Want to build 1911. Where do I start?

[gold cup abuser]

first off....

get a MATCHING frame and slide from the same vendor. RIA are forged reciever and slide and they are fairly tight. Caspian would be my second choice.

the sarco kits...pass most are gi wanna be parts or worse yet leftover kibble.

wilson hammer, sear, grip safety, thumb safety, mainspring housing. if you are going to use a beavertail grip safety get the jig that matches the part.

ie wilson jig for their beavertails and brown for their beavertails as the cuts and parts do not swap out.

wolf for all the internal springs

bar sto barrel and bushing make sure they are the national match and not the drop in parts

get the rest of the internals from brownells and their 1911 armorers tool kit.

get a good set of files

get the 1911 book from jerry kunhausen.

one candle...you will need that to fit the barrel top lugs to the slide.

stay away far far away from using a dremel tool

go slow and have fun

I did

[knight0334]

I second Gold Cup Abuser's post above.

A matching receiver and slide is a must. The rails and grooves can vary quite alot which would effect accuracy and wear on the gun.

When I was in the USMC(small arms repairman) - we had a lot of 1911's still in the armory. And several slides/frames would not fit properly. ...too loose, too tight.

[Suburban]

I was having second thoughts on the SVI slide. Thinking about the STI RangeMaster frame and slide in .40SW. If I want to go 9mm single action, that's a pretty good excuse to buy a Hi-Power.

[BenningBoy]

So somebody tell me about 80% complete frames. Can I buy one of these, get the rest of the parts and go that way? Just contemplating a gun that is completely my own creation.

[knight0334]

Originally Posted by BenningBoy

So somebody tell me about 80% complete frames. Can I buy one of these, get the rest of the parts and go that way? Just contemplating a gun that is completely my own creation.

You can buy 80% receivers and have them delivered to your door - but there is a lot you must to. ...so its not as simple as putting the gun together. Precise drilling, machining the rails, etc. You'll need a jig and templates too = $$$ for jig.

http://www.tanneryshop.com/80-1911.htm

jigs
http://www.tanneryshop.com/80-1911.htm

[BenningBoy]

And I can't legally have it done, correct? The law is I have to physically do the work?

[knight0334]

Originally Posted by BenningBoy

And I can't legally have it done, correct? The law is I have to physically do the work?

Correct.

If you do a search at yahoo/google for "80% 1911" you will find a lot of detailed info on doing it. The most critical part is machining the rails and honing them to match the slide.

Its just much easier to buy a matched set.