Tackling A Project 1911 During Stay At Home

[BirdsThaWord]

Picked up where I left off on a project I started quite some time ago. Got out there last night and worked on it until 2 a.m. Progress was made, but many hours to go still. I might do it again tonight, in hope of at least finishing the frame.16617
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[berettabone]

Shinin like a baby's heinie............................................ .........

[Bawanna]

Wow a lot of hours for sure. Did you strip the finish off first or just polish it all off? Lot of work there.
Definitely gonna be BBQ gun worthy.

[BirdsThaWord]

Shinin like a baby's heinie............................................ .........
Lol! She’s getting there!

[gb6491]

Looking forward to seeing the finished project!!:yo:

[BirdsThaWord]

Wow a lot of hours for sure. Did you strip the finish off first or just polish it all off? Lot of work there.
Definitely gonna be BBQ gun worthy.
Thank you and yes sir! Many hours!!!
I’ve been first sanding, then polishing what remains. I had once posted up about this one when I got started, because of the durability of the factory finish. It is absolutely ridiculous how I can sand, sand, sand in one spot and that finish isn’t phased. Whatever they used back when they made it...I’ve yet to see such a durable finish. Weird thing is, when you get past the black finish, the base is a golden brown. The golden brown stuff is what I’m having such a hard time with. Almost like it’s a part of the metal, but tougher than the metal itself. The polishing part is a piece of cake once I get past that golden brown layer.

[BirdsThaWord]

More progress...
Did a pre-completion assembly for a teaser shot to keep myself motivated.

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The msh bottom seems to almost disappear!

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Some of the parts doing some quiet reflecting...

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Stuff like this is what takes forever. Beavertail/grip safety has all kinds of burs, metal boogers, chatter marks, etc. Msh was not much better. Stoning, filing and sanding is the tedious stuff. The polishing goes somewhat easy.

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Now for that beer that I put into the freezer 15 mins ago....:cool:

[gb6491]

It's getting there...you can see the effort being put into it. Enjoy that beer!

BTW, what type of finish was on that?

Regards,
Greg

[BirdsThaWord]

Thanks! That beer was incredibly refreshing as it was to the point it would have frozen if left in there any longer :rolleyes:
I don’t know much about finishes. The whole thing, less the slide stop and trigger were a black finish. On the slide, I’m sanding through black (very powdery, uses up a lot of sandpaper quick) and next into the metal. On the frame, after the black (easy) there’s some sort of super protective, hard as nails undercoat I’ve had to fight through to get to the metal. Since the frame is alloy, it has polished up fairly easy, once that undercoat is removed. My guess would be powder coating on the exterior layer of the frame and slide?
This gun pre-dates the Range Officer, having an officer sized grip with a Commander slide. I have not seen a lot of them. Good post about it here: https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=216223

Maybe powder coating was their thing back then? I wish I had taken some pics before I started tackling it!

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This was back when I first started in on it, then cleaned it up and put it back together for a range trip. I was already frustrated by the toughness of the finish. I think it has been a year or more since I started on it, put off because I knew it was going to be a lesson in patience!

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[gb6491]

Thanks! That beer was incredibly refreshing as it was to the point it would have frozen if left in there any longer :rolleyes:
I don’t know much about finishes. The whole thing, less the slide stop and trigger were a black finish. On the slide, I’m sanding through black (very powdery, uses up a lot of sandpaper quick) and next into the metal. On the frame, after the black (easy) there’s some sort of super protective, hard as nails undercoat I’ve had to fight through to get to the metal. Since the frame is alloy, it has polished up fairly easy, once that undercoat is removed. My guess would be powder coating on the exterior layer of the frame and slide?
This gun pre-dates the Range Officer, having an officer sized grip with a Commander slide. I have not seen a lot of them. Maybe powder coating was their thing back then?
I'm guessing that "hard as nails" undercoat was where the alloy frame was anodized.

Colt named that combination of a Commander size slide on an Officers frame the Concealed Carry Officers. These days it seems most folks just call them CCO. Ayboob wrote an article about them some years back: https://dailycaller.com/2013/09/23/massad-ayoob-the-colt-concealed-carry-officers-and-its-niche-mates/

I think it's a nice combination. I was fortunate to win an inexpensive auction for a Commander (minus the frame) that I've used to convert my Officers/compact 1911 into a CCO.
https://i.postimg.cc/5NgX4q0Z/1-19-2020-865.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Regards,
Greg

[BirdsThaWord]

Very cool to know!
Love your Colt! I may just try to copy you! I used to have a Colt Officer, before I knew what I had, but sold it at one point. I just missed a great deal on a commander the other day. Trying to get one at a decent price takes hound like senses andcat like reflexes! Lol!

[Bawanna]

I had an officers model when they first came out. Lot of people had issues with them but mind never balked at all, another one I wish I still had.
I have a Para Ordnance Officer size LDA still, won't part with it.

[BirdsThaWord]

I have a Para Ordnance Officer size LDA still, won't part with it.
2nd gun I ever polished was an LDA 9 Carry. I sold it, wanting to feed my revolver fantasies I was having at the time. That little gun shot VERY well. One of the best micro 9’s I’ve ever shot. Man, I had not thought of that one for a while!

[BirdsThaWord]

Put a couple of hours and a couple sheets of #220 sandpaper to the slide

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[gb6491]

My fingers hurt just from viewing your posts https://www.animatedimages.org/data/media/655/animated-household-smiley-image-0055.gif (https://www.animatedimages.org/cat-household-smileys-and-smilies-655.htm)

[BirdsThaWord]

Lol! Mine actually do now, so probably going to take a few days off. I know one day I’ll wish I could still do this, so better get a few polished up before that day!

Some more sanding (now on #500 grit), filing and polishing with both the wheel and a dremel 16686:

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[BirdsThaWord]

#1000 grit and green rouge on the polisher. She’s starting to get shiny!

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[Bawanna]

Yup, I'd say she's getting mighty close to shiny. Are them grips real? They go well with the shiny.

[BirdsThaWord]

Thanks man! Yes sir, those are real ivory. Bought a compact Kimber a few years ago an the previous owner had put them on there. He made a big deal, saying he had paid hundreds, butI really wasn’t sure until I did a little research and testing on them. Wish they were a tad wider like your stags!

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[gb6491]

I like those grips!

[Bawanna]

Thanks man! Yes sir, those are real ivory. Bought a compact Kimber a few years ago an the previous owner had put them on there. He made a big deal, saying he had paid hundreds, butI really wasn’t sure until I did a little research and testing on them. Wish they were a tad wider like your stags!

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Tad wider like in thick or wider front to back?

[BirdsThaWord]

Front to back. I think it was you that had pointed out the Springfields having too much space, front to back, and that the grip area was not being covered as well by standard grips. I had never really noticed it until you had said something. I noticed on a now gone EMP that they had done a much better job (esthetically) at getting the grips and frame closer to each other in size, from front to back.

[BirdsThaWord]

I like those grips!
Thanks Greg! I think I finally found a good home for them on this one. : )

[BirdsThaWord]

About 90% done with the frame and 95% done with the slide.

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[Bawanna]

I'm just not seeing any percent needed on the frame or the slide, I must be missing something.

Assemble that bad boy and send it right away, might BBQ this weekend.

[BirdsThaWord]

:biggrin1: Thanks man! I wish I could put her back together. So do my aching hands! “Patience!” I keep telling myself. “It’ll all be worth it” I keep telling myself.

The last few % are just a few areas that show as a bit of a haze, or just not quite as “bright” when looked at in a certain light or angle. The inside of the trigger guard too. Not too much to go though, thankfully.

[Funflyer]

These gun polishing threads are great. Very nice work on that Springer. I've been wanting to polish my Taurus Tracker but whenever I think about starting it, I get flashbacks of sore hands from when I restored all the stainless on my old Pontiac. Once you start you're committed.