Suppressors Basket 1911...what to do with it?

G

GRIM

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 21, 2009
454
1
60
Wisconsin
#1
Ok - a friend of mine gave me this disassembled 1911 for free (called a basket gun by most gunsmiths as that is how it is brought to them). It's lived most of it's life in San Diego by the salt water so the outside finish on the slide and barrel is suspect. It's got a Colt slide (rust pitted on the left side) but the frame is made by A R Sales of So. El Monte CA. The frame is cracked back by the safety area. It needs a new safety as it looks like someone ground on the catch. I want to get this thing back together and running but want to spend as little $ as possible to get it shooting. Any ideas where to go from here? New frame? Parts? Ideas for refinishing the slide and get rid of the rust?

1911ColtParts.jpg

1911ColtParts2.jpg
 
#3
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

umm......why?

If it had any sort of value the broken frame destroyed that. Your gonna have more and parts and gunsmithing costs/time than it would take to just go buy a new Springfield armory gun. Probably a lot more.


Unless it has any personal value I'd consider it a nicce paper weight.
 
#4
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

What do I do about the rust on the slide? It's only on the outside of the slide and not the internals. Bead blast it down or ??

Why? Why do crazies climb Mt. Everest? Because it's there...
 
#5
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

Frame's done unless you have a double ass-load of money and an exceptional welder (and I wouldn't put more money into an AR Sales frame).

A good Caspian or Essex is a better investment. Depending on how close you are to the gunsmithing school in Trinidad you can find other gunsmiths who can assemble and refinish it.
 
#6
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sinister</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Frame's done unless you have a double ass-load of money and an exceptional welder (and I wouldn't put more money into an AR Sales frame).

A good Caspian or Essex is a better investment. Depending on how close you are to the gunsmithing school in Trinidad you can find other gunsmiths who can assemble and refinish it.

</div></div>

Roger that. Thanks!
 
#9
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

Agree with everyone else on the frame...it isn't worth the time and money needed to even attempt a repair of the frame around the grip and thumb safety area (a repair which may or may not work out in the end). Essex frames (depending on whether you go stainless, blued or parked), can be had for around the $150 range, plus S&H and your FFL's fee.
 
#11
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

WOW, I haven't seen one of those frames in a while. A good friend of my fathers was making those die cast frames years ago, I used to put them together in my garage. It is an all aluminum frame or a zink aluminum frame? You will be able to tell by the weight, is it 1/2 the weight of a normal 1911 frame, or is it 1/4 the weight?

Either way I never saw a failure by the safety, usually the slide stop hole.

Pick up a new frame and run with it!
John III
 
#13
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JBW#3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Either way I never saw a failure by the safety, usually the slide stop hole.

Pick up a new frame and run with it!
John III </div></div>

I doubt that is a random failure. It looks like it had help.

OP, I would go with a Caspian. They are much better quality than Essex.

As for the rust, I wouldn't worry about it until you get the pistol put together and working properly. It should shoot fine with the rust.
 
#14
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JBW#3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">WOW, I haven't seen one of those frames in a while. A good friend of my fathers was making those die cast frames years ago, I used to put them together in my garage. It is an all aluminum frame or a zink aluminum frame? You will be able to tell by the weight, is it 1/2 the weight of a normal 1911 frame, or is it 1/4 the weight?

John III </div></div>

The broken frame is pretty darn light. Might be the lightweight one you speak of.

I ordered a blem Caspian with a light rail on the frame. Should be here in a week or two.

I'll post pics of the build in progress.
 
#18
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

Ordered a Caspian (blem) frame with a light rail machined into the frame. A buddy of mine sent me a stock 1911 safety (thanks Kev), found a full length guide rod & spring in one of my many parts boxes, ordered a complete set of new springs, new ejector, new extractor, Hogue rubber wrap around grips, a clip draw & 3 mags. When the frame gets here I'll assemble it first and get it running then worry about what to coat it with. So far so good...
DSC06343.jpg
 
#19
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

Neat. I cant wait to watch this unfold.


The last time i watched a basket thread, they turned a POS tokarev into a pretty nice little whip
 
#20
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

Ok - so I fit the slide to the frame (a bit of JB Bore Paste to help smooth out the fit). On the upside I installed the internals and at least it cycles and the slide locks back where it should.

The downside: The sear & disconnector are toast. New ones on order.

So now I am trying to figure out what to do with it as far as a finish goes. I've got some Alumahyde II in black and coyote brown so I'll probably do some type of two tone finish HOWEVER right now it seems to look like the RATROD of 1911's !

Old patina finish just like the cars that are popular... Maybe I should leave the outer finish like it is and name it
my "RATROD 1911".

CIMG2115.jpg

CIMG2116.jpg


 
#22
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

LOL!! I thought that might make some folks cringe. After I get it up and running nicely then I'll strip it down and prep for an Alumahyde II finish.
 
#24
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

You could also strip the finish on the slide and visit Lauer Weaponry's web site at www.lauerweaponry.com They sell a do it your self Dura Coat package that air drys in every color under the sun for 30 bucks. On the site is a video of how to do it and how it works, just another option.
 
#25
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

Let us know how it shoots. I fell into a project just like this and was going to throw the pistol together just to have a cheap glove box gun. Lo and behold, that 1911 shoots better than most of my factory guns. I ended up putting a nice finish on it and it is my carry/competition pistol now. Also have a police officer buddy who was given a box stock wwII Colt with unknown thousands of rounds through it. That gun shoots better than my custom built pistols. He carries it on duty now. You just never know.
 
#26
Re: Basket 1911...what to do with it?

Well, finally finished it (nothing happens fast around here nowdays). The finish is Brownells Alumahyde II. I went with the wood grips that it came with to kind of keep the retro thing going. Maybe later I'll go back to the Hogue grips if I end up shooting it a lot. I did radius the opening of the barrel chamber for feeding purposes, beveled a notch at the back of the ejection port to help the spent case clear. So far shoots great. Not a one-holer but way more accurate than I need for a glovebox pistol.
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