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My first 1911 is someone's old bullseye gun--now to fix it?
- Thread starter Machines
- Start date
First thing you must consider is was it built for reliability or competition target. How loose is the barrel when the slide is all the way forward? If it was built for reliability it doesn't have to lock up drum tight. A new link and bushing may go a long way. To straighten the slide doesn't take a whole lot of work if you have the right tools. Likewise a tight slide isn't as important for reliability's sake. In fact if these things are tight some guns become very finicky. I personally would not want a target quality 1911 as a carry weapon. I would want it to rattle when I shook it and reliably shoot what ever I would feed it in any and all conditions or situations.
When you take it to a gunsmith if his first question isn't "Do you want it to be reliable or accurate?" he is only trying to drain your wallet. It is possible to make a 1911 one or the other without too much expense but to do both will cost dearly. I have always opted for reliable and been pleasantly pleased when one had a measure of accuracy as well.
Machines
NES Member
I know the rattle is good, this just isn't a good fit. The feet are ground too short so it's resting entirely on the pivot link, the upper lugs are showing peening, and there's more rearward slide movement than I've heard is GI spec. But this is probably typical Norinco problems (stock barrel) so the fact the whole fire control group probably needs replacement is more of my concern. Plus the way the slide is borwed it's letting the frame rub on the other side. Using this as a basis for a custom gun build was less of my intention than getting a $500 1911 in good condition.
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Retired-LEO
NES Member
Maybe you should sell it to someone who wants to do a build and find one you are happy with as is.
Maybe a good idea. Most of us have made less than optimal deals before. Sell the gun at a loss ( most) likely and after a decent interval get a Ruger ( my preference ) or Remington ( lots of people say great things about them ) and you will be good to go. I'm guessing that even if you turn this into a money pit project worthy of Oak Island and you get a decent gun out of it, it will always have a certain "taint" to it. IMO better to cut your losses now than later.
Machines
NES Member
Spoke with the seller (another NESer) and he's open to splitting basic repairs. That seems reasonable to me as long as it doesn't turn into Oak Island. I'd talked with Greg and Lou last week, so after New Year's I'll see about getting a proper quote and go from there. I'm enough of a hipster that a Norinco was my first choice over a Ruger/Rem, all things being equal.
If it's not a lost cause I'll also probably spring for mild upgrades to make it worth the trouble.
If it's not a lost cause I'll also probably spring for mild upgrades to make it worth the trouble.
That's a good seller.
This...
Then again if its that effed up why'd you pay that much to begin with? On the other hand, sounds like the seller is making good on at least
some of it. But that's the type of gun that I sell for a couple hundred bucks with the condition that I never see it ever again.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
-Mike
Yeah, well those are easy sells, if in good shape. Despite the lack of quality in some models, people will usually even move Krapbers pretty fast.
I need to get pictures of this up then you will understand why I call it that. It is definitely a mutt. Someone shortened the frame and put a magwell on it, god only knows why, although the gun is lightning fast reloads with 7 round mags.
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
It had a weigand scope mount on it, which was cracked in half, which I later eventually removed and discarded. The gun has wilson and STI parts in it, maybe an EB safety lever. -Mike
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If you don't get that fixed it will eventually egg the slide stop hole if a longish link is being used to give a tight lockup.
I have a comp gun I had built by a pretty decent gunsmith (Guy Hammond, RIP) in the 80s, but the hole egged and there is nothing practical that can be done to fix it (Stripping the hard chrome, welding, redrilling, replating, etc. would be far more than the gun is worth). The gun still shoots fine, but the egging pretty much ruins it as a fine specimen.
Machines
NES Member
Then again if its that effed up why'd you pay that much to begin with? On the other hand, sounds like the seller is making good on at least
some of it. But that's the type of gun that I sell for a couple hundred bucks with the condition that I never see it ever again.
-Mike
$425 seemed like a decent deal as best I could tell in a dark house with someone sleeping in the next room.
Originally I planned to flip the retro sights and put on some GIs too, but the gnarly bullseye look is growing on me.Machines
NES Member
Update on the piece. Took it to BEC where Lou replaced/refit pretty much every moving part in the fire control. Then took it back a second time to get it done again. Then ended up finishing the work myself. But it works now.
Man, the original parts were gnarly. Some of them were obviously damaged, like the hammer someone'd filed all the way down, but then I can't tell if others had been "customized" or if Norinco shipped guns without a working safety. Despite the wonky slide it shoots surprisingly well. And thanks to someone on Arfcom I got a set of original Norinco grips.
Man, the original parts were gnarly. Some of them were obviously damaged, like the hammer someone'd filed all the way down, but then I can't tell if others had been "customized" or if Norinco shipped guns without a working safety. Despite the wonky slide it shoots surprisingly well. And thanks to someone on Arfcom I got a set of original Norinco grips.
Pics!
