1911 build options?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Nuclear said:
DAOs w/ strikers have gotten better, but still don't match a tuned single action.

May I suggest for the sake of your body parts below the muzzle that you retain ONE of the manual safeties, or keep a heavy trigger?
Click to expand...
hmm.. maybe i could design the grip contour i want first, then fabricate a piece to weld onto the back of a grip safety to give it more depth and a different contour so it would actually work with the new style grip.. thats an option, and if carried hammer-down it would be more useful than a safety that blocks the hammer
 
what i want is a grip that wraps around the back of the pistol, giving a smooth transition between the mainspring and the sides with a more rounded profile on the back.. thats all i want to do as far as the grip goes and i think if i remove the mainspring housing which doesnt seem absolutely necessary for function (there are other ways to retain the mainspring, and the grip itself will enclose it) i can carve such a grip myself.. use a thicker (front to back) grip safety and then file or grind it down to better match the contour of the new grip

so i can still keep the grip safety if i do that, and if im not mistaken you still need the thumb safety to retain the plunger which also retains the slide release.. so what do you guys think about removing the mainspring and then creating a sig P220 style wrap grip and use a thicker grip safety?
 
so about this whole series 70 vs series 80 thing.. from my understanding the major difference is a trigger acuated firing pin block, but this consists of 4 more moving parts that can break, get lost, and makes the trigger worse.. its also my understanding that if you take a series 70 and use a heavier firing pin spring, it also protects the pistol from firing when dropped... sooooooo, is there any reason at all to go with a series 80 then?
 
Nope. 70 series with a lightweight firing pin and correct spring is perfectly safe.

Series 80 FP safeties kinda found their way onto a 1911, because other pistols had such. I don't recall a real need for it, ever existing?
 
will the 1911 firing pin contact the primer with the hammer down or does it require momentum from a hammer strike to fire off a cartridge?.. seems to me with the firing pin spring that isnt too light they should be pretty drop proof with the hammer down anyway
 
I think the new pins, do not contact the primer when hammer down. But I'll let one of the more experienced 1911 guys answer that. I carry cocked and locked only, so have no experience with hammer down.
 
The 1911 has an inertial firing pin. With the hammer down, the firing pin does not protrude through the breach face and does not make contact with the primer.

I don't recall a real need for it, ever existing?
Click to expand...
I suspect there must have been some need for a firing pin safety. The Swartz firing pin safety was developed in the late 1930's. If not for WW II, chances are good Colt would have been producing firing pin safety equipped guns beginning in the 1940's.

Drake Oldham and Walt Kuleck did some drop testing with non-firing pin safety equipped 1911's and were able to get them to fire at fairly low drop heights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_QkWEiX2eE

However, I tend to believe the chance of a 1911 with out a firing pin safety firing when dropped, is about as likely as a Series 80 firing pin safety failing. In other words, neither are very likely. If you like a firing pin safety, get one. Nearly every other handgun made has one and they are a proven design in the 1911 (D&L Sports take on firing pin blocks http://www.dlsports.com/signature_firearms_1911.html ). If you can't stand them, there are plenty of 1911's that don't have them.
 
Last edited:
then it seems like a waste.. adding parts with no function that could cause more friction and weight in the trigger pull.. i'll pass, ill be going with a series 70 pattern then

what did you guys think of my idea of carving something like a sig P220 style grip that wraps around the back of the frame to enclose the mainspring (no housing necessary) and use an extended grip safety i can shape to match the contour of the new grip?

also, nowlin can get me a barrel of a .356 or a .357" groove diameter of my choosing, bar sto wont go above 3.555"... what are your opinions on nowlin quality?
 
Last edited:
justin22885 said:
what did you guys think of my idea of carving something like a sig P220 style grip that wraps around the back of the frame to enclose the mainspring (no housing necessary) and use an extended grip safety i can shape to match the contour of the new grip?
Click to expand...

I think it raises yet another question as to why you think you even want a 1911. If you affirmatively dislike 1911 ergos, then what does this gun get you? I'm not trying to be rude, I just literally do not understand.
 
You'll still need the MSH in place, but I don't see why you couldn't have grips that wrap all the way around. Fiberglass or molding plastic might be easier to work with. It would have to be fairly thin on the back strap.
 
ATLDave said:
I think it raises yet another question as to why you think you even want a 1911. If you affirmatively dislike 1911 ergos, then what does this gun get you? I'm not trying to be rude, I just literally do not understand.
Click to expand...
i like 1911s, i dont have an issue with the ergos, i just think i can do a tad better with a custom grip and most pistols out there have a grip or the capability of having a grip that contours around the back, and what im looking for is a tactical style 1911 in .38 super

i really want something unique though, personalized to my tastes.. i may even go as far as designing my own serrations and lightening cuts to have machined into the slide

and i think if im carving my own grip, i may actually use something cool looking like pepper laminate or some tan colors
 
well, if nothings wrong with nowlin barrels, i'll probably be going through them for the 38 super barrel.. and since almost all my ammo is going to be handloaded primarily for costs but also so i can fine tune the load i want, i simply have no reason to use .355" bullets.. i will probably use a 158 grain .357" JHP as my primary bullet
 
what are your opinions on commander size 1911s?.. one idea im having is to drop down to a commander size pistol and add a compensator/brake that matches the contours of the slide bringing the total length up to about that of the government size model.. this way i can have the compensated barrel and still fit full size holsters.. if i compensated a government model it would end up being too long

remember, i will be using 38 super thats made from 223/5.56 brass which means i can load this up to 9x23 performance and beyond so long as i stay within the limitations of the cartridge case and bolt thrust limits of the steel frame pistol.. so a compensator to take some of the recoil out of it would be good.. i'll be pushing 158 grain .357 bullets at close to the same velocity as a .357 mag if i load up to 9x23 pressures
 
Having had a couple of "carry comps" I can say they are very nice to shoot.
Just a question of whether you want comfort or maximum velocity.

As to wrap around grips, look up the Tokarevs and the Tokagypt for an example of the change on the same basic design.
 
hmm.. do the tokarevs have roughly the same profile as the 1911?.. if so.. would i be able to buy a tokarev wrap grip and use it as a template.. or possibly even modify the grip to fit the 1911 once i cut out a slot for the grip safety and widen the recess in the center for what i assume is a wider frame on the 1911?

and im looking for maximum velocity, the most power i can get.. i may actually be getting a .380 pistol for concealed carry.. possibly a bersa thunder (i already have a 45 UC pro) or a CZ82 doublestack.. i can use that for comfortable carry, but for what will be a combat type 1911, i want raw power

also, im still looking for opinions on nowlin barrels as they may be the people i go through for mine
 
No, the Tok grip will not fit a 1911
I was trying get to give your mechanical engineer's mind an example of the CONCEPT of going from slab grips to wraparound.
If you like the IDEA you can surely fabricate one from scratch.
Can't you?
 
yeah, i can fabricate one, ive built stocks before.. still though i'll probably have to shape a grip safety as well to match the contour of that grip so it wont stick out when its depressed

in fact.. i think tomorrow i will take a side view photograph of one of those tokagypt grips and trace the contour of it into autodesk inventor, scale it up to the proper size for the 1911 and create a 3D model from there of the new grip i want so i can print off some patterns to glue together for a custom laminate thatll get me the grip i want.. and while i have the 3D model of the grip i can also edit the dimensions of the grip safety to match so i can print out a template for that too so i can trace it out onto an extra large grip safety and grind it down to the needed shape.. then i'll have my contoured grip and matching grip safety to go on the 1911 and if it works out right i may even sell the grips and safety to others wanting a similar grip
 
Last edited:
so.. i traced a "tokagypt" grip in inventor.. created a very rough 3D model of the grip.. i still need to fine tune the shape to match the 1911 specifically, make the recess for the frame to fit into, round off the back size.. etc.. but this will give you guys a profile you can look at to get an idea of the kind of grip id like to put on it

xu0MhSN.png
 
Last edited:
so.. i made up a custom 1911 frame to use a doublestack (custom made) 38 super mag.. designed to be as thin as can be and still load two columns of 38 super.. the grip of the fame is barely wider (less than an 1/8th inch on either side and it still fits under my wrap grip designed above.. so, if i had this frame and the custom magazines, id have a 17-18 round 1911 that was no wider than a single stack 1911.. i still need to make some clearances for things like the thumb safety, mag release, etc.. but the concept is there.. when i get my milling machine i want to make a frame like that

in the mean time.. do you think it would be possible to make up some side plates to weld to an otherwise single stack frame?.. and sure welding may not be as strong as machining it all from one block.. but consider this, consider the STI frames which are plastic held to the steel upper by two screws.. pretty safe to say welds would be a hell of a lot stronger than two screws in plastic... so if i made up my custom grip, modified a single-stack 1911 frame, made some new magazines.. i could end up with a pretty useful pistol

heres a photo of the modified frame

yqwlq2S.png
 
Last edited:
I recall an old American Handgunner feature article about a 1911 converted to double stack by Jim Boland who was an ace gun welder. So it is possible.
 
ill go forward with single stack for now.. but i will still work on this doublestack design if i can get the magazine design right.. shouldnt be hard to get a cheap casting i can use just to test the fit, geometry and function with before building a pistol around it
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
  • Locked
sarco P14 castings?
Replies
11
Views
3K
barnbwt
barnbwt
J
  • Locked
Why choose a 1911?
2 3 4
Replies
96
Views
4K
dmazur
D
J
  • Locked
What 1911 in a .40 S&W
Replies
16
Views
707
jkomp316
J
F
  • Locked
Need a custom 1911
Replies
4
Views
483
SHOOT1SAM
S
J
  • Locked
looking for a 380 pistol
2 3 4
Replies
86
Views
6K
ShootingIsFun
ShootingIsFun
Back
Top