# My new 1911 build



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

Some of you will remember my squib issue I had with my Kimber that ruined the frame and barrel and left me with a pile o'parts. I bought a Springfield Champion Operator as a replacement, so what to do with the parts.










I decided to build my own 1911. I sent the slide to Bob @ Fusion Firearms to have it fitted to one of his frames. I also had Bob fit the barrel to the frame and also media blast the slide to get it ready to finish. I am going to atempt to finish it myself using a bake on finish from Brownells. I'm in the paint business and we have batch ovens at work so if the product is any good the process should be pretty simple. If it ends up not working I'll send it and have it finished later.

I got a email from Bob yesterday saying everything was ready and shipping. Hopefully I'll have it by Friday and I can finish the frame and slide Friday afternoon at work. I've ordered several replacement parts from Wilson but will be using most of the left over Kimber parts. I'm still trying to decide if I want to fill the logos on the slide with epoxy bondo before finishing. I guess that will be a last minute decision.

I'll use this thread to document the process. Wish me luck!!!


----------



## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

Good luck!

I'm looking forward to seeing this progress. Please post lots of pics. 

:watching:


----------



## JeffWard (Aug 24, 2007)

Sweet. Keep us posted!

My call? Fill the slide lettering. Make it as "clean" as possible. Minimal markings, and one of a kind!

JW


----------



## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

JeffWard said:


> Sweet. Keep us posted!
> 
> My call? Fill the slide lettering. Make it as "clean" as possible. Minimal markings, and one of a kind!
> 
> JW


+1
Make it as much an original as you can. I hope you post the finished product. It sounds like you're going ot have a really nice weapon once it's finished. Fusion does great work.


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

DevilsJohnson said:


> +1
> Make it as much an original as you can. I hope you post the finished product. It sounds like you're going ot have a really nice weapon once it's finished. Fusion does great work.


I've tracked the frame and it should deliver today. I think you guys are right, the cleaner the better. One of my customers that does a good bit of powder coating uses a product call Lab-Metal for a filler. Semi-paste like product that requires baking, but can be sanded smooth and hardens like metal. He said to just stop by the shop and I can use what he has, that will save me about $20 buying a 6oz can of the stuff.


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

The frame, slide and parts have arrived :mrgreen:. Next step: fill the logos on the slide and finish.



















Check out the revolver board to see the little goody I picked up while at the shop this afternoon.


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

Update...got the frame finished today...finally. What I thought would be a 2 hour job turned in about 6 hours. The instructions say to put 2-3 thin coat on allowing 30 min. between coats (or force dry) then bake for 1 hour @ 300. I guess their idea of thin and mine are two different things because what I thought looked good blistered in the oven, a classic case of too much film thickness. So, I sanded the frame down and put another thin coat, again it blistered. At this point I'm getting frustrated almost to the point of giving up.










I then decided to strip off all the coating. I put the frame in some stripper and waited about 15 min. and the coating was starting to come off but not very well, I got off what I could, sanded again, and re-painted. This time the thin coat would not cover the edges where the old coating was and the remover had not removed it. By this time the afternoon is shot and I've done nothing but screw up. I put the frame back in the stripper and went home, thinking I would come back tomorrow. About 5 I decided to try it again, so I went back to work and by now the stripper had a chance to do it's thing and I could start over. I applied a couple of VERY thin coats and put in the over to bake. To kill the hour I met my wife for Sushi and finished just about the time the frame was ready. This time it looked good.










Having the frame done I thought I would start putting it back together. Most everything went together smooth, just had to remove some of the black paint I had done the controls in. As it was coming together I kept thinking that this thing is turning out much nicer than I thought it was. Here it is so far,



















I hope to start on the slide the first of the week and hope to finish it by the end of the week.


----------



## Peacemaker (Nov 20, 2006)

Very, very nice pistol you have there.


----------



## AC_USMC 03 (Apr 5, 2009)

The frame looks really good. You have me wanting to start to make my own ... and i have never done anything like that before. keep us posted


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

Although the slide's not finished I tought I would put it on just see what she looks like. The Kimber logo will be filled in and the slide will be the same color as the frame when complete. I've got some new night sights going on which will bring a little of the black towards the top part of the gun.


----------



## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

im not a huge 1911 fan, but that is one sweet looking gun! it looks like your hard work is definitly paying off! and congrats on the new revolver steal!


----------



## oak1971 (Apr 28, 2008)

Looking good!


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

I'm suprised that no one noticed I've got the magwell on backwards 

Fixed


----------



## oak1971 (Apr 28, 2008)

How did you get it to fit that way?


----------



## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

oak1971 said:


> How did you get it to fit that way?


I'm wondering the same thing


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

DevilsJohnson said:


> I'm wondering the same thing


Well, it's a Wilson that fits under the grips and hooks the bushing. I was in a hurry last night when putting the last few parts together and just slapped it on backasswards.


----------



## cfoodeat (Apr 20, 2009)

That's looking really sweet. I'm looking forward to some more great pictures and good descriptions.


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

After the waste of paint on the frame I ended up not having enough to finish the slide so I had to order another can. I got back this afternoon from a weekend mountain biking trip to NC and decided to try to finish up the build. Went to work a started finishing the slide.










A couple of hours later I was satisifed with what I had.










The rest of the build went together pretty well. The night sights I had bought off ebay and they were used. I've had them for a couple of week now but today was the first time I looked at them close and they are USED, a little dissapointed with that purchase, but they'll make do.



















I did find the barrel from the squib, I didn't think that Kimber had sent it back but it was under the foam in the case. I guess I couldn't re-use it :smt082


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

Here's the finished product. Can't wait to see how it shoots. The slide and frame will need to break in to let some of the film build wear. What ya'll think? I think it turned out pretty good, not bad for my first try.


----------



## YFZsandrider (Feb 28, 2009)

Very nice looking color choice. I love how the black controls and barrel bushing really set off the gun! Let me know if you need a second opinion on how it shoots! I'm pretty good with second opinions.... although it usually takes a couple boxes:mrgreen:


----------



## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

Very nice! :smt023

What's your opinion of the Gun-Kote so far on the finished product?


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

kev74 said:


> Very nice! :smt023
> 
> What's your opinion of the Gun-Kote so far on the finished product?


Now that I have the application down I looks like it will be a good product. I've used some solvent to wipe an area and it held up no problems. I would recommend sanding at least once before the final coat if not between each coat. I probably needed one more sanding to get the slide as slick as the frame, but it's not too bad. I used the Brownells Baking Lacquer to do the black control parts, it's no good. I will end up replacing the controls with blued parts. The lacquer flakes off just about evertime it get touched with something, I've got the parts touched up with a sharpie now.


----------



## AC_USMC 03 (Apr 5, 2009)

Hey pug it looks good. now will you sell me your springer lol


----------



## tekhead1219 (May 16, 2008)

Man, that is a REAL good looking piece of iron. Really like the contrast of the black to silver. Great job, let us know how it shoots (without the squib!:anim_lol.


----------



## clanger (Jan 27, 2009)

Oustanding job, Cruzer. Very nice. (esp the fill-in on the Kimber logo...)

I'm not into bright semi-auto's, but, that one is a looker fer sure. You'll be able to lay that one down on a gun shop counter or range bench with pride for all to sniff and oggle. 

Hope it shoots as good as it looks. 

:smt023:smt023


----------



## gilream (May 5, 2009)

What a great looking piece of iron. I have a quick question. I'm new to the forum have no idea what a squib is. Is it some kind of bad ammo? Obviously you blew out the barrel with it. Anyone hurt?


----------



## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

A squib is a low power round that doesn't have enough power to push the bullet all the way through the barrel. Its not so bad as long as you catch it before the next round is fired... then its KA-BOOM!


----------



## snowman45 (May 30, 2009)

*Filling in the Logo*

Very nice job, Cruz. How do you fill in the logo on the slide before finishing?


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

snowman45 said:


> Very nice job, Cruz. How do you fill in the logo on the slide before finishing?


I used a product called Lab Metal. It's a metal filler used under powdercoating. It did a pretty good job.


----------



## cruzthepug (Mar 16, 2008)

Finally got my build to the range. After a minor issue with the firing pin block that I was able to get fixed, it shot great. Sights didn't even need any adjustment. Only fired 50 rounds, wanted to break it down and check everything out. With just 50 rounds the action is much smoother now that some of the Gun Kote is wearing off the rails, another 50 should be perfect.


----------



## Bukwild CTO2 (Feb 10, 2008)

man great job


----------

