Custom 1911

[BladeVenom]

you want pics of parts in little baggies?

You don't like seeing it go from...

to...

Not my pics, but an example.

 

[pontifex]

You don't like seeing it go from...

to...

Not my pics, but an example.

Other than some specific parts, it looks exactly like that 1st pic. there ya go. that's what it looks like right now.

There's a slide, a frame, and a bunch of parts in little baggies...

I guess to someone who's never seen a gun before, it might be cool...but to me...meh...nothing special there. the pics will come when its completed.

 

[BladeVenom]

I've got plenty of guns. I just haven't made one.

 

[gorcorps]

5" Govt. Model

Stainless, although I'd prefer a blued one since I already have a stainless and parkerized models, but I got the slide and frame cheap, so I'll deal with it. I could do an Ion bond type of finish but not sure yet.

.45 ACP of course!

Bushing

Ramped barrel (the frame I have requires it).

Not sure what you mean buy any milling done on the slide?

Caspian slide/Foster frame

No pics yet and it's at my uncle's shop right now. It's not much to look at right now anyway.

I find it really odd that you're building a totally custom weapon from the ground up, and yet are not getting everything you want. If you want blued then get blued! That's the whole point of doing it yourself... you should end up with exactly 1000% what you wanted.

 

[pontifex]

I find it really odd that you're building a totally custom weapon from the ground up, and yet are not getting everything you want. If you want blued then get blued! That's the whole point of doing it yourself... you should end up with exactly 1000% what you wanted.

The only reason I am doing this at all is because my uncle sold me the stainless frame and slide for cheap. That is all he had. If he didn't have those parts already, I would not even have considered building one at all.

You can't blue stainless steel either. I may send it out to get like an ion bond type of black finish put on it.

 

[pontifex]

frame and slide are fitted. started fitting the barrel to the slide today and it's almost done but I couldn't stay as long as I usually do so we'll have to finish that up next week.

 

[pontifex]

1911 is still not completed yet. Due to holidays, one of us being sick, or having other plans it got stretched out for quite awhile. It's fairly close, not really a whole lot to do yet.

We haven't worked on it for quite awhile now as my uncle's health is failing him and it's just getting worse as time goes on. Something with his lungs. I just talked to him a little bit ago and he can barely talk without being out of breath or coughing.

Looks like we probably won't get to finish it together.

I don't know of anyone that would be willing to work on it with me - I'd probably have to take it to a shop and have them finish it or send it out to another smith as I don't have the tools or knowledge to finish it myself.

I know there's a well known 1911 smith about an hour away from me who teaches 1911 smithing classes as well, but the class is $3000 (if its not already booked as he only takes on a max of 6 students per class).

I'm more worried about my uncle though as I think it's too far along for any kind of cure. I'm afraid he's not going to be with us much longer.

 

[MedicBob]

Colt or Springfield custom shops are regarded pretty well.

Sorry about your Uncle and hope he recovers.

 

[velillen]

Sorry about your uncle. That always sucks.

You should see what all is left to do. If its just small things like fitting the sear/extractor/ect do it your self and watch youtube. Theres tons of videos on how to do it. Plus you have access to your uncles tools so you should be good ot go there.

If it i was me i wouldnt want someone else touching it unless you had done basically nothing up ot this point

 

[pontifex]

Sorry about your uncle. That always sucks.

You should see what all is left to do. If its just small things like fitting the sear/extractor/ect do it your self and watch youtube. Theres tons of videos on how to do it. Plus you have access to your uncles tools so you should be good ot go there.

If it i was me i wouldnt want someone else touching it unless you had done basically nothing up ot this point

we need to cut the dovetails in the slide for the sights, install the sights, modify the bushing to allow the barrel to tip, finish fitting the grip safety, make sure everything works together (may need further fitting on specific parts), blend frame to grip safety lots of cleanup like sanding/polishing. So not really a whole lot left.

 

[velillen]

we need to cut the dovetails in the slide for the sights, install the sights, modify the bushing to allow the barrel to tip, finish fitting the grip safety, make sure everything works together (may need further fitting on specific parts), blend frame to grip safety lots of cleanup like sanding/polishing. So not really a whole lot left.

Thats all stuff id definitely do myself over sending it off. My dad and I have talked about doing two custom 1911's like you are and doing them together. We just dont have the tools or we would. Nothing beats doing a project with family

 

[pontifex]

My uncle passed away early this morning. Got the call from my dad around 2:45 AM. We went over to the house to see him 1 last time before the people from the funeral home came to get him and to be with my aunt and cousins.

I took off work yesterday afternoon to go over and see him. I'm glad I did that before he passed.

 

[Scotteq]

Deeply sorry to hear of your loss.


By way of suggestion, though: If you'd like to maintain the connection as best possible but aren't comfortable with some remaining task (ex I personally wouldn't cut dovetails for the sights) - watch for any close colleagues of his and ask would they perform the needed step. They'd be honored, I'm sure.

 

[MisterJackson]

Sorry for your loss, man. Awesome that you got to build that with him before he passed though. For the record, I really like those Esmerelda grips. They're gorgeous.

 

[Nemesis13]

Damn sorry for your loss.

 

[Ns1]

My uncle passed away early this morning. Got the call from my dad around 2:45 AM. We went over to the house to see him 1 last time before the people from the funeral home came to get him and to be with my aunt and cousins.

I took off work yesterday afternoon to go over and see him. I'm glad I did that before he passed.

~@

 

[pontifex]

Thanks everyone.

Unfortunately I think there's more that needs to be done to the pistol than I thought. I think we may have messed up cutting the frame tangs for the grip safety. We got it cut and the next thing was to fit the grip safety but his health failed before we could start. I tried working on it myself and thought I screwed up the grip safety so talked to some people on a 1911 gunsmithing forum and got some info/ideas to check. I ordered a new grip safety and tested functionality (haven't modified the new one yet). it seems like the tangs are not cut right as when the thumb safety is not installed, it seems to work but the holes in the tangs and the hole in the grip safety don't align the entire travel area, so when I add the thumb safety, it doesn't allow the grip safety to rotate all the way down.

I'm not sure if it can be fixed or if the frame is garbage now. It's way beyond anything I can do myself or have knowledge of myself, unfortunately I don't have the funds to pay someone to finish it right now.

 

[ManBearPig]

deleted

 

[pontifex]

Really sorry about your uncle, that's awful. Sounds like cystic fibrosis or something?

I don't know if he was officially diagnosed with anything other than "hardening of the lungs"

 

[ManBearPig]

deleted

 

[CurseTheSky]

Sorry to hear it. At least you will (hopefully) always have this 1911 to remember him by. Sounds like a great guy.

 

[pontifex]

I took it to a smith and explained what was going on and what needed to be done yet. He took on the job and I got it back today.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54347670@N05/sets/72157641631150845/

There's some stuff I thought he would have cleaned up better but you can't really see it in the pics. He milled the lines on top of the slide to reduce glare, which was something he did extra that we hadn't talked about nor did i even think of at the time. I really like how that came out.

I know it's not going to be the prettiest thing ever since it was my 1st attempt at building one and we didn't have all pristine parts to begin with anyway.

The smith says it shoots great and that's the main thing. Can't wait to shoot it.

 

[Ns1]

that's great dude. Sucks (to say the least) you couldn't wrap it up with your Uncle but the finished product looks badass.

 

[pontifex]

Yeah, I was at a point where I was having trouble with it myself and got really frustrated. I thought I would never get it finished and the smith's price was very reasonable. Much less than I was expecting.

got a different pair of grips coming for it too.

Oh and I'm going to get the slide engraved eventually, thinking about "In memory of <Uncle's Name>" with his date of birth and the date he passed away underneath. I'd like to maybe add some kind of scrollwork on both sides of the engraving.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I'm not a big fan of flat-topped 1911s, but that MSH checkering and those grips are AWESOME. Great gun - I can only hope to have something as awesome to remember my loved ones by.