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From: jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard)
Newsgroups: mod.rec.guns
Subject: Re: Assembling a 1911...
Message-ID: <2159@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Sun, 11-Jan-87 03:59:55 EST
Article-I.D.: jade.2159
Posted: Sun Jan 11 03:59:55 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 11-Jan-87 07:45:23 EST
Organization: U.C. Berkeley
Lines: 30
Approved: jkh@ucbjade
Author: sdcsvax!sdcc13.UCSD.EDU!co198w@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Bruce Jones)

Article: 1:13


In article <2120@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> you write:
>[ This looks like it's addressed to me, but it sounds like someone out there
>would be able to answer this better than I. I've never assembled my own
>1911. -jh ]
>
>Would you make a list of where to "cheaply" buy the major pieces of a 1911
>suitably "well-made" so I/we might be able to assemble  it.  

Having assebbled several 1911's back when you could get "kits" from
Tom Forest out of the Shotgun News I recommend *NOT* bothering.
Unless you want something that is not available over the counter --
and by that I mean something that is not easily converted from an over
the counter piece -- the work and worry is more than the resulting
savings are worth.  On one occasion I put a 1911a1 together and the
slide would bind.  I took it to a gunsmith who charged me about
$20.00 (a lot of money for gunsmithing in 1970) and he fixed it.  
When I got it home I found that the slot for the clip release was
milled too far toward the rear and the clip wouldn't go past it.
The frame had to be returned.  What a headache.

The only time I would bother with this kind of endeavour is when:

1. I was bored and looking forward to a long, cold winter.
2. I was interested in a hot-shot custom piece.
3. I was more of a gunsmith than I am (I made a living of sorts at
it for six years -- but not pistols).

Do I sound discouraging enough? :-)

Bruce