Looking into building a lightweight commander with a Caspian Titanium frame.  Need to do the math and see if I can get it down to the same weight as my Colt Defender. 

I've got an old Commander Lightweight that I've always wanted to trick out. Never built a 1911 from scratch though. Keep us updated on the build if it happens.

I gave a favorite, well used Colt Series 80 all steel 9mm Commander to my 16 year old (soon to be 17 this month) step son earlier this year. It's in great shape. Wilson and Brown goodies... beavertail grip safety, ambi safety, light weight hammer, NM bushing, full length guide rod, Novak sights, Videcki trigger, sweet Coco Bolo grip panels, etc. All assembled, massaged and slicked up by a really good 'smith. Didn't waste $$ on checkering, just slapped some skateboard tape on the front of the grip.

Runs like a champ and is a good 1911 starter for junior. Forty fives scare him off a little and my Hi-Powers have given him their famous "hammer bite". Handed the HPs back to me and asked for a Band-aid.

My wife and I have discussed giving him a Level 1 pistol class for a Christmas present. He has hit a wall (like all teenagers) and doesn't listen to me as much as he first did when it comes to shooting. I think it's time to turn a pro instructor (in a class setting) loose on him. I think he'd like to try IDPA someday but he has some classes in front of him first. He loves the idea of 3 Gun but if he doesn't like .45s he sure as heck won't like 12 gauge scatterguns.

I had Jimmy Clark build my wife a 9mm Commander - its a shooter! and after shooting thousands of hot 45 pin loads, shooting that 9 is like shooting a 22.  I have a stock Government Springfield Armory 5" 9mm but it is real cranky about what it will feed or shoot.  Some loads shoot a foot at 25 yards and some shoot under 2".  I put in a longer link and it tightened up a bit.  I might try stretching a link a bit to see if more lockup pressure will make it a little less picky. 

Always wanted a full size 9mm. I've shot a couple of nice ones but just stuck to my two Commander nines. My step son and his Dad recently said the 9mm I gave junior wasn't running right. Had trouble feeding/jamming. Huh? We talking about the same gun?

Come to find out they were shooting some of my old Norinco ball ammo I keep at my farm and using an old magazine, I think it was a Mec-Gar. I got it back, took it apart, cleaned it, used the Wilson mags I gave him and some Fiocchi and Winchester ball and it worked perfect. Any gun can be picky if you used funky ammo and mags.

PS   bet Jim Clark builds a nice gun!

I shot against Jim three years at the Steel Safari.  Tied him once and lost in a shoot off.  Shot with him twice at the three gun Nationals when they were in Glenrose, TX.  Shot with his sister and brother-in-law (Kay Clark and Jerry Miculek) for 9 years at 2nd Chance and the NAPSA Nationals.  Jim is a great guy to be around and a very tough competitor.  I don't care if its a National Shooting Championship or lawn croquet, he will figure out how to win.  Spent some time around the campfire with him and at his shop.  Super people. 

Since the conversion has shifted to 1911's.
http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Firing-Pin-45-ACP-Bullet-Proof-Titanium/productinfo/336/
http://www.cylinder-slide.com/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow&ref=CS0214
I have both in my Gold Cup, along with a titanium main spring strut.
Reduced lock time is one of those things that once you experience a gun with a really quick lock time, you wonder why you didn't do it much sooner.
Can't say enough good things about C & S's hammer kits, truly are drop-in and you get a great (no creep, nice clean break) trigger. 

Springfield has some nice looking 1911s.  Might have to pester the local shop and handle a few soon.

Ranking-wise, help me put these in order of best to worst:  Ruger, S & W, Springfield, Sig, Kimber, H&K

JM

Quote from: the_Journeyman on December 10, 2013, 10:00:01 AM
Ranking-wise, help me put these in order of best to worst:  Ruger, S & W, Springfield, Sig, Kimber, H&K

JM

Ranked best to worst?  The best one is the one that fits your hand the best, and you shoot the best with.  Work down the list from there.  Best thing to do is find a range that rents them out and take them for a test ride. 

I was thinking of build quality and materials, but certainly would need to have one in my hand to really know if it was a good fit for me.

JM

Are we still talking 1911s here?

And yes X 2 to sno_duc, quick lock time is goodness and Cylinder & Slide makes good stuff.

Quote from: DRKWNG on December 10, 2013, 10:33:40 AM
Ranked best to worst?  The best one is the one that fits your hand the best, and you shoot the best with.  Work down the list from there.  Best thing to do is find a range that rents them out and take them for a test ride. 

Agreed, however with a 1911 by changing the grips, grip safety, main spring housing (arched or flat with or without magazine funnel) and trigger (long, medium or short) the ergos can customized to fit just about anyone.

He's right again. Videcki and others make different length/style triggers, I have small/medium size hands but I grew up on checkered arched mainspring housings when most 1911s come with flat ones. There's a variety of aftermarket thumb safeties and longer mag releases are out there as well. And who knows how many grip options... hundreds? You can definitely fine tune a 1911 to your liking. And you see makers of polymer frame receiver autos going the adjustable grip route. Just swap the rear grip panels to fit your hand and your preference. All good stuff.

Quote from: fastwin on December 10, 2013, 10:54:27 AM
Are we still talking 1911s here?

Yes. 

JM

No.

Tell me about this thing.

How much distance between line of sight and the centerline of the bore?
In rifles at 100 yards + a 2" difference between bore and LoS isn't going to introduce too much parallax.
At pistol ranges (under 50 yards), I wonder how much a few yards difference in range is going to change point of impact.
I suppose it's not that much different than a scoped handgun.