I always do my own minor repairs / maintenance on the 1911 and other pistols. Things like detail stripping, changing sights, hammers, springs etc. are relatively easy on guns and especially on the 1911.
I do all my own 1911 work. I've changed hammers and triggers, fitted bushings and beavertails, done trigger jobs, sights and so forth. The only thing I haven't done is fit a match grade barrel and I'll probably get around to that someday.
The 1911 is a remarkably easy gun to work on.
Several years ago I bought a Ciener .22 conversion unit. I liked it so much that I bought and built up a frame to create a dedicated .22 cal 1911 pistol.:mrgreen:
I do all my own work, but tuning, trigger work or anything that requires machining. I have 'built up" about 5 1911's for myself from parts. Lot's of fun.
I have "smithed" 3 different 1911's I have had. I have fitted beavertail grip safeties, dehorned slides & frames, lowered and flared ejection ports, beveled the entry for the mag, installed slide locks, thumb safeties triggers and main spring housings. Replaced and adjusted ejectors and extractors. I have chamfered barrel entrances to aid in feeding. I have tried my hand at checkering.....but not on a gun frame yet......confidence is still a little low there.
As a new semi-auto shooter I have selected only weapons that have demonstrated their reliability by having been selected by our military, or some other institutional law enforcement. I am also a reloader.
For the initial phase of my new hobby, I recognize that there is much to learn and experience safely before venturing into modifying any of my handguns. I have been able to make good decisions because of a local dealer with exceptional facilities and a public pistol range staffed by knowledgable people.
Shooting and reloading could otherwise be frustrating and unforgiving. Why give Murphy an even chance to demonstrate how
wrong I can be on my own? So far my endeavors have proved gratifying and recreational. Im not involved in law enforcement nor any other craft/trade that has firearms as a part of the equipment used so I am free to pursue my interests at my leisure. Until I acquire the tools and experience needed to repair one of my handguns beyond grips and recoil springs,
I rely on local firearm pros.
I do most of my own work, except for the machining. i havent progressed that far. It was gratifing to take my Kimber TLE II from a 5 inch group to a 1.5 inch group after a barrell refit.
I do all of my own work. I haven't done dehorning, just because I haven't gotten in the mood. The 2 scariest moments have been when I took a checkering file to the front strap of my Kimber for the 1st time and when the drill bit touched my 1911Sc for the bobtail conversion. Both came out very nice, but I was a little anxious.
Any straight replacement - nothing that requires fitting (Figure it is cheap if I pay a real Gunsmith) Typically a detail strip 2 - 3 times a year depending on how much use the firearm gets to burn powder.
One of my goals for 07 is to learn how to detail strip a 1911. I can do it with Glocks but I think Glocks are probably the easiest guns to disassemble. I'm going to have my gunsmith back in Iowa give me a lesson.
Guess I have done or tried to do just about everything that didn't need a machine shop to do..There is a lot of satisfaction in doing things for your self that work out well..
Lack of a local smith is another reason to do things yourself..
I think that I have done about everything that can be done by hand in building .45s for myself only. O/S barrels, slides, frames, safeties..... most everything. There are not many things that I would nornally do but hammer on a 1911.
Long barrel, 5", .460R, combat. I can't wait to start the next projects. I wish that I could build some in the 4 1/2 - 3" size, but the small size makes them really hard to balance.
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