SalchaketJoe
Member
Something like a fusion kit. How hard would it be to put together? With limited experience but a fair hand at tinkering. What tools are must haves and where is the best manual/guide for putting together a 1911?
1911 Kit, how difficult, tools, guide
- Thread starter SalchaketJoe
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dmazur
Member
My understanding is that a Fusion kit will go together and work or they will fix it for you. Provided you use their parts, which are designed to "fit". I believe you don't need special tools beyond correct screwdrivers, punches, etc.
If you want to play mix 'n match, you are looking at an entirely different problem. This is the province of the gunsmith, who has the jigs, fixtures and tools (and the experience to use them) for 1911 parts fitting.
The typical critical areas are barrel lug/slide engagement, hammer/sear/thumb safety, and trigger/grip safety. For these to work safely, they have to be hand fit.
There are stories of 1911 owners who bought a "drop-in" part and got lucky, and there are plenty of others who weren't so lucky. (And gunsmiths who get to bail them out...)
Fusion should have an answer for you as to how easy their kits are, and what kind of support they provide. I'm just going on memory here, from reading their stuff a few months ago...
If you want to play mix 'n match, you are looking at an entirely different problem. This is the province of the gunsmith, who has the jigs, fixtures and tools (and the experience to use them) for 1911 parts fitting.
The typical critical areas are barrel lug/slide engagement, hammer/sear/thumb safety, and trigger/grip safety. For these to work safely, they have to be hand fit.
There are stories of 1911 owners who bought a "drop-in" part and got lucky, and there are plenty of others who weren't so lucky. (And gunsmiths who get to bail them out...)
Fusion should have an answer for you as to how easy their kits are, and what kind of support they provide. I'm just going on memory here, from reading their stuff a few months ago...
jmorris
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If all you are doing is having it blued or hard chromed and putting it together why don’t you just buy a completely finished pistol and take it apart and put it back together? I think it would save a lot of headache.
If you want to tinker in some aspects of gunsmithing how about buying a cheap 1911 and tighten up the slide frame fit and making it run 100% by fitting decent parts and cleaning up what is there, it would take time and be an informative undertaking.
If you want to tinker in some aspects of gunsmithing how about buying a cheap 1911 and tighten up the slide frame fit and making it run 100% by fitting decent parts and cleaning up what is there, it would take time and be an informative undertaking.
I tried buying a cheap 1911 and "cleaning it up." It did take time and was an informative undertaking, but I never did get it to work.
blaisenguns
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Building a 1911 is not something to be taken lightly. If this is your first build, than you will spend as much in tools as you do on the parts, and it takes alot of know how to fit and finish this type of gun.
I dont know about that as I am not that familiar with fusion, but if that is true, why bother? All the work has been done for you. ARs on the other hand are "tinker toys" they go together pretty easy. If you have previos gunsmithing experience, go for it, if not than buy one already put together. As for tools the first thing you should buy is the "1911 Armorers Service Kit" from Brownells, it includes all the tools you need to disassemble/assemble a 1911 for about $300. If you buy it and you find yourself asking: "What the heck does this do?" I think you should consider giving up the project. I like what Mr. jmorris said about buying a cheap one and fixing it up. If nothing else this will be a better guide than any written ones out there. After you have gained some experience, than you might consider building one.
I dont know about that as I am not that familiar with fusion, but if that is true, why bother? All the work has been done for you. ARs on the other hand are "tinker toys" they go together pretty easy. If you have previos gunsmithing experience, go for it, if not than buy one already put together. As for tools the first thing you should buy is the "1911 Armorers Service Kit" from Brownells, it includes all the tools you need to disassemble/assemble a 1911 for about $300. If you buy it and you find yourself asking: "What the heck does this do?" I think you should consider giving up the project. I like what Mr. jmorris said about buying a cheap one and fixing it up. If nothing else this will be a better guide than any written ones out there. After you have gained some experience, than you might consider building one.
rbernie
Contributing Member
The Fusion kit supplies the prefit basics but leaves the ergo-related bits to the assembler. That means that you get a slide, barrel, and frame all fit together but get to finish it however you like (blued, coated, etc) and use whatever trigger, safeties, grips, and sights that you prefer.
I took an RIA GI in 38 super and replaced everything execpt the grips slide barrel and frame. Oh left the spring plug and spring guide in too. Fun project, I learned a lot. The advantage is you start with a working gun so if you replace one part or so at a time and it fails you know where to start looking. I did not buy any jigs or special tools. I did buy a couple of stones a file set and some feeler gauges, stuff you can use on other stuff any way. The one special tool I did eventually get was a trigger pull gauge.
HisDivineShadow
Member
Please take your time and read this:
http://how-i-did-it.org/1911-project/
http://how-i-did-it.org/1911-project/
jmorris
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I don’t want you to take this the wrong way but are you not glad that it was inexpensive and not working instead of $1000+ and not work.
I guess I was just saying that a ground up build is an undertaking that one would be better off working up to. There is no magic in building a firearm but it’s a lot easier if you have a complete understanding. Unfortunately that only comes from experience.
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