Help Me Plan a Rebuild of my Father's 1911 -

[Hambo]

Do you know who built the gun originally?

I wouldn't do much but refinish it. 1980's cool would be a silver colored frame with a blued slide. Then you need a Summer Special to carry it in.

This thread is worthless without pictures.

^^^Yes, pics.

If the point of this pistol is to eventually remind you of your dad, do nothing and leave the wear he put on it. This is what I would do if it were my dad's pistol.

If the point is to get it up and running, I would ask someone who had done work in that era who may have built something similar. Wayne Novak, Bill Wilson, etc. Or pony up and pay Ted Yost or Jason Burton.

ETA-not that you care what it's worth, but doing anything could make it less valuable depending on who did the original work.

[BillSWPA]

If the goal is to get it reliable, perhaps a commander length slide and barrel would help.



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[dsa]

Send it to Heirloom Precision, wait for patiently for the call that you are next on the bench and do whatever Jason suggests.

[M2CattleCo]

Most good 1911 plumbers won't work on anything shorter than a commander length slide. I agree, it was dad's gun. Leave it how he built it.

[JRB]

I love the look of honest, working wear on good old guns.

I'd leave it externally just the way it is, freshen up springs/internals as is possible without making major changes, run good magazines, and leave it be.

Better to start with a 5in and a clean slate if you want to build a 1911, IMHO.

[Jim Watson]

What hollowpoints have you tried? Will it function on roundnose or semiwadcutter bullets?

Wilson Combat Multi-Comp bushing-style compensator
- Not much help

WC reverse plug, full length guide rod + Wilson mags to help the gun run
- A flatwire recoil spring system is the way to go in the short guns

30 LPI front-strap checkering
- Might be too fine for aluminum.

Magwell mainspring housing (is that sufficiently '80s "style"?)
- Style? Main effect is a quarter inch longer backstrap, more to hold on to.

[RevolverRob]

Sounds like a 'spensive project...

I'm no expert, but maybe the dimensions are different between commander and officer slides and that's causing some of your reliability issues?

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I've wondered that. The gun will shoot and it shoots hardball well. I've always suspected the issue was it was sprung a little light for hotter defensive ammo.

NP3 is cool for internal coating, but grasping an NP3 slide for a type 3 malfunction clearance is like trying to grab a nonstick frying pan.

This is solid info, thank you! Officer's sized guns are already a bitch to run manipulate due to the heavy spring weight.

I've run a bushing comp on a full sized 1911 and all it does is add weight to the front of the gun. Because they have to be large enough diameter for the barrel to pass through, the chambers are too open to be an effective compensator, especially on a low pressure round like 45 ACP.

Good pistol comps have chambers with holes barely larger then bullet diameter with flats that allow the high pressure gas to push forward on the comp, the ports on top pushing down are less effective than gas pushing forward on the chambers.

I bought mine years ago when I was shooting local pin matches, it did neither jack nor shit to keep the gun shooting flat.

I'll gladly mail it to you if you want it, I'll never use it again.

Gringop

That's what I've heard overall, to some degree it is a bit more the "look" than efficacy (I know, I know).

The cut down slide may be an issue unless it was machined to allow full travel (maybe research the issues Baer Comanche owners have encountered) but it's not impossible to get officer length guns to run well. I agree with the mention of how slippery NP3 is. Maybe hard chrome? Or just get the reliability issues addressed and leave it a diamond in the rough.....

I believe the slide was machined for full travel. Dimensionally, the thing operates like an officer's gun. I'm not sure why the use of a Commander slide overall. But like I said, whoever did the machine work, knew what they were doing.

Hard chrome is actually what my dad always liked and he intended to have it refinished, before he got sick.

After rereading my previous reply, it seems that the tone may be somewhat assholeish, That was not what I intended, just wanted to pass on my experience with ineffective .45 bushing compensators. I think it's cool that you are wanting to update your Dad's gun. The offer still stands, if you want a free 1911 bushing comp, I'll be happy to send it to you.

Gringo (Somewhat assholeish) p

No worries bro! Your post wasn't asshole'ish in the least! I appreciate the comments and the offer!

Do you know who built the gun originally?

I wouldn't do much but refinish it. 1980's cool would be a silver colored frame with a blued slide. Then you need a Summer Special to carry it in.

This thread is worthless without pictures.

edit to add: don't worry about the hollow points. Remember, they all fall to hardball.

I wish I knew who originally built it. Dad bought it already built, but had a little bit of reliability work (extractor tensioned) later. As for hardball, yea he basically kept the mag loaded with hard ball and dropped a JHP in the chamber (1911 guys are wincing everywhere at the thought of him dropping the slide on a chambered round).

^^^Yes, pics.

If the point of this pistol is to eventually remind you of your dad, do nothing and leave the wear he put on it. This is what I would do if it were my dad's pistol.

If the point is to get it up and running, I would ask someone who had done work in that era who may have built something similar. Wayne Novak, Bill Wilson, etc. Or pony up and pay Ted Yost or Jason Burton.

ETA-not that you care what it's worth, but doing anything could make it less valuable depending on who did the original work.

Pics forthcoming. I have to collect it out of the safe and take stock of it in the next few days (I'm traveling a bunch around Texas currently).

___

It is tempting to leave it how he carried it for years, with only a refinish and maybe a WC guide rod and mags to see if that helps reliability. Again the gun has always run pretty well with ball and fresh springs. Which indicates to me that it is likely dimensionally solid. And my thought for defensive ammo is to just load it with Pow'RBall and call it a day. Like I said this gun is an occasional, nostalgic carry, not something that's replacing my P30 for regular carry.

Okay, much to think about. Will continue to consider options. Pics soon!

[StraitR]

We still need pics. Pics man, pics.

My plan would be... contact Jim Garthwaite, tell him what I have, hear him out, and send him the pistol if he'll take the work.

http://www.garthwaite.com

[Wondering Beard]

Another smith that could help out is CT Brian l. He made his name by working on and with the smaller sized 1911s, so he would have a pretty good idea of what could, should and should not be done with your dad's 1911.

Oh, and yeah, some pics please :-)

[EVP]

I agree with the others, i would leave it alone just as he gave it to you.

If you get te 1911 bug, start fresh with a government model build and do as you desire.