Colt 1991A1 - my "before and after" pics

[DHart]

Among my 1911's I happen to have quite a number of Colts, all fairly recent production. I'm really thrilled with the guns Colt is making these days. In fact they are my favorite 1911 brand bar none (and I do own a very nice Ed Brown as well.)

Anyway... after a time, one decides to take a production 1911 and explore what can be done to make it into a really fine Custom 1911. I had this new 1991A1 which was a superb gun from the moment I took it out of the box. Didn't need a thing to be stone-cold reliable and wonderfully accurate. Had a great trigger on it too. But I just couldn't leave well enough alone. As much as I loved this gun when it was box-stock, it has become a really special gun with the help of John Harrison of http://www.precision-gunworks.com.

Here are the before and after pics:

The list of modifications includes:

• Slide top flattened and serrated with a wide ridge on each outer edge of the serrations
• Staggered serrations on front strap
• Hi-cut front strap
• Dehorned edges all around
• Lowered & flared ejector port
• Novak bar rear night sight and dovetailed front night sight
• Ed Brown grip safety
• Ed Brown arched, serrated MSH
• Nowlin Pro premium grade hammer & sear set
• Grieder short solid aluminum trigger
• Brownell's premium grade stainless steel extractor
• EGW Angled-bore barrel bushing
• EGW oversized firing pin stop
• Ed Brown magazine catch & plunger tube
• Premium grade slide stop (Ed Brown, I believe)
• Wilson premium grade thumb safety, trimmed down to near GI-size, but with a slightly wider thumb shelf
• Carry trigger at 4#
• Beveled magwell
• Re-crown Colt barrel for beveled flush fit with EGW barrel bushing
• Reliability package (done to ensure that all the new parts work flawlessly - sort of an insurance policy on the work done, as I see it - not because the gun needed any reliability work to begin with.)
• Bead blast frame and slide, then brush polish slide flats
• VZ Black Paper Gator Back grips

The gun is solid as a rock, in fact it's pretty stiff when first racking the slide, but it's a tack driver and so far stone-reliable with JHP defense loads.

 

[bigmike45]

Dhart,

I am not a Colt man........but the end result is one of the sharpest looking 1911's I have ever seen.

I really like that you decided to leave, the front of the slide sides, un-serrated. That seems to be the big thing these days and I personally think it takes away from the overall look. Two of my three 1911's have them and if I could I would get rid of them.

Serrating, flattening and groving the top of the slide is a nice touch.

I prefer checkering on the front strap. I had two guns with the staggered grooves like yours has and it did not aid in keeping a good grip.

One really sharp looking firearm you can be very proud of.

 

[DHart]

bigmike... Interesting comment on a serrated front strap, wow, I find the serrations on this gun bite nicely into my fingers giving excellent traction. I guess as with checkering, not all checkering nor all serrations work equally well... depends on how they were done.

As for front slide serrations, I like 1911's both with and without, so I'm pretty happy either way, depending on the "style" of the 1911. On mil-spec guns I prefer no front serrations. On more contemporary styles, I'm happy with serrations and also with no serrations.

 

[Seraph]

Nice guns, and nice photos, as always, Mr. Hart. I see you wasted little time in grabbing up some VZ's. They really look good on your weapons. BTW, is that a replacement grip safety on your XSE, or do they now come with that one? I like it a lot better with that style, than with the style I've seen on them before.

 

[Frandy]

Oh me, oh my. Whewie.... If I was my wife, I'd be havin' hot flashes!

Hey, I am havin' hot flashes over these Colts.

Oh me...oh my...

 

[DHart]

Seraph... I tend to prefer the single-sided GI-style thumb safety, so I popped out the extended ambi-safety that comes on the XSE and popped in a spare GI-style single sided thumb safety that I had on hand. For a carry gun, I MUCH prefer the GI style as they stay PUT! (they don't accidentally "snick-off" like the extended ambi's can so easily do when carrying or in a fanny pack) But for a home/RV defense gun, I don't mind the extended ambi's.

 

[Seraph]

Hart, I agree with you on the single-side thumb safety thing, but, if you re-read my post, I was asking about the grip safety. Other XSE guns I've seen have had a different looking grip safety, like the one in this pic I borrowed from Gunbroker. I like the one on yours better.

 

[DHart]

Seraph... ah...yes, I mis-read your post. I much prefer the upswept beavertail grip safety on contemporary-featured 1911's such as the XSE. I put in a Wilson Drop-In Grip Safety. On my mil-spec guns I like the small tang mil-spec grip safety. The only grip safety I don't like is the "duckbill" downswept grip safety that Colt currenty puts on the XSE line. I think the duckbill design is goofy looking and limits one from gaining a higher grip hold. Also, the downturned point kind of digs into the top of my hand.