Home Built 1911
Howdy Sisco,
It depends on what you expect the results to be. If you want hand-fitted
everything just so...Tamara gave you some good advice. If you want a
decent shooter that you can trust..it's doable.
The notion that it takes a master pistolsmith to put a functional 1911 together isn't exactly true. Keep in mind that all the entry-level...and
many of the "upgraded" pistols...are assembled from select-fit, drop-in
parts with very little fitting involved. If everything is in spec, or very close
to that, you should be able to pull it off pretty easily. What you will wind up with is a pistol that has better small parts, and probably a better slide/frame fit than what you can go out and buy for about the same money, or maybe a little less.
While I've built a few good pistols on Essex frames and slides, I don't
recommend them for the first-time builder. Sometimes hole locations and
other dimensions are a little on the high or low side of tolerance, and can
cause some headaches unless you know what to look for., and what to do about it. Pop for the extra bucks and go with Caspian. They sell a whole line of parts to build your own, and the chances of getting everything to work is much better than buying a gaggle of parts from all over creation.
Read Kuhnhausen's manuals and read them again. Study everything closely until you can imagine yourself as a millimeter tall and watching the
gun function in slow-motion. Understanding HOW it works will help you to determine why something isn't working as it's supposed to.
Ask questions...both here and at the elbow of a pistolsmith who knows 1911s. They're not really all that complicated, but there are little things to be on the lookout for. Basic troubleshooting is essential to identifying a
functional problem and correcting it without correcting the wrong thing.
If possible, get friendly with a known 1911 smith and ask for help. Make sure that he understands that you're building a one-time gun for yourself, and don't intend to try to cut into his business. Most are very helpful, but
they tend to be territorial. If he trusts you, he may even let you watch while he sets one up.
My ex-wife's oldest boy approached me about building a pistol last year.
I suggested that he do it...and he did. I built one for me while he watched, and he built one for himself while I supervised. He was careful and patient, and he has himself a nice Commander clone that is completely reliable, and nicely done. Nothing fancy...it looks pretty much like a
WW2 GI would look if they had been built in Commander-length. It's
as accurate as it needs to be for any reasonable general-purpose use,
and more accurate than most NRM Colts or Mil-Spec Springfields. It hasn't
missed a beat in nearly 5,000 rounds, and he's turned down several offers
for the gun for more than he has in it.
Understand that you'll probably kill a few parts...mostly small ones. There
isn't a smith alive who hasn't had that happen. That's part of it. If you don't, you will eventually. See...there just ain't any such thing as building
ONE pistol. It's addictive. Ask me how I know...
If you decide to go for it, I'll help in any way that I can. There are several
good pistolsmiths who hang around here. Jim Keenan is a savvy 1911 man
who knows the ropes. Fuff is being modest, but he tipped his hand on several occasions, so there are people who will answer your questions and
put you on the right path. There are others who keep very quiet, but I've
noticed a few who know more than they're admitting to. You know who you are, guys.
Good luck with it! Standin' by...
Tuner
