Here's my suggestion... Go to a gun show and buy a beat-up WWII M1911A1, have it sandblasted, clean it up and then re-Parkerize it and it's a great shooter! You may have to replace the barrel or other small parts but they're readily available and inexpensive. I'm NOT recommending doing a "bubba job" on a nice gun, I'm talking about adopting a mixmaster gun that's no longer original. You'll learn a lot and end up with a gun you're proud to own and shoot!
