Top 5 Benefits Of Custom 1911 Pistol Work
The cost of the tools needed to build a custom 1911 pistol might be a serious deterrent for many. At a minimum you’ll need a Foredom tool with nearly every attachment, various drill bits, sandpaper, lapping compound, a case of beer and a lot of time on your hands. Be careful and don’t shoot your eye out.
Many custom 1911s include features like snag free sights, fitted beavertail safety and tritium night sight inserts. These are cosmetic enhancements, but they also improve reliability. Custom fitting is a whole new ballgame.
1. Custom 1911 Pistol Work Means Increased Accuracy
Most factory 1911s are made from parts that have tolerances measured in thousands of an inch or sometomes much more. Cliff Diseker, the 1911 Pistolsmith at Lone Star Gunsmithing and Cerakote in Princeton, Texas can file down, fit and polish those parts to create a custom pistol that is ready to shoot like nothing else.
All of this work helps to ensure that the pistol is accurate and reliable, especially when shooting under stress. That is why a lot of top competition shooters choose to have their 1911 pistols custom worked by an experienced professional gunsmith.
2. Custom 1911 Pistol Work Means Improved Control
A skilled gunsmith hand-fits all the parts of a custom 1911, making them dimensionally perfect and tight. This eliminates clearance gaps that cause problems like failing to cycle hollow-point ammunition or not locking back the slide after firing omn empty.
This makes the pistol easier to control, a must for any combat pistol. A well-fitting trigger is also a key component of good control; a custom trigger job provides the shooter with a consistent, short 3.5-lb pull and a fast reset.
In addition to the functional improvements, a skilled 1911 gunsmith can add personalized touches such as engraving, machining or custom finishes. Cerakoting is another popular technique for creating intricate, multi-layered designs. This personalization helps to set the gun apart from other mass-produced 1911s. It also adds value to the firearm, giving the owner a unique and personal touch.
3. Custom 1911 Pistol Work Means Reduced Accidental Discharges
Many manufacturers assemble 1911s so quickly to reach production numbers that they don’t bother with hand fitting the trigger, grip safety, hammer and sear levers. Instead they make their parts a few ten-thousandths of an inch undersize and then asemble the pistol. This takes away from the finer side of fit and finish we all pay for with a new gun purchase.
These sloppy clearances can impede reliability, cost your points in a competitionand in a duty pistol it can cost lives.
A professional certified gunsmith like Cliff Diseker will handcraft your 1911 to ensure heavy duty, reliable, defense operation. He will machine flutes on the barrel and recesses in the slide to prevent grit from collecting and inhibiting reliability. He will also chamfer the edges of your frame rails and slide stop pin to reduce sharp edges.
4. Custom 1911 Pistol Work Means Increased Reliability
The 1911 is a very solid design. It is built with tight tolerances and requires regular maintenance to keep it working well.
When you have your 1911 pistol custom worked, it will run more reliably. This is primarily due to the fact that the gunsmith will have inspected all components for proper fit and function. It will be nearly impossible to beat the famous 1911 linear trigger pull when done.
For example, the bottom of a 1911 barrel feed ramp is designed with a gap for smooth chambering. This gap needs to be just right or the pistol won’t load correctly. This is not something that can be done by an amature after watching a few YouTube how to videos. It requires a great deal of experience, hand fitting, measuring and patience to file away small bits of metal until everything fits properly.
Even if the gunsmith has done everything right, you can still have problems with improperly reloaded ammunition. A Ferrari will not run well on cheap gasoline.
5. Custom 1911 Pistol Work Means Customization For You
Having your 1911 pistol custom built by a professional 1911 pistolsmith at Lone Star Gunsmithing and Cerakote gives you the opportunity to have it made your own. This customization can include engraving, fitting, performance enhancements and Cerakoting.
The 1911 requires precision fitting of parts for reliable function. Parts makers commonly list their products as requiring gunsmith fitment. This is because they know that only an experienced master smith can properly fit the parts to a 1911-pattern handgun.
The slide lugs that contact the firing pin stop receive a whack every time the gun is cycled, and they must fit evenly for reliability. A matched and custom fit slide and frame set, along with a gunsmith fit barrel bushing, will ensure operational durability and reliability for years to come. Matching the thumb safety fit also helps assure shootability. A high quality, contoured thumb safety will allow shooters to use the thumb safety at full capacity without wearing the web of their hand.
