I want to build my own 1911 from the ground up. My question is how much will all of it cost? I don't have to have the best of everything but i want decent stuff. I just want a ball park price.Also how hard is it? I have broken down my other 1911 pistols to the last part before. Is building one just like putting one together from complete take down? Any advice would be great. Thanks,45automan
I WANT TO BUILD A 1911. HOW HARD IS IT AND HOW MUCH WIIL IT COST ME?OPINIONS?
- Thread starter 45automan
- Start date
As to cost, go to http://www.brownells.com and price out the parts. You will need a gunshop to get the frame (fill out a 4473 and all that). You would need to fit several of the parts, thumb safety, grip safety, trigger, the barrel bushing to both the slide and the barrel, fit the barrel (hood and feet) to the slide and slide stop. You may have to install the sights (depending on the slide options you can find). You will have to install the ejector and ejector pin, "tune" the extractor and that's about it. Is it worth it? If you want a pistol that you can say, "It's mine, I put 'er together." it is. Will you save any money? Not counting your time involved, not much.
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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Another route might be to find an old, rusty clunker and rebuild it. You'd have your choice of parts, and you wouldn't have to buy them all at once--but it would be shootable all the way through the process.
FWIW, Art
FWIW, Art
Go ahead and start your project, dont be scared off by the nay sayers. If you really want to build one go for it. Its not the easiest thing you will ever do but it can be done. Get some good books on the 45, shop manuals etc, read them and take their suggestions on the tools. Be patient, forget the dremel tool for fitting, it will cost you $$$, again take your time. A lot of parts will drop in and a lot of them wont, each is different and needs to be fitted as such but its not that hard. Read the books. Jim V suggested www.brownells.com it is the best site for the parts and pieces, tools and books, and they have techs on staff to help you too. Will you save any money, hell no you wont, not really, but when you are done and it is shooting then you will have some pride of accomplishment. Try www.1911forum.com for a build it yourself site, and the Smitty here at TFL, your questions will be answered. There are other sites as well that can help you. I have built several and have enjoyed doing them all. My last one went to my nephew for a graduation gift from college. Hell, he thinks he has a Gold Cup. Good Luck
The block of steel doesn't cost much, but the forging dies and drophammer cost like heck. So does casting equipment, milling machines, lathes, etc.
You don't want to build a gun "from ground up" you just want to assemble one. Using good parts, it will cost more than the complete gun would with the same quality of parts. The only tricky parts are the grip screw bushings and the spring tube. Another tricky area is the front sight, but slides usually come with them installed.
Jim
[This message has been edited by Jim Keenan (edited August 19, 2000).]
You don't want to build a gun "from ground up" you just want to assemble one. Using good parts, it will cost more than the complete gun would with the same quality of parts. The only tricky parts are the grip screw bushings and the spring tube. Another tricky area is the front sight, but slides usually come with them installed.
Jim
[This message has been edited by Jim Keenan (edited August 19, 2000).]
45automan,
I'm getting the finishing touches done on my latest of five 1911 projects. I'm not a gunsmith and don't claim to be. I'm more of an assembler/parts fitter. I'll try to answer your questions based on my experience as a hobby builder.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I want to build my own 1911 from the ground up. My question is how much will all of it cost?[/quote]
My most expenxive project was $1100 in parts at retail from Brownells and Caspian. My cheapest was about $900 just in parts. Im doing one for a friend using a Colt 1991 "take-off" top end and a blem Caspian frame that will be about $650 in parts. No labor on any of them.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I don't have to have the best of everything but i want decent stuff.[/quote]
Go for the quality parts. The cheap stuff is no bargain due to either extra fitting required or sloppy "drop-in" fits.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Also how hard is it? I have broken down my other 1911 pistols to the last part before. Is building one just like putting one together from complete take down?[/quote]
In a word, NOPE. I am fairly mechanically inclined and can usually perform complex tasks from written instructions. There is NO WAY I would tackle a total build-up without an experienced pistolsmith or assembler/part fitter available for guidance. After five projects, there are still fitting tasks I don't feel competent enough to do without help or one-on-one instruction, like lower barrel lugs to slide stop pin (if very much material needs removed). Slide to frame fitting can be tricky without guidance on the first one, so can thumb safeties and grip safeties. You have to understand the relationships between the various parts and how they can effect each other.
I personally feel it's well worth the effort, but it IS effort and I can't imagine doing it all alone with nothing but a book to go by - unless you're willing to scrap the first one if things go badly.
Just my opinion and worth twice what you paid for it...
Mikey
I'm getting the finishing touches done on my latest of five 1911 projects. I'm not a gunsmith and don't claim to be. I'm more of an assembler/parts fitter. I'll try to answer your questions based on my experience as a hobby builder.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I want to build my own 1911 from the ground up. My question is how much will all of it cost?[/quote]
My most expenxive project was $1100 in parts at retail from Brownells and Caspian. My cheapest was about $900 just in parts. Im doing one for a friend using a Colt 1991 "take-off" top end and a blem Caspian frame that will be about $650 in parts. No labor on any of them.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I don't have to have the best of everything but i want decent stuff.[/quote]
Go for the quality parts. The cheap stuff is no bargain due to either extra fitting required or sloppy "drop-in" fits.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Also how hard is it? I have broken down my other 1911 pistols to the last part before. Is building one just like putting one together from complete take down?[/quote]
In a word, NOPE. I am fairly mechanically inclined and can usually perform complex tasks from written instructions. There is NO WAY I would tackle a total build-up without an experienced pistolsmith or assembler/part fitter available for guidance. After five projects, there are still fitting tasks I don't feel competent enough to do without help or one-on-one instruction, like lower barrel lugs to slide stop pin (if very much material needs removed). Slide to frame fitting can be tricky without guidance on the first one, so can thumb safeties and grip safeties. You have to understand the relationships between the various parts and how they can effect each other.
I personally feel it's well worth the effort, but it IS effort and I can't imagine doing it all alone with nothing but a book to go by - unless you're willing to scrap the first one if things go badly.
Just my opinion and worth twice what you paid for it...
Mikey
Buy a Kimber and save the headache for finding the perfect load.
Figure at least a grand for good parts, a year of filing ("can take more off, can't add...), and then finishing, or just buy a base blue Kimber, and satisfy your (normal) urges by customizing that.
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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
Figure at least a grand for good parts, a year of filing ("can take more off, can't add...), and then finishing, or just buy a base blue Kimber, and satisfy your (normal) urges by customizing that.
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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
I went the old pistol route and have been very happy and learned a lot about the 1911. The first was a 1927 sistema and the most recent a colt commander. Both turned out very well, but I would have kept going until I was satisfied with their performancce. I got a chance to try things to see if I really liked them and change them if I did not like them. I have made friends along the way. Not to sound too philisophical, the journey has proved more rewarding then the end result, although both turned out well. Have fun!
45automan.
I build mine own as a winter project a few years ago.
I started with a Colt barrel and slide I picked up inexpensivly at a gun show. Had a dealer order me an Essex frame, and ordered everything else from Wilsons.
I had never owned a 1911 before, so it was quite the learning experience. I picked up most of the info I needed from shop manuals.
I think I probably have around $1k in the finished gun.
I'm glad I did it, but probably would not do it again. Kimbers are just too good for less $$.
Joe
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Go NRA
I build mine own as a winter project a few years ago.
I started with a Colt barrel and slide I picked up inexpensivly at a gun show. Had a dealer order me an Essex frame, and ordered everything else from Wilsons.
I had never owned a 1911 before, so it was quite the learning experience. I picked up most of the info I needed from shop manuals.
I think I probably have around $1k in the finished gun.
I'm glad I did it, but probably would not do it again. Kimbers are just too good for less $$.
Joe
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Go NRA
The tools can run you a few hundred at least as well. I purchased a video from these guys:
http://www.americangunsmith.com/
It was very informative and I highly recommend it, but in watching it dude kept pulling all these tools out. They were all available from Brownells but cost me probably 600 on top of the parts.
http://www.americangunsmith.com/
It was very informative and I highly recommend it, but in watching it dude kept pulling all these tools out. They were all available from Brownells but cost me probably 600 on top of the parts.
Hi, AndaBeer,
You probably don't need all the tools that are used on the videos or in Kuhnhausen's books. They are nice to have and necessary time savers for someone working on guns full time, but for a one-off, using anything like proper parts, a couple of staking tools, a set of good Swiss files, screwdrivers, and a Dremel tool will be about all that would be needed. Watch the Dremel, though. They can be dangerous to precise parts.
A lot depends of the degree of finish work on the frame and parts. Rough castings are cheap, but not practical. Fully finished slide and frame by any good maker should go together with a minimum of effort, and will be properly hardened. Check with the maker to be sure this has been done. If not, you will be faced with either hardening the parts (tricky unless you have the equipment and know-how) or having the gun fail rather quickly.
Jim
You probably don't need all the tools that are used on the videos or in Kuhnhausen's books. They are nice to have and necessary time savers for someone working on guns full time, but for a one-off, using anything like proper parts, a couple of staking tools, a set of good Swiss files, screwdrivers, and a Dremel tool will be about all that would be needed. Watch the Dremel, though. They can be dangerous to precise parts.
A lot depends of the degree of finish work on the frame and parts. Rough castings are cheap, but not practical. Fully finished slide and frame by any good maker should go together with a minimum of effort, and will be properly hardened. Check with the maker to be sure this has been done. If not, you will be faced with either hardening the parts (tricky unless you have the equipment and know-how) or having the gun fail rather quickly.
Jim
I built a parts gun five years ago, and the parts ran about $800. I already had a new G.I. barrel, and extractor, and a few pins and springs, so figure about $1000 for parts. $50 for the Kuhnhausen manuals, and all of your "free" time. The only parts that did not require at least some amount of filing, grinding or polishing were the plunger tube and front sight; I farmed-out the installation of both those parts. It is not cost-effective, but building the gun was fun, and kept me off the streets for a few months.
Jim,
As they (whoever They are) say, "The right tool for the right job." Some of the jig and fixtures available sure make things easier. I have done some pretty damn good trigger jobs on my 1911s with the proper jigs. Beat the ones I had done by smiths all to death. I cannot see how I could have done as good a job without the right jig (Bob Marvel).
For a one gun deal, no, all the varied tools not cost effective unless you start ruining parts. I plan on being a 1911 fan for a long long time and whether building them from the ground up or repairing/retrofitting them, the right tools make sense.
Talk to you guys later, off to buy a milling machine. Not.
As they (whoever They are) say, "The right tool for the right job." Some of the jig and fixtures available sure make things easier. I have done some pretty damn good trigger jobs on my 1911s with the proper jigs. Beat the ones I had done by smiths all to death. I cannot see how I could have done as good a job without the right jig (Bob Marvel).
For a one gun deal, no, all the varied tools not cost effective unless you start ruining parts. I plan on being a 1911 fan for a long long time and whether building them from the ground up or repairing/retrofitting them, the right tools make sense.
Talk to you guys later, off to buy a milling machine. Not.