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Building a 1911 lower What parts would you use?

knightriderknightrider Member Posts: 450 ✭✭✭
edited May 2007 in Ask the Experts
OK sorry about the vagueness of this post before, you have a Original 1911A-1 Colt side complete but with no frame to go with it. What kind of frame and parts would you use to make this a compete gun? Plus it will not use extended but a normal ejector due to the ejection port's size. I know that some may think this is a money pit and worthless, however you have your hobbies and I have mine. Plus, I own a parts gun that I bought some time ago and enjoy shooting it. This is just another project for me.
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Comments

  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,892 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You can use any full size frame to make a COMPLETE gun, but there's no way to make an ORIGINAL gun. This is probably not a project that's worth doing; by the time you finish buying everything, including specialized tools & manuals, you will have spent far more than just going out & buying an entry level 1911. (Plus, any gun that you build will be a Mixed Parts Mongrel.)

    I suggest that you just sell the slide at auction, & use the proceeds as your down payment on a complete gun.

    Neal
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    NMEYERS has a point. I have built many 1911type pistols from selected parts HOWEVER I build them for Bulls-Eye pistol match shooting and use match grade parts. I start with either a series 70 Colt pistol or if I have a national match slide I use a Caspian frame. and then fit match grade barrel etc. You need to state the intended purpose and then we might have a better Idea. You did state you want standard ejector so that goes against what most people would chose from the start . We need more information."PRAISE THE HARD-BALL GUN"
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  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    Good advise above!

    If you do deside to do it though I would go with a RIA frame. They are of good quality and the price would be pretty reasonable.

    BUT IT WOULD STILL BE A MIXED BREED MUTT!
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  • knightriderknightrider Member Posts: 450 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the posts. This is just for fun, mostly for plinking and I know that I could buy a used gun or Springfield for cheaper, but I want to build a 1911 for myself for two reasons. One I will get what I want the way I want it and two I like taking things apart, seeing how they work, and putting them back together. I guess in a past life I could have been a gunsmith. Thanks for the help.

    P.S. *_r_done I looked at RIAs before and have not been impressed by the fit and finish of their product. However, I may have not met the right one. I will check them out if you could give me a site it would be helpful. Thanks again
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  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by knightrider
    Thanks for the posts. This is just for fun, mostly for plinking and I know that I could buy a used gun or Springfield for cheaper, but I want to build a 1911 for myself for two reasons. One I will get what I want the way I want it and two I like taking things apart, seeing how they work, and putting them back together. I guess in a past life I could have been a gunsmith. Thanks for the help.

    P.S. *_r_done I looked at RIAs before and have not been impressed by the fit and finish of their product. However, I may have not met the right one. I will check them out if you could give me a site it would be helpful. Thanks again
    You can order a frame from here:

    http://www.advancedtactical.com/index.html

    It looks like a frame will run about $100.

    The fit and the parkerized finish on all 6 of mine are very good and show only minor wear in all the places that would be considered normal.

    And I know the rep for RIA and that companies customer service is unmatched by any company in the buisness solving any issues than anyone might have in lightning fast time. And normally if there is a problem they not only solve it, but include extra's for the trouble.

    RIA's are very fast becomming a well known and reputable company and I truely think that in another few years are going to be regaurded as one of the top makers of 1911's. They allready have the quality, now it's just a matter of the word getting out.
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  • mplowellmplowell Member Posts: 4 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Building a "mutt" can be a lot of fun if you know what you are doing. You can pick up parts cheap, but you will have to fit them (assumes you know how to identify and troubleshoot link issues, head-space issues, fit the barrel properly, etc., etc). If you don't, may I recommend the inexpensive Rock Island Armory imports (Philippine made?). They are going from $3-400.00 depending on where you go. I got a couple just to beat and learn on, and they both have broken in nicely. They are not STI's or Colt's, etc. They just aren't. But if I have to do something new, a fix or modification, that I may not have done before (like the first time I tried a fully ramped barrel, or ambi mag releases, beaver tails, bob-tails, etc), I will carve on one of the Rock Islands (or another "mutt") before I put a finger on an expensive gun. This is what hybrids are good for: practice, so when you dump a big pile of cash on a very nice new 1911 you don't inadvertently ruin it. For what it's worth.
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  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mplowell
    Building a "mutt" can be a lot of fun if you know what you are doing. You can pick up parts cheap, but you will have to fit them (assumes you know how to identify and troubleshoot link issues, head-space issues, fit the barrel properly, etc., etc). If you don't, may I recommend the inexpensive Rock Island Armory imports (Philippine made?). They are going from $3-400.00 depending on where you go. I got a couple just to beat and learn on, and they both have broken in nicely. They are not STI's or Colt's, etc. They just aren't. But if I have to do something new, a fix or modification, that I may not have done before (like the first time I tried a fully ramped barrel, or ambi mag releases, beaver tails, bob-tails, etc), I will carve on one of the Rock Islands (or another "mutt") before I put a finger on an expensive gun. This is what hybrids are good for: practice, so when you dump a big pile of cash on a very nice new 1911 you don't inadvertently ruin it. For what it's worth.
    $300-$400 is for the complete gun.

    He was just wanting a frame to put his upper on and he can get a RIA frame for right at $100 from that site I posted above.

    Advanced Tactical is one of RIA's websites so that is as close to factory direct as you can get.
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  • tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ask jbw1776 for his expertise. he built a really pretty one.
    I would use caspian frame if i could not find a colt one
    http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=235509&SearchTerms=1911
    here it is
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