1911 R1 Build
As I noted in another thread, I was searching for a Mil-Spec 1911 to do a build on. After a lot of great input from the inmates here, I decided upon a Remington 1911 R1.
So to begin this journey, let’s start with why I chose this 1911 and initial impressions.
As Mil-Spec 1911’s go there are quite a lot being made today and everyone has their opinion on which is best. There is the regular debate on how they are made, components used, casting, metallurgy and a myriad of other points of conjecture. Some made by the truly informed and some by the completely uninformed.
I am the latter.
I am not a gunsmith nor do I have any other credential that would make me anything more. I am an enthusiast who dabbles in simple modifications. I have done some writing in the past (freelance) for a few online gun publications. Typically reviews.
So take everything I am going to say here with a grain of salt. I am no expert. Learned, yea maybe, but that is it
Selection
Now, why did I chose this 1911? Well, I did my research mostly. Talked to you guys and did a bit more research. What I will tell you from my research is that there are quite a few options that I think would make a good starting point. Notice I did not say perfect, as each has its pro’s and con’s. But ultimately, I narrowed my search to Springfield, Remington and Rock Island (RIA)
I think any of these are good starting points when it comes to a Mil-Spec 1911. You will pay a bit more for the Springfield but it is the one the gunsmiths I talked to opted for most. Maybe due to name, maybe due to reputation. The RIA has both strong detractors and strong advocates. The Remington, to be honest, had the least number of comments.
So why did I pick it?
Well, mostly, availability. I looked at 5 or 6 1911’s at one of my local gun stores and I liked both its functional feel and affordability. I could probably paid $100 less for an RIA or $100 more for a Springfield. This seemed to hit the middle quite well. Furthermore, there is not a lot of negative you will find in online reviews of the Remington.
Lastly, I thought about my Remington 870 pump sitting in my closet. Probably the least expensive gun I have ever purchased. I think I got it when I was about 18, at Wallie World for maybe $180. Yes, this was truly back in the day.
It is a cheap, commodity pump shot gun. I now have a very nice Mossberg and an Italian made over and under. The 870 still gets the majority of my and my son’s usage. It just works, and works and works. Truly a work horse of a shotgun.
I reasoned that if this Remington 1911 R1 was half the gun that 870 is, then it would be a good choice.
That said, I do not think you could go wrong with any of these three.
Impressions
When I got the R1 home I summarily tore it apart to give it a through cleaning and once over.
In general the cycling of the slide and checked play in the gun proved to provide, for the most part, a nicely fit product.
Mostly, I say, because the trigger has a bit of slop and rattle in it and when I broke everything down the slide rails had a bit of light rust.
Now any rust on a brand new gun would typically be a show stopper for me. It would get an express trip right back to the gun dealer. However, I checked myself and reasoned that this was Mil-Spec. It does not have a high end coating on it and might be susceptible to a bit of rust.
Furthermore, I reasoned, one of the first things I will do is have some trigger guard relief and checkering work done on the frame. I will have the ejection port opened up a bit as well, and I would like to get either a grey or green high wear coating put on both. Thus, the light rust, right now was manageable and nothing a good bit of oil on a regular basis could not remedy
The trigger, like I said needs to go, but I am not sure what I want yet so I am going to live with what is there. While it had some slop in it, overall pressure and break were very acceptable.
Looking over the frame it was pretty tidy in general. I will want to deburr it a bit and get some of the sharp edges removed. I figure I will get all this done by someone who knows what they are doing removing just the right amount of metal.
The rest of the gun checked out perfectly. The main issue I saw was the amount of work that will be needed on the feed ramp. This and a bit of barrel tuning will also be in order, but in due time.
Once cleaned, I cycled rounds through just to make sure that everything was working and I had no disappointments.
Stuff I Had
As I looked through my parts bin I noticed I had some left overs from the 1911’s I used to have. Two pieces stood out as possible really easy first steps.
Wilson Combat “Group Gripper” 2-Piece Stainless Guide Rod – let me say that I have no real dog in the hunt as it pertains to no guide rod, verses solid guide rod verses 2-piece guide rod. I don't even remember when or why I bought this. But I had it and here was my reasoning for using it for this build; I am not a fan of a free floating spring. Today's springs will doubtfully crimp or bend much in this case, but having that rod there to keep it straight just seems…right to me. Second, I like the look and the little extra weight it provides to help manage recoil just a bit more. Lastly, is the 2-piece guide rod will aid in take down just a bit, and to be quite honest I have never liked how 1911's break down. So any improvement here is a plus in my mind.
Wilson Combat Mag Well – so I am not sure if I am a fan of these, especially with the stock flat sole 1911 magazines. They tend to be a pain in the hand to seat quickly. However, I also tend to put bumpers on my magazines. So I had it and figured why not! Secondly, while I would tend to go all stainless to offset the dark body of the gun, I wanted something I have seen before that I think is a really nice subtle look. That is a polished black on a matt finish. So with this you will be seeing me use polished black accent levers against my desired great or green frame and slide coating. I think that will make this gun really stand out.
So that’s it for now. I will be providing updates as this progresses. Don't expect them to come quickly (unless someone wants to financially sponsor this build – I am open to putting your name or company logo on every article I write if you are!)
Hope you enjoyed. Please feel free to comment, provide input or heckle.
Last edited:
