Need advice on custom 1911

[WingZero]

I'm looking to build a custom 1911 for competition.
I thinking about a Strayer Voigt reciever with a caspian slide.

So if anyone can give me any suggestions on internals like barrel, safety, slide stop, and so forth let me know.
Also other options on recivers and slides.
Let me know what you got too.

Feel free to ask me any questions that you might want to know about to help you answer my question.

Thanks.

WingZero

 

[Sean Smith]

What competition? That will dictate alot of the features on your gun.

 

[MoNsTeR]

I just got a custom build on an SV frame. It has:
STI slide
Schuemann barrel
SV hammer, sear, disconnector, trigger, sear spring
SV stainless MSH and magwell
STI grip safety
Ed Brown wide ambi safety
Wilson slide stop
Aftec extractor
Ed Brown pin set
Wilson adjustable rear sight
Brazos "micro-dot" front sight
Cominolli guide rod
can't recall the make of the ejector, FP stop, or FP

If I had it to do over again, I might go for a regular guide rod and a Wolff sear spring, but these are working OK so far.

I specified a few of the parts, like the sights, safeties, MSH, and magwell, but the rest I let my 'smith choose. I figure if I'm trusting him to build the thing, I'll trust his judgment on what kind of slide stop and pin set to use
Honestly, I don't think it matters all that much. You should pick the parts that you have a preference for, like which grip safety, thumb safety, sights, etc. But when fit properly, there's not much functional difference between SV/STI/C&S/EGW hammers & sears, or Bar-Sto/Schuemann/Nowlin/STI barrels, etc etc etc.

I recommend Brian Hawley: www.experimentalmachining.com

 

[Dave Sample]

The proper parts selection is all important. I have spent 20 years weeding out the junk and I hope you make a good pick. Good Luck.

 

[WingZero]

Sean Smith = "What competition? That will dictate alot of the features on your gun. "

I'll be competing in IDPA.

 

[John Forsyth]

Ok, you want to use a wide body reciever and a caspian slide to shoot IDPA. Just my opinion, the wide body frome is fine, be it SVI or STI. What caliber are we talking about? I would say at least .40S&W as a minimum. Why, so I could be in ESP in IDPA and still make major if I wanted to shoot Limited or Limited 10 in USPSA.

Fire control, be it WC, Ed Brown, C&S, Nowlin, or STI, it's good stuff. Just get what you like. I like C&S and Nowlin.

Barrels. I like Karts, but nothing wrong with Barsto or Schuemann. Get what you like.

Safeties, I like Ed Brown grip and C&S thumb.

With respect to slide stops, ejectors, extractors, firing pins and firing pin stops, I like Caspian and EGW.

Sights, Bo-Mar rear, Brazos Custom FO front.

But one thing to remember, if you are going to shoot the gun in IDPA, it has to have a bushing barrel, no bull barrels allowed.

 

[Sean Smith]

I'll be competing in IDPA.

First off, read the rules for the class you want to shoot in. That will dicatate alot of what you can/can't use. IDPA is pretty restrictive when it comes to what is and isn't allowed, and the classes are set up so that a gun can't really be competitive in multple classes (no single action in SSP, no .45 ACP in ESP, only .45 ACP allowed in CDP, etc.).

http://www.idpa.com/rulebook5-2-01/Rulebook.pdf

For instance, no class in IDPA allows more than 10 rounds, and CDP only allows 8, so building your gun on a SV widebody frame doesn't make sense for IDPA... you can't use the extra capacity in ANY class in IDPA. SV does make nice single-stack frames, though.

Only use I can think of for a STI/SVI widebody gun in IDPA would be if you also want to shoot the same gun in USPSA Limited and Limited-10. In that case you could have a .40 S&W gun made, load it with 10+1 for ESP and Limited-10, and whip out the humungous-capacity magazines for Limited.

 

[Jim Watson]

Going to build it yourself?
If not, have you got a gunsmith lined up?
If so, ask him. My FLG has definite preferences that do not always agree with the laundry lists of parts and "features" you see on the www.

You have pretty well defined a STI Eagle 5.0 bushing model.

 

[Correia]

Don't forget that for IDPA there are certain custom features that are against the rules. Like bull barrels.

I use a double stack .45 1911 in CDP, I just have to download the magazines to 8 rounds. However I use the same gun in 3gun with 14 rounds in the magazine. So a lot depends on your game.

Before you build your custom gun, and I kick myself for not doing this sooner in my own personal gun buying, try out all sorts of different sights. Of all of the things that you can add to your custom gun, I think have the sights that are perfect to you are the most important thing. And then keep in mind that if it is for IDPA some sights are not allowed. (ghost rings, extended sights).

My ideal IDPA sights are Ashley Express sights. (Now XS 24/7) for some reason those things just suit me so much better that it is ridiculous. However now I've got a bunch of other guns laying around that I also like to shoot, or wouldn't mind shooting, but my brain refuses to shoot regular sights, or 3 dot sights worth a darn now. So I can either shoot them not as well, not shoot them at all, or drop $120 a gun and get them all refitted.

 

[MoNsTeR]

building your gun on a SV widebody frame doesn't make sense for IDPA

I'm going to guess you've never had the pleasure of doing a mag change on an STI/SV frame

 

[Jerry the Geek]

Oh, Geez!

This is a tough one. You're asking for advice on The Perfect IDPA gun, and I have no idea, other than what I've read here, what IDPS restrictions are. (Consider this a sufficient commentary on IDPA, the arbitrary buggers!)

Here are some guidelines which may prove useful:

Don't use a Caspian slide. They're brittle, and they break.

Don't go to SV frames. Their warranty is non-existant. They sell you the gun, and after that they've never heard of you.

Aparently, magazine capacity is not a factor, as long as you can jam 8 rounds into a magazine. That eliminates double-stack magazines.


I can't' easily justify my usual kant "Buy An STI" because there's not obvious advantage to spending the money. Sure, you get what you pay for, but it's apparant that in IDPA you can pay for more than you can use.

I would recommend that you buy a Kimber .45 ACP single-stack. Second choice would be a Springfield, third choice would be anything similar whose marketing department has sold you on because of their advertising, as long as it's a 1911.

You want to use the gun for something other than IDPA? That changes the equation. But you didn't say that so I'll with-hold better advice.

Frankly, I would preferably advise you to avoid IDPA and find a competitive sport which is more amenable to a wider range of options. But it's your chice to make, and any man who is willing to settle for only IDPA competition (or who has no choice, given the competition options available in his geographic area) has more problems than I am willing to address.


Yes, I'm prejudiced in favor of IPSC competition, but that's only because IPSC allows you more options in terms of equipment. It may not be available to you, and that's not our fault.

Jerry the Geek

 

[Wildalaska]

Don't use a Caspian slide. They're brittle, and they break.

Everything breaks

WildneverheardofacaspianbreakingbutheywannaseesomeblowedupkimberglockspringfieldsAlaska

 

[Sean Smith]

I'm going to guess you've never had the pleasure of doing a mag change on an STI/SV frame

Actually, I have. But you could put a magwell on a good single-stack frame and still spend less than what SV charges for one of their widebody frames, not to mention the cost of widebody mags... so you can just put 8-10 rounds in them?

Don't use a Caspian slide. They're brittle, and they break.

Funny, since all your suggestions are more failure-prone than Caspian.

 

[Berg01]

I'm looking to build a custom 1911 for competition.

Evolution Gun Works

[/QUOTE] I thinking about a Strayer Voigt reciever with a caspian slide..[/QUOTE]

See Above

[/QUOTE] So if anyone can give me any suggestions on internals like barrel, safety, slide stop, and so forth let me know..[/QUOTE]

Everybody has opinions on this, rely on what the pros and well-informed shooters and competitors tell you. This is part of the expertise you pay a top-flight shop like EGW for (again, see above).

[/QUOTE] Also other options on recivers and slides.[/QUOTE]

Again, see above

[/QUOTE] Let me know what you got too.[/QUOTE]

I have nothing like what you are describing, although I aspire to have something close in the future. EGW is currently working on a second gun for me; they worked on my .40 S&W CZ 75B, and they now have my S&W 27-2 revolver. Their old shop was down the street from my house; their new shop is about 12 miles up the road. I have met their people and they are "top-guns" (pun intended). Their deliveries tend to be long, so be patient; their prices are fair, and the work is done properly.

 

[Correia]

Jerry, if he wanted to shoot IPSC with an IDPA based gun he could shoot in limited just fine.

 

[MoNsTeR]

*shrug* To each his own, but IME reloading an S*I frame, especially with a magwell, is an order of magnitude easier than reloading a single stack, even one with an enormous magwell. And the frame itself doesn't cost any more either, once you add to a single-stack frame the cost of checkering, grips, and a magwell, which the plastic frames already have, they're about even. The cost of the mags sure is a bummer though... But if the issue is cost, building a gun from scratch clearly isn't in your cards anyway.

 

[Dave Sample]

I have been using Caspian Slides for 20 years and have never had one "Break". I have put together 46 online gun kits from them in the last three years and expect them to run 100,000 each. If you want to make a statement like that about a fine company, I would like to see the proof. I have never had any Custom Caspian return that I have ever built for any reason. I want to see pictures and the history of this "Broken Slide'. This kind of slander should not be allowed on any public forum with out proof. Hearsay is common here from people who know nothing about anything. Needless to say, I have been Caspian's number one fan for over 20 years. I know what I am talking about and have access to the guns to prove it.

 

[Dave Sample]

I must add in the 20+ Caspians that we built at the summer of 1995 NRA Gunsmithing Class at Yavapai College here in Prescott that are still in use and have never failed to my knowledge. I asked my pal Teddy if he has ever had any problem and he has not ever see a slide from them fail. I have a Colt slide here that has cracked in two places but after 80,000 rounds it had a right to quit. I have only seen Colt slides and frames fail and crack, never a Caspian. I don't believe the gossip on forums. I always am very careful not to talk about things I have never seen. Gun Companies have enough problems these days from the liberal twit enemies we have evrywhere in this country. I will talk to Gary Smith Monday on the phone and get the facts on how many of these slides break and why. They dis-continued the aluminum lower ends because too many so called gun builders did not know how to treat them. I have two of them here now that I really like and I am sure they will do the job intended for them. Maybe they will crack or break. If they do while I am alive, I will report to all of you and tell the truth about the matter.

 

[HD]

dave ... thank you ... i completely agree on caspian products , i personally have never seen a failure...(i have seen and held 3 kboomed glocks tho)...

 

[John Forsyth]

Caspian are brittle and break? Well I have two full customs based on Caspian frames and slides, and as far as I am concerned, they are the best you can buy to build a custom gun. One is only a couple of monthes old and has only approx 1000rds through it, the other has been to several national, regional, and state competitions, and at last count has over 15k rounds through it. Looks as good as new.

Wide body guns are really better suited for IDPA, than singe stacks, because of all the mag changes you have to do. TL's and SL's are a breaze with a wide body.

The S*I's are the way to go. Still do not get less than a .40, so you can make major, and still play at minor in IDPA.

With that said, all my comp guns are single stacks. They just fit and feel best to me. I would go to a couple of matches and see what they are using, ask to look at them. Just about every competitive shooter will let you look at their gun.