Hilton Yam 1911 Duty Tune: Final Tuning & Test Firing

December 6th, 2020

26:38 runtime

Editor’s Note: This video series is a special presentation from Panteao Productions, providing The Armory Life with an excerpted series of videos from its “Make Ready with Hilton Yam: 1911 Duty Tune”. There is a link at the bottom of the page to a special subscription promo for you. So, be sure to check it out!

This video is the sixth and final of the series. You can view the other parts using the following links:

In this sixth and final excerpt from “Make Ready with Hilton Yam: 1911 Duty Tune”, we take a look at the final six sections that cover dehorning, sight installation, grip panels and screws, and then final inspection and assembly. Yam finishes up with a section on metal finishing options, and then test firing at the range.

In this video series, Hilton Yam guides you through the process of tuning your own 1911 pistol.

The Right Touch

First up is dehorning. Yam suggests that you address every section you touch. While he points out that the original gun has a very smooth, well-machined surface, he does want to cover this process in case your source pistol needs some more attention. Finesse and handwork is the order of the day, here. Yam advises that you take a delicate touch.

Yam covers dehorning the pistol to make sure it is smooth and comfortable to hold and use.

Next up is sight installation. Yam mentions that the Springfield Armory 1911 came with a nice fiber optic front sight that he chose to keep on the pistol. Yam touches on proper installation into the slide dovetails, showing how you can do it without marring the pistol or the sight. He also covers how to measure to ensure that the sights are properly centered.

The video touches on sight installation as well, including proper fitting.

Next up is installing the grips panels and the grips screws. While it might seem simple and straightforward, Yam points out that there are some considerations you should bear in mind when taking on this process. He also touches on the importance of adapting the grips for ambidextrous safeties if your pistol is so equipped.

Yam also touches on grip installation, and fitting them to an ambi safety if so required.

The Final Countdown

Next, Yam takes you through the steps if final inspection and assembly, with all the minor details and tips you should keep in mind during this stage. Moving on, Yam touches on the topic of the metal finish of the pistol, covering Parkerizing and well as popular coating finishes such as Cerakote.

With the gun complete, Yam then takes the pistol to the range and guides you through a test-fire protocol. He runs the pistol with a range of load types, and gives you a good guide as to how you should make sure your tuned pistol is running efficiently.

Conclusion

So, there you have it — a duty tuned 1911 where you can do the work yourself. As Yam puts it, you are probably going to run out of steam yourself before this tuned pistol fails you. So, check out the video above, and we hope you enjoyed the series!

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!

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Springfield Armory® recommends you seek qualified and competent training from a certified instructor prior to handling any firearm and be sure to read your owner’s manual. These articles and videos are considered to be suggestions and not recommendations from Springfield Armory. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Springfield Armory.

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