My mini-mill built Colt 1911 .45 clones

[dumpster]

Hi All,

I posted about these in another thread and instead of hijacking that one with all the replies, I thought I'd start a new one. I also wanted to show what could be done on a Sieg X2 mini-mill with a little determination and imagination.

I recently finished a pair of Colt 1911 clones for myself and my father-in-law, who helped. I built the frames from aluminum and black anodized them, the slides from stainless steel, sights, MSH, and a few other parts completely on a Grizzly mini-mill that I converted to cnc. I bought the barrel and some of the other important parts that were easier or cheaper (or safer) to buy than to make. I made the grips on a cnc router I built a couple years ago, but made some fancier one's since these pics were taken. I will also do some fancy engraving on the slides when I decide what I want on there.

I found a solid model of the frame at cncgunsmithing.com and made a model of the slide myself.

We have over a hundred rounds through each of them and after the initial tuning, they function great. Anyone wishing to take on a project like this feel free to ask questions, I'll be glad to help if I can.

On with the pics!

Tim

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[dumpster]

Here's a couple pics I took of the frame and slide while machining. The 3rd pic is with a new set of grips I made from Ebony.

[dumpster]

A few more...

[posix]

so does it sting when you shoot someone with it?
I only shot a gun once when I was a kid (my father helped me hold it steady) - it was a 7.65mm gun and had something in french written down one side - and when I saw that it wasn't like the movies at all I didn't like it. The noise was all raspy and the jolt was too much to be fun. So from then on I just like to look at guns. But now I realise I like looking at them being made even better!
In the past few days I've learned that the 1911 is the most customised gun around and I very much like the looks of the kimber dessert warrior


keep up the good work!

[bill south]

Hey Dumpster!
Awsome work. What kind of mill are you using? Can't believe you built that on a mini. Well, just shows what craftsmanship can do for you.
Question for you though. How did you take Jasons solid model and covert it to g-code for your machine?? I'm just getting started and would like to know how to do that. I'm using bobcad 21 and mach 3 but eventhough I can import the dxf files or model files, I can't make heads or tails out of them for cutting purposes. Do you chop them up into surfaces, unstitch them or what??? Is there a short and not to detailed description for my tinly little mind???
Thanks again and good work.
billyjack

[bill south]

Hey Dumpster, me again! Just looked at your thread while I'm a bit more awake. See your using a griz mini. Great job. Can you share a bit more with your router and engraving. I need to set that up bad. I build custom 45's and need to find an engraver. Mine is a trophy shop and the tend to be very proud of their work ($$$$). Also, they don't engrave deep enough. I noticed your logo and it looks awsome. I'll try to attach a pix of one of my buildups and let you see the engraving. Simple but I'm not set up to do it myself.
billyjack

[dumpster]

posix,
Kimber makes awesome customs, for those who can afford them. I've wanted a 1911 for years... decades... but I couldn't justify paying $3000 - $5000 for a custom like I wanted so I built 2 for about $350 each. I haven't actually shot anyone yet, but I'm gonna guess that it would leave a heck of a bruise. My 16 year old daughter shot it once and it scared the crap out of her, she wouldn't shoot it again. It is definately a big-boy toy.

billyjack,
You'll need to import the model into a cam program and program it from extracted geometry before posting out the g-code, I'm not familiar with Bobcad so not sure how that works. Those are some beautiful guns you built, I really like that race gun. I'm using my home-built router for the engraving to get the higher RPM, plus its more accurate than the mini-mill, no backlash which is very important for engraving small letters.

Tim

[turmite]

Guys don't you know you start the kids out with the small stuff first? It's kinda like putting one of you guys in an Formula1 and telling you you have to run it at top speed!

dumpster good job. I was studing your fixture????? It took longer than the frames and slides didn't it?

Bill is that an IPSC gun? Do you compete? I've never shot IPSC but I love pins and falling plates. I used to go to the Master's as a vendor. That was a blast!


Mike

[JFettig]

It still amases me that you built those on a mini mill. When I looked at cncgunsmithing, he had to make a lot of undercuts, what did you do about those?


Jon

[dumpster]

Guys don't you know you start the kids out with the small stuff first? It's kinda like putting one of you guys in an Formula1 and telling you you have to run it at top speed!

dumpster good job. I was studing your fixture????? It took longer than the frames and slides didn't it?

Mike

She's been shooting .22s for a while and she took offense when I told her the .45 was too much for her... she found out ol' dad was right and went back to my Ruger single six .22. The fixture did take awhile, but it sure made it a lot easier to build the frame.

[dumpster]

It still amases me that you built those on a mini mill. When I looked at cncgunsmithing, he had to make a lot of undercuts, what did you do about those?

Jon

This gun was an undercutting nightmare! I used at least 10 different undercutters, the smallest being .187 dia x .03 thick for the mag release lock in the frame and the largest being 3" dia x .29 thick, not to mention the .625 dia x .19 thick x 5" long for the barrel locking lugs inside the slide. Fortunately I have access to a grinding shop since I had to make most of them.

Tim

[beone]

could you show us some of the undercutters?

[svenakela]

s
In the past few days I've learned that the 1911 is the most customised gun around and ...

I'll tell you why, because in their original shape they are useless.

[posix]

you mean ugly? yup, there's lots of ugliness there but according to what I've read it's one of, if not the most precise gun out there. which isn't too bad considering it's an almost 100-year-old design (!) :eek

but there's DEFINITELY more to be squeezed out of it. some of the examples of customisation of this gun really is amazing and looks prettier than the most modern guns of today.

[WhiteTiger]

The 1911 is only the most customised *hand*gun around. The various iterations of the 98 mauser rifle action far outnumber the 1911 for customisation, particularly when one considers the commercial variants and not just the mil surplus pieces.


Tiger

[Rekd]

Wow.

Just wow!

Great job!

Guys don't you know you start the kids out with the small stuff first? It's kinda like putting one of you guys in an Formula1 and telling you you have to run it at top speed!
...

Like this???

My son was almost three when this was taken.



It's a spring pellet gun. Notice we're enforcing good gun control practices; holding with both hands.

[CNCgr]

Great job, Tim!

I found a solid model of the frame at cncgunsmithing.com and made a model of the slide myself.

Wanna share?

I'll tell you why, because in their original shape they are useless.

As Posix said, if you mean ugly, ok, maybe. But useless? The most combat proven handgun in history? Please!

[bill south]

Good Morning Dumpster and the rest of the day to everyone else (old Irish greeting)!!! Hey Tim!
Post some pix of your router for us to admire. I need to build one and need a design idea!!!!
Turmite!
I shot IPSC for about 10 years and learned to build my own equipment. Loved it but got too old. I quit when I was 47 when all the kids were not only out running me but out shooting me as well. Too Old and Bad Eyes. But, it is fun. I still dabble every once in awhile.
Tim, did you make dwgs of your fixtures for the 1911's???? Like you, I'll make my own tools when ever possible. Heck, since I'm just learning this whole "shooting match" (pun intended), making anything is a challenge but usually a learning experience as well. Thanks for a great thread!!!!
billyjack

[dumpster]

Great job, Tim!
Wanna share?

Thanks, and you bet, I posted the slide model in Jon's thread, but will post it again here to keep it all together.

Here's that 1911 slide model in .igs format for any of you guys that want it. I can't guarantee that it's perfect, but it's pretty danged close... I built mine from it and they came out great... and where else are you gonna find one?

I did have to do some serious hand filing on the inside to fit the barrel, but that was mainly due to the long endmill flexing. This model has the factory rounded top and standard sight cuts, front staked and rear dovetail. Be sure to get those blueprints from cncgunsmithing.com before starting this project.

[dumpster]

Good Morning Dumpster and the rest of the day to everyone else (old Irish greeting)!!! Hey Tim!
Post some pix of your router for us to admire. I need to build one and need a design idea!!!!
billyjack

Good morning Bill! I'll attach some pics of my router. It has a cutting area of 19" x 26" x 4". You'll notice my high tech - extremely complex "A-Axis"... A stepper motor with a small chuck. Hey, don't laugh, it works!

I'll also post a pic of the undercutters beone asked for, and a pic of my 1911 with the "final" Bubinga grips. I also replace the extended slide stop with a factory, the extended one would jump up and catch the slide sometimes even with rounds left in the mag.