[BigJon]

Boy have I bitten it off THIS time!

Colt 1991A1, purchased a long, long time ago. Back when it was purchased, a local smith added a beavertail GS. Am thinking that maybe only the King’s were available at the time . . . dunno.

This . . . gun . . . is . . . LOOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can push the locked-barrel's hood down so far that it feels like I'm putting my thumb to bed on a soft mattress, and the barrel wiggles in the bushing like a finger in an elephant nostril. And the slide to frame fit? HOLY MOLEY!!!!! Check out the following photos!

This gun is old, but the original bluing is still present on most of the left frame rail . . .

. . . and on much of the right frame rail . . .

. . . and even on the barrel feet! I don’t think this gun’s feet ever contact the slide stop pin, let alone rested on it!

Hmmm. Let's see . . . weld up and refit the slide to frame fit, weld up the tangs for a Brown or McCormick GS, hand-fit a welded-up Colt barrel, new bushing, new sights, new trigger - ANYTHING but the existing plastic one (prolly McCormick), lowered and flaired port, a little mill detailing and hand beveling, new bluing.

YEEEEE HAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BigEd63]

Well now I remember why most people pitched the original grips those things came with. Including my freind whom I bought my 1991A1 from.

Does look like a nice project gun.

I will be keeping mine fairly stock foir the competition shootingI'd like to start.

If I can get rnough people interested in it.

 

[BigJon]

Yea, boy those grips are awful, aren't they?

Already called EGW, and they're firin' up the welder!

 

[neolithic hunter]

i think before welding on it, i would peen the frame, pinch the slide, replace the barrel bushing, and refit the barrel, to see what happens. oh and replace those grips with anything.

 

[BigJon]

Hi, neo. I'm reticent about squeezin' and peenin'. I know that welding can introduce heat if not done properly, but in any event, if the welded rails then are cut precisely so that there's good contact all the way down, I guess I sorta see that as a better alternative. I have a welded-up Colt barrel here that I'll likely use. The hammer and sear are after-market, and although I don't know who made them, they appear to be of good quality - probably Kings due to the age of the gun. And yea, the grips have GOTTA go - I'll probably melt them in the furnace, along with the trigger, which is also plastic! yuck!

Best,
Jon

P.S. - Oh, and another reason I'm having the rails welded and the slide/rail fit recut is that the receiver has to go in anyway to have the tangs cut so I can install a GS that's more to my liking than the King's unit that's currently on the gun.

 

[BigJon]

Okay. Got it gone . . .

"It's OFF to see the wiZARD, the Wonderful Wizard of Weld" . . . EGW

 

[grumpysfc]

BigJon as the owner of an all original 1991A1, purchased new in about 1993, with about 500 rounds through it here is a little information you may or may not find helpful. The reason it is called a 1991A1 is that is the year it was redesigned. That is when they added the pieces for the firing pin block. They were intended to be as faithful to the M1911A1 in purpose, fit and finish. They do have a few subtle differences, they have the longer trigger and the flat mainspring housing like the original M1911. The finish on mine is not blueing but parkerization and that is what appears to be on your's or not on your's in the photos, I would guess it has seen a lot of holster time. You do have different sights, different shaped grip safety and hammer. and mine definitely did not come with a plastic trigger. here is a picture of mine if it will help. As for where your parts came from, there were dozens of manufacturers making parts to customize 1911 style pistols by the mid to late 80's, so it is hard to say what ended up on your early to mid 90's pistol.

 

[BigJon]

Hi, grump. Thanks for takin' time to post. Yes sir, I have two of 'em now (another followed me home from a pawn shop the other day . . . which can happen, you know! )

Yes sir, I know the history behind the gun shown in the photo. When the original owner bought it, he took it to a very good local smith, who changed out the hammer, did a pretty darned decent trigger job on it, and popped in the old Clark grip safety. That was all he did.

This gun will be changed a good bit. First off, the barrel's lower lugs were nowhere close to sitting on the slide-stop pin when the gun was in battery; like most factory guns, it was locking up on the link instead. I have a Kart EZ-fit NM coming as a replacement. I'll be adding a lowered and flaired port, a McCormick trigger, hammer, sear and disconnector, and maybe or maybe not an aftermarket mainspring housing that I'll peen to firm up. I'm going to try to hand carve a more retro-looking GS out of the existing one - the new one will appear flatter, but still have a tad of upsweep on it. Will probably just keep the original extractor.

One of the real items of uncharted terriroty I'm going to try is to straighten the line above the trigger guard by hand. Here's one that a professional smith did by a combination of machine and hand work, but again, I think I can get close to that quality by hand work alone, it I don't rush it.

Best,
Jon