Class was supposed to be complete. But yet another bonus class is coming up. One. More. Class.
So, my frame was corrected and ready to accept an ejector when I got to class. Still not gotten the cuts for the sights on the frame. But you don't need those to make a functioning pistol.
Glued the new ejector into place and into the hot box for curing.
So, then, we set up our jigs and found them to vary between each. Surprise. Sort that out. Now we stone the sear face. And the hammer hooks. Then partial assembly to check for fitment using a sharpie as the 'smoke' from a smoke lamp. Dry fire the gun. Disassemble, check contact, restone the hammer or the sear, reassemble, run the gun, disassemble, rinse repeat.
Trimmed and shaped the ejector when it was ready.
The new hammer contacted the grip safety, so the safety has to be relieved a little to get a proper fit.
One guy in the class is a machinist IRL and initially wondered why the tooling process couldn't have done all this right in the first place. He was convinced after all the fitment processes and the tolerance stacking, &c.... Each gun is different. And all you need to make the WHOLE thing different is to drill a pin hole in the frame just a little off square. And that can happen from metal expansion from the heat of the drilling.
If you wanted to build something easy you should just make a Glock.
Anyhoo, after a lot of back to the drawing boards... I ended up with a functioning gun. The brass all arcs in a uniform rainbow to 4 o'clock, too.
I can't lie, I did a little happy dance.
So what will happen in the next class? Fine tuning. Maybe adjust the leaf spring for a different trigger break. Hey, the ejector sticks out the back and looks ugly, we can shape that in the next class.
And we ordered Caspian frames Saturday. For the next class. In the fall. With my very own serial number... 001. I figure there is no way I'll make New Jovian Thunderbolt branded 1911s past 999, so....
Sounds like fun but "sight cuts on the frame"?
ReplyDeleteGotta cut out dovetail slots on the frame so as to attach a modern front sight on the gun.
ReplyDeleteMebbe you mean "slide"?
ReplyDeleteAll my 1911's have sights on the slide. In fact, every single 1911 I have seen has had sights of one type or another on top of the slide.
I suppose you could do it ghetto style and hold the gun sideways , and then you could put sights on the frame, but most of us use the sights that are on the top of the slide.
Easier that way.
Yup. I meant slide. I mix words up. You should hear how many times I say ejector when I mean extractor and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteYour machinist is kinda right, because they made parts in masse and interchangeable during World War Two.
ReplyDeleteAnd that WW2 M1911A1 will be "merely" a service pistol. It'll go bang every time and meet the, by modern standards, lax accuracy requirements of the Army (hit a torso at 30 yards); but it will go bang every time on ball ammo.
That the design can be tweaked and tightened so much is truly astounding!
001? But, but, you're not making a Limited Series 1 of a Thousand?
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought you were a Capitalist!
If I lived in a Capitalist society I'd be able to sell you #001 without having to get permission form the Feds.
ReplyDelete