Anyone here built a 1911?

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Hey Souk,

Don't you just love it when someone trys to tell folks like you and I that we are incapable of some mechanical task. From homebuilt airplanes to homebuilt violins, to custom bike builds, to restoring Porsches, to rebuilding 911 engines, to DIY alignments, to converting R12 to 134, to tinkering with guns and etc etc. It is always fun to prove the skeptics wrong. Nothing better to me than the satisfaction of starting a new hobby and after careful research, being able to produce professional results in my home shop. Nothing motivates me more than having someone who spends a fortune on "custom" work tell me I am not capable of doing the same quality of work out of my home shop.

Can't wait to see your finished spoon.... I am 100% sure it will be first rate. What OddJob fails to comprehend is that while there are all kind of levels of mechanical competance out there. To make blanket statements about all who choose to do their own work is ridiculous. If all gifted tinkerers quit tinkering, advances in technology would cease to exist.

I agree with Tim's assessment here.

[jyl]

Reading this thread reminds me of the difference between mass production and hand craftsmanship. What charles kieffner says presumably applies to the former, and what Rkesp Tim souk say sounds more like the latter. Souk will have time to hand fit his parts, test each one, fit them again, etc, for however long it takes. Compare to making frames for Ruger or whoever, each frame can get no more than X minutes of operator time before the company starts losing money. The little parts might get Y seconds.

[MotoSook]

I agree, John. I tend to fixate on the details (probably why my projects take so long). I intend to involve my kids in this building process so they too can appreciate the craftmanship required to build such a thing....and build it well. I intend to build this as an heirloom and will spend as much time as I need to to make it perfect.

I gravitated toward spoons for their mechanical "genius," not because they go boom. Next year I might pick up watch making LOL. I love all things mechanical and the more intricate the more interesting they are to me. It's a genetic defect I can't shake.

[Shuie]

Originally Posted by Soukus

Thanks for the tip on Heine.

YW. Heinie is considered one of the best custom 1911 guys ever. I have never owned one of his guns or dealt with him, but if I lived near him and wanted to try my hand at building a 1911, I would try to at least ask him to transfer some knowledge to me.

Another tip....

Go to Carryguns.Com and pay the $200 for the ignition parts. There are no 'drop-in' parts on a 1911, but these are really the best money can buy. If you can't get these due to availability, etc., go with the Cylinder & Slide and use their tool steel hammer, sear, disconnector setup.

[Shuie]

Soukus, check the email account that's tied to your profile.

[MotoSook]

Back to ya. Thanks!

And I found Dick Heinie's website. Quincy may be a good road trip on the motorcycle come warm weather and it's no too far from my alma mater and some good food. Nice day trip