Custom 1911 Builder help.

[vcdgrips]

I concur wholeheartedly with Kevin H.

That is clearly a local/regional take on the Pachmayr Combat Special. The proper use/installation of Bomar and King parts certainly indicates somebody who knew what they were doing. I would be very surprised if you lost the shock buff, dropped in a Wolff 16.5-18lb recoil spring, loaded up a quality mag ( Wilson, CMC or Tripp) with some 230g FMJ, if it did not quickly put a smile on your face and be capable of ragged one hole groups at 10 and 4 inches at 25 all day long provided you do your part.


I would humbly suggest a grip swap to either some Pachmayrs

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...s+1911&_sop=15


...or perhaps this set of Herretts I came across on Ebay?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/35270476269...cAAOSwdWJgJDfD


Let us know what you find out.

[Steven T]

I believe the thumb safety is a Meushke (spelling), not a Kings.

[KevH]

I believe the thumb safety is a Meushke (spelling), not a Kings.

I just blew up the pic and took a look. I think you're right. It has tab for the extended sear pin stop. Good eye!

[Spartan1980]

Finally got a few moments to start cleaning this thing up. Definitely going to get another set of grips, bushings and screws. One of the bushings was Bubba'd and not a fan of these thick Hogues with finger grooves anyway. Probably going to go with the Pachmayr Signatures suggested before. Pardon the crud, most of my gear is still in storage due to a move and cleaning isn't complete by any stretch. Shows definite wear from shooting and next to zero carry wear. Don't know if the shock buff was a Wilson or some knockoff. It was black in color and beat completely to shit. Some of this wear could be from not replacing it. The recoil spring is either terribly too light for ball ammo or extremely worn out, it was way too easy to rack the slide.

That looks like an old-school 1911 from the 70s-80s. Lots of them were assembled by people sticking parts onto a frame/slide. Those guns tend not to run well and accuracy is a sometime thing. Others were pretty darned good, even if they weren't made by a big-name smith like Pachmayr or Swenson. Based on the milling for that Bomar rear sight, I'd say yours is one of the latter.

Not sure where your father lived, but there's a Moody Custom Arms (https://www.moodycustomarms.com/) in Benton, Louisiana. They claim over 50 years of experience, so they could have been involved. Might be worth emailing them the pics to see if one of their older smiths put that one together.


Okie John

Going to shoot an email off to them to see if they know anything. Thanks.

It uses a special pin that fits into a slot in the right lever. That’s what keeps it from coming off

Front sight could be a millet. Beavertail could be the Wilson/Clark. Deluxe cut for the bomar is a nice touch

FS: The White on the FS is commercially applied if it helps rundown the origin. @KevH



@vcdgrips @BN
The barrel has not a single character stamped on it anywhere. Obviously stainless with a nice crown cut.

[Spartan1980]

More pics.






Frame is definitely hard chrome

[KevH]

FS: The White on the FS is commercially applied if it helps rundown the origin. @KevH

@Spartan1980

That's a Millett Dual Crimp front sight.

[BN]

@Spartan1980

That's a Millett Dual Crimp front sight.

I agree on the Millett sight. You've gotten good advice from everybody.

Throw away the shock buff and don't replace it. Install a new recoil spring, around 16# to 18# as suggested, and shoot it.

As for the safety, does it have the long sear pin with a notch to hold the right side in? I don't think the left side can fall out even if the right side falls off??

Hard to tell on the barrel, but if it shoots, I wouldn't worry about it.

Value. It is worth more to you as a shooter than any amount you could sell it for.

Looks like a really nice old 1911. Enjoy it.

[Jim Watson]

Old.
That makes me feel ancient. Most of the guns I shoot regularly are similar, from the 1990s. The newest I own is from 2012 and that a double stack.

Light recoil spring + squashed buffer is logical. Put in a recoil spring appropriate for your ammo.

The Meuschke safety is apparently an early effort to evade the Swenson patent. Colt factory ambis were of that type at the time. You might could tighten it up well enough for right hand use and the occasional weak hand exercise, but if you are a southpaw or plan a lot of left hand use, you can do better now. Or just a right hand/left side lever.

At least Mr Moore put his name on his work. Seldom does a week go by that somebody does not post such a gun "Who made this?"

You can order Caspian slides with sight cuts already made. As my FLG says, "If the factory will do it, LET the factory do it."
That for the Bomar, I don't think they will drill for a Millett.
If you want something different, Novak charges $50 to weld up the holes before dovetailing for their sight.
That is a better than average Millett DC installation, Mr Moore actually followed the instructions and cut a flat for the flanged sight base. Bubba usually doesn't which often results in a sight with a list.

[Spartan1980]

I agree on the Millett sight. You've gotten good advice from everybody.

Throw away the shock buff and don't replace it. Install a new recoil spring, around 16# to 18# as suggested, and shoot it.

As for the safety, does it have the long sear pin with a notch to hold the right side in? I don't think the left side can fall out even if the right side falls off??

Hard to tell on the barrel, but if it shoots, I wouldn't worry about it.

Value. It is worth more to you as a shooter than any amount you could sell it for.

Looks like a really nice old 1911. Enjoy it.

Bolded: Answer is no. Sear pin is flush to the frame. I'm may just fit a regular new WC or EGW safety and call it a day. I like and have ambis on my game guns but don't see them as really necessary on a carry or home defense gun.

As for the rest of your post, that is the plan for now. Hopefully my mother doesn't need to sell it for medical bills and such. His pension and insurance are covering his expenses at the moment, but just barely. Hopefully this week I can get the frame detail stripped, cleaned and lubed properly and get it all back together for a range test.

[Spartan1980]

Old.
That makes me feel ancient. Most of the guns I shoot regularly are similar, from the 1990s. The newest I own is from 2012 and that a double stack.

Light recoil spring + squashed buffer is logical. Put in a recoil spring appropriate for your ammo.

The Meuschke safety is apparently an early effort to evade the Swenson patent. Colt factory ambis were of that type at the time. You might could tighten it up well enough for right hand use and the occasional weak hand exercise, but if you are a southpaw or plan a lot of left hand use, you can do better now. Or just a right hand/left side lever.

At least Mr Moore put his name on his work. Seldom does a week go by that somebody does not post such a gun "Who made this?"

You can order Caspian slides with sight cuts already made. As my FLG says, "If the factory will do it, LET the factory do it."
That for the Bomar, I don't think they will drill for a Millett.
If you want something different, Novak charges $50 to weld up the holes before dovetailing for their sight.
That is a better than average Millett DC installation, Mr Moore actually followed the instructions and cut a flat for the flanged sight base. Bubba usually doesn't which often results in a sight with a list.

I'm going to leave it as close to as/is as possible. It has that "certain soul" that's not lost on me. It's a plenty capable weapon as long as I get it into safe and functional shape which is not a heavy lift so far.