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I've been reading where people can actually build a 1911. This sounds fun and interesting to me but I have absolutely NO skills in this area. For those that know.

1. Is this hard to do?

2. Do you need lots of specialized equipment?

3. Where can you purchase the frame etc?

Any other input would be much appreciated. I don't want to waste money and get everything and not be able to complete it but I'm not afraid to learn something new either.

Man I would love to do that one day.

I can tear down and rebuild an engine but the thought of working with all those tiny precision parts frightens me.

You do need some specialized tools to make things work properly, and they are expensive. Additionally there is some skill required to make things work properly as well. If this is something you really want to do I would suggest finding a good gun smith that will walk you through doing this in his shop with his tools.

Fusion sells kits. If you find you cannot complete the build, they will finish it for you, for a price. Building a 1911 does require skill and a few special tools.

Almost every person I have talked to who had built their own 1911 has said the experience was worthwile but, for the money they could have bought a fully finished top of the line gun from some famous custom builder. Don't let this discourage you but, like reloading, you won't save any money.

Thanks for the replys and links. I'll keep looking into it.

It is definitely harder than you think. I have been learning and my gunsmith has given me some of his older tools and a lot of training. I still wouldnt tackle my own build because aside from the fact it is little parts with tight tolerances, a mistake can be very very hazardous. Do as little to the frame as you can because it is the hardest part to replace as it is serial numbered. Patience is the key as builds can take weeks of spare time. AndyC can help with some of the more complex stuff, I can answer a lot of basic questions. I have bought several guns at shows that when i get home I see amateur work that makes the gun unsafe.

How serious are you about building your own 1911?

If you are real serious, go here -

http://www.rodgerspistolsmithing.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bob Rogers hosts building classes several times per year. It is not cheap, but worth the money.

rm9792 wrote:It is definitely harder than you think. I have been learning and my gunsmith has given me some of his older tools and a lot of training. I still wouldnt tackle my own build because aside from the fact it is little parts with tight tolerances, a mistake can be very very hazardous. Do as little to the frame as you can because it is the hardest part to replace as it is serial numbered. Patience is the key as builds can take weeks of spare time. AndyC can help with some of the more complex stuff, I can answer a lot of basic questions. I have bought several guns at shows that when i get home I see amateur work that makes the gun unsafe.

That blows! Were they repairable/salvageable?

I highly recommend doing what I did. I bought a inexpensive mil-spec 1911 and added the parts I wanted.
I started with
And I currently have

RECIT wrote:

rm9792 wrote:It is definitely harder than you think. I have been learning and my gunsmith has given me some of his older tools and a lot of training. I still wouldnt tackle my own build because aside from the fact it is little parts with tight tolerances, a mistake can be very very hazardous. Do as little to the frame as you can because it is the hardest part to replace as it is serial numbered. Patience is the key as builds can take weeks of spare time. AndyC can help with some of the more complex stuff, I can answer a lot of basic questions. I have bought several guns at shows that when i get home I see amateur work that makes the gun unsafe.

That blows! Were they repairable/salvageable?

Yep, generally have butchered sears, hammers, barrels with no feet (false lockup), or poorly fitted beavertails. As long as the big parts are good we can fix the rest. Recently bought a 6" HS trophy match that was using a full length guide rod to hide the fact that the rails were too narrow for the slide. rattled like an old GI model when the guide rod was pulled. Have to peen the rails to get it close to right.

Brownell's offers a pretty good guide to building a 1911.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=1030 ... 1___Part_I" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;