Ported 1911- Works a Treat!

I think my 1911a1 has achieved it's final form! The frame is from a TISAS Duty 2 .45, the slide is a reworked GI surplus unit that I finished and flat-topped. Lots of customization with:
*Flat mainspring housing blended to the frame then 20 LPI checkered
*20 LPI checkering on the front of the grip-frame and under the trigger-guard
*Customized high-ride grip safety
*Magwell funnel
*Trigger with overtravel stop
*Trigger job- clean break at 2-3/4 lbs. with a very short reset
*XS Sights tritium Big Dot front sight
*Port cut through the barrel, solid bushing and slide ahead of the front sight
*GunKote finish, Napa green for the frame, SOCOM Black for the magwell funnel, slide, grip safety and mainspring housing.
*EGW heavy guide rod with custom reverse-recoil plug
* Custom stippled 'Blue Jean Micarta' grips. A friend made the material and sent me some. Provides excellent, non-abrasive traction.





The port is more effective than I expected, getting the muzzle back on target very quickly! I hope to shoot some ASI matches with this soon.

 

Very interesting work Tinker! Love the denim micarta grips, those are awesome.

 

I think this is the first semi-auto that I’ve seen of yours. Pretty cool. Love the micarta grips and the color scheme.

 

The TISAS was $500 all in after shipping, transfer fees etc. The parts I purchased that are actually on the gun now probably add another $150-200. I used a lot of parts at different stages that were on-hand, donated by friends etc. Labor? Hard to estimate, but lots. This was a project that went through many evolutions and versions, two calibers, two slides, three barrels so the actual expense is basically impossible to estimate.

But... in this case money isn't the point. I learned some new skills and pushed the ones I already had. I learned some things about 1911s, porting and performance. I got to experiment, test stuff, think about stuff and do stuff. This gun has been less a thing than a process and honestly? I was in it for the process as much as for the finished gun. The entertainment value of that process and the knowledge I gained was worth far more than the finished gun; it's been my hobby since late winter. There's a lot of value for me that has nothing to do with the finished product.

Now if I were to start with a TISAS Duty 2 .45 with the specific goal of getting to this point $1000 including labor sounds about right, but at the end of that process I could not buy a $1000 1911 of the shelf that would duplicate it's performance, fit and finish etc. and I'd miss out on all of the knowledge gained along the way and all the pleasure I experienced learning and doing new things.. Not to mention the satisfaction of having done it myself.

 

How do you like the big dot front sight?

 

I like it a lot for this application. It's very quick to acquire.

 

And people say you can't compensate a "low pressure .45."
I took off all my compensators when I got enthused over IDPA which does not allow them. I wish I had kept my IPSC Modified gun and OACP Carry Comp.

 

Years ago, i picked up a no-name compensator bushing for my officer's ACP at a gun show. I was surprised how well it worked to tighten up my groups and improved ease of reacquiring the target. The problem was the material of construction, it was getting hammered and started loosening. The seller was a stand up guy and replaced it. Well the replacement did the same thing.

 

This is the MTP content I needed. I was getting worried I hadn’t seen one of these in a while. That’s a sweet looking build.

 

Stay tuned...