from a box of new parts. Watching a couple Jack Weigand videos on YouTube on fitting barrels...maybe it would be better to just buy a couple Less Baers:) I still want to do it but I'd have to use more primitive tools than the jigs he sells for use with an end mill. I'm sure tools and stones and parts would probably cost more than a couple Baers but it would be a fun learning experience.

good deal on a Springfield Milspec or something similar and learn to fit a match barrel and bushing, and upgrade it a bit. I let the last one I had go and that was a huge mistake in hindsight.

I've seen cheaper tools for fitting of the barrel lugs, and fitting the bushing can be done with hand tools. The bushing isn't really all that critical but the barrel lugs are. This is mostly for people wanting bullseye accuracy. Many years ago I saw a barrel fit by a big name smith and one of the lugs didn't even tough the stop pin so that gun was very inaccurate. It took so long to get it built that the owner gave up on that smith and went elsewhere.

A factory Kimber, SIG or Ruger 1911 is generally accurate enough for most uses, and less than half the cost of a Baer. Granted if I had the money I would be wanting a Baer but for a person that works for a living that is out of the question. Building a 1911 is certainly within your abilities, and could be done for less than the cost of a Baer, probably less than the cost of a Kimber.

It would be fun to do. Really, the only reason I want to do it is to learn. A factory Ruger or Springfield is plenty accurate for me and really, a tough reliable gun. The 1911's have come a long way.

"The Colt .45 Automatic: A Shop Manual Volume 1" by Jerry Kuhnhausen and read it cover to cover about five times. Then find yourself a used, beater Rock Island or Auto Ordnance and go to town. Either of those guns will be on or close to the blueprint in all the areas that matter.

FWIW, barrel fitting begins with an in-spec slide stop crosspin hole and a 'match' slide stop with a crosspin that is a consistent 0.200" all the way across. Simply installing one of those will often show an improvement in accuracy. I have squared bottom lugs with a 3/8 rod wrapped in 320 silicon carbide paper... not kosher, but it works for me. I smoke them with a candle to find any high spots and stop when engagement is consistent across both.

I was thinking about that last night...need to read it through again. Very interesting book. It would drive most normal folk crazy reading that kind of thing but it fascinates me.

Or Auto Ordinance, they would be perfect to build on.

I used that book back in the 80's and built 4 1911's, two in 38 Super and two 45's. I still have them today and they still shoot better than I can. I used nothing but hand tools and went slow, checking and rehecking and consulting the book all the way. I did use the best match grade parts available at the time. Fitting the barrel hood and lugs was the slowest because of their importance. Go for it, its a hoot to shoot somethng you put together - like shooting ammo you reloaded.

that today's drop-in barrels are SO good that 90% of the time, 'fitting' in the classic sense isn't even needed. A Brown Wilson, Kart or Storm Lake drop-in will shoot so well that unless you're a Bullseye ace, you won't want for anything else.

My basic service pistol accuracy standard is 4" for 5 shots from a rest at 50 yards. I like 3-3 1/2 better, but 4" will make you head shots all day or murder the 10 ring of a B27 at that distance. The beauty is that you haven't over-tightened anything and the gun will run until you're sick of loading magazines.

True match guns will keep 10 shots in 2" at that distance from a Ransom rest. Now there is where fitting the barrel hood, lugs and slide to the frame make all the difference. Keep in mind that you can get 'half the 25%' mentioned in the chart by using a decent stock barrel*, a match slide stop and a busing fitted to 2-3 thousandths over muzzle diameter.

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*I avoid entry-level Springfield (two-piece) barrels like the plague. Had too many QC problems with them find it difficult to get them to shoot really well.

The binding completely disintegrated on my copy of his 45 book, mostly from putting heavy stuff on it to make it lay flat in the shop.

Finished disassembling the binding and punched holes for a three-ring binder - and now have a "custom" Kuhnhausen shop manual.

Plus ! on John K's comments. Rob, for a service gun rather than a Match gun, with careful work and reference to the Kuhnhausen books you could do one in several evenings. Because you are still somewhat dexterous from your leather work. Slow an easy is the answer. Only minor Rocket science. The book has all the answers, just follow the dotted line. ATB, Lee

I fumble-****ed with the 1911, learned though trial and error and made note of the things that worked for me and the old armorers I knew. It wasn't until 2002 that I even cracked a Kuhnhausen Manual and said "Well I'll be damned, that really IS how you fix that!"

Lee, I'm rob (little r) the mechanic, not Rob the leather master:) But I kinda figure being mechanically inclined is an advantage when working with guns as well...that's exactly why I want to build one-to get a better idea how it all works and to be able to say "I can do that". Always learning:)

Got it now, wondered about it.