NateTheSkate

My .38 super STI ran both just fine, and I didn't mess with the extractor at all. Honestly, I didn't pay that much attention to it. That said, If you are handloading, I don't see any reason not to go with .38SC, just to avoid that slim chance that things bounce around in the mag and you get some rim lock.

Well stated! You just can't beat a good SA trigger, the S2OR and TSOR are great examples. It's not difficult to get used to the DA to SA switch with some practice, and even if you consider the single DA pull per stage to be problematic in some way, it is more than made up for in the rest of the stage.

I have built a couple 2011's off of L-10 frames and they both had dimensional issues. Namely, there was something funky with the placement of the grip bushing holes and I was winding up with a gap at the back of the frame where it meets the grip, next to the grip safety. I never was able to figure out exactly what the issue was, but to be honest It could have been user error. That said, I moved out of Los Angeles and back to Colorado and have building on CCG frames with no issues. One word of advise with 80% builds; be VERY careful when drilling/reaming the sear and hammer pin holes. I found it surprisingly easy to mess them up and wind up with holes that weren't parallel, even when using the Matrix jig.

So, I was able to get some range time in today, shooting a 2011 I am building. Everything was going smoothly (more or less, I'm still a bad shot) but when I was policing my brass and I noticed some strange looking primer strikes on my brass... This was factory ammo, Remington according to the headstamp, and was just standard range ammo, not overpressure ammo or hollow points or anything like that. It almost looks like the primer is flowing back into the FP hole, but I wouldn't expect to see that with factory ammo In any event, i'm at a bit of a loss. Any info would be appreciated.

I have a couple mags with CZC base pads, and they fit 22 reloadable with stock followers. Springer precision base pads are also 22.

I don't think you could go wrong with either, but if you already have a shadow I think I would go with the A01 just for something a little different. I, too, like that it is built by CZC. I think the A01 has a bull barrel too, if that matters to you. One thing that comes to mind is that I'm pretty sure the A01 uses P-09/P-10 magazines, but then again TS mags aren't compatible with your Shadow either, so you will have to buy new mags either way.

I'm not familiar with the particulars of steel challenge, so forgive me if these suggestions are somehow verboten. I'm a little surprised nobody has mentioned the Smith & Wesson Model 41. I imagine you could shoot one right out of the box, new production or an old one, but if you are so inclined there are lots of aftermarket upgrades out there. Clark makes some upgraded barrels, and I know there are others. I haven't shot many Ruger mk III's or IV's, but to be honest it's hard to imagine anything being better than a model 41. Another pistol that comes to mind that nobody has mentioned is the CZ-75 Kadet. It uses a standard CZ-75 frame & guts so there are plenty of upgrades available, and all that steel makes it a very soft shooting gun, even for a rimfire. I put Cajun custom gunworks parts in mine and it shoots very well. The only issue I have ever had is that it was extremely picky about ammo when I first got it; It would stovepipe a lot. But I switched out the mainspring for a lighter weight (sorry I don't remember specifics) and it has ran 100% since then. It doesn't come with a rail for optics from the factory, but it would be trivial to add one.

Thank you everyone for your input, you have given me a lot to think about.... I knew a FFL would be necessary, but I thought a type 01 would be sufficient, but i poked around and Ben you are correct, I would need a type 07. Not that getting a type 07 would be a problem....beyond that, I live in Colorado, so state and local laws, zoning etc. aren't too difficult to navigate. Both of my parents were lawyers (now retired) so I could speak with them, but I think i would probably want to hire someone to make sure all the "I's are crossed and T's are dotted" so to speak. The one thing I didn't consider (which now seems obvious) was liability insurance. I will need to look into how much that will cost. As far as building up a name for myself, i know there is no fast and easy way to do it, but I was thinking about building some guns and then selling them at cost to people locally, as well as on forums like this one, in exchange for an honest review of the gun. What did they like? what did they hate? overall impressions etc. I understand I wouldn't make any money selling guns at cost, but it could be one way to get some guns out there and to get people talking about them. Thoughts?

Ltdmstr, Thank you for your input, and I agree the "middle ground" model doesn't really work for 1911/2011 builds, I had more glocks and ARs in mind with respect to that. I also tend to agree with you that glocks/ARs don't constitute gunsmithing in the true sense of the term, but they are both tremendously popular and as such might not be a bad entry point into the market. I definitely don't want to do glocks/ARs long term, but since everything is "plug-and-play" i could get started with a relatively small investment, and make a little money to invest in the tooling needed for 1911/2011s and/or boltguns. Might it not be a bad place to start? I spent the last 10 years in academia, but I grew so disenfranchised with the industry and all the politics that I just couldn't handle it anymore. I literally packed up my office one day, surrendered what little grant money I had and left. So, it would be fair to say im' a little adrift at the moment. I don't need to get rich off of this stuff, I just need something I will enjoy and can take some pride in. That said, I would LOVE to do some sort of apprenticeship under an accomplished smith, but from what I can tell people don't really do apprenticeships like they used to, and even if they did, I wouldn't know where to start.

Hello all! This is my first post, so please bear with me if this is posted in the wrong place (moderators please move this topic if this is the case). Also I have not yet mastered the search function, so I apologize in advance if this has been covered in the past. I have a tendency to ramble, but I'll try and stay on topic... A little about me: I started building 1911/2011's about 4 years ago (the first few were built from 80% receivers, yuck!) and at this point I have built two dozen or so. At this point, I would like to think I am reasonably competent when it comes to building them; slide to frame fits are good, barrels are tight with good lockup, I can assess and fix most problems with relative ease etc. I have extremely limited access to a lathe/mill, so everything has to be done by hand for better or worse. I'm at a bit of a crossroads, metaphorically speaking, and I'm trying to make decisions about what to do with my life, and I am considering trying to make a go of it with this whole custom pistol thing. As much as I would like stick solely with 1911's, it doesn't strike me as the most viable business plan, at least not to start with. I have a fair bit of experience with other pistols, glocks and CZs mostly, but I've built an AR-15 or two as well, and I thought maybe there would be a niche for custom or semi-custom (or even just upgraded factory) pistols, both with the competition crowd but the tactical crowd as well. I see a lot of high-end glocks (salient, zev, taran tactical etc) and 1911/2011s (atlas, akai, cheely etc) but I don't see that much for sale in the middle ground between factory guns and 3-5k+ high end stuff, and I'm wondering if there would be interest in pistols/rifles that fall somewhere in the middle, i.e. flashier than factory, but still relatively affordable. In a nutshell, what I am asking is... what are your thoughts on the viability of starting a small business building custom/semi-custom pistols and rifles (from the ground up, as well as upgrading/customizing factory weapons), aiming for somewhere between factory guns and big dollar customs, for both the competition and tactical crowds and then selling them either through local dealers or my own storefront. To be clear, i'm not interested in opening a gun shop so much as I am in BUILDING things, be it 1911s, glocks, ar15s you name it. I have always been quite technically/mechanically minded, and not to be a braggart but i feel i am not half bad at this sort of thing. I am hoping that any custom builders or shop owners might chime in and give me some advice on how they got started in the industry. How did you get things rolling, how did you build a name for yourself, how did you promote your brand... I would just like to get some feedback from the community here on whether such a venture would be worth pursuing. Any and all input would be welcome. Postscript: I do know how to use a manual mill and lathe, and I know how to weld (TIG and MIG), and have done some some CNC programming as well, so I'm not a complete amateur when it comes to these things, but my experience is limited.

Hello fellow members! Im brand new to the whole USPSA/IDPA competition thing, I haven’t even shot in a match yet! I joined up to try and meet some fellow shooters (maybe even a few locals) and get a feel for how things work. A little about me: I started shooting when I was 10 or so, my dad bought me an old Mossberg model 44 U.S. from the CMP and he taught me how to properly handle the rifle and always be safe. Things progressed from there; I got my first 12 ga. at 13 and started hunting waterfowl and upland game. In high school I shot 3-position air rifle at the Olympic training center (I grew up in Colorado Springs). I bought my first centerfire rifle (FAL) and pistol (CZ-75) when I was in college and the rest is history, as they say. I lived in Los Angeles for 6 years during grad school, needless to say I didn’t get to do much shooting when I was out there, but now that I’m back in Colorado I’m anxious to get some long-awaited trigger time. I also started building 1911‘s/2011’s in graduate school, and have had a little success in that arena. in any event, I’m pretty easy going, and look forward to learning as much as possible from the more experienced members here. Cheers! _Nate