I have read a few threads about people wanting to upgrade their 1911, make it more reliable, or how to get into one. I just got mine back from the local smith in Worcester. It took a long time for it to get completed about 10 months. I bought this 1911 4 years ago at a show in Dothan, AL for $300. The barrel was shot out, the frame had slop, it was not reliable and painted with skulls on it. Mega lame. I sent the frame and slide off to get cerakoted and it came back sweet. I put on night sights which was kind of jerry-rigged. Back then I had no idea the difference of a 70 or 80 series so I bought the wrong sights. I machined them and they fit.
To give the 1911 new life I had the slide refit to the frame, a WC match barrel, full length guiderod with bulletproof sear, disconnector, hammer, and trigger. put a 17# spring in it, new mainspring ASSY, bulletproof sear spring and ejector. The local smith fit and tuned the parts added a reliability package. I retained the original beavertail so I didnt have to get the 1911 re painted.
Labor was ~$500 and parts were ~$500. So now I'm into a standard 1911A1 for ~$1500 when you add in the CT grips, paint, sights, etc.
The gun is amazing! The trigger is something to write home about. I have a Remington R1 enhanced with a threaded barrel that was around $875. It doesn't shoot nearly as good as my springfield but for a $100 trigger job it would be on par.
The moral of this story? You can polish a turd with $ and somebody to do the work or buy a full out custom 1911. Some friends bought a rock river 1911 for ~$500 and had a trigger job on it and they are amazing.
If your stuff is not feeding, extracting reliably send it out for work and wait, its worth it. I did say that laroca was taking for ever.
This is my first 1911 I bought and it has some sentimental value to me and for the 10 months all I wanted to do is take it to the range. I will shoot this at the range every trip, it will not stay in the safe on range days.
Pics are as it sits now. If I had the $ and patience I would of had the barrel ported, reverse stainless bevertail and get it repainted. I need new batteries for my CT carbon grips, but may get some rosewoods for this one. I love the US grips on it though. On the slide is ALIS GRAVE NIL laser etched 'nothing is heavy to those who have wings' it was my gift to myself for getting into flight school.
To give the 1911 new life I had the slide refit to the frame, a WC match barrel, full length guiderod with bulletproof sear, disconnector, hammer, and trigger. put a 17# spring in it, new mainspring ASSY, bulletproof sear spring and ejector. The local smith fit and tuned the parts added a reliability package. I retained the original beavertail so I didnt have to get the 1911 re painted.
Labor was ~$500 and parts were ~$500. So now I'm into a standard 1911A1 for ~$1500 when you add in the CT grips, paint, sights, etc.
The gun is amazing! The trigger is something to write home about. I have a Remington R1 enhanced with a threaded barrel that was around $875. It doesn't shoot nearly as good as my springfield but for a $100 trigger job it would be on par.
The moral of this story? You can polish a turd with $ and somebody to do the work or buy a full out custom 1911. Some friends bought a rock river 1911 for ~$500 and had a trigger job on it and they are amazing.
If your stuff is not feeding, extracting reliably send it out for work and wait, its worth it. I did say that laroca was taking for ever.
This is my first 1911 I bought and it has some sentimental value to me and for the 10 months all I wanted to do is take it to the range. I will shoot this at the range every trip, it will not stay in the safe on range days.
Pics are as it sits now. If I had the $ and patience I would of had the barrel ported, reverse stainless bevertail and get it repainted. I need new batteries for my CT carbon grips, but may get some rosewoods for this one. I love the US grips on it though. On the slide is ALIS GRAVE NIL laser etched 'nothing is heavy to those who have wings' it was my gift to myself for getting into flight school.
