Springfield_1911SS
Member
I built my first lower this week. I just wanted to share a few tips/tool ideas.
Fist of all I bought the pivot pin detent install tool from brownells. It is a "L" shaped tool with a small hole in it. The tool is inserted in the holes in the receiver that the pivot pin goes in. The small hole is aligned with the hole in the receiver for the spring and detent, the spring and detent are inserted in and the tool is rotated to hold the detent in place. Then the pivot pin is used to push out the tool, and locks into place. If any one has used this tool it is not perfect. I would have the detent pop out when the pin was inserted. What I ended up doing was cutting about a 3/8" piece of McDonalds straw and using that as a sleeve that was half on the pin and half on the tool then pushed the pin through the straw and receiver. Then cut away the straw.
The next thing that helped was a tool that we made to help install the bolt catch pin. This part of the build was one of the parts that the receiver was at most risk of being scratched. We made a tool that was basically a punch for getting the pin started. We took a piece of round stock about 6" long and 3/8" in diameter. We drilled a 1/8" hole in the top of the round part a little off to one side. The is only drilled slightly less than a 1/4" deep. We then started the pin in the hole best we could with our fingers. Then took the tool we made and used it as a punch. The reason for this is that the hammer hitting the punch was happening off of the receiver. and that since the punch was over the pin it would not slip and scratch the finish. Then when the punch was getting close we used a normal pin punch but at this point the pin was through the first hole and the bolt catch and on its was through the other hole.
Special thanks to my Dad for all his help.
Fist of all I bought the pivot pin detent install tool from brownells. It is a "L" shaped tool with a small hole in it. The tool is inserted in the holes in the receiver that the pivot pin goes in. The small hole is aligned with the hole in the receiver for the spring and detent, the spring and detent are inserted in and the tool is rotated to hold the detent in place. Then the pivot pin is used to push out the tool, and locks into place. If any one has used this tool it is not perfect. I would have the detent pop out when the pin was inserted. What I ended up doing was cutting about a 3/8" piece of McDonalds straw and using that as a sleeve that was half on the pin and half on the tool then pushed the pin through the straw and receiver. Then cut away the straw.
The next thing that helped was a tool that we made to help install the bolt catch pin. This part of the build was one of the parts that the receiver was at most risk of being scratched. We made a tool that was basically a punch for getting the pin started. We took a piece of round stock about 6" long and 3/8" in diameter. We drilled a 1/8" hole in the top of the round part a little off to one side. The is only drilled slightly less than a 1/4" deep. We then started the pin in the hole best we could with our fingers. Then took the tool we made and used it as a punch. The reason for this is that the hammer hitting the punch was happening off of the receiver. and that since the punch was over the pin it would not slip and scratch the finish. Then when the punch was getting close we used a normal pin punch but at this point the pin was through the first hole and the bolt catch and on its was through the other hole.
Special thanks to my Dad for all his help.