Building 1911 on RIA frame

[Oldmandan]

I want to build a 1911, and with the 80% ship having sailed...

I'm looking at picking up a RIA GI model, and using it as a base for a build

I've read both good and bad on different forums

What's the consensus on these frames? Am I asking for more trouble than it's worth?

[MuayThaiJJ]

They are perfect for builds:

https://youtu.be/4gl-Ep7TJcA

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MuayThaiJJ]

More info here:

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1761678

[fish45]

Depends on your ultimate goal. Bulls eye gun? Race gun? Just because?

When it comes down to it, a frame is a frame. Is it ideal? Not really. Will it work. 100% yes. Is it more likely to need misc BS than something of a little better quality? Also yes.

If you're just looking for a high quality 1911 there are other options.

[Oldmandan]

Good info, thanks

[Supertankerm60a3]

If this is a hijack and I need to start a new thread let me know, but here goes.

Is it possible to put either a 4.25" or a 3.5" barrel/slide combo on a standard 5" frame without modifications? If not what needs to be modified? If modified, could it still mount the standard 5" barrel/slide?

The idea is to make my Gov model .45 into a CC pistol and back for going out. Can it be done? Thanks in advance.

[MuayThaiJJ]

[ojisan]

Supertanker:





Like this?


Wordy dissertation:
It's tough to make the Commander / Officer's length slides work on a Gov't frame.
Yes you can do it but reliability may suffer and you can't go back.

The reason why reliability may suffer is when the slide comes back, the breech face on a government slide / frame stops about 1/8" to the rear of the disconnector.
On a Commander the breech face stops on the top of the disconnector.
On some of the shorty slides the breech face only goes back as far as the top rear edge of the magazine well.
Reliability suffers with the shorter to the rear travel because the magazine needs a moment to push the next round up to the top of the feed lips after the breech face clears and the time to do this is decreased with the shorter slide travel.

So, what to do?
Well back in the day the hot trick was to put a short single port comp on a 5" barrel while keeping the overall length with comp the same as the original slide.
A short section was removed from the front middle of a government slide behind the barrel bushing area and then the slide was welded back together.
Doing it this way kept the full rearward slide breech face travel so reliability was not affected.

Eventually someone made these "short front government" slides new.
A few were put together with Commander length barrels.
I was very fortunate to get one of these sets about 20 years ago, that's what you see in the lower picture.

The only mod relative to swapping the slides back and forth is timing the ejection of the case to the ejection port location.
I was already using a slightly shortened Commander ejector to get the empty brass out just a little earlier with the 5" slide.
This ejector set-up also works perfect with the shorter slide so it really is little more than swapping the tops.

I'm sure there is some variant of this "Short Slide Government" model made somewhere these days.
Otherwise maybe you can find one of those old single port comp slides.

[ojisan]

And here's a pic of the slides apart side by side:

[Supertankerm60a3]

Thank you for your input. The pictures and descriptions have been very helpful. Yes, Ojisan, exactly like that. Someday perhaps this will happen.

RIGHT NOW, I have to find a job. One that pays enough to actually afford to try this. (retiring from the Army on 1 April)

[Sailormilan2]

If this is a hijack and I need to start a new thread let me know, but here goes.

Is it possible to put either a 4.25" or a 3.5" barrel/slide combo on a standard 5" frame without modifications? If not what needs to be modified? If modified, could it still mount the standard 5" barrel/slide?

The idea is to make my Gov model .45 into a CC pistol and back for going out. Can it be done? Thanks in advance.

I have a a Rock Island full size frame, and I have checked the frame rails against a Detonics type frame, which uses Commander length rails. The rails were the same length. Normally, Govt rails are a bit longer.
I have put two different brands of Commander style slide on this frame, a Remsport 45 acp and a ParaOrdnance 40/10, and both worked properly. I have fired this combo, and it works. YMMV.
Granted that's a sample size of one. I'm currently waiting for my other Govt Rock to be released from Sheriff's custody, and when it's out, I will check the frame rails. If they are also Commander length, it's going to become a 1911 Commander.

[Supertankerm60a3]

Thank you again for the carefully thought-out analysis.

So, after "careful consideration" (laying out the parts) the question becomes: Can I take an EXTRA upper and have a gunsmith cut 3/4 to 1 1/8 off of the slide and barrel? Instant custom 1911 with a length between 4 1/2 and 3 7/8. I can see no reason why it would not work, physically referring to the relationship to the port/extractor/ejector. (I have pix but cannot post them) The only reason to even need a gunsmith (with machine shop capabilities) is to make the bushing undercut and mount the front sight.

What do you think?

Added on edit: I take it the reason to cut out the middle then weld it back together was to avoid having to cut the groove for the bushing?

[ojisan]

Probably takes too much labor time or specialized tools to re-make the bushing groove. $$$
That's why the old school way was to cut a section from the middle of the slide.
You might consider a bull barrel design if you want to cut the front so no bushing groove is needed.

[ar15barrels]

Probably takes too much labor time or specialized tools to re-make the bushing groove. $$$

Milling machine with a rotation table, angle plate and a key cutter is what it takes.
It is a bit of a pain to setup though.

[Supertankerm60a3]

Thank you all for the info again. ar15barrels, PM sent