# Tweeting and tuning the 1911a1 to perform better



## 1911crazy (Jul 16, 2015)

As I was building or reworking my norinco I learned about a few changes we could add. I fitted the USGI surplus barrel with a national match IAI barrel bushing. I ended up as it got close to being fitted I lapped the barrel and bushing into the full battery position for a 100% lockup. Now the link and lugs was within inspec height wise and I couldn't push it down when in full battery. This is a refresh on what I did so far.
Then I added a disconnector ramp. If you run the empty slide on the frame rails you will feel this ugly bump as the disconnector meets the slide below the firing pin hole. I machined in this ramp low enough so the case rim lip can't hit it when she cycles to load the next round. With a pencil mark this disconnector height on the slide. Stay below this mark. Go slow.

My next move I learned is to polish the grip safety, disconnector spring. Where the spring hits the paddle on the disconnector shaft. Polish both mating parts. Has anyone done this yet?

How about polishing the frame rails and slide grooves? Has anyone done this?
There is a section of frame rail that's in the center that's not really used between the front and rear. A center section could be removed for less drag and friction. We need to figure out the movement of the position of the slides maximum travel to see where the center section that's not needed. Then the rails could be lapped in with a polishing compound. I'm talking about totally removing the roughness when cycling.

Is there anymore tips or tricks to make the 1911 function faster and smoother.?

I just want to bring up the performance to be all it can be.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

1911crazy said:


> ...How about polishing the frame rails and slide grooves?


Lapping them with a fine-grit compound is a much better idea than polishing them.
Polishing may distort the mating parts, if your hand slips or you make a small error.



1911crazy said:


> ...There is a section of frame rail that's in the center [that]...could be removed for less drag and friction.


Don't do it!
Don't mess with the original geometry.
J.M. Browning and Colt's knew more about gun design than you do.



1911crazy said:


> ...Is there anymore tips or tricks to make the 1911 function faster and smoother.?...


• The best thing you can do to a 1911 is a really good trigger job, but it isn't easy to do it well. Keep mating surfaces square to one-another, and polish those surfaces really well with high-quality, _flat_-surfaced stones. Polish the side surfaces of the hammer, too, with the same flat stones. Make sure that the well-polished trigger yoke slides freely within its frame mortise, and that it does not contact any of your magazines. (Modify the magazine, not the trigger yoke.)
• The next really important job is a feed-ramp-and-chamber polish job, but I think that I've read somewhere that you've already done that. When polishing the feed ramp, _do not change it's shape_, its geometry, or the little ledge between frame-ramp and barrel-ramp.
• All of the grip safeties of my 1911s are disabled. Since I "ride" the thumb safety, my palm lifts off of the grip safety a little, and could cause it to come "on" when I don't want it to. Disabling the grip safety is best done with a small steel pin that is drilled into the mainspring housing, and fits into a small groove cut across the width of the grip safety. To reactivate the grip safety, merely remove that pin.


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## Combat Weapon System (Jun 28, 2018)

You could tune your extractor and ejector to help with reliability. if you have some rough spots on the frame rails you can stone them down. But those guns generally have a pretty sloppy frame to slide fit so polishing out everything isn't going to make any difference. And if you polish the feed ramp your not trying to remove material just smoothing it up. Use some flitz polish and a felt bob in a Dremel.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

One of my favorite Norinco tune up videos is this one. The lead up is silly, but when he gets down to the job, he's great, IMO.






You can still buy Noricos in Canada, but here in the land of the free and home of the brave, they're illegal to import. ATF jerks.


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

@Craigh 
Just an FYI. Your mailbox here is full.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Thanks pal. I'd emptied my inbox, but not my sent. I just did that now, so we'll see.


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