Fixing a Tisas 1911 for WB

[DeaconKC]

Okay, start of a long saga. Last week the owner of the LGS I work at part-time handed me a 1911 and said it was filthy and could I clean it. Yikes he wasn't kidding. Only a loose 1911 or a Glock would run that dirty. Anyway I am a sucker for mud-puppies and after I cleaned it, bought it. I didn't do a detail strip and clean because I realized I was gonna buy it and would rather do it at home. On top of it all the previous owner for some reason had taken a rattlecan of gloss black paint to the slide.

[DeaconKC]

Okay, today began Phase 1 of Operation Mudpuppy. Picked up a metal pan and a pint of nail polish remover. Got the firing pin out, but the extractor wouldn't budge, so it stayed in place [tension seems to be good on it, cross your fingers]. Covered the slide in acetone and let it set while I detail stripped the frame. Yeesh, it is as dirty as the slide. Once it was apart and the pieces wiped down, I went back after the slide. The acetone did it's job, the paint came off pretty easily with 0000 steel wool, revealing a very nice silver slide. Okay, clean it off, get it good and dry, wipe it down with alcohol and apply the Oxphoblue...


...and nothing. Try it again, still nothing. Okay, try the Black Magic...

...and again nothing. Evidently the slide is made from some sort of high nickel alloy, but it looks really nice.

[DeaconKC]

So once that was established, I headed out to the garage work bench with the frame and some other parts. NOW, they get properly scrubbed and the trigger bow, barrel and grip safety get attention. Some file work smoothed the edges of the grip safety and the trigger bow, then 400 grit wet/dry finished off smoothing them and got rid of the surface rust on the barrel shroud. Reassembly is tomorrow.

[Abilene]

Interesting.  Does a magnet stick to the slide? 

[DeaconKC]

Interesting.  Does a magnet stick to the slide? 

I hadn't thought of that, but I tried it and it just barely sticks, but it does. I'm trying to get any answer from SDS [Tisas' importer here]. Maybe it's a nickel plate?

[Professor Marvel]

I hadn't thought of that, but I tried it and it just barely sticks, but it does. I'm trying to get any answer from SDS [Tisas' importer here]. Maybe it's a nickel plate?

Tisas does offer an all stainless and a two tone pistol: stainless slide, black frame.

[Coffinmaker]

  Hey There Deacon

I are a long time fan of the 1911.  Bestest semi-auto pistol ever designed and built, bar none.  In fact, in my sordid past I have been the curator of TWO 1911s built by AMT.  Really nice stainless guns.  But I digress (Who Me??)

I am also a fan of Two-Tone 1911s.  I firmly believe they look super trix with a blue receiver and a nice matt silver slide.  Stainless for the slide is mucho betterer you betcha.

I also found, over several Lustrum (take that latin lesson), a badly abused 1911 can be easily resurrected and returned to function and service.  Well, maybe not necessarily "easily" but pretty simply.

A long verbose version of "I really like the Silver Slide.  Call the gun the "Silver Surfer" or "Silver Slab"

[Major 2]

1911 are "Bestest semi-auto pistol ever designed and built",Not mention a very cool history.

Just this morning I watch a Mark Novack video with great content.



Recently, I had temperately stewardship of a Brazilian Contract 1911, It was pre-war. I was to clean, conserve and test the piece, before it was donated a museum.

I did not take before and after photos, because it wasn't that much of change visibly.
Except, the homemade grips seen in the photos, were replaced with a set of checkered from eBay which were more correct for its ventage.
It now is on display at the museum.




 

[DeaconKC]

Yup, I even have one of the Argentine's in the locker here as well. I really don't think I will change the slide, the finish is beautiful. I will have to either replace or repaint the sights, Tisas makes some fixed ones that are a hair higher and still would be WB legal. I am curious to see how the trigger feels, it was pretty crappy before detailing and I got a ton of gunk out of it. Also, gonna try a different barrel bushing to see which feels better, I can now get the factory blue one off without a wrench, there is a stainless one in the parts box, so I will try it too.

[DeaconKC]

Got the beast back together. Kept the factory bushing and added some better looking grips. I swear I got about 2 pounds of gunk out of the critter. Trigger is no longer gritty, smooth but not spectacular, I will shoot it first, then decide if it should go to a smith.

[Professor Marvel]

(Like) deacon

[Major 2]

Very Nice 
Silk purse from a sow's ear

[Abilene]

It's a trick!  I've seen people try this before - that's not the same gun! 

[Silver Creek Slim]

Very nice, Deacon.

Slim

[Abilene]

The OCD part of me is happy you are doing this on a 1911 work mat.