Got our 1911 .45 back from the gunsmith.

Terry Tiell · 10-15-2012, 04:39 PM

and WOW what a difference! He did a trigger job with all new parts and a light weight aluminum trigger, polished everything internally, installed fiber optic sights, along with a beautiful set of grips my wife picked out, sighted it in and just to be sure did his slide stop anti-scratch modification to make sure we'd never get the dreaded "idiot mark".

First thing upon opening the case the grips my wife picked out were absolutely gorgeous installed on the gun. The fiber optic front sight came with extra parts and he took the time to explain how to swap out the fiber optic part. Then it was out to the firing line to test out the trigger and the sighting in and the difference again was huge! The trigger pull is 3.5 pounds VS. the factory 7 pound pull and the trigger creep is gone. Where it used to take a good 1/2 - 3/4 inch of trigger pull to fire its now more like an 1/8th of an inch of travel before the hammer falls. The sighting in is dead level but my wife and I now need to work on our trigger pull to get our skills up to the level that the gunsmith has taken our 1911 up to!

Where its point and shoot isn't quite as fluid or natural feeling as my Luger is its real damn close. When I had him try out my Luger the gunsmith was surprised to see how crisp and smooth the trigger pull on my Luger was he said he had always heard they were "squishy and sloppy" due to all the moving parts but he sure liked mine.

Anyway on to the pics!

padredan · 10-15-2012, 06:14 PM

very nice

saab-bob · 10-15-2012, 06:31 PM

Your wife has good taste,I like those grips. Reminiscent of the grips on the early Colt 1911's.
Bob

CoyoteM4 · 10-16-2012, 03:52 AM

I dig it, gorgeous piece, and I bet those grips feel great with the smooth back/textured front. I put fiber optics on my Springfield XD and I've never gone back - literally a life saver in low light. I think I'm jealous of that trigger, especially on a 1911 - That thing is a real operator with a 3.5# pull! Congrats!

alanint · 10-16-2012, 07:34 AM

Out of curiosity, how does your entire investment stack up to say, buying a custom Kimber with all of these features included?

ithacaartist · 10-16-2012, 11:49 AM

Yes, I'm curious, too. Got me wondering just what I might do to my $400 range 1911 knockoff...and what the total would be.

Terry Tiell · 10-16-2012, 12:16 PM

I've never fired a custom Kimber so I couldn't tell you, however I can tell you what the gunsmith told me. His name is John Caudner and all he does is 1911's and full custom build 1911's and he's been doing them since before I knew what a 1911 was. Anyway he said that all the internals on my RIA are MIM (metal injection molded) and are the same quality as can be found on every sub $2000 1911 made, however the RIA uses a steel trigger and steel shoe's for the springs and thats why it has a 7 lb spring because if you had a 3.5 lb spring with those steel parts you'd wind up with a full auto 1911. So it needed a few extra parts and that brought the bill up to $390 for all the custom work, add that to a base price of $500 and we have a $890 gun that John says he'd put up against any Colt or Kimber that was $2000. All in all I'm VERY happy with how it turned out but John said he could install a match grade barrel and tighten up the slide a little and he'd put up against any Colt or Kimber out there. His words not mine but I hope it helps.

If anyone wants his contact info just PM me and I'll be happy to pass it along.

And thank you everyone.

alanint · 10-16-2012, 02:11 PM

Considering I recently paid $900 for a Kimber Custom Shop Raptor 2 carry pistol, with all the trigger, sights an accuracy work already done, I guess its a wash.

The only difference would be the pleasure of having had your pistol built yourself.

Terry Tiell · 10-16-2012, 07:51 PM

Actually John told me even if you bought a $900 Kimber you'd still want to have this work done just to make the gun better. His words not mine. Again I wouldn't know I've never fired a custom Kimber before.

But either way its a nice gun.

Hey post up a couple pics of your Kimber I'd love to see it.

padredan · 10-16-2012, 08:34 PM

I guess in my over forty years of building and tuning and using the 1911 and a1's platform i have pretty much fired everything out there. It comes down to just what makes each of the owners and users happy. personel choice. Of all the 1911's i own , and there are many , it comes down to an original remington rand that i rebuilt many years ago . that gun to me speaks to my soul. some of you just may know what i mean by that.

alanint · 10-16-2012, 09:59 PM

Kimber Raptor II, with extra custom grips and two spare mags. NIB $900 out the door at the Lakeland, Florida Gun Show some months ago. It has Novak style night sites as well.

MikeP · 10-16-2012, 10:49 PM

I have a Remington Rand with a Colt slide I snuck home from VN.

A few years ago I loaned it to a friend who tinkers with them.

He smoothed and lightened the trigger a bit, added a new recoil spring,
tighter barrel bushing and a buffer. That's all.

Those simple changes resulted in amazing increase in accuracy-trigger pull most of all.
Its still old and ugly, but much improved as a tool.

Terry Tiell · 10-16-2012, 10:58 PM

Not a bad looking piece man, not a huge fan of the shorter barrel but I wouldn't throw it away either.

You can get some real deals at gun shows I'd say you got a great one here.

Now just to be clear I have never said I'd put my RIA up against a Colt or Kimber that was what John said to me, was he full of crap? Could be I have no experience with either Colt or Kimber, true I did shoot my dads Colt 1911's but that was more then 25 years ago.

LWaali · 10-17-2012, 03:53 AM

A few thoughts on 1911's..
I reworked a RI for a friend a few years back and even after heavy shooting it is still spot on.
Dad had a Kimber compact (not sure of model), new out of box, that would have feeding problems from day one no matter the mag, ammo, or cleaning.
I have a Para 14.45 LDA that is the most accurate 45 I have ever shot but only for about 50 rounds before it wants to be cleaned and would have feeding problems.
My old Llama IX will eat anything I put in it regardless of cleaning but not as accurate as the RI or the Para.

Just goes to show that it is not the name or the price.. you find the right shooter and you keep it

Linda

alanint · 10-17-2012, 08:16 AM

I'd have to agree. As long as the parts are forged and true, (not the case with mid 20th. Century Colts, BTW), a talented smith can build an accurate and functional 1911.

I have not had any failures with this Kimber and the trigger is a crisp 3.5 lbs. out of the box. I carry the smaller pistol because I live in Miami and comfortable concealment is an issue. You will note from the slide holster that I am a lefty.

Now if I KNEW I was going into harm's way, my go-to gun would be my Les Baer Premier II pistol with a half inch at 50 yards garranty, (with an included ransom rest target to prove it).
While not cheap, (although considerably less and MUCH BETTER than guns built by self appointed gun world rock stars like Wilson and Brown), I have never owned or shot a better 1911 than this one.

Terry Tiell · 10-17-2012, 09:23 PM

Yeah we can't carry here in Maryland if we could I would probly have a short barrel .45 like your Kimber. But here in MD we have to keep our guns locked away unless we're taking them to a range.

alanint · 10-17-2012, 10:17 PM

I simpathise. There are way too many states with this attitude.

Terry Tiell · 10-17-2012, 10:28 PM

Maryland is about one of the worst.

alanint · 10-18-2012, 08:04 AM

Too close, geographically, to our beloved politicians, I guess?

10-15-2012, 04:39 PM	#1
Terry Tiell User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: The Fascist State of Maryland Posts: 224 Thanks: 55 Thanked 26 Times in 14 Posts	Got our 1911 .45 back from the gunsmith. and WOW what a difference! He did a trigger job with all new parts and a light weight aluminum trigger, polished everything internally, installed fiber optic sights, along with a beautiful set of grips my wife picked out, sighted it in and just to be sure did his slide stop anti-scratch modification to make sure we'd never get the dreaded "idiot mark". First thing upon opening the case the grips my wife picked out were absolutely gorgeous installed on the gun. The fiber optic front sight came with extra parts and he took the time to explain how to swap out the fiber optic part. Then it was out to the firing line to test out the trigger and the sighting in and the difference again was huge! The trigger pull is 3.5 pounds VS. the factory 7 pound pull and the trigger creep is gone. Where it used to take a good 1/2 - 3/4 inch of trigger pull to fire its now more like an 1/8th of an inch of travel before the hammer falls. The sighting in is dead level but my wife and I now need to work on our trigger pull to get our skills up to the level that the gunsmith has taken our 1911 up to! Where its point and shoot isn't quite as fluid or natural feeling as my Luger is its real damn close. When I had him try out my Luger the gunsmith was surprised to see how crisp and smooth the trigger pull on my Luger was he said he had always heard they were "squishy and sloppy" due to all the moving parts but he sure liked mine. Anyway on to the pics! __________________ Trying to redo grand dads Luger the best I can.

10-15-2012, 06:14 PM	#2
padredan User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: louisiana Now, but from the Rebublic of Texas Posts: 937 Thanks: 429 Thanked 316 Times in 182 Posts	very nice __________________ In this world nothing is free, except the grace of God

10-15-2012, 06:31 PM	#3
saab-bob User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: So Cal Posts: 459 Thanks: 774 Thanked 143 Times in 87 Posts	Your wife has good taste,I like those grips. Reminiscent of the grips on the early Colt 1911's. Bob __________________ "I think,therefore I own guns"

10-16-2012, 11:49 AM	#6
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,286 Thanks: 7,023 Thanked 2,480 Times in 1,321 Posts	Yes, I'm curious, too. Got me wondering just what I might do to my $400 range 1911 knockoff...and what the total would be. __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

10-16-2012, 12:16 PM	#7
Terry Tiell User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: The Fascist State of Maryland Posts: 224 Thanks: 55 Thanked 26 Times in 14 Posts	I've never fired a custom Kimber so I couldn't tell you, however I can tell you what the gunsmith told me. His name is John Caudner and all he does is 1911's and full custom build 1911's and he's been doing them since before I knew what a 1911 was. Anyway he said that all the internals on my RIA are MIM (metal injection molded) and are the same quality as can be found on every sub $2000 1911 made, however the RIA uses a steel trigger and steel shoe's for the springs and thats why it has a 7 lb spring because if you had a 3.5 lb spring with those steel parts you'd wind up with a full auto 1911. So it needed a few extra parts and that brought the bill up to $390 for all the custom work, add that to a base price of $500 and we have a $890 gun that John says he'd put up against any Colt or Kimber that was $2000. All in all I'm VERY happy with how it turned out but John said he could install a match grade barrel and tighten up the slide a little and he'd put up against any Colt or Kimber out there. His words not mine but I hope it helps. If anyone wants his contact info just PM me and I'll be happy to pass it along. And thank you everyone. __________________ Trying to redo grand dads Luger the best I can.

10-16-2012, 03:52 AM	#4
CoyoteM4 User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 30 Thanks: 7 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	I dig it, gorgeous piece, and I bet those grips feel great with the smooth back/textured front. I put fiber optics on my Springfield XD and I've never gone back - literally a life saver in low light. I think I'm jealous of that trigger, especially on a 1911 - That thing is a real operator with a 3.5# pull! Congrats!

10-16-2012, 07:34 AM	#5
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Out of curiosity, how does your entire investment stack up to say, buying a custom Kimber with all of these features included?

10-16-2012, 02:11 PM	#8
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Considering I recently paid $900 for a Kimber Custom Shop Raptor 2 carry pistol, with all the trigger, sights an accuracy work already done, I guess its a wash. The only difference would be the pleasure of having had your pistol built yourself.

10-16-2012, 07:51 PM	#9
Terry Tiell User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: The Fascist State of Maryland Posts: 224 Thanks: 55 Thanked 26 Times in 14 Posts	Actually John told me even if you bought a $900 Kimber you'd still want to have this work done just to make the gun better. His words not mine. Again I wouldn't know I've never fired a custom Kimber before. But either way its a nice gun. Hey post up a couple pics of your Kimber I'd love to see it. __________________ Trying to redo grand dads Luger the best I can.

10-16-2012, 08:34 PM	#10
padredan User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: louisiana Now, but from the Rebublic of Texas Posts: 937 Thanks: 429 Thanked 316 Times in 182 Posts	I guess in my over forty years of building and tuning and using the 1911 and a1's platform i have pretty much fired everything out there. It comes down to just what makes each of the owners and users happy. personel choice. Of all the 1911's i own , and there are many , it comes down to an original remington rand that i rebuilt many years ago . that gun to me speaks to my soul. some of you just may know what i mean by that. __________________ In this world nothing is free, except the grace of God

10-16-2012, 09:59 PM	#11
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Kimber Raptor II, with extra custom grips and two spare mags. NIB $900 out the door at the Lakeland, Florida Gun Show some months ago. It has Novak style night sites as well. Attached Thumbnails

10-16-2012, 10:49 PM	#12
MikeP User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: ILL Posts: 686 Thanks: 36 Thanked 452 Times in 198 Posts	I have a Remington Rand with a Colt slide I snuck home from VN. A few years ago I loaned it to a friend who tinkers with them. He smoothed and lightened the trigger a bit, added a new recoil spring, tighter barrel bushing and a buffer. That's all. Those simple changes resulted in amazing increase in accuracy-trigger pull most of all. Its still old and ugly, but much improved as a tool.

10-16-2012, 10:58 PM	#13
Terry Tiell User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: The Fascist State of Maryland Posts: 224 Thanks: 55 Thanked 26 Times in 14 Posts	Not a bad looking piece man, not a huge fan of the shorter barrel but I wouldn't throw it away either. You can get some real deals at gun shows I'd say you got a great one here. Now just to be clear I have never said I'd put my RIA up against a Colt or Kimber that was what John said to me, was he full of crap? Could be I have no experience with either Colt or Kimber, true I did shoot my dads Colt 1911's but that was more then 25 years ago. __________________ Trying to redo grand dads Luger the best I can.

10-17-2012, 03:53 AM	#14
LWaali User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Washington State Posts: 99 Thanks: 67 Thanked 20 Times in 9 Posts	A few thoughts on 1911's.. I reworked a RI for a friend a few years back and even after heavy shooting it is still spot on. Dad had a Kimber compact (not sure of model), new out of box, that would have feeding problems from day one no matter the mag, ammo, or cleaning. I have a Para 14.45 LDA that is the most accurate 45 I have ever shot but only for about 50 rounds before it wants to be cleaned and would have feeding problems. My old Llama IX will eat anything I put in it regardless of cleaning but not as accurate as the RI or the Para. Just goes to show that it is not the name or the price.. you find the right shooter and you keep it Linda

10-17-2012, 08:16 AM	#15
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	I'd have to agree. As long as the parts are forged and true, (not the case with mid 20th. Century Colts, BTW), a talented smith can build an accurate and functional 1911. I have not had any failures with this Kimber and the trigger is a crisp 3.5 lbs. out of the box. I carry the smaller pistol because I live in Miami and comfortable concealment is an issue. You will note from the slide holster that I am a lefty. Now if I KNEW I was going into harm's way, my go-to gun would be my Les Baer Premier II pistol with a half inch at 50 yards garranty, (with an included ransom rest target to prove it). While not cheap, (although considerably less and MUCH BETTER than guns built by self appointed gun world rock stars like Wilson and Brown), I have never owned or shot a better 1911 than this one. Attached Thumbnails

10-17-2012, 09:23 PM	#16
Terry Tiell User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: The Fascist State of Maryland Posts: 224 Thanks: 55 Thanked 26 Times in 14 Posts	Yeah we can't carry here in Maryland if we could I would probly have a short barrel .45 like your Kimber. But here in MD we have to keep our guns locked away unless we're taking them to a range. __________________ Trying to redo grand dads Luger the best I can.

10-17-2012, 10:17 PM	#17
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	I simpathise. There are way too many states with this attitude.

10-17-2012, 10:28 PM	#18
Terry Tiell User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: The Fascist State of Maryland Posts: 224 Thanks: 55 Thanked 26 Times in 14 Posts	Maryland is about one of the worst. __________________ Trying to redo grand dads Luger the best I can.

10-18-2012, 08:04 AM	#19
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	Too close, geographically, to our beloved politicians, I guess?