grip. While I was tossing ideas around in my head I began reading articles on the MEU(SOC) Pistols which were modified 1911s that the Marines had issued to certain units and eventually the Det 1 Kimber USMC ICQB Pistol. I read various articles about it in alot of magazines and decided it would be cool to have what the most elite of special forces have.
I Began looking around at the Unertl 1911 and the Springfield Armory MC Operator and the Kimber Warrior and all these various 1911s that wanted to be the Kimber ICQB Pistol. Wow I really wanted a Kimber Warrior...but I didn't have $1K to blow on a pistol (especially a series II with a firing pin saftey system
)
I had a revilation! I'll just turn my Mil-Spec into one! Why not?! I looked at my NM prefix serial numbered peice of American steel and said "Oorah!" I ordered a pair of Simonich/Strider Gunner Grips in Coyote Brown to slap on, this would be the most visually significant place to start. $71 later I had an awesome looking pair of grips at my door and a cool looking handgun that was ready for further customization and ICQB emulation. I put those bad daddies on and put the (slippery) old black rubber grips (they turned out to be non-wraparound patchmyers! thats not stock SA is it? this gun is just wierd.. I thought it was pretty much stock...) in the bag the Gunners came in.
The next order of business was to make a change that would be just as visual as it would be functional, the arched MSH's days were numbered! I was juiced from the look and feel of the Gunner Grips as I placed an order with Brownell's for a Smith&Alexander flat, checkered MSH with a lanyard loop. The same look as the one on the USMC Kimber. $50 later and I was a happy guy. Awesome look and much improved feel to my hand.
Now I am at another cross-roads. I have eliminated the two most visual differences between my SA Mil-Spec frankengun and the ICQB Pistol. The next step is what I would like opinions on. Do I replace the grip saftey? thats the next most visual difference right? It is also functional, sometimes I don't depress the commander-style grip saftey because of my high-hold and my smallish hands. Ed Brown Memory Groove just like the ICQB, right? At only $40 from Brownell's it seems like a good, cheap next step but I have read that it requires something called a ".250" radius cut" to fit Springfield Armory frames. I have no problem with that, whatever will make it fit works for me. How much will that work cost me, though?
Or should I get an EGW ignition set: a new hammer, sear, disconnector, and sear spring. This will improve trigger pull over the stock componants right? Is tool steel as rust resistant as stainless? Would I need to get the tool steel hammer finished? I want a hammer that looks (or is) stainless steel just like the one on the ICQB. The EGW hammer in the ignition set is the same look. This is a bit more expensive than just the grip saftey replacement but its under $100 so its ok. What do you guys think about the EGW ignition set? Good quality stuff? Is there something better that looks the same?
I'll need some wilson-rogers mags as specified by the USMC Det 1. They aren't cheap but its a sure thing that I can spend money on while I decide what to do next.
I know this deviates from the Kimber ICQB, but I would like to have the front strap of my pistol checkered at 20 LPI, the same as the checkering on my MSH. I can send it to the Springfield custom shop and have it done for $75 by a machine. Is that a good deal? Not as pretty as hand checkering, maybe but does that really matter?
The Kimber ICQB has Novak LoMount sights like i've already got, that is good, I like these sights alot. But the ICQB has tritium inserts. Should I buy NEW Novak sights with tritium or can I just have it put in the sights I have now. How much will that cost?
My SA also has an extended slide stop lever and the ICQB doesn't. Who makes a good standard-sized slide stop? I perfer checkered but I guess I could settle for serrated.
Who makes the best ambi thumb saftey? I'll need one of those. Not too wide though. What about the trigger? Who makes a good stainless, serrated, skeletonized match grade trigger? I was thinking Wilson Combat.
I plan on getting a Dawson Precision light rail for my pistol as well. I have decided to go with the Surefire X200 compatable version instead of the military version that accepts the Surefire military pistol light. The X200 is 1/3rd the size of the military's light and just as powerful. This will be much later because it will cost around $300.
Conclusion:Thanks for putting up with my questions and thanks for giving your opinions and advice. I would like nothing better than to hear of what you think of my pistol so far and if I have selected a company or part that is not the best then please let me know who makes a better whatever. I am also interested in anyone that has had first-hand experience with any of the after-market parts that I have mentioned. Back to Brownell's Catalog #58
It started out as a Springfield Armory Mil-Spec as faras I can tell (my dad bought it for me in used condition). It appears to have a slide Springfield puts on its Loaded pistols. It had no ILS and a commander style grip saftey and hammer and Novak LoMount rear sight.
The first thing I did was shoot it alot. I recently graduated from high school and found some more time to play with it. I shot it a little more and decided that the arched mainspring housing had to go, my hands are too small and I wasn't getting a comfortable grip. While I was tossing ideas around in my head I began reading articles on the MEU(SOC) Pistols which were modified 1911s that the Marines had issued to certain units and eventually the Det 1 Kimber USMC ICQB Pistol. I read various articles about it in alot of magazines and decided it would be cool to have what the most elite of special forces have.
I Began looking around at the Unertl 1911 and the Springfield Armory MC Operator and the Kimber Warrior and all these various 1911s that wanted to be the Kimber ICQB Pistol. Wow I really wanted a Kimber Warrior...but I didn't have $1K to blow on a pistol (especially a series II with a firing pin saftey system
)I had a revilation! I'll just turn my Mil-Spec into one! Why not?! I looked at my NM prefix serial numbered peice of American steel and said "Oorah!" I ordered a pair of Simonich/Strider Gunner Grips in Coyote Brown to slap on, this would be the most visually significant place to start. $71 later I had an awesome looking pair of grips at my door and a cool looking handgun that was ready for further customization and ICQB emulation. I put those bad daddies on and put the (slippery) old black rubber grips (they turned out to be non-wraparound patchmyers! thats not stock SA is it? this gun is just wierd.. I thought it was pretty much stock...) in the bag the Gunners came in.
The next order of business was to make a change that would be just as visual as it would be functional, the arched MSH's days were numbered! I was juiced from the look and feel of the Gunner Grips as I placed an order with Brownell's for a Smith&Alexander flat, checkered MSH with a lanyard loop. The same look as the one on the USMC Kimber. $50 later and I was a happy guy. Awesome look and much improved feel to my hand.
Now I am at another cross-roads. I have eliminated the two most visual differences between my SA Mil-Spec frankengun and the ICQB Pistol. The next step is what I would like opinions on. Do I replace the grip saftey? thats the next most visual difference right? It is also functional, sometimes I don't depress the commander-style grip saftey because of my high-hold and my smallish hands. Ed Brown Memory Groove just like the ICQB, right? At only $40 from Brownell's it seems like a good, cheap next step but I have read that it requires something called a ".250" radius cut" to fit Springfield Armory frames. I have no problem with that, whatever will make it fit works for me. How much will that work cost me, though?
Or should I get an EGW ignition set: a new hammer, sear, disconnector, and sear spring. This will improve trigger pull over the stock componants right? Is tool steel as rust resistant as stainless? Would I need to get the tool steel hammer finished? I want a hammer that looks (or is) stainless steel just like the one on the ICQB. The EGW hammer in the ignition set is the same look. This is a bit more expensive than just the grip saftey replacement but its under $100 so its ok. What do you guys think about the EGW ignition set? Good quality stuff? Is there something better that looks the same?
I'll need some wilson-rogers mags as specified by the USMC Det 1. They aren't cheap but its a sure thing that I can spend money on while I decide what to do next.
I know this deviates from the Kimber ICQB, but I would like to have the front strap of my pistol checkered at 20 LPI, the same as the checkering on my MSH. I can send it to the Springfield custom shop and have it done for $75 by a machine. Is that a good deal? Not as pretty as hand checkering, maybe but does that really matter?
The Kimber ICQB has Novak LoMount sights like i've already got, that is good, I like these sights alot. But the ICQB has tritium inserts. Should I buy NEW Novak sights with tritium or can I just have it put in the sights I have now. How much will that cost?
My SA also has an extended slide stop lever and the ICQB doesn't. Who makes a good standard-sized slide stop? I perfer checkered but I guess I could settle for serrated.
Who makes the best ambi thumb saftey? I'll need one of those. Not too wide though. What about the trigger? Who makes a good stainless, serrated, skeletonized match grade trigger? I was thinking Wilson Combat.
I plan on getting a Dawson Precision light rail for my pistol as well. I have decided to go with the Surefire X200 compatable version instead of the military version that accepts the Surefire military pistol light. The X200 is 1/3rd the size of the military's light and just as powerful. This will be much later because it will cost around $300.
Conclusion:Thanks for putting up with my questions and thanks for giving your opinions and advice. I would like nothing better than to hear of what you think of my pistol so far and if I have selected a company or part that is not the best then please let me know who makes a better whatever. I am also interested in anyone that has had first-hand experience with any of the after-market parts that I have mentioned. Back to Brownell's Catalog #58
