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How to upgrade my 1911...

Heres the build I got to put a few rounds through. Wish I had some more time and nice target ammo.
Dont think I can ever shoot out the star like greg though!
www.northeastshooters.com

Step Right Up Sir! Try Your Luck!

Who among us has never thought of pulling out a 1911 at the carnival! Colt Gold Cup, to make it fair it was 25 yards. Finished in hard chrome with a few accents and features. Details later.
www.northeastshooters.com www.northeastshooters.com
 
Ammo, mags and get some quality training. save your money on gadgets. The SW 11911 is perfectly serviceable as is. YMMV
 
LuvDog said:
I emailed with greg a while back about some work. He’s slammed and when I last talked with him he wasn’t taking on any new work
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Same. :(

Although, that is letting me be a bit more particular about High Powers and 1911s too, so that’s good.
 
This is nothing against you OP. As we ALL fall into this.

but the questions you need to as should always be:

what is it doing, or not doing that I want it to
is this shooting better than I can. Is it me or the gun.

in MOST cases, the gun is easily capable of out classing the shooter. If that is the case then, generally the answers are..
more time behind the trigger
more ammo
better glasses.

ymmv
 
mac1911 said:
Yup lots ofvprojects hes doing.
Plus I think this is busy season as the nationals are not far off
www.northeastshooters.com

Holiday Bling target 1911

A Caspian 1911 build for both CMP Bullseye and some action shooting. Built for accuracy with a Kart National Match barrel in a surface ground set of frame rails for smooth tight lock up. BoMar style target sight with an EGW fiber optic up front. Hand stippling for a good grip. The Techwell mag...
www.northeastshooters.com www.northeastshooters.com
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Dear lord that gun is beautiful...
 
seanc said:
in MOST cases, the gun is easily capable of out classing the shooter. If that is the case then, generally the answers are..
more time behind the trigger
more ammo
better glasses.

ymmv
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Will agree with this 100%, I understand that practice is absolutely necessary, just want to make sure In putting in the work properly and not forming bad habits
 
If you truly intend to use it as a home defense gun I would highly recommend a light. At the very least have a flashlight and practice with it.

Really nice 1911. I have a S&W "Billboard" 1911 I bought in or around '04. No complaints.
 
Picton said:
I love threads like this, and not just on NES. I'll read the same thing over on TalkBass or the Telecaster Discussion Page, and this thread would fit in perfectly there if you substitute a few things.

1911 = Telecaster (or PBass)
Glock = Les Paul (or JBass)
Feed ramp = fret level
New grip = new tuners
Trigger job = pickup swap
New sight = new strings, preferably a heavier gauge
Ammo = amp
MOA = intonation
Mods = mods

And the best part? Be it here or there, the OP hasn't either shot it or played it before he posts.[rofl]
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I was thinking it was jut like car/bike forums - "I just bought a {something already-faster-than-the-driver}, what's the best/first mods I should do to make it faster?"

Then everybody piles on with the same - "training."

But the new guy wants more, so they lay it out (training,) brakes, (Training,) tires, (TRAINING,) wheels, (TRAINING!) suspension, and in case we missed it - get some training.

OP - genuine props for asking advice; you got a lot of great guidance here, and it sounds like you're doing well to take it to heart. They say, it's the Indian, not the arrow. There are lots of trainers on NES, there's even a subforum dedicated to it.

www.northeastshooters.com

Training

Discussion, Reviews, and club sponsored training.
www.northeastshooters.com www.northeastshooters.com

See who's in your area, and look into what's interesting to you. You'll practice more if it's something that excites you. Learn constantly, and from as many different people as you can. Meanwhile, like folks said - go to an IDPA/IPSC practice/match and just "run what you brung." None of us know what feels good in your hands, or looks best for your eyes. See if others will let you try their gear, find out why they made the changes they did. Every decision includes compromises. Learn what works for you, and what doesn't, then start making incremental changes based on your personal needs.

With that out of the way, I think everyone can agree, this is the first/best accessory you can buy for your new M1911, which you are right to call your "first."

45 ACP AUTO Ammo | Target Sports USA - Ammo Deals

45 ACP AUTO ammo for sale at Target Sports USA. Enjoy free shipping on bulk 45 ACP AUTO ammunition for sale online.
www.targetsportsusa.com www.targetsportsusa.com
 
If you haven't yet replied to Sjan about his offer, do so. He is one of the most natural shooting talents I have ever met. He is a true student of the sport and knows what works!

I'm not nearly as good as Sean however I have been shooting for about 45 years and have my share of trophies. PM me if you want to go to the range sometime.

Your acceptance of the information provided is admirable.

Goid luck.
 
The urge to upgrade your first 1911 is understandable. Been there done that. A properly fit trigger and a fiber optic front sight will make the gun nicer. Just don't slap on an oversized slide release, the mark of a noob :)
 
Emacs said:
The urge to upgrade your first 1911 is understandable. Been there done that. A properly fit trigger and a fiber optic front sight will make the gun nicer. Just don't slap on an oversized slide release, the mark of a noob :)
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I come from a glock platform so literally before I even shoot a new gun I have a trigger, barrel, sights and a whole mess of other stuff on order haha. Definitely not the same approach with 1911's. Do you or anyone else on here have some sights you prefer? Would love to hear what brand and style everyone's rocking on their pistols.
 
ipscdrl said:
If you haven't yet replied to Sjan about his offer, do so. He is one of the most natural shooting talents I have ever met. He is a true student of the sport and knows what works!

I'm not nearly as good as Sean however I have been shooting for about 45 years and have my share of trophies. PM me if you want to go to the range sometime.

Your acceptance of the information provided is admirable.

Goid luck.
Click to expand...
I sent a PM to him! Hoping to get some lessons soon! You can never get enough new information, always evolving.
 
Mesatchornug said:
OP - genuine props for asking advice; you got a lot of great guidance here, and it sounds like you're doing well to take it to heart. They say, it's the Indian, not the arrow. There are lots of trainers on NES, there's even a subforum dedicated to it.
Click to expand...
Trying to brother, I will never act like I know everything and will always ask for help if need be. Love hearing from everybody on here and their thoughts on the subject!
 
GJacobs24 said:
Ive had to talk myself off the ledge on buying a taran tactical 2011 several times haha they have them in stock on their website
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Just saw this now. To clarify, I wasn't suggesting running out and buying a 2011 ASAP. A 2011 is a nice gun when you can internally justify the cost to yourself to up your shooting ability. When you "improve" your gun by either changing parts or buying a new gun, you're increasing or decreasing your effectiveness. A 2011 isn't going to make you a good competitor; its more about making a great shooter into a match-winning shooter. When you're at the stage where you legit have a shot at winning matches and the only thing holding you back is your equipment, that's when you make changes to equipment.

Put another way, if you're in the middle of the pack shooting with a G17 or G19 and you know that if you got a better pistol, it'd improve your game, that's when its time to upgrade.

GJacobs24 said:
I come from a glock platform so literally before I even shoot a new gun I have a trigger, barrel, sights and a whole mess of other stuff on order haha. Definitely not the same approach with 1911's. Do you or anyone else on here have some sights you prefer? Would love to hear what brand and style everyone's rocking on their pistols.
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See post no. 21.
 
kope said:
And, even a real barrel comp wouldn't do much on a .45.
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Not necessarily true, but not something I wouldn't put on a gun that wasn't intended for bowling pins or some other gun game like that. It's pointless otherwise.

-Mike
 
Too many Greg, Derr Precision posts to quote. [thumbsup]

When you get your pistol back, and it includes a sample target of what your pistol can do, you strive to produce a similar target on your own.
 
C. Stockwell said:
Just saw this now. To clarify, I wasn't suggesting running out and buying a 2011 ASAP. A 2011 is a nice gun when you can internally justify the cost to yourself to up your shooting ability.
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Agreed, I have no worldly need for a 2011 other than they are beautiful and I want to take one out of my safe occasionally and look at it, maybe shoot it. Definitely dont need one cause my shooting abilities have superseded my equipment lol.
 
GJacobs24 said:
I come from a glock platform so literally before I even shoot a new gun I have a trigger, barrel, sights and a whole mess of other stuff on order haha. Definitely not the same approach with 1911's. Do you or anyone else on here have some sights you prefer? Would love to hear what brand and style everyone's rocking on their pistols.
Click to expand...

Dawson Precision. Fiber optic front, plain black rear. I like .100 wide front, and If I remember correctly a .120 rear.
 
Some “ upgrades” can be short money. Just watching a you tube video and taking the 1911 apart and cleaning up or polishing the trigger bow can make a difference as well as wTching a video on adjusting the pretravel screw on the trigger could help as well as giving you an understanding how the gun operates.
 
GJacobs24 said:
Hey guys, so I just picked up my first 1911 yesterday and I’m already thinking about what mods I need.
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This is what I did!

220-legion-1.jpg
 
^ in case OP doesn't get the joke, garand is saying that 1911s are so bad, even a notoriously unreliable Sig would an improvement over it.
 
The thing about 1911s is that most "upgrades" require some fitting.

Its not like a Glock or AR where you buy the part and drop it in. Because of this, I'm a big fan of simply buying the gun configured as you want it to be.
Unless of course, you want to learn how to gunsmith a 1911. In that case I'd suggest working on something inexpensive like a base RIA.

If you don't do the work yourself, its easy to drop $300 on a relatively minor upgrade.

For example, I purchased a Dan Wesson Pointman 9 at a great instructor discount price. As a lefty I wanted good quality ambi safety. An Ed Brown part was an obvious choice since its great quality and the Dan Wesson was built with all Ed Brown internals. The part was $99. The good local guys all had 6 month + waits. So I looked into sending it to the CZ custom shop. They would charge a reasonable $100 to fit it. With shipping both ways, I was looking at almost $300.

In the end, I decided to read up and try doing it myself. I bought a cheapie safety from Brownells for $30 and did my first attempt on that.

I took my time, and did a good job. But it taught me to simply buy the gun you want already configured that way.
 
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GJacobs24 said:
Hey guys, so I just picked up my first 1911 yesterday and I’m already thinking about what mods I need.

I’ve been reading and watching some online reviews and I’m torn about where to start..

For starters I picked up a SW 1911 TA. Already have a compensator on it right now. I have been told a good place to start was a match barrel, lightweight trigger and a full trigger job?

Any information on what you guys think would be greatly appreciated. I will be mainly using the gun for home defense/recreation on the range but will probably be branching out into competitive shooting down the line. So would like some mods that really up the accuracy and potential of these great pistols!View attachment 322378
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As others have said.....you have a good 1911 there. Shoot the hell out of it.

My advice......learn to reload 45acp for it. Once I started reloading lead swc ammo and tweaking the recipe I learned how accurate a handgun can actually be. It just adds so much to the experience of a good 1911....imo of course.
 

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