Limited build help

[flip4179]

This may be a little ambitious for my first 1911 type gun so some help is needed. I am starting with a 80% finished KTO frame which requires the rails and barrel seat cut and the sear and hammer pin holes drilled.

This is pretty much a blank canvas which to work with. 40S&W is the prefered caliber so the help I need at this time is selecting componenets to use (slide, bbl, trigger parts, hammer, sear, springs etc) Not stuck on any one mfgr., just getting opinions and recomendations at this point.

To add, I do have all the equip. to do the work and I am not a gunsmith by any stretch of the imagination, just a hobby guy that has a sickness for DIYing. This will be my first 1911 build. Any suggestions/opinions are welcome.

[ExtremeShot]

Suggestions:

1) Rent the videos Building the Ultimate 1911

2) Buy your parts from Power Custom USA and Shooters Connection

[RussB]

Get the Kuhnhausen manuals, vol 1 & 2. There are blueprints in vol 2

I like to buy my "stuff" from Brownell's.

An 80% is surely a VERY ambitious process. Are you a machinist? You'll need a bridgeport-type mill, adequate end mills, drills and reamers and also appropriate inspection tools.

[flip4179]

Get the Kuhnhausen manuals, vol 1 & 2. There are blueprints in vol 2

I like to buy my "stuff" from Brownell's.

An 80% is surely a VERY ambitious process. Are you a machinist? You'll need a bridgeport-type mill, adequate end mills, drills and reamers and also appropriate inspection tools.

Not a machinist by trade just a hobby.

Still a hobby in training, I learn something new every time I screw up . I have done some AR lowers from 80%ers and some other NFA items. The fitting and adjusting is what is going to give me fits I believe but otherwise looks like a fun challenge.

ETA: I have more stuck in tooling for these two things than I do in the machines themselves and it seems I NEVER have the right tool for the project.

Edited May 7, 2010 by flip4179

[ExtremeShot]

Seriously, those videos I suggested you rent will help with all the stuff you said would be a challenge for you. Also check out Brazo's website for the gunsmithing articles that he published in Front Sight. Nice equipment...if you ever decide to sell, let me know. I just have a small lathe and a Grizly mill.

D

[flip4179]

Seriously, those videos I suggested you rent will help with all the stuff you said would be a challenge for you. Also check out Brazo's website for the gunsmithing articles that he published in Front Sight. Nice equipment...if you ever decide to sell, let me know. I just have a small lathe and a Grizly mill.

D

Just rented them, now how to get the girlfriend to let me veg in front of the tube for a few days.

I looked long and hard for the mill and lathe. BP came off of craigslist in chicago and the lathe was damaged in shipping. The BP was given the once over with new brgs, split nuts, paint and a VFD so I can run off 220. Putting a DRO on now to speed things up a little more and cut down on my poor math mistakes. Great machine for what I spent. The lathe required a little more work but for what I need it for it is a life saver.

Edited May 7, 2010 by flip4179

[shooterbenedetto]

NICE!

[CocoBolo]

You are such a bad influence now I'm looking for a lathe and a mill and thinking about mangling some metal.

http://www.smithy.com/product_home.php?cid=1&scid=22&pid=3

I can put this right next to the plasma cutter and the XL650.

Edited May 8, 2010 by CocoBolo

[G-ManBart]

This is pretty much a blank canvas which to work with. 40S&W is the prefered caliber so the help I need at this time is selecting componenets to use (slide, bbl, trigger parts, hammer, sear, springs etc) Not stuck on any one mfgr., just getting opinions and recomendations at this point.

Wow, very cool project....I'm jealous! There have been a couple of threads on what the ultimate build parts are and there isn't 100% agreement, but some general themes. I've used the following basic list for the last two guns I've had built or rebuilt:

STI slide, Schuemann AET barrel with Clark/Para/Listner cut, Koenig hammer, EGW sear, EGW HD ballhead disconnector, EGW Ti hammer strut, EGW Ti mainspring cap, EGW searspring, ISMI mainspring (I'd start with 19lbs), SV trigger with insert of your choice, M2i extended firing pin, pretty much any firing pin spring, STI firing pin stop, Shooters Connection pin kit, Shooters Connection slide stop, Shooters Connection ejector, AFTEC extractor, STI guiderod, and either SV or Ed Brown ambi safeties. That probably only leaves out the link, bushing (if you go with a bushing barrel), mag release and sights. I like the looks of the new Tripp rear sight and plan on retrofitting them to a couple of guns here in near future.

Edited May 8, 2010 by G-ManBart

[G-ManBart]

Hang on....you're going to build a single stack to use in Limited? Why not make it Single Stack legal and be competitive? R,

[usmc1974]

This may be a little ambitious for my first 1911 type gun so some help is needed. I am starting with a 80% finished KTO frame which requires the rails and barrel seat cut and the sear and hammer pin holes drilled.

This is pretty much a blank canvas which to work with. 40S&W is the prefered caliber so the help I need at this time is selecting componenets to use (slide, bbl, trigger parts, hammer, sear, springs etc) Not stuck on any one mfgr., just getting opinions and recomendations at this point.

To add, I do have all the equip. to do the work and I am not a gunsmith by any stretch of the imagination, just a hobby guy that has a sickness for DIYing. This will be my first 1911 build. Any suggestions/opinions are welcome.

Lord, I don't think I have ever seen anything like this before. What is it

[G-ManBart]

Lord, I don't think I have ever seen anything like this before. What is it

It's a frame that has enough work left undone that it doesn't qualify as a gun for ATF transfer purposes:

http://www.ktordnance.com/kto/

[flip4179]

Hang on....you're going to build a single stack to use in Limited? Why not make it Single Stack legal and be competitive? R,

Well, after talking to some of the guys this weekend you have a point. Now I'm not so sure of what caliber I wanted to use either. Going to keep bouncing things off you guys, again ANY suggestions are welcome.

ETA: The beaver tail is a one piece unit that comes with the gun, I will not be using it as it will defeat the use us the rear safety.

Edited May 10, 2010 by flip4179

[Chris iliff]

I really hope that you take detailed pictures and keep posting as your work on the pistol progresses. I am very interested in this and find I am also very jealous of your equipment, wish I had the money.

[flip4179]

I really hope that you take detailed pictures and keep posting as your work on the pistol progresses. I am very interested in this and find I am also very jealous of your equipment, wish I had the money.

I waited a loooooong time to find what I wanted at a price the budget could stand. I do some wood working and think the natural tendancy when you get bored with wood is to turn to metal, that and I was bit by the supressor bug a couple years ago. Will keep this updated mistakes and all. May be a few months before this gets going full swing, got a SBR stamp that came in so gotta get that project out of the way first.

Edited May 10, 2010 by flip4179

[diehli]

Maybe go for L-10 on this project.

[flip4179]

OK, so this looks like it will be a SS gun since I don't believe with my shooting ability I can hang in a limited division. So now the question is major or minor and why? 9mm you get two more in the mag but scored minor, .40 or .45 you are major but don't have as many pills. My head is going to explode.

[sperman]

Here's a list of parts I've used on a couple of different builds. I've added notes where appropriate.

slide - STI

barrel - Schuemann

Grip Safety - STI

MSH - Ed Brown (arched)

Hammer - Huening / Koening / EGW

Sear - Cylinder and Slide

Disconnector - Cylinder and Slide (don't like the fluted end. Will try something different next time.)

Thumb Safeties - Ed Brown

Trigger - SVI (I like the interchangeable trigger to come up with the size and shape I like, but will try and find a solid trigger to match now that I know what I like.)

Main Spring Cap - EGW Ti

Hammer Strut - EGW Ti

Grips - VZ

Magwell - Wilson Combat

Guide Rod - Dawson Precison (Truly one piece, not staked.)

Firing Pin - Dawson Precision Hyperdrive

Extractor - Aftec

Ejector - EGW

Good luck with the build.

[CSEMARTIN]

Cool...

You're going to fit in here real nice. Welcome to the forum!

[G-ManBart]

OK, so this looks like it will be a SS gun since I don't believe with my shooting ability I can hang in a limited division. So now the question is major or minor and why? 9mm you get two more in the mag but scored minor, .40 or .45 you are major but don't have as many pills. My head is going to explode.

Major is usually more helpful than the two extra BBs in the mag. My SS rig is a .40 (Major) and it's a great combination. R,

[diehli]

Not a SS gun unless you mill down the dustcover.

L10 is your best bet, unless you want to do that.

[flip4179]

Not a SS gun unless you mill down the dustcover.

L10 is your best bet, unless you want to do that.

Please explain.

[diehli]

Full dustcovers are not allowed in SS. At the vet, on my iPhone, so can't review the SS equipment appendix in the rulebook, but I suggest you do so.

[flip4179]

Read it but it was kind of vague.

Permitted features "Factory installed light rail attachments if the dust cover is no longer than 3.25 inches measured from the rear of the slide stop pin to the front of the dust cover."

This is the only reference I could find in the USPSA rules that apply to a front rail in SS. If indeed it is too long that is not a prob, can always chop a little off the front to meet rules. I have not measured it yet but it looks pretty close to 3.25 inches.

If this could be clarified I would appreciate it.

[diehli]

Since that's the circumstance under which a light rail is allowed (when the SS rules were being discussed however many years I think this was one of the issues, i.e. how much of a light rail is allowed [the Springfield TRP Operator had a full-length rail at the time]; I think that was handled with the weight limit and length requirements) and you're willing to cut it (it's definitely longer than 3.25" in the dimension in the rule) and check to ensure that it's not over the weight limit with the rest of your components (which would require further milling to reduce the weight since slide lightening is not allowed), you're good to go building a .40 SS gun. (That's a lot of parentheticals.)

And, actually, come to think of it, the "500 requirement" of Limited and L10 (p. 72-3 of the 2008 rulebook, "Special Conditions") could eliminate use in L10, unless they've sold 500 of the frame kits (and are willing to certify it to USPSA... I think that's the BS that's required).

As far as components, here's what I'd use:

-Caspian 5" .40 slide (I'd get it with the ball scallop but otherwise bald and do the serrations yourself)

-Barsto barrel

-Ed Brown, Briley spherical, or EGW bushing

-AFTEC extractor

-STI firing pin stop

-Dawson, Limcat, or M2i extended firing pin

-ISMI springs (including a 17 or 19-lb mainspring)

-Koenig hammer or Extreme Engineering/Cylinder & Slide (EE and C&S parts are the same) Ultra Light hammer (or C&S Light Speed II hammer)

-EGW Hard sear or EE/C&S Ultra Light sear

-EGW disconnector or EE/C&S Ultra Light disconnector

-SV Ti sear spring

-STI Ti MS cap and Ti hammer strut

-STI trigger (plastic's lighter than aluminum, so lighter trigger pulls are, theoretically, easier to obtain; this is more of a personal preference)

-STI grip safety

-Les Baer Ambi safeties

-EGW oversized slide stop

-you might want to mill the mainspring housing/grip safety thing that came with the frame into just a MSH (or get the MSH that the company makes) so that you don't have to worry about any aftermarket one fitting with the built-in magwell

-Dawson Toolless guide rod or EGW GI spring guide and whichever company it is that makes the spring plug with the built in spring capture dealie

-Burner fat grips & skateboard tape for the front strap

-Dawson fiber optic front sight

-STI T.A.S. or Tripp adjustable rear sight

-various pins, link, bushings, grip screws, other small parts, etc.

Keep us updated. This is a very cool project and you're clearly quite talented.