for the TLDR crowd: Guy finally buys an 80% 1911 kit, some tools and a book. Manages to build, shoot, hit a target with said kit built 1911 and it didn't blow up or malfunction on him...
I've been involved with firearms for about 40 years now, always loved shooting and always wanted to know how they worked. I've built quite a few different rifles, mostly AR's and their different variants. Mk18 clones, SBR's, a 9mm PDW to name a few. Yeah, I have an affinity for the black rifles, I thank my stepdad for getting me started in the 80's when they were still relatively rare, then my time in the Marines cemented that relationship. But I always wanted to build a pistol.
A couple of years ago I started building polymer80 pistols and fell in love with the customization that was possible. In the back of my mind I still wanted to tackle a 1911 but didn't know if I could do it. A few weeks ago I said screw it, I'm going to build one. I started watching videos, Mosinvirus definitely had some good ones, other builders looked kinda sketchy. And honestly I figured "if that guy can build one, I can build one", while I was watching one series of videos.
I started doing some research and took a shot in the dark on an 80% kit from Patriot Armory. Then I bought Jerry Kuhnhausens book and started reading. In about a week I had put together what seemed to me to be a functional 1911.
Today I took it to the range and with just a hint of trepidation, loaded a single 230gr .45 round into the mag. With a buddy watching me, already schooled on my choice of medical facility and family contacts, I inserted the mag, racked the slide back, checked that it was in battery, planted my face behind the sights and slowly pulled the trigger. It went bang... I could see that the shot was in the center of the target as the spent casing flew out the ejection port at 3 o'clock and the slide locked back. I smiled, my friend smiled, no blood was shed. Man that was cool!
I picked up the spent casing, nothing was out of the ordinary. I looked at the breech face of the pistol, everything looked normal, inspected the barrel and anything else I could think of. Everything seemed good to go! So I loaded up another round, in another mag and did it again, and again, and again. Going through about 75 rounds with zero malfunctions. Then I let my friend try it. I knew he would want to shoot it, little did he know that he might have even had the chance to shoot it first if I had thought it wiser to employ an, ahem, "test subject". But heck, I couldn't do that to him, especially if he had already agreed that in the event of an emergency they were not allowed to part my parts out. Only that they could have back the parts in me that weren't mine, just a few ligaments and bolts I really. Anyway, back to the range. The pistol shoots fine, I built it, and I want to build another one. Like right now! But this time I'm going to take my time, do a little more research and make this one even better.
I've got an Ed Brown RMR cut SS slide coming in next week..... I think I have a problem
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![Thumb Gas Heat Iron Gunshot]()
I've been involved with firearms for about 40 years now, always loved shooting and always wanted to know how they worked. I've built quite a few different rifles, mostly AR's and their different variants. Mk18 clones, SBR's, a 9mm PDW to name a few. Yeah, I have an affinity for the black rifles, I thank my stepdad for getting me started in the 80's when they were still relatively rare, then my time in the Marines cemented that relationship. But I always wanted to build a pistol.
A couple of years ago I started building polymer80 pistols and fell in love with the customization that was possible. In the back of my mind I still wanted to tackle a 1911 but didn't know if I could do it. A few weeks ago I said screw it, I'm going to build one. I started watching videos, Mosinvirus definitely had some good ones, other builders looked kinda sketchy. And honestly I figured "if that guy can build one, I can build one", while I was watching one series of videos.
I started doing some research and took a shot in the dark on an 80% kit from Patriot Armory. Then I bought Jerry Kuhnhausens book and started reading. In about a week I had put together what seemed to me to be a functional 1911.
Today I took it to the range and with just a hint of trepidation, loaded a single 230gr .45 round into the mag. With a buddy watching me, already schooled on my choice of medical facility and family contacts, I inserted the mag, racked the slide back, checked that it was in battery, planted my face behind the sights and slowly pulled the trigger. It went bang... I could see that the shot was in the center of the target as the spent casing flew out the ejection port at 3 o'clock and the slide locked back. I smiled, my friend smiled, no blood was shed. Man that was cool!
I picked up the spent casing, nothing was out of the ordinary. I looked at the breech face of the pistol, everything looked normal, inspected the barrel and anything else I could think of. Everything seemed good to go! So I loaded up another round, in another mag and did it again, and again, and again. Going through about 75 rounds with zero malfunctions. Then I let my friend try it. I knew he would want to shoot it, little did he know that he might have even had the chance to shoot it first if I had thought it wiser to employ an, ahem, "test subject". But heck, I couldn't do that to him, especially if he had already agreed that in the event of an emergency they were not allowed to part my parts out. Only that they could have back the parts in me that weren't mine, just a few ligaments and bolts I really. Anyway, back to the range. The pistol shoots fine, I built it, and I want to build another one. Like right now! But this time I'm going to take my time, do a little more research and make this one even better.
I've got an Ed Brown RMR cut SS slide coming in next week..... I think I have a problem
