The “I need a .45 but do I need a 1911?” thread

[DDTSGM]

This^^^ had a used 1911 with slim grips once where prior owner used Rockset on the bushings

Hot/boiling water works to loosen rockset on muzzle devices, don't know why it wouldn't work on grip bushings.

[HCM]

Hot/boiling water works to loosen rockset on muzzle devices, don't know why it wouldn't work on grip bushings.

Sure but detail stripping and re-lubing the gun after that is a PITA. Grip screw bushings are supposed to be staked, but failing that it is much quicker and easier to hold a soldering iron to a bushing to soften loctite than messing with boiling water.

[BillSWPA]

Two things I have learned about thin grips:

Thin wood grips can easily crack.

It is very easy to strip the screwdriver engaging slot on thin bushings when removing them. Removing standard bushings is much easier. Have extras on hand, and also have a screw extractor in case problems develop.

I have given up on thin 1911 grips for those reasons.


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[RJ]

@RJ, for context, slim grips were what was on my Springfield TGO you shot at the Pin Shoot.

Thanks @Mas. I felt your Springfield TGO really fit my hand pretty well. Especially compared to the rental RIA I shot in Petoskey a few weeks later; I believe it had standard grips since it was much fatter.

@CSW, that about sums up my experience with 1911 grips. I have M hands, and the Garrison with the thin line grips, while I didn't specifically order it for that reason, also seems to fit me, dry, pretty well. Obviously needs to be felt shooting, but I think the thin line will work out ok.

[RJ]

If you didn't buy the WC safety, check this out: https://www.egwguns.com/hd-ambi-thumb-safety-ss It's the old King's Gun Works style.

I keep seeing positive reference to "EGW parts" here and elsewhere, as in, "I put in EGW parts in my so and so 1911".

Is the "King's Gun Works" style a positive thing then I assume? I watched the video from EGW describing that part, it looks well made, from bar stock, and has a positive left and right connection design, from what they said. Thanks, I'll definitely look more into that, as the WC BP Ambi is the only one I had on my radar until now.

In case anyone missed it, I mentioned up thread I was in contact with Brandon Bunker who is up the road from me in Ellenton. He's graciously offered to assist me in getting my ambi fitted; this isn't something I really want to tackle at this point.

[Hambo]

I keep seeing positive reference to "EGW parts" here and elsewhere, as in, "I put in EGW parts in my so and so 1911".

Is the "King's Gun Works" style a positive thing then I assume? I watched the video from EGW describing that part, it looks well made, from bar stock, and has a positive left and right connection design, from what they said. Thanks, I'll definitely look more into that, as the WC BP Ambi is the only one I had on my radar until now.

In case anyone missed it, I mentioned up thread I was in contact with Brandon Bunker who is up the road from me in Ellenton. He's graciously offered to assist me in getting my ambi fitted; this isn't something I really want to tackle at this point.

IME fitting an ambi is not technically difficult, but it is painstaking. It's a lot of assembly and disassembly to check function, because if you take just a bit too much off, you get to start over with a new safety. It may just be OCD, or appreciation of the design and machining, but if I were building a 1911, it would have a King's. However, I'm not so hung up on it that I felt the need to replace the other style if that's what was already in place.

[Stephanie B]

Wait until we get you hooked on Garands…

Go for the full trifecta: A Garand, a SMLE, and a Mosin-Nagant.

[That Guy]

RJ:
Have you ever tried thin grips on a 1911?
Not that the standard thickness grips are huge, but thins can be very comfortable depending on the size of your hands.
Always liked the 1911, but once I tried thin grips....

Personally, I grew to dislike thin grips despite having small hands (Mechanix size S fits me like, well, a glove). I just felt like my support hand could not be braced as well against the grip of the pistol, so my recoil management suffered. I ended up switching back to regular thickness grip panels due to this (and the fact that thin panels don't support the plunger tube in the frame).

Which is not to say that someone with smaller hands should not try thin grips. Just saying that, as they say, "your milage may vary".

[DDTSGM]

Sure but detail stripping and re-lubing the gun after that is a PITA. Grip screw bushings are supposed to be staked, but failing that it is much quicker and easier to hold a soldering iron to a bushing to soften loctite than messing with boiling water.

True. Wasn't advocating rockset for grip screw bushings.

As far as field stripping and re-lubing, why? Simply get a gallon can of WD-40, a small bucket and throw the frame in that, then hang it to let the WD-40 drip off. Then dunk thew frame in in Mobil-1.
(OOPS, forgot I wasn't on M4C or ARFCOM.)

[RJ]

Brownells occasionally runs sales on Wilson magazines. I've bought six of the EDMs. I've found that they will reliably lock the slide back while the 47Ds will not do so reliably.

Excellent, thanks. Turns out they are on sale now at Brownells. I just ordered a couple of the Wilson Combat #500 ETM 8 rounders to try out; $28.99, regularly $34.99.

https://www.brownells.com/magazines/...prod24513.aspx