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A Couple Of 1911s
- Thread starter wrmiller
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2013
- Messages
- 4,063
Kimber, Ed Brown, or Wilson for the high priced stuff. I'd check out Springfield Armory to see if they have a commander in 9mm. Probably more reasonable price-wise, and I've always had pretty good luck with SAs.
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2013
- Messages
- 4,063
Cool! Had I known I was going to get laid off and try getting back to AZ I would have build the STI in .38 super for Open Class. Oh well, guess I'll just have to build another one.
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2015
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- 41
Take a look at a Ruger SR1911 Commander Light. A Kimber Solo II or some of the new 1911style guns from other manufacturers make good options too.
Jeff
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- Mar 21, 2013
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- 4,063
Cool! Had I known I was going to get laid off and try getting back to AZ I would have build the STI in .38 super for Open Class. Oh well, guess I'll just have to build another one.
After thinking about this a bit, I'm going to hold off on the open class build. Even doing the work myself just the parts themselves cost a pretty penny. So, I ordered a 5" Briely bull barrel and I'll fit that up for shooting 40 S&W in the non-compensated USPSA and IDPA matches. And so much for the slab side look: I added some cocking serrations at the front of the slide as I was having a hard time hanging on to the thing while attempting to rack the slide. Later I'll build a .38 Super top end for this frame so I can sorta compete in the senior class at the local USPSA matches. Then I'll need to find a good woodworker to make a nice case for the pistol and all three top ends (and mags). That should make it fairly unique.
My humble apologies for the lousy pics. I not much of a photographer.
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2013
- Messages
- 4,063
Here's the STI with the 40S&W barrel installed.
This is what I'll use for the USPSA matches until I can get the 38 Super top end built. I had found a 'really good deal' on a ramped bull barrel in 40 S&W, only to find out when I received it that in all my excitement I forgot to really read the description. What showed up was a ramped 40 S&W barrel, but it was 6" long and cut for a long slide so I simply couldn't lop off an inch and call it good.
I almost sent it back, but decided to use what I had. So I cut it to proper length and crowned it, turned it down to .600", modified a bushing I had in a bin to fit the oversized barrel diameter, and called it good. I have needed to make a fixture for some time that would hold different caliber 1911 style barrels by the chamber and exactly on spindle centerline, and this was the excuse I needed to do so. The fixture uses a spud that is always .500" on one end and whatever diameter is required for the chamber I need to hold on the other. I then milled two slots on either side of the spud, one slightly offset so I could either drive the barrel by the hood or the ramp if it has one. I simply clamp it in the PB 3-jaw, dial in the spud bore to as close to zero as my patience permits (I usually stop once I'm under a half thou which takes a minute or two), and insert the spud of choice in the fixture. Killed two birds with one stone so to speak on this one.
This is what I'll use for the USPSA matches until I can get the 38 Super top end built. I had found a 'really good deal' on a ramped bull barrel in 40 S&W, only to find out when I received it that in all my excitement I forgot to really read the description. What showed up was a ramped 40 S&W barrel, but it was 6" long and cut for a long slide so I simply couldn't lop off an inch and call it good.
I almost sent it back, but decided to use what I had. So I cut it to proper length and crowned it, turned it down to .600", modified a bushing I had in a bin to fit the oversized barrel diameter, and called it good. I have needed to make a fixture for some time that would hold different caliber 1911 style barrels by the chamber and exactly on spindle centerline, and this was the excuse I needed to do so. The fixture uses a spud that is always .500" on one end and whatever diameter is required for the chamber I need to hold on the other. I then milled two slots on either side of the spud, one slightly offset so I could either drive the barrel by the hood or the ramp if it has one. I simply clamp it in the PB 3-jaw, dial in the spud bore to as close to zero as my patience permits (I usually stop once I'm under a half thou which takes a minute or two), and insert the spud of choice in the fixture. Killed two birds with one stone so to speak on this one.
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2013
- Messages
- 4,063
Took this opportunity to start making a replacement mag funnel for the Kimber as I never liked the way it looked at the back. So here's a few pics (it's almost done...for now).
I especially like the way I managed to contour the back to blend better with the reshaped main spring housing. It's a bolt-on as I don't have welding capability yet. My mentor made a similar one that he welded on and I just kind of extrapolated from there. When I DO get a welder, I will fill in that bevel in the back of frame on either side to complete the blend. Hey, I'm unemployed and waiting for the house to sell. I have to do something...
I especially like the way I managed to contour the back to blend better with the reshaped main spring housing. It's a bolt-on as I don't have welding capability yet. My mentor made a similar one that he welded on and I just kind of extrapolated from there. When I DO get a welder, I will fill in that bevel in the back of frame on either side to complete the blend. Hey, I'm unemployed and waiting for the house to sell. I have to do something...
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2015
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- 17
Springfield EMP.
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- Mar 21, 2013
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- 4,063
And here's the STI with that new black Duracoat on it. Jury is still out on this stuff IMO. It's paint. High-tech paint, but still a 'coating' as opposed to using hot bluing salts. DON'T get this stuff on mating surfaces, as it adds significant thickness to the point where things that used to slide together may not. I had to scrape the stuff off the rails of the slide and frame to get them to slide back together.
Looks pretty good though.
Looks pretty good though.