Hi guys, I was gonna put this in the build section but did not see too much activity there so I'll post it here. I apologize if it is to specific for this section. I want to build a double stack 9mm 1911 for use in IPSC and was wondering if anyone has built one before? What are some of the main differences in building a 9mm vs. a standard 1911? I'm thinking of a 2011 frame with an sti or caspian slide. I have done pretty much everything to a 1911 except lapping a frame and slide and installing a new barrel. How difficult are these to do? Any advise would be appreciated.
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Building 9mm 1911
- Thread starter coldzero
- Start date
I would search around the gunsmithing section of the www.brianenos.com forum for anything STI/SV. There are a bunch of top IPSC gunsmiths posting over there.
Also, a double stack 9mm would only be competitive in Open division, which would call for a compensator and dot. If you are thinking Limited division, which is iron sights, .40 is the way to go.
Also, a double stack 9mm would only be competitive in Open division, which would call for a compensator and dot. If you are thinking Limited division, which is iron sights, .40 is the way to go.
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GTO is correct about the USPSA/IPSC Divisions. The rules state that you must be .40 or larger in Limited Division to be scored Major Power Factor of 165 (bullet weight x velocity / 1,000). In Open Division (red dots and comps), you can just use a 9mm and hump it out there at 1,300 - 1,400 fps to make Major PF.
Anyway, to provide a little amateur input to your original question, this stuff takes time for a hobbyist like me, but it's rewarding.
Fitting a barrel to a slide is straightfoward. Usually the hood is oversized and you will fit it to the ejection port. Then you'll find that a bull barrel is oversized at the muzzle end and you'll carefully fit it to the slide until you get full lock-up and the chamber is centered on the firing pin hole. With luck, the upper lugs and slide lugs normally fit together well and allow proper lock-up, but if they don't, you'll need some special files or a lug-cutting tool so that they play well together. You'll finish the barrel fitting after the slide fitting when you cut the lower lugs for lock-up with the slide-lock pin. Then you may well want to throat and polish.
For myself, who goes REALLY slowly because you can't put metal back on the barrel, it takes close to 2 hours to fit a barrel. For real gunsmiths, I'm thinking that it takes about 15 minutes and they can do it with their eyes closed.
Fitting the slide to the frame is also pretty straighforward. The slide most likely won't even begin to go onto the frame. You'll begin by filing away the surfaces that will give you the tightest final fit, which is dependent on where the two pieces are interfering. After awhile, they will begin to go together with MUCH oil and substantial force (often rubber mallet time). You'll keep filing here-and-there until you get the slide to go full travel, still with much oil and force. Then you break out the lapping compound, knock the slide on and off. Clean it off and apply fresh lapping compound, do it again. Check for fit. You want it ridiculously close, but with room for oil, perhaps .0005 if you're going to hard-chrome the gun, or less if you blue it.
Then you'll put it together with the barrel and a slide-lock pin, and fit the lower lugs so that you get lock-up with no play and no interference. Then pick a link that is exactly the matching dimension from link-pin-hole to slide lock pin. And you use that link to establish the radius you need to create on the lower lugs that will allow proper barrel movement and link swing. Then you check the whole deal to eliminate tiny interferences at other spots such as the back of the ramp, trailing edge of the upper lugs, anywhere that it hits when it shouldn't.
For me, it takes up 8 hours to fit a slide and cut the lower barrel lugs. For real smiths, I bet something like 1 hour.
The true complication is that if you decide to go 9mm Open, you'll add-in the fitting of a compensator to the barrel and matching the front face of the slide. That process will require tremendous patience to make it look like the works of art that competition gunsmiths produce.
Still, this kind of work is WAY better than other hobbies like building birdhouses or something. I bet Dan S would have some good input here if he's reading.
Anyway, to provide a little amateur input to your original question, this stuff takes time for a hobbyist like me, but it's rewarding.
Fitting a barrel to a slide is straightfoward. Usually the hood is oversized and you will fit it to the ejection port. Then you'll find that a bull barrel is oversized at the muzzle end and you'll carefully fit it to the slide until you get full lock-up and the chamber is centered on the firing pin hole. With luck, the upper lugs and slide lugs normally fit together well and allow proper lock-up, but if they don't, you'll need some special files or a lug-cutting tool so that they play well together. You'll finish the barrel fitting after the slide fitting when you cut the lower lugs for lock-up with the slide-lock pin. Then you may well want to throat and polish.
For myself, who goes REALLY slowly because you can't put metal back on the barrel, it takes close to 2 hours to fit a barrel. For real gunsmiths, I'm thinking that it takes about 15 minutes and they can do it with their eyes closed.
Fitting the slide to the frame is also pretty straighforward. The slide most likely won't even begin to go onto the frame. You'll begin by filing away the surfaces that will give you the tightest final fit, which is dependent on where the two pieces are interfering. After awhile, they will begin to go together with MUCH oil and substantial force (often rubber mallet time). You'll keep filing here-and-there until you get the slide to go full travel, still with much oil and force. Then you break out the lapping compound, knock the slide on and off. Clean it off and apply fresh lapping compound, do it again. Check for fit. You want it ridiculously close, but with room for oil, perhaps .0005 if you're going to hard-chrome the gun, or less if you blue it.
Then you'll put it together with the barrel and a slide-lock pin, and fit the lower lugs so that you get lock-up with no play and no interference. Then pick a link that is exactly the matching dimension from link-pin-hole to slide lock pin. And you use that link to establish the radius you need to create on the lower lugs that will allow proper barrel movement and link swing. Then you check the whole deal to eliminate tiny interferences at other spots such as the back of the ramp, trailing edge of the upper lugs, anywhere that it hits when it shouldn't.
For me, it takes up 8 hours to fit a slide and cut the lower barrel lugs. For real smiths, I bet something like 1 hour.
The true complication is that if you decide to go 9mm Open, you'll add-in the fitting of a compensator to the barrel and matching the front face of the slide. That process will require tremendous patience to make it look like the works of art that competition gunsmiths produce.
Still, this kind of work is WAY better than other hobbies like building birdhouses or something. I bet Dan S would have some good input here if he's reading.
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9mm may not be your best choice. It cannot be used in Limited Major Caliber as previously mentioned and can be a PITA in Open Class. Major Nine usually stresses the brass so badly that it is good for only ONE firing. You would be better off with .40 in Limited or 9x23, 38 Super, or 38 Super Comp in Open.
