New pistol for SS

[CMV]

So I picked up a stainless Springer and despite the fact that its .45 I am thinking about shooting it in SS. It is an older gun but has been shot very little.

Suggestions on getting it up to par?

So far I am thinking:

New grip safety (unsure on what brand)

Ambis

possibly new fire control parts and a trigger job.

sights (suggestions?)

I would consider getting the FS checkered but I like griptape as well or better so will prob just stick with that.

and a magwell and or grips of some sort (dawson or techwell)

What y'all (I grew up in KY, what can I say, we use y'all) think?

[Jim Watson]

What variant - GI, Mil-Spec, Loaded, other?

S&A sells a beavertail with .220" radius instead of the usual .250" because SA frame tangs are not Colt shape.

Are you lefthanded or do you need ambi thumb safety for Single Stack weak hand shooting? If so, Kimber uses a retaining pin similar to the defunct King's. STI, Caspian, and Wilson have ambis with connections claimed to be more secure than the usual tongue and groove.

I have a Springfield with a trigger job on the factory parts. Don't know how long it will last, but it is crisp now.

If it is a GI or Milspec with standard sights, I would pay for a cross dovetail fibre optic front but get a Novak Competition rear that fits the GI dovetail.

I'm a-fixin* to put an aluminum S&A magwell on my Colt (and an aluminum FLGR) to save a few ounces of weight. I am not familiar with the new and bigger wells.

*What can I say, I am from and in Alabama.

[hitman]

Do what ever floats your boat.

I like ajustable sights, bomar, STI, whoever

I did have Brown ambis on mine but went back to a single side Brown.

Magwell lots out there, I like the new Dawson, but thats me.

[Paul Burtchell]

Colin,

Do you have some buddies that run single stacks that would let you try theirs out? You have absolutely thousands of combination's available & most of it is going to come down to personal preference.

Are you going to be doing the work or do you have a pistolsmith that will be doing it?

My opinion in order of importance:

1. Reliability. It's gotta go bang every time you pull the trigger, feed properly and have proper extraction & ejection. Does you pistol have a ramped or non- ramped barrel?

1A. Mags & Basepads- VERY IMPORTANT. Don not scrimp here. 45's are less finicky than 40 S&W and 9mm, But go with high quality mags. I like Tripp Cobramags. Your

basepads will be based off of your mag and magwell choices.

2. Sights. As mentioned above this is a preference thing. I like adjustable like the Dawson Precisions or the new Tripp Research.

3. Trigger. Light, crisp, and reliable and durable. I like Cylinder & Slide fire control parts, but EGW and alot of other folks make very fine parts as well. Great 1911 triggers are an art all to themselves.

4. Magwell- Personal choice here. Some folks won't have anything but the classic Smith & Alexanders etc. I prefer the Dawson Ice.

Now you start to get into even more personal choices, ambi or single side safeties, grip safeties, springs (mfg and weight) , guide rods, grips, etc.........

Shoot as many as single stacks you can an see what you like. Build it up and if you don't like something, sell it on the Classified forum and get something else.

Best wishes !!

Edited December 1, 2010 by Paul Burtchell

[carlosa]

I have a Springfield loaded I'm getting ready for the Western States Single Stack Championship in January.

so far this is what i've done..

replaced the factory grips for Mil-Tac G10 Diamond Pattern (i love this things)

put some skateboard grip tape on the front strap

replaced the novak rear sight for a STI TAS adjustable rear

added Dawson Black ice mag-well with no gap insert

changed the base-pad's on my chip mcCormic mags to Dawson black ice gap-less aluminum base pads (this are insanely cool base pads)

in the next week or so,

replace the front sight for a Dawson Fiber Optic sight (.200 tall)

replace magazine release for a Wilson extended (enhanced with a sti magazine release paddle)

after the WSSSC I'm thinking about fitting a Caspian slide, and a bar-sto match barrel (with new bushing)

this is more of a long term thing dough...

cheers,

Los.

[818-DVC]

A mil spec will require a lot of work. A loaded only needs some work, a trophy match or TRP needs even less. I have a trophy match that already came with a bomar and ambi, the trigger was 4.5lbs. I Hand fit the slide to frame, stoned the factory sear, disconector and played withe sear spring and changed the mainspring. 2.75 crisp trigger. It has an S&A magwell/msh combo. When I built it, it wasn't for match shooting. If I did it today, I would put an aftec in, Dawson no gap, & Dawson FO.

[steel1212]

So I picked up a stainless Springer and despite the fact that its .45 I am thinking about shooting it in SS. It is an older gun but has been shot very little.

Suggestions on getting it up to par?

So far I am thinking:

New grip safety (unsure on what brand)

Ambis

possibly new fire control parts and a trigger job.

sights (suggestions?)

I would consider getting the FS checkered but I like griptape as well or better so will prob just stick with that.

and a magwell and or grips of some sort (dawson or techwell)

What y'all (I grew up in KY, what can I say, we use y'all) think?

I think you should have bought mine already tricked out lol. If its a stainless loaded model I would replace the following but its subjective to what you like/need:

Trigger

Sear

Disco

all springs

thumb safety

sights

add a magwell

add a oversized mag release button.

[Corey]

So I picked up a stainless Springer and despite the fact that its .45 I am thinking about shooting it in SS.

Why would you not shoot a .45 in SS? i have shot one all year last year and am about to order a new one for next year, again in a .45

As for what needs replaced, a lot of it is personal preference. There are some slight changes you can make to improve performance.

[gohuskers]

Lots of people still shooting .45 in SS. No reason not to.

[CMV]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Only reason I said that about .45 is that my 650 is setup for .40 and I load a lot more of it than 45. No other reason.

Corey, yours was somewhat more than the $375 I paid for this as I recall. Its not the loaded, its the base model. Not Mil-spec but blade rear sight, no beavertail, etc.

Just trying to get a game plan together for what I am going to do to it.

[Merlin Orr]

Sell it for what you have in it, buy a Spartan, put a magwell on and go shoot.

[CMV]

Sell it for what you have in it, buy a Spartan, put a magwell on and go shoot.

That's kinda what I was afraid of...might be the better and cheaper option.

[EkuJustice]

I would second merlins idea. The spartan is pretty good right out of the box. On mine I replaced the front sight with a dawson for personal preference like the slimmer sight with smaller FO. I also added a techwell XT and some skate tape on the front strap I also had a trigger job done which came out nice with the factory parts. You would need to do quite a bit of work to yours to get it up to the factory spartan

[mike4045]

+++ What Merlin said........

[steel1212]

It will cost you a small fortune to build up a gi model. See if you buy my gun hour ahead of the game lol. The Spartan idea is a good choice as well.

[BlueOvalBruin]

I also have a new carbon steel GI that I recently picked up for $200. It shoots really nice already so I was thinking of making it a project gun. My plan is to upgrade the trigger (but with a smaller hammer so I don’t get bit) and sights, get a dawson magwell, and put in a new barrel. The slide frame fit isn’t great but I don’t think it matters nearly as much as barrel fit so I’m not going to worry about it. I might do something with the extractor and maybe someday I’ll grind the tang down and put on a beavertail(in and It seems fine to me but needs a good trigger and better sights. I’ll spend maybe $500 in upgrades but even then I’ll only have $700 in the gun, not bad. I might even make it my primary.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: OR you could just buy a Spartan from Shooters Connection and be done Thanks, Eric

[BlueOvalBruin]

STI pulled all their pistols off the california list so no spartans here. Maybe an option for the OP.

[outerlimits]

STI pulled all their pistols off the california list so no spartans here. Maybe an option for the OP.

Even a single stack? Why would STI do that?

[BlueOvalBruin]

STI pulled all their pistols off the california list so no spartans here. Maybe an option for the OP.

Even a single stack? Why would STI do that?

Because they thought they were trying to prove a point. All they succeeded in doing was help the DOJ get what they want and screw over their loyal california customers in the process.

[pjb45]

I know a couple of people who do very well with a SA. Do whatever you want to it to make it yours!

Sorry I am out west so I do not know much about the gunsmiths around your area.

You can go to the PistolSmith Guild and look for a name there. Ask around for a local guy. IMO, I have never seen a big name smith not back up his work, if you got the money, they are worth it.

You want the gun to be reliable so that would first on the list.

Second, Trigger job will improve your shooting more than most anything else, if you can afford premium parts then get them otherwise stick with what you have in the gun.

Edited December 10, 2010 by pjb45