1911 build?

You may get lucky with the msh, slide release and barrel bushing. But if the bushing fit is more loose than the original one, it will effect the gun's accuracy. If the msh fit is too tight, it is not terribly hard to do some filing and fit that - just be sure to take any material off the part itself (never the frame).
The beavertail grip safety & thumb safety are a different story. Those will likely take fitting by a gunsmith.

 

I doubt they'll have to be fitted. That's a catch all phrase used in case somethings not fitting just quite perfect. Most parts like he's ordering are drop in. unless he's going from a duck bill safety to a beaver tail. THAT actually involves some removing metal from the frame unless using a Wilson drop in. Oh, there may need to be some polishing in a small little spot where the trigger engages it.

Advice? When the parts come in, see if they fit... They should.

 

I try not to worry about the little things until they happen

 

Hmm - I guess that I was thinking of the radius of the grip safety that Springfield uses. I am not too familiar with Kimbers but I remember somewhere that if you are wanting to install a SA grip safety on another gun then the frame has to be modified to accept it due to the radius (but I may be off base here).

 

If anything, I believe Kimber would be the ones to use an odd radius. They're the ones who think they're oh so special, I could see that happening. And I'm not trying to knock them, I just think they're overpriced for what you get: a 1911 that's really no more special than any other, but they refuse to even talk to some people about warranty work until you've fired 500+ rounds to break it in (I'm a firm believer that all guns should run 100% straight from the box), and you better not even change the grips if you wanna hang onto that piddlin' little one year warranty (I'm also a firm believer
that a high end product should be warrantied for life, buck does it with their knives, why won't Kimber do it with $1000+ guns? A large majority of gun makers have a lifetime warranty).

But, the old GI style grip safety uses a different radius than beaver tail safeties, and I think almost all makers use "one or the other", and I don't THINK it's springfield that would use some strange proprietary radius.

(edit to add: I'll be changing mine up soon, so I guess I'll find out...I have a springer)

If he's putting a springfield beaver tail on a Kimber that currently has the old GI grip safety, he would need fitting regardless of the makers. Do they even make one that doesn't come with a beaver tail?

 

When it comes to fitting new parts on a 1911, you will hear things like, "should fit," "May or may not need any fitting," "ought to be OK," & so forth.
Even if everything drops in and functions correctly, it's very likely that a bit of "fitting" or "tuning" will improve things. "Fitting/tuning" may only require a couple of strokes with a file. But that might make all the difference.
How much money is being spent here? Probably a couple hundred bucks. Assuming that these parts are intended to improve things, getting everything right might be worth a bit of extra time & effort.
"Hey, how big a deal can it be?"
Required reading for 1911 tinkerers: http://www.amazon.com/The-Colt-45-a...TF8&qid=1361989377&sr=8-1&keywords=Kuhnhausen

 

And why haven't you chimed in on my thread, "1911 gunsmithing books"?

 

Must have missed that one.

 

I don't see why you'd pay a premium for a a Kimber and then pay even more money to change out half the parts and take a chance on the end result being sloppily fitting aftermarket parts. Seems pretty silly in my book. But that's just me.

 

Really because the only thing you have done is end up with the same gun.

 

To avoid the hassles he will encounter if he is not familiar with the 1911, I would suggest that he sell the Kimber and pick up an Ed Brown.

 

He has $1050 in a $700 (approx used price) gun that is still worth about $700 when he is finished.

I wish I had his money.

 

yep. that $1050 would have bought a really nice 1911!

 

And who knows how well the aftermarket parts fit. He may be paying another $250 in gunsmith work to get the appropriate fit. And if he ever wants to sell, he will take a huge hit. Guns are a lot like old cars, people want original condition. They don't want to gamble on someone else's customization skills. Basically he's got a financial loser on his hands.

You don't pay $800 on a gun you are going to heavily modify. And with the money he's going to have in the gun total, he should have ponied up and bought exactly what he wanted from the beginning.

 

Now i know you meant that in the nicest possible way

 

Is he putting the SS parts on a carbon steel gun?

If he is, he's building a battery.

 

Ok guys what night sites will work with my Girsan? I know its doevetailed but will any dovetailed site work? I need help the spec sites are just diffficult to see.

 

need to find out what dovetail they used. angle and size. they make sights in several different styles and you just need to know which dovetail cut was used on your slide. then you can just choose from those that mactch your particular dovetail cut on the slide. maybe find a gunsmith to measure it for you and then just find some that fit.