My new and improved Rock Island Armory 1911!

[jcsturgeon]

Okay, so maybe I am "polishing a ****" but I had a lot of fun rebuilding my Rock Island Armory 1911 and learned a lot about the most famous pistol of all time. So here's the result of my Rock Island Makeover:

We started with this:

And ended up with this!

Basically I:

-Polished the barrel (including throat and feed ramp)
-Installed a "Shok-Buff kit" (Full length guide rod, #18 recoil spring, recoil spring plug)
-Added an aluminum trigger
-Put in a combat hammer
-Dropped in a textured beavertail safety
-Screwed on some Pachmayr grips
-Turned in some hex screws

I'm pleased with the way it turned out, and it was my first attempt at gunsmithing. Who can recommend some decent magazines for this? Or recommend other modifications? Also, what do you think?

 

[Cowboy_mo]

I think it looks great!!!!!!! Congrats on the job you did. As to magazines, I would suggest you check with Midway USA. They handle everything from the most expensive wilson's to the more reasonably priced.

Register with them to receive their monthly sale flyers as they run specials about every month. I just picked up 2 Kimber mags for my Compact II @ $18 ea in blue.

 

[jcsturgeon]

Thanks for the tips on mags, I bought two mags from, cheaper than dirt that were okay, but the springs in them are so tough it's impossible to disengage the slide stop with one in the mag well, I thought that was weird.

 

[Jim Watson]

it's impossible to disengage the slide stop with one in the mag well, I thought that was weird.

A common complaint with Kahrs, too.

I think it is weird that people want to close the slide with an empty magazine in place. When I want my gun empty, I want it completely empty with magazine out, too. Perhaps that is just a habit coming from years of competition in which the magazine well must be empty while you are not shooting.

 

[Mike38]

I have had very good luck with MetalForm magazines for M1911’s.

Even when I had one fail. During a Bullseye match, the floor plate of a MetalForm magazine popped off the mag body. (They are spot welded on) I called MetalForm and told them about it. I ended up talking with the owner of the company. He personally put a new one in the mail for me, next day air. Along with a pre paid label for return of the old mag. Now that’s customer service!