What got you on the road to modify your 1911?

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10-Ring

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Me, I blame hammer bite! :eek: :what: But blame the Brownell's catalog too! Then after stumbling upon a really good gunsmith in my neighborhood, I've got a really nice Colt :cool:
 
I have been eyeballing a few parts, just to give my Charles Daly and Springfield Loaded a different look from each other, since they are both 5" models. I agree, that Brownell's catalog was the first "hey, I can order this and put it in and try it!"
 
i blame the sexiness of a skeletonized hammer and trigger as well as a upswept beavertail grip safety...and colt not offering these as factory options. after that came different mainspring housings, thumb safeties, sights and mag wells.
 
Buying a mil-spec Colt with the sharp rear tangs. It needed a beavertail which means a new hammer and trigger job. Of course, the plunger tube was loose and the empties were hitting me in the head. So, two more parts added.

Learned to shoot with my thumb on the safety, which means an extended safety and to get the full benefit of a "high grip", an undercut grip.

Started to shoot "better", then, I wanted better sights to help and of course, more accuracy...match bushing.

Of course, today, you can just buy a "standard" model from most manufacturers with all or most of these " features".
 
Well, a few years after I bought a Kimber Gold Match the windage-screw nut on the rear site fell off in the weeds. I called Kimber to buy a replacement and the man said they'd send one at no charge. What they sent was a new sight. So...as long as I had the gun apart and the tools out. :)

John
 
I bought a new barrel bushing, link and link pin for a Sistema Colt that's similar to USGI M1911A1's. It improved the accuracy from about 8" groups at 25 yards to 4" groups, which is pretty good for a USGI .45. I also had the trigger stoned. I may buy the tools necessary to tighten up the slide, which is very loose compared to a USGI Remington Rand.
 
The GI grip safety dug into my hand a little. After about 100 rounds (my usual for the weekend), it got really annoying. Then I decided I needed night sights, or at least one up front, so I had that added as well. However, the first thing I did was swap those rubber Colt grips for a set of rubber grips from Kimber.

All of my 1911s wear Kimber rubber grips. Even what's left of my AMT has them. I even have two extra stes, one OM and one GM, in case I buy another 1911 and Jeff doesnt have any in stock. I guess what got that started was the sharp checkering on my Para C7.45 LDA that used to wear holes in my shirts, I got them on an impulse buy since I hate houges and at the time was fed up with checkered wood.
 
I wanted a flat mainspring housing and to be rid of the key lock. The checkered front strap and trigger job were done gratis by the smith just because he likes me and thought they would be of benefit.
 
Honestly....probably the gun rags I used to read all the time.

I used to think I had to have every thing the writers said I needed.

Well...Now I just know better!!!!!!! :banghead:
 
Left handedness got me fitting my own ambi-safties. It was all over when I found out how easy it was to detail strip the weapon. Now I do most part changes myself except the sear.
 
I have run most of mine pretty much stock. I have taken a wee bit off the factory hammer, in the event I was wearing gloves. What few "newer" I have removed FLGRs, On some Series 80s, that hole got plugged up.

About as fancy I have done...set of Ivory Stocks on a Steel Combat Commander. Had to - I was headed to a Texas BBQ !!
Changed out the stocks when BBQ , Weddings, Funerals, and "fancy set down meals with the china, crystal and silverware...compliments the standing ribs. ;)
 
I got a copy of George C. Nonte's excellent Pistolsmithing book. Been tinkering ever since!
 
basically it was reading the posts here. read about the stuff you guys were doing and i figured, why not? this could get expensive though.
 
Hammer bite,usually fixed by relieving the grip safety to allow a rowel hammer to be installed,or by trimming a little off the stock hammer spur.Either solution works for me.tom. :cool:
 
Ergonomics, plus the desire to build a better gun.

When I hear someone say "I was totally satisfied with my [fill in the blank] right out of the box," it tells me more about their expectations than it does their gun. ;)
 
Hrmm... I'll blame Nagata and the other photographers that put all those drool-worthy photos in magazines. ;)

Honestly, I've had little trouble with hammer bite. I prefer shorter triggers and flat MSHs. Other than that, I just like decent quality parts and a reliable package.
 
My first 1911 was 50 years old when a combination of the disconnector wearing and a pretty amateur trigger job by the previous owner made the weapon go full auto. At that point, I no longer had a choice but to fix it.
 
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