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stevie_d_64 wrote:Man, woman... Now that is a fine looking firearm!!!

This motivates me to consider putting one together for myself...

Not sure if I'll ge a kittykat logo put on the grip, but I may try something else to personalize it somehow...

Again, that is a super looking gun there...Hope it shoots just as well for ya...

It is smooth as butter. I can't even begin to explain the excitement I felt when I hit the first 10 and then the first 100 rounds with out a failure! I was on cloud nine!

If it weren't so expensive I'd have a new hobby!

CompVest wrote:Holsters are personal. When asked about leather I do mention Tucker. He does beautiful leather.

I appreciate suggestions!! I have a comp-tac diva that you recommended & I use it at the range for my M&P.

I'm leaning toward another one for this 1911; but I would need something easier to conceal if I ever decide to carry it.

TLynnHughes wrote:

CompVest wrote:That is the way SRVA did his - I mean mine! It has a Remington Rand slide and a Vega frame. He hand fitted them using lapping compound until they would slide together perfectly. I can shoot a 8" metal target at 200 yards with that gun.

I don't think I can even SEE an 8" metal target at 200 yards much less hit it with anything.

Maybe we'll try building a gun in baby steps or MAYBE I should just focus on shooting one first.

T.

Yep! Me too!

It would be doubtful if I could hit anywhere on the broad side of a barn at that distance!

TLynnHughes wrote:This is absolutely gorgeous!!! It makes me want to make one. I love the cat on the grip. I'm a big fan of little graphics that make items very personal.

Would you share some of your expertise? What is the best way to get started?

T.

My husband has been gunsmithing some on his own, so he had already collected the tools I needed. He built one last year, so he gave me some advice and supervision.

Looking at the schematic on the brownell's site helped identify and list the parts needed and where to put them.

I didn't have a vice, which would have helped when filing the larger parts - like the frame rail and fitting the grip safety. There are a couple of specialty tools you need for one time use like a plunger tool staker. A large magnet is a handy tool to have, I lost the thumb safety plunger and spring a couple of times while trying to install it -- that little spring can fly.

The frame and slide came from Caspian, and for an extra fee, they can fit and install some of the parts for you (which might be worth it if you don't have those kinds of tools).

They can also factory fit the frame to slide -- but my husband wanted the satisfaction of doing it all himself -- so bought the frame & slide with nothing extra or special except the series 80 and novak site cuts.

I decided if he could do it, I could do it; so I took parts he ordered and started plugging away at it. The rest was A LOT of filing and testing for fit -- until it fit.

Thanks for the nice words!

This was a new experience all together. Before this project, I had never done more than fieldstrip one. I sweat a lot over it and lost most of my fingernails and I'd do it again - it could be addictive!

This is my custom built 1911 9mm Commander Series 80. About 3 weeks ago all this was a just a bag of parts. The frame and slide is Caspian, it has a Nowlin barrel, Wolff springs and all the internals are a combination of Wilson Combat or Ed Brown. The grips are custom laser etched alumagrips from gungrips.net .

The cat is a hobo sign - chosen because we have a colony of feral cats we take care of and we always joked they put a hobo sign on our door to tell the other cats it is a nice place to come and live.

Every thing is hand filed and fitted. It took about 2 weeks working on it every evening and weekends; then a couple of trips to the range to get the kinks worked out of it; and now it shoots like a dream!!

I've put 200 flawless rounds through it the last couple of weeks.



I was so excited! It was really fun to make!!