1911 spoons, what mods to make
 

So, say you picked up a very basic 1911, maybe something very entry level like the Taurus PT1911.

What sort of mods would you do? Are there any "must haves", like things that fix problems? Then I guess there would be "needs", well, it's not a must have, but it's something that you really should have. And then there would be "wants", definitely not necessary, but hey, if I can do what I want, this is something that I would do.

I guess question 2 would be, how about those .22 conversion kits? Have or tried one, how'd it do?

What is the 1911 going to be used for?

nothing fancy, range time, hanging around the house to stop the zombies. It's doubtful that it would ever see any carry action as it's full size and there are other, smaller, easier guns to carry.

Maybe price out the improvements you would like to make and add them to the purchase price of the gun. Usually it's best to buy a fairly good gun with the mods done as part of the factory build.

I don't have any mods that I want. I know that anything is possible with the 1911. I'm curious what others like, want or think they need.

No offense, but I wouldn't go dumping money into any Taurus. You don't get your money back out of gun mods when you sell. And there are plenty of other 1911s out there that are better out of the box and already have the mods you might want. You can easily double the money you have into the gun and not make it worth a dime more. Buy a higher end one with those mods done at the factory and you'll be a lot closer to even money if you sell.

1911 mods.......
 

+1 on what Rick said! Another thing to consider is that most aftermarket parts are specifically made to fit Colt pistols. Everything else "out there" runs the risk of having slightly different machining tolerances. Some parts will fit or can be made to fit and work properly, some maybe can't. Also, anything that is done to a 1911 to make it more accurate can potentially take away from it's reliability. I would much rather have a handgun that is 100% reliable than one that will print 1/4" smaller groups but is less reliable. About the only things I can think of doing to most 1911s these days would be to add a flared magazine well for easier/faster magazine changes and maybe changing the grips to whatever fits your hands the best.

this....go look at the Dan Wesson 1911 or a Colt.

Nature intended for 1911s to be colt but I think plenty of the cheaper ones are OK as well. I probably wouldn't dump a bunch on upgrades on one though

I'm a Springfield fan and don't like Colt. I just think Colt relies too much on hits heritage and name, while other 1911 makers concentrate more on building great guns and always improving. I've owned five Commanders and none of them shot well. Why the hell should I have to have the ramp polished to make it feed SWCs? Any 1911 today comes with a polished ramp. A few Commanders ago I had a stainless XSE. Sure was a pretty gun, but any of my way cheaper Springfields would outshoot it any day of the week.

You can get a real nice Springfield Champion or Loaded full size for $600 used. Ditto for Kimber if you really shop. I've started lusting for Dan Wessons, but I think they've finally gotten the respect they deserve and their prices now reflect that.

Keep the Taurus for a beater car, boat or garage toolbox gun. It'll go bang every time, but don't dump money into it other than with rubber grips and range time.

If you really hate money and want to buy the best of the best so that you'll never go back, step up to Ed Brown Les Baer.

I probably wouldn't spend much if any money on something like that, but I figured there might be some mods that almost universally improve the gun. I'm not looking to make the thing less reliable. I'm sure this thing is more accurate than I am anyway.

Lets forget the mention of Taurus. I'm just curious what sort of changes or mods that you guys would make and why. This is more of an educational thing than a shopping list. I'd like to learn about and understand what the various mods are and what the pros and cons of each are. I figure we have several knowledgeable people here that could give that sort of info (and enjoy talking spoon).

Have you taken it to the range yet? That's the first thing to do before deciding on mods. My guess is you'll want new grips and maybe new sights. But then how does it shoot? Can you run 100 rds. though it without a hiccup? Learn how to field strip, clean and lube. You might get by with just some skateboard tape on the front strap instead of rubber grips. Does it have ambi thumb safeties? If not, are you left handed? Does it have hammer bite? If so, you'll want a beavertail.

For my last Springfield build, I got a stainless Mil-Spec for $175 delivered and it was just missing the barrel. So I ordered a new barrel, guide rod kit, night sights, beavertail, match trigger, skeletonized hammer and then mailed it all off to Robar for refinishing and assembly. I ended up with such a badass gun for far less than it would have cost to buy as was. Really regret selling that one, but I came out ahead on it.

Here's that Mil-Spec next to the Commander XSE and the Springfield was soooo much better.
http://www.fototime.com/A55F76A8EF9E3DF/standard.jpg

The nice thing is that it comes with some of the common "upgrades" out of the box (hammer, beaver tail, checkered front strap, ambi-safety, trigger, sights, etc...).

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/w...8/21_1-tfb.jpg

That's actually very nice. Only thing I can think of would be a magwell. If it doesn't shoot great as is, I wouldn't dump more money into it. But it looks like it has everything you could need.

I am also an SA fan and was planning to get an SA 1911 eventually.

I, too, would stay away from Taurus. In fact, I have.

"The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory."

Buy a solid platform to start from. Colt, Ruger, S&W, Dan Wesson, Springfield, and STI are all excellent options. Either buy basic and upgrade from there or cough up the $$$ for a factory version of what you want.

These days I would avoid:

1) Taurus (unmitigated crap)
2) Philippine makers (Armscor/Rock Island Armory, Citadel, etc. etc. etc.)
3) Remington (horrible QC problems with their recent org changes)
4) Kimber (always been wildly hit-and-miss on QC)
5) Para-USA (have sucked since they left Canada. Recently purchased by Remington's parent company...not good)
6) Sig (hit and miss - but better than Kimber)

Ok, I get the point that pretty much everyone thinks the Taurus is crap.

Why? Are there pics of Taurus' that have exploded or fallen apart or something? What's the deal?

How many Taurus guns have you owned and what problems have you had with them?

Very happy with my Springfield XD. 13+1 in the tube double stack magazine.

Grip safety, trigger safe like a Glock. Telltales for one in the tube and cocked. No thumb safety but I'm cool with that. 1,000 rounds thru it with no fails. A friend used it and accidently popped the mag release. Didn't even stove pipe....smacked the butt back in and it continued to fire.

Tear down is simple.

Weaver rail underneath for add on laser or spot.

I had an XDM 9 w/ 4.5" barrel. I sold that and got the XDM 3.8" compact 9mm.

When I want small and compact I have a .357 Smith Airlite, five shot wheel gun.....packs a punch. :eek:

If you're looking for a basic 1911 to see if it's for you, I recommend Rock Island. I posted pics of my Commander in the 'Random Spoon Pics' thread, just got it a few weeks ago, and continue to be very impressed. It's my first 45, and I'm glad I didn't get the XDS that everyone told me I needed to get. Also, don't be intimidated about carrying a full size 1911. I'm a displaced Texan in the People's Republic of Illannoyistan, and have concealed-carried everywhere it's allowed in full comfort.

I've got a short barrel j-frame. That's not a small gun. I'm sure the lighter version is much nicer to carry. The compact XDM is short, but can use a full size mag which makes it feel like a full size XDM9 with a short barrel or it can be used with a short mag which makes it better for CC. Even better than the XDM is a single stack gun. I don't have and haven't shot the XDS, but I'm sure its a decent gun. Something like the SA EMP or the Sig 918, would be very nice I'm sure. They are essentially 9mm compact 1911 style guns.

But then I wasn't asking about concealed carry or plastic.

My only interest in this thread is the sort of mods that people would do to a 1911 style gun.

Man, these things are very heavy. If you wore a jacket and could wear them OWB, they might be ok. A good compact 9 in metal or plastic should run somewhere in the 10-20oz range instead of the 30-40oz range like a full size 1911. I'm sure an alloy framed 1911 with an officers length barrel (3.5) would make a much better cc gun than a fullsize all steel gun.

Sorry, but I beg to differ. I bought this IWB holster with my RIA .45, and have carried it unnoticed under just a t-shirt with shorts, jeans (that also fit without the IWB :-)), everywhere I go outside of my workplace (with 'soft target' signs posted). Yes I know it's there, but it isn't uncomfortable, including while driving.

I know that you can carry them. I've carried big heavy guns before. I've also carried smaller lighter guns. The big heavy guns aren't bad with the right holster, and a 1911 is thinner than a lot of the big plastic guns (single stack vs double stack). But we are still talking 1/2 - 1 lb vs 2 - 2 1/2 lb. That's anywhere from 2-5x as heavy.

And all of my carry has been IWB. A long barrel, big gun takes up more space in your pants (that's what she said...). I'm not saying that it can't be done, just that I've done it with big and little guns and I prefer a smaller gun.

For reference, I'm 6'2" and 200#.

For what its worth…I have the Ruger 1911…love it…rock solid and very accurate, it is my carry 80% of the time, good IWB from FOXX holsters works great for me, when I need something smaller it's my LC9. Just my 2 cents.

Here is a gunsmith build of a Springfield.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1402792067.jpg

I owned a Tauras PT 1911 for a short time. It had a trigger job to smooth things a little but other than that it was stock. It shot great. Very accurate and it never malfunctioned while I was shooting it (approx 500 rounds).

I've handled many--but never owned--Taurus 1911s. I've owned a couple Taurus revolvers, and I don't them anymore (nor will I ever again). Taurus has a well-deserved reputation for making unreliable spoons and then providing dismal customer service when they inevitably break. The problem isn't the quality of the "fancy" add-on parts like the Novak sights or the beavertail. The problem is the quality and heat treatment of the critical components and the proper fit of those components.

What is your planned use? Any 1911 that I plan to carry gets 3-dot sights, a flat trigger, an ambi thumb safety, and VZ grips. I don't bother with tritium sights - they're harder to see in the daylight and not bright enough in the dark to make a difference for me. A good flashlight is a better investment. The flat trigger is just my preference. The safety is required because I'm a lefty. And the VZ grips I have found to be of universally excellent quality at a decent price. Load up with Wilson Combat 47D magazines and you're good to go.

I'm about your size. I carry an officer-size 1911 at the appendix location or a commander or gov't 1911 behind the hip. Both IWB. Even in a t-shirt you would not be able to tell I was carrying. Accomplishing this requires both a good holster AND a good belt. Your average everyday leather dress belt will NOT work. It needs to be wide, thick, and stiff (that's what she said). Try Alien Gear for a good IWB holster at a reasonable price. I make my own holsters for appendix carry--nobody out there does things exactly as I need. I have the crateful of failed holster purchases to prove it!

I use OWB for larger revolvers or full-size double-stack spoons.

[/QUOTE]Your average everyday leather dress belt will NOT work. It needs to be wide, thick, and stiff (that's what she said).[/QUOTE]

I use my holster with a normal leather belt, works just fine.

Probably nothing other than range time and possibly being 'around the house' for zombie attacks. It came with an ambi-safety, but I'm not a lefty, so that doesn't matter. It's got 3 dot sights already. It's got what feels like fairly grippy grips, but I haven't shot it yet. I think they are plastic. I'll probably just keep them, but something like wood or G10 would be more appealing.

Thanks for the heads up on the magazines. I probably will pick up a couple.

I've got an Alienware IWB. It was priced very right and is a decent holster. I don't like it as well as my Crossbreed Supertuck for a couple of minor reasons, but it's close enough that I haven't forked over the nearly $100 to upgrade. I've been thinking about it though.

I also normally use my regular belt. It's pretty wide and somewhat thick. It's not super stiff, but I usually put it a bit tighter than if I'm not carrying the gun just to keep things from moving around. It seem to work fine. But who knows, a gun belt may make a big difference.

Until you have to draw in a heated rush and your holster pulls the belt up and twists it before the gun comes out. I carry in the small of my back with a Safari belt made for holster clips.

Train. Every Day.
Slow is smooth.
Smooth is fast.

Watch the short video I linked. My holster does not inhibit a clean draw. I have seen others who have issues.

Another advantage of the 1911 not mentioned is that it affords a full handed grip, much preferred (by me, anyway) over the two finger grip on any of the smaller concealed carry designs.

Yes, but some smaller concealed carry guns are soooo cool.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1402814520.jpg

[QUOTE=Bill Douglas;8116923]Yes, but some smaller concealed carry guns are soooo cool.

Agreed. I hope to add one of these to the stable soon.
http://i.imgur.com/zZBbaYJ.jpg

Jeff's got one of those :)

Time to get this thread back on track...
http://i.imgur.com/CiPvs79.jpg

I have a Springfield Milspec, so far I have only swapped the grips to the hybrid wood/rubber Pachmyr, which are great. The only other mod I really want would be a beavertail, simply because it allows the gun to sit a bit lower in my hand. Otherwise it's pretty great.