SR1911 .45 added to collection

[Chuckybrown]

I have had a Para P12 since '92, and I wanted to add a full size .45 to my collection. I did a lot of reading, as I wanted a good "base" to build from. After every reading a particular article by a gunsmith out of Nebraska, I chose the SR1911. And....I love Ruger.

I picked up my pistol, and it went straight to my gunsmith. Everything I buy goes from dealer to him. Here's what I had him do:

-Complete action job
-Trigger breaks at 4lbs
-Re-cut hammer/sear, checked on scope
-Polish breech face
-Widen/polish feed ramp
-Polish bore
-New STI stainless firing pin
-Reset gap
-New STI extractor
-New Wolff springs
-Crown cut @ 45 degrees
-Jeweled trigger, hammer, bushing face
-Tritium 3 dot night sites
-Full final clean and lube

At the range, it shot very well. It grouped tightly at center mass @ 15 yards, and could stay inside the 10 ring at 25 yards resting.

I feel I've made a great choice, in part to a lot of your posts here.

This will become my EDC once my http://www.rdwarrenleather.com/gallery.html holster and magazine pouch arrives.

I simply love my Rugers. One day I'll post at my SP101 4" .357...

 

[wayned]

Glad you're happy with what you had done but I think you should've shot it first to see how it worked out of the box.

 

[ditto1958]

Glad you're happy with what you had done but I think you should've shot it first to see how it worked out of the box.

+1. And about that stainless firing pin? Ruger put a titanium firing pin in the SR1911 to make it a drop safe series 70. I'd be more than a little reluctant about messing with that.

Yup. My thoughts, exactly. First off, how and why would an STI firing pin be “better” than the Ruger pin? Second, I’d be very, VERY reluctant to remove a safety feature that Ruger has made a linchpin of their design. Ruger took great pains to design a safer series 70 1911, and did it in a way that has no effect on operation of the gun and no effect on aesthetics.

If the gun is ever used in a self-defense shooting, this is the kind of thing that is very likely to catch the eye of an ambitious prosecutor who may be anxious to find a high profile case to prosecute.

 

[Chuckybrown]

Glad you're happy with what you had done but I think you should've shot it first to see how it worked out of the box.

I don't have to shoot a base RIA to know I want something better. I know my way around pistols, and know what I wanted.

+1. And about that stain less firing pin? Ruger put a titanium firing pin in the SR1911 to make it a drop safe series 70. I'd be more than a little reluctant about messing with that.

Well, I understand this, but I also didn't want to risk and FTF because of the lighter firing pin. There is a true performance difference between a titanium pin and a stainless pin. I get the risk.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Sounds like you spent more in "repairs" than you did for the gun.

 

[Chuckybrown]

Hmmmm. Ok, well, thanks. Sorry to have offended gents. I came here to talk about my Ruger, and what I did with it. Not unlike many other threads here.

Have a great weekend everyone.

 

[Chuckybrown]

From the gunsmith I referenced, and wholly embraced by mine:

"As for the firing pin, I personally am more concerned with the gun not going off when needed due to a light firing pin strike because of the Ti pin and super strong FPspring that was installed. I have never seen a gun go off when dropped. I have seen them NOT go off when the Ti pin assembly is in place and that could get a person killed in the wrong situation. Keep in mind that Ruger was very smart in using the Ti pin and long spring as they wanted to be able to get into the markets like CA that require insanely dramatic drop tests that do not, in my opinion, represent real life situations."

And I too agree.

 

[bayou5252]

Chucky -

Good luck with your SR1911. Sounds like you'll enjoy that new toy.

I've got one also. It's been highly reliable.

Question -

How many pounds is the trigger break out of the box? You mention your smith put a 4 pound break on yours.

Thanks -

Bayou

 

[Mike J]

Chuckybrown I hope you enjoy your new SR 1911. I like mine.

bayou5252-I don't own a trigger pull gauge and as such have never measured the trigger pull on mine. I did find a Mas Ayoob review that says his averaged 5.3 pounds per pull on a lyman trigger pull gauge. To be honest it isn't the weight of a trigger that bothers me so much as whether it is clean & crisp or not. Everyone has different preferences though. I once shot a Glock that had had the trigger worked over. The pull on that thing was so light (about 2 to 2.5 pounds IIRC) I would have been scared to carry it. It was a lot of fun to blast water bottles with though. Every time I thought about pulling the trigger the bottle I had it pointed at exploded.

 

[pruger45]

What not just buy an STI? My sr1911 shoots under 2 inches at 30 yards out of the box!

 

[pruger45]

In reference to my previous post I also have over 6000 rounds through mine with not so much as a hiccup!

 

[Chuckybrown]

Thanks for the welcome Bayou5252 & Mike J!!!

Out of the box the trigger broke just under 5lbs.

But as Mike J shared, it's much more how it feels when it breaks. If you've ever fired a pistol that has had trigger work done by someone who knows what they are doing, you can truly tell the difference.

Yep Pruger45, I could have bought an STI or similar, but that's not what I wanted. I bought the gun I wanted, then had it modified to fit my likes. That makes me happy.

And if I ever buy a true custom .45, it will be a Chambers Custom.

 

[bayou5252]

"Out of the box the trigger broke just under 5lbs.

But as Mike J shared, it's much more how it feels when it breaks. If you've ever fired a pistol that has had trigger work done by someone who knows what they are doing, you can truly tell the difference."

Thanks for that info, Chucky. I've only got one auto-loading pistol, that being the SR1911, and I've never fired any pistol that has had a good trigger job. I've got to practice on keeping the pistol completely still while depressing the trigger.

Thanks again!

Bayou

 

[revhigh]

What not just buy an STI? My sr1911 shoots under 2 inches at 30 yards out of the box!

Riiiiiiiiiiiight ....... 8)

 

[revhigh]

I have had a Para P12 since '92, and I wanted to add a full size .45 to my collection. I did a lot of reading, as I wanted a good "base" to build from. After every reading a particular article by a gunsmith out of Nebraska, I chose the SR1911. And....I love Ruger.

I picked up my pistol, and it went straight to my gunsmith. Everything I buy goes from dealer to him. Here's what I had him do:

-Complete action job
-Trigger breaks at 4lbs
-Re-cut hammer/sear, checked on scope
-Polish breech face
-Widen/polish feed ramp
-Polish bore
-New STI stainless firing pin
-Reset gap
-New STI extractor
-New Wolff springs
-Crown cut @ 45 degrees
-Jeweled trigger, hammer, bushing face
-Tritium 3 dot night sites
-Full final clean and lube

At the range, it shot very well. It grouped tightly at center mass @ 15 yards, and could stay inside the 10 ring at 25 yards resting.

I feel I've made a great choice, in part to a lot of your posts here.

This will become my EDC once my http://www.rdwarrenleather.com/gallery.html holster and magazine pouch arrives.

I simply love my Rugers. One day I'll post at my SP101 4" .357...

I appreciate all the work that you had done to that gun, but I'm very surprised that a reputable gunsmith would have done all those 'cutting' mods to a bunch of cheap MIM original parts that come on the SR1911 (particularly the hammer and sear), which typically are replaced during a build as extensive as yours.

I certainly would have shot it first as suggested above as well ... who knows .... you might have gotten a 2 inch gun at 30 yards like one of the above posters proclaimed !!! :roll:

And I sure wouldn't mess with one thing if I had a cheap production 2 inch 1911 at 30 yards out of the box ....

I have no doubt that you have a nice gun though ... I just hope those modified MIM parts hold up for you. If that were my gun I'd keep it for range use only ... for a whole lot of reasons.

Glad you like it !

REV

 

[Chuckybrown]

My reputable gunsmith is Teddy Jacobsen. Look him up. If you think he was not "reputable" doing the work for me, please share so I can get with him. You can even reach him here http://www.actionsbyt.com if you'd like to scold him for me. But please, make sure I'm on that call, as I want to hear that conversation myself.

So you know, I never aspired to turn this into a $2500 or more custom piece. But, I have a dayum reliable "cheap production" pistol I like. I'm happy. Very. I am even having a custom holster made for it.

And, I will carry it beyond the range. If it ever fails me, I've given my wife my login to this site so she can post of my demise, and you can get the obligatory
"I told you so" post in, even if it's posthumous.

And just when you think I can't be any dumber.....did I tell you I carry a Taurus quite often? I know....might as well carry a rubber band gun. But, I'm paying cash as I go to put two kids thru Texas A&M (WHOOP!) so I can't buy Ferrari everything. *sigh*

Thanks for the banter. Much appreciated. My boss was a total a-hole today, and this just topped things off nicely.

Whew, I feel better!

 

[revhigh]

First, I'm not scolding anybody ... you ... or your gunsmith ... or questioning his ability. You did what you did and I don't care. I didn't buy it, pay for it, or have to rely on it. You wanted to talk about your new gun and what you had done to it and that's what is happening. The majority of responses here have questioned your process. You shipped off a new gun with a list of requirements and your gunsmith performed them. Great ! No harm no foul. Unfortunately, you now have no baseline to compare the before and after performance, to know if it even DOES perform better.

Second ... you stated 'Everything I buy goes directly from my dealer to the gunsmith' ... as if that's a GOOD thing ... or is somehow supposed to infer that that makes the final product necessarily very high quality. It may or it may not depending on the quality of the original piece. I have over a dozen 1911's ... mostly Colts and Springfields, and I've had $300 used 1911's with 50 rounds through them that were fantastic guns, and didn't need to be touched, and $1000+ 1911's that needed some tweeking. But I've NEVER sent a gun out that I didn't have a damn good idea of EXACTLY how it shot and was machined, including the quality of the trigger.

Did you even know that the majority of the parts in the SR1911 are MIM prior to having all this type of work done ?

Did you discuss the option of replacing the original MIM parts with better parts PRIOR to having it 'shipped directly to your gunsmith' ?

Did you know that MIM parts accept precision machining and or cutting less easily because they're basically metal filings melted together with glue under heat, which makes them potentially very brittle (just like the front MIM sights that break off so easily ?

Did you know that most cheap production grade guns (of ANY manufacturer) like the Sr1911 use almost all MIM internal parts ?

Did your gunsmith know that most of the internal parts and fire control system of the SR1911 are MIM ? It's sometimes very difficult to tell them apart, and most Gunsmith's in my area won't machine or cut MIM parts because of their propensity to break during machining or afterwards ? Those parts are ALWAYS replaced, and they're not very expensive.

These are valid questions that you may not want to hear or think about, but you put considerable money into an entry level gun with entry level parts, and may have made its reliability more questionable than it was in stock form.

Others posted insinuating the same things, and you seem to get pretty pissy when all these mods are questioned on a brand new out of the box gun that you never even fired. What if the gun was a dog and shot 6 inch groups ? Would you still have invested all that money in it ?

These are just some things I think should have been considered prior to just shipping it directly to a gunsmith, unfired. You didn't, and to be honest I don't really care ... it's your gun ... shoot it ... carry it ... whatever.

You posted here pretty much asking people what they thought of your process .... got some answers you didn't like, and then got upset when some questioned your actions. It's YOUR GUN ... who cares what anybody else thinks ? Enjoy it but be aware of potential problems that could occur.

Call your gunsmith up, and ask him what he thinks about some of the comments if you really care enough. See what he thinks.

We're just discussing your gun, it's nothing personal. I hope it's fantastic ... it should be !

REV

 

[Chuckybrown]

Thanks Rev. I'm not pissy. Sarcastic, yep! I love to laugh.

Have a great day!

 

[SR1911SHOOTER]

I have had a Para P12 since '92, and I wanted to add a full size .45 to my collection. I did a lot of reading, as I wanted a good "base" to build from. After every reading a particular article by a gunsmith out of Nebraska, I chose the SR1911. And....I love Ruger.

I picked up my pistol, and it went straight to my gunsmith. Everything I buy goes from dealer to him. Here's what I had him do:

-Complete action job
-Trigger breaks at 4lbs
-Re-cut hammer/sear, checked on scope
-Polish breech face
-Widen/polish feed ramp
-Polish bore
-New STI stainless firing pin
-Reset gap
-New STI extractor
-New Wolff springs
-Crown cut @ 45 degrees
-Jeweled trigger, hammer, bushing face
-Tritium 3 dot night sites
-Full final clean and lube

At the range, it shot very well. It grouped tightly at center mass @ 15 yards, and could stay inside the 10 ring at 25 yards resting.

I feel I've made a great choice, in part to a lot of your posts here.

This will become my EDC once my http://www.rdwarrenleather.com/gallery.html holster and magazine pouch arrives.

I simply love my Rugers. One day I'll post at my SP101 4" .357...

Chucky Brown.
I believe you like to impress people. I bought my 6 SR1911s, gave one to my son in law, one to my
Grandson, who carries it On The Job and one I gave to a LEO friend of mine, who also carries it on the job.
They, and I, trust these pistols implicitly with no mods. My SR1911s consistently knock over steel targets at
100'. Although Self defence ranges average 15' or so. And, I used the money I saved on Gunsmith mods
to buy practice ammo.

Blackie

 

[SR1911SHOOTER]

First, I'm not scolding anybody ... you ... or your gunsmith ... or questioning his ability. You did what you did and I don't care. I didn't buy it, pay for it, or have to rely on it. You wanted to talk about your new gun and what you had done to it and that's what is happening. The majority of responses here have questioned your process. You shipped off a new gun with a list of requirements and your gunsmith performed them. Great ! No harm no foul. Unfortunately, you now have no baseline to compare the before and after performance, to know if it even DOES perform better.

Second ... you stated 'Everything I buy goes directly from my dealer to the gunsmith' ... as if that's a GOOD thing ... or is somehow supposed to infer that that makes the final product necessarily very high quality. It may or it may not depending on the quality of the original piece. I have over a dozen 1911's ... mostly Colts and Springfields, and I've had $300 used 1911's with 50 rounds through them that were fantastic guns, and didn't need to be touched, and $1000+ 1911's that needed some tweeking. But I've NEVER sent a gun out that I didn't have a damn good idea of EXACTLY how it shot and was machined, including the quality of the trigger.

Did you even know that the majority of the parts in the SR1911 are MIM prior to having all this type of work done ?

Did you discuss the option of replacing the original MIM parts with better parts PRIOR to having it 'shipped directly to your gunsmith' ?

Did you know that MIM parts accept precision machining and or cutting less easily because they're basically metal filings melted together with glue under heat, which makes them potentially very brittle (just like the front MIM sights that break off so easily ?

Did you know that most cheap production grade guns (of ANY manufacturer) like the Sr1911 use almost all MIM internal parts ?

Did your gunsmith know that most of the internal parts and fire control system of the SR1911 are MIM ? It's sometimes very difficult to tell them apart, and most Gunsmith's in my area won't machine or cut MIM parts because of their propensity to break during machining or afterwards ? Those parts are ALWAYS replaced, and they're not very expensive.

These are valid questions that you may not want to hear or think about, but you put considerable money into an entry level gun with entry level parts, and may have made its reliability more questionable than it was in stock form.

Others posted insinuating the same things, and you seem to get pretty pissy when all these mods are questioned on a brand new out of the box gun that you never even fired. What if the gun was a dog and shot 6 inch groups ? Would you still have invested all that money in it ?

These are just some things I think should have been considered prior to just shipping it directly to a gunsmith, unfired. You didn't, and to be honest I don't really care ... it's your gun ... shoot it ... carry it ... whatever.

You posted here pretty much asking people what they thought of your process .... got some answers you didn't like, and then got upset when some questioned your actions. It's YOUR GUN ... who cares what anybody else thinks ? Enjoy it but be aware of potential problems that could occur.

Call your gunsmith up, and ask him what he thinks about some of the comments if you really care enough. See what he thinks.

We're just discussing your gun, it's nothing personal. I hope it's fantastic ... it should be !

REV

RevHigh,
Ditto!!
Blackie

 

[Chuckybrown]

You guys are awesome! Thank you so very much.

 

[modrifle3]

I know this is old, but unless going under 3lbs MIM will do just fine to get cleaned up. The trigger pull you got is nothing unusual. When SACS redid my RO they cleaned up the sear and hammer and it breaks at under 3. Now with that said, longevity is going to be sacrificed as a result. MIM will begin to roll overtime or chip depending on the alloy. I did not intend for this trigger weight, I simply asked they check the damaged sear. They recut the hooks and did a trigger job. I would have sent a C&S hammer and sear but the way it played out there was no way at the time. SACS offers a steel set but for the price I couldn't see doing it. In the future it will get the C&S stuff installed but its a target gun so not deeply worried at the moment.

Also Joe Chambers did one using the stock Ruger fire control group and he said it was very good MIM. Look him up, he is trusted.

 

[ditto1958]

Glad you're happy with what you had done but I think you should've shot it first to see how it worked out of the box.

I don't have to shoot a base RIA to know I want something better. I know my way around pistols, and know what I wanted.

+1. And about that stain less firing pin? Ruger put a titanium firing pin in the SR1911 to make it a drop safe series 70. I'd be more than a little reluctant about messing with that.

Well, I understand this, but I also didn't want to risk and FTF because of the lighter firing pin. There is a true performance difference between a titanium pin and a stainless pin. I get the risk.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Ruger anticipated that, and uses a lighter spring. Also, I’ve never read any complaints that I can recall about the SR1911 having light strike issues. My own personal SR1911 has never had that issue either.

 

[dickn52]

I have two things in mind. IF I ever have to use my carry gun, I know that I will most likely never see it again. So I want reliability at affordable costs. Hence SR1911's. After the trials, appeals and whatever it will be 4-5 years before a judge finally says destroy it or whatever. AND if you think you'll simply walk into the local PD and have them hand to you, then you're wrong. SO, why put all that work effort and money into it? I want a throw it in the mud, pick it up and it goes bang when I pull the trigger.

 

[SR1911SHOOTER]

Hey,
It's Chuck's pistol! Don't be killjoys.
He is proud of it and wanted to show it off, like we all do.
I liked my SR1911 .45ACP out of the box and it goes boom!
Nuff said!
Blackie