Deacon KC Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 Pretty sure this is what this pistol started out as: https://tisasusa.com/tisas-1911-a1-service-45/ But I have NO idea what the previous owner of this gun did to it. I can say this much, he didn't have any idea of firearm maintenance! Anyway, it cam into the shop last week, I wound up giving it a basic cleaning and then bought it myself. Today, was detail stripping and smoothing of parts. I stopped and bought a metal bread loaf pan at Walmart along with 2 pints of nail polish remover, it's pure acetone, so it was just what was needed to strip the rattlecan gloss black paint off the poor little beast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon KC Posted September 19 Author Share Posted September 19 Surprrisingly, after about 30 minutes in the acetone bath, the paint came off easily, revealing a good looking slide, which appears to be some sort of stainless steel because neither Oxphoblue or Black Magic would take on the slide! Then out to the garage workbench to smooth up some internal parts and finish the detail scrubbing on the receiver. Just like the top half, the bottom was totally filthy. Smoothed up the trigger bow and got rid of the rough/sharp edges on the grip safety. After measuring the springs, they are all where they should be, so I will try it with the factory springs, if they aren't good I have a set of Wolff's ready to go. I also took some 400 wet/dry sandpaper and got the surface rust off the barrel hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon KC Posted September 19 Author Share Posted September 19 Okay, question time. I have a stainless barrel bushing in the parts box, should I use it or the blued one for contrast? And should I stick with the factory plastic stocks or go with some actual wood or Ivory polymer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe Posted September 20 Share Posted September 20 Decide if this is a shooting gun or a BBQ gun. Just that often sets the tone to get you to "perfect". From the mixed pedigree of parts, this seems to beg to be a shooter or daily carry, not a dressed up gun. BUT - What parts you use are really what meets your taste and performance goals. I really like good checkered wood grips on 1911s. Some folks like G10 plastic with real aggressive checkering, if you need the extra-firm locked-in feeling grip. And I like a relief cut for the thumb to reach the mag release easily. (But, my tastes would not run towards any of the 3 sets you show. Just me) I would use the barrel bushing that fits the slide moderately tightly and the barrel moderately tightly. The heck with the "appearance" - I would go for 100% reliable performance and good enough accuracy. If you get 3" groups from rest at 25 yards, be delighted. It's always better for cleaning if the bushing will come out without a bushing wrench, but if I get great accuracy with a tight fitting bushing, I'll put up with always carrying a wrench in my kit. good luck, GJ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon KC Posted September 20 Author Share Posted September 20 Thanks Joe, good advice. This will never be a BBQ gun, I went that route on a Super .38 some years ago [WHY did I ever let go of that gun?]. Got wood checkered grips right now that could go on it, the Ivory polymer ones have the Mexican Eagle on them and give good grip in addition to looking good. I will try out the bushings, now that it is clean I don't need a wrench on the factory blue one. Haven't shot the beast yet, wanted it clean first. The trigger was poor, but there was so much filth in there, it could not have been anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon KC Posted September 20 Author Share Posted September 20 Okay, the Tisas is back together. The trigger feels good but not spectacular, I will shoot it first, then decide if it needs a smith to work on it. Stuck with the blued bushing and then put the Ivory Eagle grips on it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe Posted September 21 Share Posted September 21 Nice work. Is that cerakote on the frame now? Nice two-tone vibe. Bigger fixed sights would make it a great carry and WB Traditional gun! good luck, GJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon KC Posted September 21 Author Share Posted September 21 21 hours ago, Garrison Joe said: Nice work. Is that cerakote on the frame now? Nice two-tone vibe. Bigger fixed sights would make it a great carry and WB Traditional gun! good luck, GJ Thanks Joe. I am trying to find out from Tisas' Importer SDS if the front sight is a wide or narrow tenon so I can do just that and swap out the sights for something easier to see and still be WB legal. I think the frame was a ceracoat of some sort from the factory and thankfully they didn't mess with that. The slide has definitely had some sort of coating on it, as the inside is still blued and a magnet will stick to it, so it isn't stainless. Took it into work today and the guys liked how it had turned out. As far as carry, I have a S&W Scandium Commander that is my regular carry gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 (edited) Gun stainless steel is usually a 41x or 44x series stainless, which IS MAGNETIC. That slide is very different than the common (acid resistant) non-magnetic stainless, like 304 or 316. THOSE are non-magnetic, soft(er), and not amenable to heat treatment due to greatly different alloy content. Nope, your slide is gun-grade stainless, almost certainly. good luck, GJ Edited September 29 by Garrison Joe 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe Posted September 29 Share Posted September 29 On 9/21/2024 at 5:28 PM, Deacon KC said: I am trying to find out from Tisas' Importer SDS if the front sight is a wide or narrow tenon ... and swap out the sights I have given up on trying to use tenon mounts for larger/taller front sights, as have many smiths I know. Tenons just will not hold a heavy sight securely. Pretty easy to have a smith mill a standard dovetail on the front and mount a sight. Then the front as well as the rear is drift adjustable. And MUCH more secure. Perfectly legal for any Wild Bunch shooting. good luck, GJ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon KC Posted September 30 Author Share Posted September 30 Joe, you are absolutely right. My gunsmith is moving his shop right now, so that might be delayed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 2 hours ago, Deacon KC said: so that might be delayed. Free advice given here is guaranteed (money back) for at least 60 days, so no rush getting it taken care of. 😄 GJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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