Colt XSE Project, finished.

[FNH5-7]

My shot at a modern tacti-cool 1911.

This is my Colt XSE 1911 with 100 years rollmark(under construction):




Gun came out of the factory some time in August. I bought it off a guy who only shot 100 rounds through it but did many cosmetic modifications, this is what it looked like before sights were removed:


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When it's all done these will be the mods:
-Cylinder and Slide ambidextrous safety.
-Ed Brown chainlink mainspring housing.
-VZ frag grips in hyena brown, slim.
-Wilson Combat drop in beaver tail.
-Pearce finger groove inserts.
-VZ grips, slim bushing set.
-Novak night sights.
-10-8 flat trigger.
-STI FLGR plug.

I removed the single sided safety and the 10-8 sights that it came with when I received it. It's currently at a local gunsmith, I'm having the ambi safety and night sights installed as well.

I will be putting in a properly fitted beaver tail in the future but the one currently installed functions perfectly so I will stay with that for a while since quality gunsmith work does not come cheap.

This will be my beater 1911. I have other Colt 1911's that I don't dare modify but this being a new pistol I don't care too much about mods.
What do you guys think? Any recommendations, should I modify anything else?

[PRCABR4Christ]

almost seems like I've recently seen that gun on another site, I even thought about buying those 10-8 sights

Nice lookin pony!

IMO, I'm a fan of the 10-8 sights, but I can understand sticking tritium sights on...if you're thinking about another grip safety, check out the WC concealment beavertail...really looks like a good shape to me...also, I'm not a fan of the rubber grips that cover the front strap, I'd much rather have it checkered, or use grip tape until I could afford to get it checkered.

[FNH5-7]

almost seems like I've recently seen that gun on another site, I even thought about buying those 10-8 sights

Nice lookin pony!

IMO, I'm a fan of the 10-8 sights, but I can understand sticking tritium sights on...if you're thinking about another grip safety, check out the WC concealment beavertail...really looks like a good shape to me...also, I'm not a fan of the rubber grips that cover the front strap, I'd much rather have it checkered, or use grip tape until I could afford to get it checkered.

Bought it off a guy on the 1911 forums so that's why it seems familiar. As far as the sights, they sold 1 minute after I listed them lol.

The rubber doesn't make the gun look any better but I must admit, the finger grooves + the cut under the trigger guard that XSE's have = the best handgun grip I've ever had!

[Cyc Wid It]

Prefer the 10-8 sights and no finger grooves Are you going to bevel the magwell?

[FNH5-7]

Prefer the 10-8 sights and no finger grooves Are you going to bevel the magwell?

Ah, great idea. I almost forgot, that will come after the beavertail.

Only reason for the finger grooves is the excellent grip that it brings to the gun, but yea they're ugly.

Many people have been telling me the same thing about those 10-8 sights but unfortunately no 10-8 u notch night sights are available at the moment and this 1911 will be on nightstand duty once it gets home.

[Cyc Wid It]

http://shop.harrisoncustom.com/products/143-hd-004-extreme-service-rear-sight.aspx

[FNH5-7]

http://shop.harrisoncustom.com/produ...ear-sight.aspx

Was that supposed to be a 10-8 night sight? I don't see any tritium on them.

Looks like a 10-8 replica of some sort. Did you mean these?:

http://shop.harrisoncustom.com/products/147-hd-004-t2-extreme-service-night-sight.aspx

They look similar to the 10-8 sights but they don't have a U notch, it's more of a traditional square. They're not 10-8 brand, I was expecting to find the sights directly from their website. When 10-8 makes u notch night sights I might give them a try.

[PRCABR4Christ]

Harrison does make some great stuff, and a great guy to boot

[PRCABR4Christ]

Bought it off a guy on the 1911 forums so that's why it seems familiar. As far as the sights, they sold 1 minute after I listed them lol.

The rubber doesn't make the gun look any better but I must admit, the finger grooves + the cut under the trigger guard that XSE's have = the best handgun grip I've ever had!

yeah, I was on there the same time I was looking at your post here and saw the same picture lol

[bsg]

great looking Colt. i like the feel of finger groove grips until i shoot a gun; then i don't like them as much.

[Cyc Wid It]

Was that supposed to be a 10-8 night sight? I don't see any tritium on them.

Looks like a 10-8 replica of some sort. Did you mean these?:

http://shop.harrisoncustom.com/products/147-hd-004-t2-extreme-service-night-sight.aspx

They look similar to the 10-8 sights but they don't have a U notch, it's more of a traditional square. They're not 10-8 brand, I was expecting to find the sights directly from their website. When 10-8 makes u notch night sights I might give them a try.

Harrison's is a superior product probably to the 10-8 heh. Well, as long as it's what you want, keep the pics coming.

[JTROKS]

Does the Wilson Drop-In beavertail make it look better instead of what is installed now? My advise is to skip that drop-in since you currently have a drop in beavertail. Save it when you decide to have a better blended in beavertail then think about other things like checkering, blended mag funnel - don't forget to refinish.

[FNH5-7]

Harrison's is a superior product probably to the 10-8 heh. Well, as long as it's what you want, keep the pics coming.

I was kinda new to Harrison products, will have to read about them a bit more.

What I like about the 10-8 sights is the actual u notch. If Harrison made one of their 10-8 style night sights in a u notch I'd give them a try for sure.

Why do you proffer 10-8 style sights over Novaks? any setbacks?

I'll have pics of my completed gun once it's done. Hopefully Tuesday.

Does the Wilson Drop-In beavertail make it look better instead of what is installed now? My advise is to skip that drop-in since you currently have a drop in beavertail. Save it when you decide to have a better blended in beavertail then think about other things like checkering, blended mag funnel - don't forget to refinish.

Wilson drop in beaver tail is what is currently installed, originally it came with a flimsy duckbil. I'd like to get a properly fitted beavertail in the future. The only con to the current drop in beavertail is the gap between the frame and the curve of the beavertail, otherwise it's great. I've seen much worse drop in beavertails though, with a giant gap.

This gun was supposed to come with a beavertail from factory, even the stock picture has a beavertail. Plenty of guys in the 1911 forums aren't too happy with Colt for putting in duckbils after showing beavertails in the catalogs. Colt sometimes pisses me off, it's not the first time they do this. They like to use up the parts they have even though they've promised something else.

This is what they were supposed to look like from factory:

[FNH5-7]

Forgot to add these:

picked up the gun about a week and half ago. Overall I'm very happy with the gun, it's a keeper