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Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 7:44 pm
by Pinky
I thought it was an important presidential question, but this is a new thread to ask about Batboy's 1911 build.

So, Bats, can you confirm that your pistol will only have one barrel? What else can you tell us about it?

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:18 am
by Batboy2/75
1911 on a hammer forged frame and slide (5 inch) w/ the following

Hand checkered (30 lines per inch) front strap
Beaver tail grip safety
Ambidextrous safety
Skeleton hammer and trigger
Match barrel
Tritium front and rear night sights
Low profile magazine feed schute machine beveled into the frame
Trigger job w/ a 3.5-4 pound trigger pull
Cerekoted paint job in sniper grey
Mahogany checkered diamond hand grips

One barrel and one sexy weapon of war. Bitches will wet themselves when I pull this bad boy out.

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:02 pm
by Pinky
My understanding is that the amount of hand fitting required makes a 1911 build relatively difficult. Is that consistent with your experience?

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:42 pm
by Shapecharge
Pinky, I have no experience in building precision .45's but I have some experience in shooting them. Your statement is correct relative to making a single-action .45 that is accurate. This manufacturer: http://cabotgun.com/ claims to be making guns with such close tolerances that little hand fitting is required. Prices are outrageous...don't know much about the claims but Brian Zinns is their spokesman so that says something.

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:50 pm
by Pinky
I like the idea of building your own 1911, mostly because I think building a gun sounds fun and my next purchase is likely to be another 1911. After a small amount of reading, it still sounds like a cool project for someone with the right experience (Batboy), but people with little/no experience (me) would be far better off simply buying what they want.
This manufacturer: http://cabotgun.com/ claims to be making guns with such close tolerances that little hand fitting is required. Prices are outrageous...
Whatever improvement in accuracy you get for the last $4,000 you spend on a Cabot pistol would likely be wasted on me, and probably on most other shooters.

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:02 pm
by Shapecharge
Mr. Pink, if you've got the time and the cash there's one very highly regarded .45 pistolsmith out there that has a course that you can attend...can't remember how long it is but not outrageous, a week or less...where you show up with a stock .45 and he takes you through the entire process of rebuilding and hand fitting your own .45. I think it would be so fucking cool to do and is on my sorta things to do when I retire list. I'll track down the smith if you're interested.

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:07 pm
by Batboy2/75
Shapecharge wrote:Mr. Pink, if you've got the time and the cash there's one very highly regarded .45 pistolsmith out there that has a course that you can attend...can't remember how long it is but not outrageous, a week or less...where you show up with a stock .45 and he takes you through the entire process of rebuilding and hand fitting your own .45. I think it would be so fucking cool to do and is on my sorta things to do when I retire list. I'll track down the smith if you're interested.

The dude that runs that course is booked two years out. Cost of the course + slide/frame+ parts is north of 3,000 to 4,000. Not counting accommodation in pig knuckle Arkansas or where ever he course is held.

I' m by no means an expert, just willing to try and learn anything gun related. The Internet has been a tariffic boon in this regard. Twenty years ago it would have been much harder an xpensivve finding and communicating with subject matter experts and like minded enthusiasts.

This project will probably take me 6 months to year to complete.

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 12:28 pm
by Pinky
Batboy2/75 wrote:I' m by no means an expert, just willing to try and learn anything gun related. The Internet has been a tariffic boon in this regard. Twenty years ago it would have been much harder an xpensivve finding and communicating with subject matter experts and like minded enthusiasts.

This project will probably take me 6 months to year to complete.
Have you done work on your own 1911s before?

Good luck with this build. I'd be interested to hear how this goes.

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:00 pm
by Dan Martin
Shooting the 1911 is a great gunsmith.

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:47 pm
by Dan Martin
We use to build commander style 1911's using aluminum frames. Accuracy was good enough.

Re: Batboy's 1911 Build

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:40 pm
by Batboy2/75
Pinky wrote:
Batboy2/75 wrote:I' m by no means an expert, just willing to try and learn anything gun related. The Internet has been a tariffic boon in this regard. Twenty years ago it would have been much harder an xpensivve finding and communicating with subject matter experts and like minded enthusiasts.

This project will probably take me 6 months to year to complete.
Have you done work on your own 1911s before?

Good luck with this build. I'd be interested to hear how this goes.
No, jumping from rifle gunsmithing to handguns. Never owned a 1911 before either. Shot a bunch of them, but never owned any..

The key to these types of projects is good info, correct tools, & willingness to fail. I also may take it easy my first time an work an already functioning 1911. I have several 80% frames, but no longer live near my buddy with a cnc mill. It may take me a while to find another cnc mill or make it back to Cali. To use my buddies cnc mill.