rebuilding a 1911 9mm?

R

Rangerrich99

New member
Okay, this might be just a dumb question, as I've never tried to rebuild a gun before.

However, the other day I wandered into a local pawn shop and saw a 1911 in what turned out to be 9mm (they wanted $199). It was a bit of a beater with a lot of the finish worn away, one of the grip scales was missing, a couple dings and various scratches. But upon closer inspection I could find no rust. At the time it didn't occur to me that I might be able to fix it up, and after a little while I wandered back out of the shop thinking only about how sad that gun looked.

A couple days later Brownells sent me a flyer concerning replacement 1911 parts on sale and the light bulb went off.

Obviously I have no way of knowing if the gun will even fire, but what do you guys think? Could one bring this gun back for say, less than $300? And would it even be worth trying?

I'm not a gunsmith, but more of a tinker. I can change springs, do some limited stone work, etc.

Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
No offense but save the stone work for someone who knows what they are doing. Replacing the grips is certainly an easy fix for anyone.

Very good 1911's can rattle a bit so don't let that turn you off if you shake it and it rattles.

Go to the Google and do a search for 'Army 1911 Manual' and that will give you a pdf about the 1911 for free that will show you some stuff to look for.

P.S. If you buy it (after you buy it) the poor finish is 'character', before you buy it it's a lever to get the price down or some extra magazines or a box of ammo.
 
What brand is the pistol in the pawnshop.
How much will this pawnshop pistol require? new barrel (fitting cost?)? etc.
Dings and scratches maybe minor but is the barrel, frame, slide in good shape?
Keep in mind that an new RIA 1911 9mm maybe in the $400-450 range.
 
@pilpens;

You know, you'd think I'd have remembered that tidbit, but for some reason I don't. I can tell you what it wasn't . . . not a Colt, Ruger, S&W or a SA.

The guy at the pawn shop wouldn't let me take the gun apart, so I can only guess at the overall condition of the barrel, but it didn't look too bad. Also, I probably would get a new barrel anyway, I mean who knows how many rounds have been through it.

The slide had finish issues and when I racked it it felt a little gritty. Otherwise it looked serviceable. The frame I guess could be hiding all kinds of problems but other than being really dirty inside I couldn't see anything that looked like real damage.

The grip safety would click sometimes when pressed. And the gun did rattle a bit when shaken.

And where can I get a RIA 1911 in 9mm for $450? The lowest I've found was around $600.

@DaleA;

I don't stone things in semi-autos that are critical to function, like fire control surfaces. Learned my lesson on that one a long time ago. And I will look up that pdf, thanks for that. And I agree that the poor finish would be 'character.' The gun didn't have a magazine, but you're right, I might've been able to talk him down because of the finish and the lack of a mag.
 
9mm 1911's are fantastic guns. Brand on that one will be critical. For example it could be a Llama in 9mm Largo. I happen to have one. Looks a lot like any other 1911 if your not familiar. Other than that I would give it a thorough cleaning and go to the range to see what it does. Guys who shoot alot usually take care of their guns. Dirty guns (in my experience) are often ones that sit around more than they are fired. I wouldnt replace the barrel (not easy in a 1911) until I replaced other wear items like springs, bushing, link pin and link.
I like beater guns. You can lay them on the table at the range without worry of scratches.
 
Dirty guns (in my experience) are often ones that sit around more than they are fired
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Even worse; If it's in a pawn shop (especially in Phoenix) I would bet money that it was pawned by some crack- or meth-head who needed drug money.

As you can see, the pawner neither cleaned it nor came back to get it.
 
@gyvel;

Thanks for the link. That's a great deal. Trying to find one in commander length, but that one might have to become part of the armory anyway.

And I agree with you about the probable pawner; you see a lot of those types wandering in and out of pawn shops in Phoenix.

@BoogieMan;

I'm pretty sure it was a 1911, and I want to say it was a two name brand. Wish I could remember what it was.

I think I just want something to tinker with, like the old cars me and my brother used to buy and fix up. Problem is, I know a lot more about fixing cars than I do about fixing guns.

Maybe I should take a class first and see just how much trouble I can get into . . .
 
Personally...I would steer clear of that 1911, since the pawn shop clerk would not let you or him field strip the pistol for inspection.

I put a replacement Nowlin 9mm barrel on my Springfield 1911.
 
@Erno86;

Actually, there are several stores I frequent that have a similar policy, even with new guns, so I didn't think much of it at the time. But you might be right, there might be a serious problem inside he didn't want me to see.
 
And I agree with you about the probable pawner; you see a lot of those types wandering in and out of pawn shops in Phoenix.
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I frequent a pawn shop in a nearby town up here; I see it all the time. I'm sort of their pop-in pop-out gunsmith and will occasionally fix a gun for them in exchange for other services.

If you ever head north sometime, send me a PM and I will give you the location of the pawn shop here. I know their prices, while not the absolute rock bottom best, are a lot cheaper than others. A barely used 9mm went out of there about 3-4 weeks ago for around $350.00 OTD.

Certainly the people who own it and work there are a pretty good bunch, and not your typical slimeball greedy pawnbrokers like you see in Phoenix.
 
Actually, there are several stores I frequent that have a similar policy, even with new guns, so I didn't think much of it at the time. But you might be right, there might be a serious problem inside he didn't want me to see.
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Nooooooo! Say it ain't so. I'll bet that guy is as honest as Abe Lincoln; Pure as the driven snow; Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. LOLLL!!!:D:D:D
 
@gyvel;

Thanks for the info and invite. i travel through northern AZ quite a bit; what town are we talking about? Flagstaff? Winslow?
 
For $199 I would sure jump on it.

rangerrich99 said:
The guy at the pawn shop wouldn't let me take the gun apart, so I can only guess at the overall condition of the barrel, but it didn't look too bad. Also, I probably would get a new barrel anyway, I mean who knows how many rounds have been through it.
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You just blew the budget -- unless you're willing to settle for a $45 barrel from Sarco (which, BTW, will shoot better than most of us can shoot it).

Why would you assume that it needs a barrel if you haven't even looked at the bore or shot it? A $199 pistol is probably never going to be a bullseye winner, so IMHO it's not the kind of project you go into looking to replace everything. You go into it hoping to replace next to nothing, and wind up with an inexpensive plinker. Whatever you have to replace, you replace with budget parts, not with Ed Brown or Wilson Combat premium parts.
 
For $199 I would sure jump on it.
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Considering that it came from a Phoenix pawn shop (NOT noted for their high class clientele), is missing a grip, magazine and finish with a possible defective grip safety, I would definitely be worried about what might jump OUT of it onto me.

It's a crapshoot. It could be a cheap fixer upper or a total can of worms.
 
@Aguila Blanca;

Due to the scruffy look of the gun I assumed the barrel might be shot out, and the light wasn't good enough in the store to see much when I looked down the barrel. If I did buy it, of course I'd clean the holy heck out of the whole thing first and see what I had to work with.

And don't worry, I never had any plans to trick it out with high-end parts. I just want a project to work on for a few months, see if I can get it (or another beater) back to a safe shooter on a small budget (gotta stay under $300-$400 or the boss will have my butt in a sling).

I'd buy an old car, but I already know I can't swing that past the Queen any time soon.
 
For $199, are we sure it's really a "1911"?
That price seems more appropriate to something like a Star Model B, which looks like a 1911, but isn't.
Prior to about ten years ago, there were very few 1911s chambered in 9mm, and the one long-time maker was Colt. A 9mm Colt slide is worth more than $199.
My experiences with pawn shops would lead me to think a beat-up, parts-missing 1911 would be priced closer to $1999 than $199.
 
My money is that it's a star. A friend had a worn out model B in 9mm that we couldn't get to shoot a full magazine without at least two malfunctions. For $199 I'd take a chance if it's a 1911. Unless it's got a cracked frame, slide or major wear to the rails, it's fixable. I'd clean it up, replace the grip and shoot it. Don't waste money trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
 
Sounds like it's priced at a Star Model B, which will resemble a 1911 and is in 9mm. I picked up a Super B some time last year for the same price. Mine looks beat up, but it works just fine. I am unaware of a parts source, but some of the springs might be interchangeable with a 1911. I've never taken mine apart other than to viciously clean it as it was covered in cosmoline. Sights are pretty worthless, but a cool gun for a great price.
 
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