My first build was 4.25" RIA slide on an RIA compact frame. I had a compact and made it a CCO style. Actual amount of parts fit, 3: slide, barrel, extractor.
Next build compact RIA slide on a Foster Industries frame. (the slide was from the compact RIA, surprise). This was a bit more, there was barrel fitting, slide fitting, trigger fitting, beavertail fitting, thumb safety fitting. Later I found the feed ramp was cut wrong, so I fixed that too.
Next was a repair on an old Colt GCNM that needed new fire control parts.
Next build was a frame replacement on an old bullseye Remington Rand slide that had a cracked frame. Roughly the same as the compact RIA/Foster build. Some parts were serviceable some had to be replaced and refit.
Next build was a PSA frame and slide. I put a gold cup trigger in that one, lots of fitting for that to happen, 8hrs of filing on the frame. The fire control parts were C&S, the safety Harrison, the barrel was cheap because Brownell's had a sale on threaded remington barrels. Bushing is EGW.
After that was a hi cap RIA that needed to become a 10mm. Simple barrel fitting, nope, it wasn't. Different link, tweaking of the barrel so as not to disrupt the ability of the gun to become 9mm/22TCM again plus take a longer thinner case that has a tendency to bind.
Then I started on an 80% frame, 2 actually. The only reason I did the 80% frame is because I wanted to present them to my parents for an anniversary present. Serial numbers their initials and wedding date, location is where they were married... Lots of cutting, drilling, filing, sanding, shaping. Parts were Harrison fire control, Wilson safeties, Wilson slide stops...
If you are dead set on doing an 80% frame, Matrix Precision jigs. Be prepared to do a lot of measuring, slowly working. If you want to keep your build cheap, you are going to get junk parts. You will not build a 1911 for cheaper than you can buy one for. Only when you get really good at building them will the quality of your work match what you can buy one for.
