So I had some Trijicon night sights put on her a few months ago, and last time I was at the range, my new front sight fell off never to be seen again. I thought about getting another front sight and having it put on...properly this time...but then I got to thinking. I want to do some customization, and some of it involves cutting, so it will involve re-blueing, and since the front sight is staked, there's no point in putting on a new sight when it will have to be removed in the near future, because you can't un-stake a front site and then stake it right back again. so...the custom job has been put on the front burner. A little feedback would be appreciated. Here's what I got. She may not look like much, but she'll make the Kessel run in 12 parsecs. A 1959 vintage 1911A1 Government customized by John Giles back in the day. It's dead ballz accurate and 100% reliable with all ammo I've tried 'cept Federal Hydra-Shoks. The Giles costomization is limited to the barrel, slide, and probably the bushing. It's sans front sight, and got yellow Trijicon rear sights. Here's what I'm thinking... I actually like the small, old style active safety, so I don't want to replace that, and call me a purist, but I like the arched mainspring housing..., but I'm open to arguments about that. Here's what I'm thinking of changing... - Wilson Combat beavertail grip safety with one of those positrack whoop-dee-doos on the bottom. - New hammer to accommodate said grip safety. - After all that, I gotta get it refinished, but haven't decided what I want. - Proper grips. - Beveled mag well. - New Trijicon front sight. What do you all think? What are some other things I should consider. This will be a carry piece above all else.
Question: By chance, are your sights MMC? I had two front sights fly off last year. Both were MMC and both were installed at MMC's factory. Customization. My favorite 1911A1 is the one my dad gave me on my 21st Birthday. It was his carry piece at work for over a decade, so it will always have a special place in my heart and it will never, ever be sold. However, the old girl needed a refresher. She's off being hard chromed as we speak. She's got a Wilson commander hammer, beavertail, trigger, two-piece guiderod, and bushing. She's got Novak tritiums. She'll then be driven to the same Birmingham Police Department armorer that did her first trigger and action job 25 years ago. That tells you what I feel is important. Oh, and many will disagree, but if you go replacing the hammer and beavertail, she will need a new trigger and action job.
Oh, and that's not an endorsement of Wilson firearms. I hear tell they're making some rather shitty ones now days. But, all of these parts are old, back when Bill Wilson was actually involved in their manufacture. But, everything is being taken apart and refinished, so she'll need a new action job.
Sights are just regular old Trijicon tritiums wiht the beveled rear sight, and post front sight. I'm not getting Novaks because it would involve beveling the front sight, and there's a problem with that on this particular gun. Since it's a Giles custom job, it's been drilled and tapped right where the bevel would be cut for the front sight, and that would just be too complicated, if possible at all. I was figuring on a commander hammer to go along with the beavertail, but what on earth is a two-piece guiderod? I'll say right out, I'm not at all interested in a full length guide rod, but what's the advantage of a two-piece? I didn't want to hear that, but I figured as much. The trgger and action are absolutely perfect right now. I hate to go messing around with it. Oh...and thanks.
Ease of disassembly and reassembly. It takes at least half a dozen hands to get a full-length single piece guide-rod back into position. But, a two-piece guide rod has a allen wrench hole in the front of it. I can unscrew the front half of the guide rod and pull it out before I ever take the bushing off.
Pimped my Gold Cup when I first got it in the 80s. Millet rear sight, ramp front with white insert. Safari Arms extended ambi safety and extended slide release. Pachmyer flat mainspring housing. Colt extended grip safety that I fitted myself kinda badly, but it works. Pachmyer finger groove grips (looks the same as the ones on Shoes' gun). Trigger job down to 3.5 pounds. It had a nice guide rod in it, but the damn thing got loose and flew downrange, lost forever. It's back to the stock recoil spring now.
Smoother operation, functional reliability, and the gun just stays snug longer, through many thousands of rounds. By forcing the slide to run forward, straight and true, it takes pressure off of the slide rails, meaning your gun just won't wear out as fast. By using a full length guide rod, you can use heavier or lighter springs that would ever be capable using the standard guide rod without fear of any spring binding or kinking. By using a heavier spring, you can fire heavier loads and still have faster lock-up. Opinion is split about 50/50. You can do what you want, and unless your gun is setup as a match quality gun, chances are, you'll never notice a difference. I just know what works for me. Everyone else is free to make their own determination.
