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1911 Customization Ideas — Best Upgrades for Your EDC Pistol

I don't need to customize my 1911, because I only use it on the range, but my Springfield Armory MOD-2 Tactical has a few enhancements as does my MOD-2 Compact for edc.
 
Night sights are the only "customization" I find necessary, and I really consider them more of an option than customization.
 
Some of mine have been treated to Cerakote in lieu of the oem finish. On stainless slide pistols I remove the bead blasted finish in favor of a "controlled scratch" finish.

I install night sights, G10 grips, replace MIM slide stops, upgrade the magazines and install flat recoil springs which last longer.
 
I've never been one for hanging extra do-dads on my guns. No optics, big safety levers or such. I prefer nice clean lines. Although my house gun does have a light on it. But its an exception.
However, most people don't realize how adjustable the 1911 grip is. By changing out triggers, grip safeties, mainspring housings and grip panels, you can adapt the 1911 grip to fit your hand perfectly.
Personally, I like a long trigger, an ached mainspring housing and slightly rough, but un-checkered grip panels such as the old Colt "sandblast" style. With that the gun is like a part of my hand. (y)
Night sights I can take or leave. Honestly, I think they're vastly over rated. If its too dark to see my sights, I gonna just point shoot. :rolleyes:
One of my pet peeves about current 1911s is that just about everybody now uses flat mainspring housings. Seems like every time I buy one, I have to change out the MSH. Its an annoying extra expense that I've had to get used to. :mad:
 
"One of the many awesome things about the 1911 is that it remains the ultimate handgun for customizing and “making it your own.”

The "ultimate?" That might have been true decades ago, but I'd say there are far easier platforms these days to customize. Because....

"....It should be noted that you should have a competent and trusted gunsmith do any and all of your gunsmithing/customizing needs."

True for 1911s, which can make them more of a project (and/or more costly) to customize. Not necessarily true with most modern platforms.

I still think that when it comes to 1911s, you're best served by getting one that has already been fitted with most, if not all, the things you want already on it. Then again, I don't consider mounting a WML to be "customizing."
 
Talyn said:
For a 1911...

1. Sights that work for you.
2. A throat & polish job
3. A decent trigger job.
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Before you even get to any of that, 100% reliability, whatever that takes. 100% reliability is the STARTING point. ;)

I can't find anything in the linked article to take issue with. The SA Mil-Spec or equivalent meets my needs perfectly. A flat MSH is darn nice to have, but I built up one gun with an arched housing just to train myself to get used to it. ;)
 
Talyn said:
A throat & polish job is a key part of reliability.
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Agree. Many 1911s now come from the factory with them; if yours doesn't, it's an easy at-home job (if you know what you're doing). It's not like the good old days, when you pretty much HAD to count on having this done before you could really trust your gun. OOB reliability and accuracy are both GREATLY improved over when I started with 1911s over 50 years ago. ;)
 
Hammer67 said:
"One of the many awesome things about the 1911 is that it remains the ultimate handgun for customizing and “making it your own.”

The "ultimate?" That might have been true decades ago, but I'd say there are far easier platforms these days to customize. Because....
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Agree. That would be the P320.
 
Or you know buy one with night sights and a good trigger lol. I only carry my 1911 while hunting, no lights allowed on guns during big game hunting where I live.
 
Bassbob said:
Costs more than most handguns.
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Yah, I know. I tried to talk my boss into the two of us going back around 1987 or so, but couldn't get him to pull the trigger. So I ended up taking Booya Sam's LFI-I, which I could afford, and was only about four states away--a do-able drive. ;)
 
Bassbob said:
Costs more than most handguns.
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My newspaper sent me to do a story on Thunder Ranch when it was still in Texas. Had a great interview with Clint Smith, nice guy and very knowledgeable. My paper did a big spread on the story. A month later I went back as a student in their defensive pistol class. I had a great time especially in the shoot house. I was there in 1997, think it was around $900.00 for the five day course. Like Bassbob said I bet these high profile schools are way more expensive now.
 
Snake45 said:
Yah, I know. I tried to talk my boss into the two of us going back around 1987 or so, but couldn't get him to pull the trigger. So I ended up taking Booya Sam's LFI-I, which I could afford, and was only about four states away--a do-able drive. ;)
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I got a pretty good instructor. Retired Marine, retired police Captain. I'd love to take at least 2 of the Gunsite classes, but it is cost prohibitive for sure.
 
I never had the time or money to go to one of the fancy schools. But I did shoot IDPA for about 10 years. JMHO that's about as close to an actual gun fight as training can get. I still make use of the Action range at our club to practice drawing from the holster, shooting and moving and use of cover. ;)
 
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