1911 BS thread

Get it re tooled for the standard dovetail........just my 2 cents.

 

Do you have an idea what that might run me? Honestly this is the first firearm of mine that I'd have to mod beyond bolt on accessories, so I've never had to deal with a gunsmith or anything before. The Williams sights are about $40 + $35 to install (the base of the front sight itself is pretty screwed up, so no way I could do a DIY on it). Granted, I've only checked with one gunsmith so far.

 

No offense to your father's 1911.....1911 porn!!

 

That I don't. Only thing I can suggest is to talk to a few places and see who has the best offer and most experience.

 

Lol! It was funny when I asked the instructor if I could fire off a few rounds from an old RR 1911 I'd brought. His eyes got wide and he said "sure, but only if I get to shoot it as well"! So we broke it out, I shot a full magazine at the target then holstered the gun. When I turned around 1/2 the class was standing there in a loosely organized line wanting to have a turn! Since I had only brought 2 boxes for it (my class gun was my CZ 75B .40, which I went through +/- 1000 rounds) I told them they would have to buy the ammo once we ran out.

 

Gotcha. The reason I'm considering the Williams sights is because supposedly they fit without any modification (except filing, which I understand is normal for any sight install). Honestly since it's not my main carry pistol (I have a Shield for that) I just want to get the sights fixed and be done with it, but not drop a lot of cash on it.

 

Yeah cost is always a factor. But there are a bunch of gunsmiths out there that do marvelous work and a gob like that shouldn't take too long.

 

I went into the Army in 1978 so we still had the 1911A1s. Despite the loose slides and barrels, I loved those old warhorses and never grew to like the 9mm M9s. I actually qualified better with the .45s than I did the 9mms. I love to take my RR out to the range, too. It is always an attention getter.

 

And, I couldn't resist.......

 

Finding this thread has made my day.

Here is mine. SW1911 E-Series with a Crimson Trace rosewood grip. I like the laser as a training tool but if I could do it over again I probably would have kept the money in my pocket. Looks good though!

 

nice gun

 

Yeah, definitely a good training aid. It's an eye opener how shaky you can be trying to hold steady on a 25yd target. Also helps with trigger control, shows you if you're pulling to the right etc.

 

Thank you! She's a keeper

 

Yeah I realized real quck I needed to make some adjustments to my grip. Watching the laser bounce around at the 25 yard line was a huge eye opener for me. I'm new to pistol shooting so it was good for me to see what was going on.

 

For you guys that have the old 1911's - there are sites you can look up the serial number for manufacture date and other info. Mine was 1945, so right at the tail end of WW2.

 

Unless your slide is stainless, you'll be priced out of having new dovetails cut in because of the cost of refinishing the slide.

I was going to suggest having them cut to a traditional dovetail also because you will be even more limited in options if the Williams sights aren't available at a later date when you need replacements, but for small cash it sounds like that's the best choice for now anyway.

Machining fees themselves aren't crazy, but sights, machining, refinishing is a several hundred dollar investment out my way. Stainless slides don't need refinishing which is a lot of the cost, but I think it would still end up around $150-200 for sight install and dovetail surgery.

 

My 1911A1 is a late 1944 manufacture.

 

Makes sense. It's a blued finish, so I figured that would make machining expensive. Once I get paid in a little bit I'll probably try to get the Williams sights and hunt down a good smith to install them for me, again just cause it's easier that way. HiViz also makes some, but theyre notably more than the Williams sights.

 

i love this thread cause 1911s are such awesome US made weapons

 

Does anyone have a Level II holster that they're tired of and want to be rid of?