1911a1 Restoration Project

HLOUIE2

I have a old pistol that was my father's and it has been well used and not stored very well. Nearly all of the small parts are GI and the frame is a 1942 Colt with a Union Switch slide. It may need a few of the small parts replaced. Does anyone someone who can replace parts and reparkerize this pistol as was done during the original government rebuild? Hlouie

Madman

Sounds like something I might be interested in. And probably could help....if not you will find many on board who can help or advise....nononesense or ECC to name a few....Pics? Where are you?

Paul
Mountain Magic Gunsmithing

nmyers

This was the same type of project --- a R-R with a US&S slide. I swapped for the correct slide, & bought a blued USGI WWII replacement barrel. It now has a commercial manganese phosphate finish. Since you will be refinishing it, you don't need to worry about finding "correct" small parts.

Neal

COLT

...Why loose the satisfaction and the knowledge of doing the work yourself? Cheaper, faster, and you'll know the gun inside and out once completed; and will be looking for your next project.

...Go here and put "Jerry Kuhnhausen"('s) name in the "author" search. His TWO books on Colt 1911'.s; they're basically Vol.I & Vol.II "The Colt 45 A Shop Manual & the second Vol.II "The 45 1911 and 1911A1 Pistols"...find and buy both.

...Here is the best and cheapest place for these two out of print books; and a ton of other good books at great prices for hard to find out of print books http://www.abebooks.com/

...If your going to own a nice Colt, you need to learn how to strip it down to all the parts, these two books are cheap and the best Ive ever seen for the price to learn a 1911 inside and out. If you can read and look at pics, you can change all the intrenals yourself, it is NOT hard once done. There are lots of other books but for the price, Kuhnhausen's are HARD to beat!

...A LOT of fun and a ton cheaper than a smith for common work with the side benefit of NO waiting and the added pleasure of "I did that myself".

...There are no exotic, exspensive tools needed either for link/recoil/MS, pin, MS cap, dissconnect, etc., etc. change out/replacement. A takedown block, basically a hard rubber small dics with holes and a V groove startegically placed to facillitate the pin (and other parts) removal easily w/o scratching your gun. Mine is made from a NHL hockey puck, but B'nell's and others carry the blocks, cheap.
...MAYBYE a $4 polymer bushing tool, and a $10 "widget" a little polymer tool that enables you to pry out the thumb safety w/o scartching the frame...and your fingers are about all you need to take a 1911 down all the way.

A $30 dollar investment in these simple tools and you will be able to do most anything to your 1911. By doing it all yourself (the money one saves is the LEAST benefit as far as Im concerned!) you'll more than pay for the few tools, Kuhnhausen's Book's and the parts...and you'll have the tools for your next project and only parts to buy!

...To strip it, the pins all "push" out, no need for a punch to "drive" them out/in.

...You can buy all the parts you need from a ton of places. Here on GB Auction Ive found Dirk "foughtstanding" to have a LOT of decent parts at good prices, SS spings,GI plugs, re-duced power MS's, etc., etc..and a GREAT guy to deal with to boot.Here are some items he has up at the moment...
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/SellerAuctions.asp?User=404022

...Then do a net search and you'll find any and everything you need. Chip McCormick/Ed Brown/Wilson Combat...are all good places for some excellent parts too...[;)]

...Live a little, take the leap..you'll be very glad you did!