Help customize my 1911

[Glockfan.45]

So I just bought my first 1911 style pistol today . I got a Kimber Target II in Stainless. I havent even shot it yet but already the custom bug has bitten me, as my name implies I am used to Glocks so not many options there to personalize. I am thinking about a hard chrome finish, getting the front strap checkered to match the rear, and of course new grips. I am open to any suggestions and please feel free to post lots of pics (good excuse for some gun porn here ).

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Very soon I will be adding Hogue grips, meprolight night sights and a ambidextrious ( i think I spelld that right) safety to my Kimber Custon II.

The checkering does sound like a good idea though.

Congrats on the purchase I have been very satisfied with mine so far.

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

Congrats on the new purchase! I just bought an eclipse custom II a couple of weeks ago and love it! Don't forget to tell us how it shoots! Oh, and where are the pictures???

I have a quick question for anyone who knows...Say I had a brush-polished stainless steel pistol that had some scratches in it, how much would I expect to pay to get it polished?

 

[LanEvo`]

I am thinking about a hard chrome finish, getting the front strap checkered to match the rear, and of course new grips. I am open to any suggestions and please feel free to post lots of pics...

If you're already going to get the frontstrap checkered, you might want to consider getting the area under the trigger-guard relieved as well. This will let you choke up on the gun for a proper "high-thumb" grip.

 

[Steve C]

IMO you should take the gun and shoot it a lot first, THEN after a 1,000 round go down range you may have some idea of what options may work to improve it for you. If you're just looking for sparkle then a gold plated trigger, bright polish and scrimshawed ivory stocks would be the way to go.

 

[daysleeprx]

Listen to SteveC...how can you know you want to customize it without having even fired it yet?

 

[the pistolero]

So I just bought my first 1911 style pistol today . I got a Kimber Target II in Stainless.

Sweet. What caliber? I picked up one this week as well, in 10mm. The only thing I've done to it so far is put on a set of Hogue rubber wraparounds. (picture on this thread) Meprolights may follow, and an ambi safety sounds good too, since I'm a lefty, but I think that'll be about it. I really like the stainless finish on the gun, though, so that's gonna stay as is, and as for any other cosmetic alterations, my own opinion is that would be money better spent on ammo and/or reloading components. Just my $0.02...

 

[XavierBreath]

Howabout some new pink plastic bell bottom grips from CDNN?
Just $9.99 and you'll be jammin'!



Seriously, shoot the pistol for at least six months before you do anything.
During that six months you will learn what you want, like and perhaps need, from shooting the gun.
Then, when you modify the pistol, it will be a custom gun instead of a fashion statement.


Otherwise, this could result.........

 

[10-Ring]

My recommendation would be to shoot it first. After a few hundred rounds, it will apparent what you'll want modified or enhanced

 

[Geno]

Checker frontstrap & hard chrome

Checker frontstrap & hard chrome...end of story.

Doc2005

 

[Glockfan.45]

Thanks but no thanks I will have to pass on the pink bell bottom grips . And dont worry about it turning into a "pimp gun" I like to think my taste are much better than that. As far as shooting goes I have shot many a 1911 before, this is just the first one I have owned. I bought it because I have seen many nice looking custom 1911's and wanted one to do myself. By the way to the person who asked its a .45, and how do you like those Houge grips? I was looking at the same set last night online. My Glocks do the duty work the Kimber is just a toy . I will get some pics up as soon as I figure out how to load them on the site. Check back on this thread I will try to make it an on-going project with pics along the way.

 

[Chuck R.]

I agree with the other guys, I’d shoot it for a while first, then decide what you want to do. Some manufacturers don’t like to do warranty work on pistols that have been worked on by someone else.

A couple of features I have on my favorite 1911s:

Relieve under trigger guard for a high thumb, high grip. Makes a world of difference in rapid fire.
Checker frontstrap 30LPI, I’d go 25 at the lowest, 20 can get uncomfortable.
Checker UNDER trigger guard. It’s a “memory” thing for my support hand but I really like it.
Blended Mag well. Adds about .25” to the height, but a bumper pad sticks out still more anyway. It makes even bad reloads look smooth.
Serrate top of the slide. Looks nice, but that’s about it.
Serrate rear of slide. See above.

IF you don’t reload now, I’d say screw the mods for a while and spend the money on a good reloading set up. A custom pistol is great, but only when you get to shoot it a lot. I know quite a few guys that have dumped a lot of money into a gun they hardly ever shoot.

Chuck

 

[the pistolero]

how do you like those Houge grips?

I love 'em. First tried 'em out on my Springfield GI and they really improved my grip on it, and since then they've gone on all my autoloaders except my Ruger P89 (and I plan to remedy that soon). I suppose some might think them a bit utilitarian-looking, and I can see where those folks are coming from, but for me they work much better than the checkering getup and they look good as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Glockfan.45]

suppose some might think them a bit utilitarian-looking, and I can see where those folks are coming from, but for me they work much better than the checkering getup and they look good as far as I'm concerned.

I am a sucker for a utilitarian gun hence the Glocks. Now I am thinking of those Houge grips, and a brushed chrome finish. You say you like the stainless as is but to be honest it just looks too dull, and gray to me.

 

[Glockfan.45]

Ok as promised heres the pic enjoy.

 

[the pistolero]

You say you like the stainless as is but to be honest it just looks too dull, and gray to me.

When I saw the picture of the Stainless on the Kimber website I thought the same thing, but it looked much better in the flesh, or more accurately, in the metal. What about black stainless, like the Eclipse? Now that's a bee-you-tee-full piece. I don't know if you could get that done or who would do it (Springfield, perhaps, I seem to recall their website saying their custom shop would work on any 1911 regardless of maker), but it's a thought.

 

[Kruzr]

If you're already going to get the frontstrap checkered, you might want to consider getting the area under the trigger-guard relieved as well. This will let you choke up on the gun for a proper "high-thumb" grip.

Kimbers are already undercut. You only need to do that on an SA or Colt if you add front strap checkering.

 

[Helstrm]

Extended slide release, Then shoot it to make sure it functions 100% make sure you like the sites, Trigger pull ext.... But I never did like the stock slide releases, I use a Wilson combat ext. on my 1911's

 

[Glockfan.45]

Alright took it out today and shot it for the first time. I ran 200 trouble free rounds through it including 50 hollow points. I picked up a couple Wilson 8rnd mags that were recomended, and they functioned great. I will say the recoil is a good deal more than I am used to with a Glock. This gun is more accurate than my skill level allows me to shoot. The adjustable sights were right on the mark out of the box. Aside from the recoil the only other complaint is its a pain in the to clean. Oh well thats not much to complain about. The cleaning aspect however does reinforce my desire to have it hard chromed, I think that finish will wipe off much easier. Also I think the Houge grips will help manage some of the recoil. One more thing the slide release is a little too far up for my thumb to reach well. Would an extended release bring it back farther somehow, or just make it stick out more?

 

[Helstrm]

It will bring it back. I like the Wilson combat release myself... As far as cleaning. It is easy, After you field strip it a couple of times.

 

[Helstrm]

Should be easy to see on my 1911 because it is black against green. I did have to contour the grip a bit.

 

[carnaby]

You might consider some new guts too, why not customize the inside? I'm thinking of going with some Ed Brown internals: Hammer, Sear, Disconnector and Trigger.

 

[Just_a_dude_with_a_gun]

VZ grips have some nice stuff out there. also some nice cocobolo slabs could be nice.

 

[Zach S]

Nice pistol, if it were mine I'd:

Replace grip screws with flatheads.
Replace mag catch screw if its not a flathead.
Replace FLGR with a GI parts.
Replace front sight with a night sight.
Replace rear sight with a plain black fixed one.
Replace stock magazine with at least four Wilson 47s, at least one of which with the low-profile steel basepad.

Extended slide release, Then shoot it to make sure it functions 100% make sure you like the sites, Trigger pull ext.... But I never did like the stock slide releases, I use a Wilson combat ext. on my 1911's

As someone who shoot high-thumb, I hate them. I prefer the stock part.

Aside from the recoil the only other complaint is its a pain in the to clean.

While I dont reccomend my cleaning habits (or lack thereof), IME all a kimber needs is oil.

 

[Tim Burke]

If you don't know what you want, how do you expect us to know?
I've seen custom pistols that look a lot like your's does currently.
Shoot it, look at other people's guns, and then decide what features you want. If you are going to have to send it off, you want to have everything done in one trip; afterthoughts are expensive.
Oh, one more thing. Don't rule out those bell bottoms too fast. They are coming back into style.