[wurlwynd]

Well, I had to post here because there are so many avid fans. I hope to have this done sometime next week, barring interference from my real job.

I will update the thread with my progress as I make it, but I am still short some tools I need so I don't expect to do much until next week.

 

[Bud White]

Very nice keep up with the pics though the whole process

 

[Primersinmyshoe]

Yes! Please keep us updated on your progress. That sounds like a very interesting project. Pictures along the way, and a final picture of your first target would be great.

Welcome to the forum, glad to have you here.

 

[wurlwynd]

Fitting the trigger and mag release

Neither component would drop in, by design.

Fitting the trigger - pretty simple

Fitting the mag release - also simple, but a little more complex with filing the curves and having to guess at what to do to make it fit.

The result - looks good to me, but I am unsure as to the spaces above and below the trigger - is that normal? The trigger is super smooth and does not bind anywhere that I can feel it. There is also almost no perceptible up and down movement of the trigger perpendicular to the frame.

 

[Bud White]

If you have no up and down play your good there is a gap no matter how tight you fit the triggers

 

[DaleF]

Looking good so far Wurlwynd! Bud's right, the trigger will usually have a gap above and below, and no up/down movement is great. That style trigger is normally good with respect to the clearance of the mag, but check to make sure the bows of the trigger are not going to interfere. Call or ask on here if you need any help. Nice so far!!:dancingbananna:

Dale.

 

[wurlwynd]

Grip safety - internal clearance

This notch is just not going to work with my (or any, I think) trigger:
It binds and hits the trigger, and will not allow the trigger to move in what I think is the proper range of motion when the safety is fully depressed. In fact, I was unable to get the safety to fully depress the first time it put it in the frame.

I am not sure, but filing the trigger bow seems like the wrong thing to do here. I am going to file the notch on the grip safety until I can get the trigger to move through its entire range of motion without binding. After quite some time, I have made a good start on this component. I have left this picture a bit larger so you can see the trigger bow actually clearing the new notch.

It still needs some work, but I think I am going in the right direction.


One more thing to all you experienced 1911 builders: I have never done this before. I have done some work on AR's and M1A's, but no pistols. In this I am a complete novice. If you see anything I am doing which may result in a dangerous condition, or anything which is just plain dumb, please tell me.

Thanks!:flag:


That will be it for a few days - I do not get my mainspring housing until Monday. More then!

 

[Bud White]

Looks good so far you do have to fit the grip safety to the trigger bow as you are doing to get full swing to clear the trigger Bow .. looks like you got a handle on it so far..

 

[wurlwynd]

Grip safety issue - hole off-center?

I think that the hole the thumb safety goes into on the grip safety is off-center with the frame. As the grip safety rotates, I can see portion of the safety cross over into the hole in the frame - the result is that the grip safety does not move freely in the grip. It binds and is hard to move. Either the shaft on my thumb safety is too large, which I doubt because it fits each component perfectly when separated, or the geometry of the hole in the grip safety itself is wrong. I know the frame hole are perfect because both left and right safeties fit perfectly in the frame.

Every 1911 I have ever held has this part moving free and clean.

Is the solution to remove material from the rear of the frame (blending the grip safety) until the holes line up, or is the grip safety defective?

Please forgive my ignorance.

 

[DaleF]

Fitting the grip safety

Wurlwynd, You may have to take some material off the back of the frame for the grip safety to fit, this is a common thing. Just remove alittle at a time and keep trying the fit. I don't know what you have as far as grinding/ buffing equipment but a 6-8" wheel with fine grit makes the job easier. You are going in the right direction, keep up the good work!

Dale.

 

[wurlwynd]

My grinding equipment consists of some bastard files and a bunch of stones. I suppose I should use a jig (like the Ed Brown beavertail jig) to make sure I do not go too far? Should I buy a grinder (like a foredom) or something similar? A wheel? I plan to do more than just a few of these.

 

[Snagglepuss]

Fascinating, Keep up the great work. I am learning as you go. Thanks

 

[Bud White]

stones will work just take longer or get a dowel rod and wrap real fine sand paper around it ..

 

[wurlwynd]

More Grip Safety stuff

This is the area causing my problems, I think:

Deep breath here...

Looks ugly. REAL ugly!

A good start. A little less bind and a lot more free play. Now I MUST wait until I get the MSH in there to really start grinding on this thing. Good thing it is hard to take too much off at once when using fine and super fine stones...

 

[Bud White]

Looking good I been doing the same thing tonight ..

 

[wurlwynd]

Since I am currently stalled on the lower, I thought I would fit the front sight.
The Bomar cut sight is too large to fit, so I thought I would take a bit off each side of the sight with a superfine stone:

Took a while, but I finally got it started!

Using my soft hammer and a nylon punch I have put through an electric pencil sharpener, here we are about halfway there:

I am going VERY slowly to make sure the sight is going in straight and true. Not too tough if you take your time and do not rush.
I had to file on the sight a bit more, but sorry no pics due to camera battery charging. I just trued the bottom and the edges of the sight, and removed any burrs or sharp edges.
This is top dead center, by my calculations. My theory is that I must have my front sight TDC and make all adjustments at the rear.

Next will be the rear sight...:flag:

 

[Bud White]

sight looks like a factory install good job

 

[Snagglepuss]

Great Jobopcorn:

 

[wurlwynd]

Rear Sight

This was tougher than the front sight. I don't know if the metal is different but it took a lot more effort to reduce this with my stones.

The home for the rear sight. There are some very minor manufacturing leftovers I need to polish off...

I started using the long triangle stone:

That proved almost futile for some reason. I switched to the short triangle stone and had more success:

There she goes!

This was more difficult than I imagined. I ended up having to use a press.

I really think the metal is far harder in the rear sight, but I am probably just imagining things.

A nice profile:

That is it for now. I will continue when I get more parts (tomorrow, I hope). I imagine I will get to the firing pin and stop and then the extractor next, but who knows? I will not do the final grind on the beavertail until I have set the sear and hammer, the MSH, and the extractor. Then I will make it a smooth grind (I hope:biglaugh


:flag:

 

[Snagglepuss]

I think you are making this look too easy. I am starting to get the itch to try.:thinking: