Has anyone built a Stealth Arms 1911 kit? I haven’t built a 1911 before and the bobtail commander kit has me intrigued. I’ve done ARs, Glocks and bolt guns. I like tinkering. Any recommendations for other kits if not the stealth? Any gotchas or specialty tools that are “indispensable” putting together a quality shooter? Appreciate any input.
Gunsmithing Stealth Arms 1911 kit?
- Thread starter Crewdog135
- Start date
1911 fitting is a whole lot of filing and tinkering. A LOT of filing and tinkering. It takes a lot of measure 5 times cut once, and 1911s arent designed to fall together; they just don’t work right unless everything locks up perfectly.
You’re going to need a good set of small diamond files, a good whetstone and oil, a way to precisely align the whetstone to a linear guide for sear/rail adjustments. You’re also going to be using a lot of dykem or similar layout fluid. I strongly recommend digging up a set of 1911 blueprints and calipers, and cross-referencing several guides on 1911 gunsmithing. There are nuggets of gold and nuggets of shit in all of them.
I’d say the Stealth Arms kits and jigs are the best available right now, but a little birdie told me that might change substantially in the next 6 months or so...
You’re going to need a good set of small diamond files, a good whetstone and oil, a way to precisely align the whetstone to a linear guide for sear/rail adjustments. You’re also going to be using a lot of dykem or similar layout fluid. I strongly recommend digging up a set of 1911 blueprints and calipers, and cross-referencing several guides on 1911 gunsmithing. There are nuggets of gold and nuggets of shit in all of them.
I’d say the Stealth Arms kits and jigs are the best available right now, but a little birdie told me that might change substantially in the next 6 months or so...
Alternatively, feed the addiction. Make one now and another when the other setup pops up? ?
Ive built about 4 complete 1911s from complete stealth kits and they went together with minimal fitting. That said, you have to know how to do that "minimal fitting". But the parts were good quality. Once the rails were cut and the holes drilled the whole lower went together with NO other fitting at all. The slide/barrel/frame combo had to get massaged to fit for about 30 minutes.
Their frame rail is functional and easy to use. Theres just better ones out there.
Their frame rail is functional and easy to use. Theres just better ones out there.
I've never used their kits, but have built a metric ton off their 80% bare frames. Never had 1 iota of issues with them.
Tool wise: It isn't like "building an AR." Some specialty tools make the job(s) a lot easier. But a good (read Good) set of files will be worth your $.
Tool wise: It isn't like "building an AR." Some specialty tools make the job(s) a lot easier. But a good (read Good) set of files will be worth your $.
My experience was that most of the fitting is things like sears, headspace, barrel/slide lockup, etc. The frame/slide interface and pins and such were relatively quick.
