[GrandmasterB]

I finished the build-up of my first 1911 project. I didn't totally start from scratch, as I found a great deal on a series 80 Gold Cup National Match top end as my starting point. I mated this to a stainless Caspian frame.

Parts used:
Caspian beavertail, slide stop, plunger tube and pin set
Les Baer mainspring housing
Wilson hammer, sear and disconnector
Nowlin trigger, sear spring, and all other springs
Chip McCormick thumb safety and mag catch
Colt NM barrel, firing pin spring & stop and extractor
Navidrex mahogony grips

This took way more time and fitting than I expected. I thought since the top end came complete, I wouldn't need to fit the barrel very much -- Boy was I wrong! It took quite some time, patience and lots of Kuhnhausen reading!!! :smile:

I always wanted a Gold Cup, but I like beavertails and I also really like two-tone guns. Rather than buy a Gold Cup and customize it, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to build one "my way".

Range report will come later. I just finished the final fitting, so this piece is as yet unfired.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: GrandmasterB on 2001-10-21 17:15 ]</font>

 

[gyp_c2]

Looks great! Congratulations! Waiting for the range report

Good job, I'm not sure I could be as patient as you re: the "unfired" aspect

 

[GrandmasterB]

Time for the range report.

Took the pistol to the range and put 150 rounds through it. I had 7 failures:

3 nose-dives into the feedramp
2 FTF with bullet nose up into barrel
2 failures to completely go into battery

the other 143 rounds went downrange just fine.

As for the nose-dives, these all occurred with CMC power mags. I used my Wilson mags after that, and no more nose-dive problems.

The 2 FTF problems where the bullet went nose high in the chamber I diagnosed as either extractor or breechface related, or more likely a combination of the two. After the range session, I polished the lower extractor angle and polished the breechface. (I probably should have done this before the range session, but I wanted to see how it would run).

The 2 failures to completely go into battery were due to the extremely tight barrel fit. I have just the smallest hint of barrel-slide drag, and this caused these failures. My gut instinct says that 300 more rounds and I won't have this problem anymore. It is just so tight right now it needs a little more break-in.

As for the 143 rounds that went fine, I was able to regulate the sights and do some practice drills and some accuracy work. The best group of the day was a 5 shot 20 yard group that measured 1 1/4" center to center. Not bad for me! I'm not that good of a long range shooter!

All in all, I'm very happy with the way this gun performed. If I stick to my Wilson mags and now that the extractor/breechface have been polished, I bet 300 rounds or so more and this puppy will be running great.

Oh, I forgot to mention. The ammo I used was lead semi-wadcutter reloads. I'm REAL HAPPY about the gun's performance, because even some guns that will run with ball ammo just fine will choke on LSWC.

 

[gyp_c2]

Those are great stats given the factors involved...and most excellent groups!

Congrats!...more shooting will make you BOTH feel better!

:wink:

 

[GrandmasterB]

Well, I took this baby out for it's 2nd range trip. This time I used 200 rounds of 230gr FMJ ball.

Round #93 failed to feed. It was the last round from a $6.99 "gunshow special" POS magazine. After taking that mag out of the rotation, all other rounds functioned perfectly. There were no failures to fully go into battery like there were in the first 150 rds, and the polishing I did to the extractor and breechface must have done the trick for the other early issues the pistol experienced.

I can say I'm truly liking my project gun! I'm thinking about using it in next month's IDPA match.

 

[gyp_c2]

Wow...good report!

Hey! Where's the pictures???

 

[GrandmasterB]

OK, gyp_c2, here's another pic...

 

[gyp_c2]

Yowsaaa!!!!

I want it! Very nice job! Congrtaulations!

If you had to do it over...what would you do differently?

 

[GrandmasterB]

What would I do differently?

I would serrate the front strap at 20 lpi. (I may yet have this done, but I wanted to build this one myself, and not let anyone else work on it, and I don't have the tools or expertise to do serrations.)

I probably would not buy the Les Baer mainspring housing again. The one I got was way oversized and took a lot of filing to get it to fit in the frame. This surprised me, as most of the time a mainspring housing will drop-in pretty easily.

On the flip side, I would use another Caspian cast frame in a heartbeat. This one is sooo nice! And, I would not hesitate to use any of their small parts either. All are first rate IMHO.