Building my first 1911. EDIT: Buying an RIA 1911 instead and going from there

[Matt P]

He seems intent on doing this his way.
I know I can appreciate how we have a sense of how we want to do it, ignoring possible other advice which would suggest for us not to do this or that.
The hardest thing to do at times is just listen/read and learn. Some just have to learn by doing.
Great, great advice offered here.
This should be a thread combined with other threads for those wishing to start throwing together 1911s.
Great effort m1, I am sure there were others who read your words, and came away with a little something.

[RMP91]

RMP91, you have received a lot of advice from guys who know 1911s. Most of that advice includes not doing a parts build on a 1911 for your first gun. That would be called a clue. I've seen a 1911 parts gun that was built by an old gunsmith who was supposed to know what he was doing and it was an absolute piece of junk. Home built Frankenguns, especially 1911s, have far more than their share of problems especially when built by someone who's never done it before. You don't understand that you can get the parts, but almost NOTHING in a 1911 is a drop in, almost all of the parts require fitting which includes filing, stoning, polishing,etc. by skilled hands. Even with a Kuhnhausen manual, you are likely to make mistakes that will ruin parts and require you buy replacement parts and do it again. I'll say it AGAIN- buy a Springfield mil spec and learn to shoot it and maintain it first. This will be my last post in this thread- I've said my piece and I'm done.

And I will listen. I have made the choice to save up money and, when I turn 21 in June, purchase a Rock Island Armory 1911 and then just go from there as to what I want to put on it. I apologize for being stubborn as to wanting to build it from the ground up with almost no prior experience. I just thought it would be a really cool and fun thing to do.

Thank you for your advice!

[PRCABR4Christ]

OP...if you'd really like to learn the 1911 critter, and you have the means, go to Bob Rodgers class one of these days, they take a Springfield Mil-Spec (lately I think they've been using Caspians) and build it up under the tutelage of one of the most knowledgeable folks in the 1911 world...

http://www.rodgerspistolsmithing.com/1911class.html

[Lead Waster]

And I will listen. I have made the choice to save up money and, when I turn 21 in June, purchase a Rock Island Armory 1911 and then just go from there as to what I want to put on it. I apologize for being stubborn as to wanting to build it from the ground up with almost no prior experience. I just thought it would be a really cool and fun thing to do.

Thank you for your advice!

Good plan! I also think it would be cool and fun!

But it's also fun to go to the range and shoot a fully functional pistol and enjoy shooting! So your plan is excellent. Go, shoot that RIA Tac (I have one too) and then figure out what you do and don't like about it.

Doing the "Property of US Government" thing would be cool as a side project when you have money OR as a side project piece by piece over the years. Shoot, you are just 20. Make sure everything else is figured out before doing this project. You won't have time for it as you figure out job, girls, apartment, etc, etc.!!

[jonjonkills101]

i got my first 1911 at 23 haha, but yeah i'll be honest, my RIA isn't perfect, but its still a fun gun..ive been doing little things to it to improve reliability and im happy with it.

actually gonna try some matches with it in single stack division later this year so i cannot wait

[Junkie]

I just picked up an RIA Tac and am reasonably local. If you want to make sure it's the right gun for you, I'm willing to let you help me break it in at the range sometime. Let me know.