1911 80 % Build - who's done one?

Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
1,942
Likes
543
Location
MA (Rt. 3/95/495)
Feedback: 10 / 0 / 0
I have a frame inbound from another member here.
I have mechanical experience/ abilities and some equipment.
Am willing to purchase whatever needed to complete the job, but prefer a more cost-effective solution 😉.
Also a quality end product.

Any actual experience would be great 👍.
Leads on sourcing tools also helpful.

I don't expect this to be a fast project and planning on doing most, if not all of this myself.

I plan on taking copious amounts of pictures and have full support from the wife to boot🤣

Thank you in advance for your help!

BTW, this is a series 80, not 70 frame.
Jumping into this headlong.
 
Nothing is drop in.

Get the Kuhnhausen books. Right now. Tons of info in there.

I forget who made it, because its been years, but there was a builder out there who put out a "cheat sheet", where it had a side, rear and top down view. You recorded measurements on that and used it a reference for fitting the slide.

You can rent the tools online here . Not sure if they carry a big inventory still. Better than buying unless your're doing more than one.
Brownells has a lot of tools, but you'll pay. Ask me how I know.

Get a good set of stones.

My last 2 frames (1 caspian, 1 remsport) I sat on for so long that I ended up sending them both to my brother in-law for his birthday (he really wanted a 1911), who then turned them over to his old man. sent a slide and barrel/ bushing too.

They came out fantastic. If I can find pics, I'll put em up.
 
I have a frame inbound from another member here.
I have mechanical experience/ abilities and some equipment.
Am willing to purchase whatever needed to complete the job, but prefer a more cost-effective solution 😉.
Also a quality end product.

Any actual experience would be great 👍.
Leads on sourcing tools also helpful.

I don't expect this to be a fast project and planning on doing most, if not all of this myself.

I plan on taking copious amounts of pictures and have full support from the wife to boot🤣

Thank you in advance for your help!

BTW, this is a series 80, not 70 frame.
Jumping into this headlong.
Why would you make a dumb series 80? Nobody does this. Lol
 
Why would you make a dumb series 80? Nobody does this. Lol
Possibly why 55_Grain is getting rid of them. I only have a 70-series (Springfield RO).

Looking forward to the challenge. ARs are easy at this point. Also really want to make something really nice and custom from the ground up.

@TrashcanDan , thanks for the lead on tools. I'll check them out.
 
I have done 3. I don't know if I am a perfectionist or the machinist in me wants everything to be within actual blueprint dimensions, but the entire time doing them, I kept thinking "how in the hell do guys who are doing this at a kitchen table make this correctly".
It will take a good amount of time for you to get everything to fit.
Unless you have a full sized milling machine, I have no input for you as far as tooling.
Good luck.
 
Did a few back in the early 2000’s. Used a Bridgeport. I have seen jigs out there to cut rails but not sure how well they work. There is a huge swing in Quality of 1911’s. Think rock island compared to nighthawk. A 1911 can be a good challenging build using a factory frame depending on your expectations you May want to start there for the first one
 
I am a longtime machinist and have built a couple of 1911's from Caspian parts. It is not something I would recommend a novice machinist attempt.
 
I just noticed this is an LDA (light double action) frame, not the typical series 70, That adds a twist to the build, not as many parts available to choose from, If it was just a series 80, you could put a spacer in to block the trigger disconnect and use any slide you want, this may not be the case because para I believe is the only one to use this setup
 
I just noticed this is an LDA (light double action) frame, not the typical series 70, That adds a twist to the build, not as many parts available to choose from, If it was just a series 80, you could put a spacer in to block the trigger disconnect and use any slide you want, this may not be the case because para I believe is the only one to use this setup

I was planning to go that route- the block to omit the 80 series crap.

Not familiar with LDA... as I stated in OP, jumped on this without much investigation.

Sourced a matrix jig w/ decking fixture. Loos more robust than the single cutter jigs


Eta:
View: https://youtu.be/uCs3dPgDbo0

Video on LDA - WTF did I buy 😳?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom