Working Inexpensive 1911s

After some forty years of working with the 1911 I realize that parts interchangeability is always a concern. No matter how reliable or well made a pistol, it will break or it will be modified. Inexpensive handguns end up in the shop most often. One of the most popular inexpensive handguns—and by all reports, a best-selling 1911 in the world—is the Armscor/Rock Island Armory 1911.

Recent figures indicate there are more Rock Island pistols sold than any other 1911 and I sometimes get questions concerning aftermarket parts and the compatibility of the pistol with these parts. These handguns are patterned after World War Two GI guns but with several changes. "The Rock" features along trigger and flat mainspring housing, making it easier to fit a beavertail safety compared to the original GI arched housing and short trigger.

The pistols are finished in a dull Parkerized finish and are Series 70 without a firing pin block. After working on sixteen or more of these pistols during the past few years I am able to make several observations. While we call them Series 70, we often mean GI mil spec. Rocks accept most 1911 parts with a minimum of fitting. Incidentally, 1911 handguns that are less likely to accept aftermarket slides, barrels, and other parts without fitting are high end handguns as they have a tighter fit.

Off spec, economy handguns sometimes suffer the same complaint. My purpose in writing this report is to share my experience with Armscor/Rock Island, as well as the nearly-similar High Standard and Cimarron pistols. Many of us were skeptical of the newer economy 1911s. After all, we had seen the terrible Llama, which wasn’t a true 1911 clone, and other 1911s from the Philippines. Over time, the Rock earned a good reputation.

I have observed quite a few 1911 handguns in my training classes and many of them were Rock Island Armory pistols. Like most quality 1911s, when they arrive for class lubricated and with good magazines and ammunition, they prove reliable. I had a .38 Super needing the extractor tuned and the ejector properly staked. Another student 1911 needed anew extractor at less than one thousand rounds. However, I find these incidents unusual. One student subjected his pistol to a heavy practice schedule without a complaint.

Another suffered the indignity of having a handload blow in the chamber of his High Standard 1911, which is really a Rock by another name. The slide lock was blown out of the frame, the magazine was wrecked, and the floor plate never found. The shooter had to pick brass out of his cheek. Thank God he wore shooting glasses. The culprit, he believed, was a bullet that was jammed into the cartridge case upon feeding due to a poor cartridge crimp. The pistol was reassembled and it fired and functioned normally.

Since the magazine was blown out along with the slide lock, this was no proof load—it was well above that standard!—but the pistol did not suffer permanent damage. The Rock seems free from a loosening firing pin stop, a problem sometimes found in GI guns. The front sight seldom comes loose, although it did with my test gun, which is the only Rock I have seen suffer this indignity. The plunger tube also seems properly attached. As for feed with JHP bullets and handloaded lead semi-wadcutter bullets, I have

yet to see a problem with the Rock Island Pistol. The typical Rock is reliable while the atypical Rock is easily repaired with an extractor or changing magazines. There are versions with adjustable sights and ambidextrous safeties but the prospect of upgrading the Rock with quality aftermarket parts was my concern. There are many that prefer the 1911 as close to GI as possible as there is little to go wrong, less weight, and less protrusions.

If the Rock is your recreational or competition shooter, some of the modifications listed are not needed. If you carry the Rock for personal defense—and many do—and wish to bet your life on the pistol, these upgrades are needed. I would be confident upgrading a customer’s gun on his request. While there are pistols I would not recommend to anyone regardless of the modifications made, the Rock is worth the effort. Let’s look into parts interchangeability.

Test Gun The test gun was a stock High Standard GI pistol purchased at a retail outlet. It was fired for function and accuracy and proved both service grade accurate and reliable with JHP and SWC ammunition in 500 test rounds fired. Proven to be of good quality, I decided to test compatibility with a number of quality aftermarket parts to give a pistol worth more than the sum of its parts. Most were purchased from Brownells.

I added the new Challis hex head grip screws, which I consider the standard on a hard-use handgun. Then, I dropped in a Wilson Combat, Colt, and Ed Brown Series 70-type firing pins. Each fit as designed, though I stuck with the original firing pin as it fit and worked just fine. A problem observed in a previous Rock was a "clocking" extractor that rotated in the extractor tunnel. Anew extractor is a typical cure, but in that pistol the extractor looked fine and the firing pin stop was loose.

The pistol functioned but brass was thrown back into the shooter’s face. The original firing pin stop could have been peened for improved fit but a Wilson Combat oversize firing pin stop was fitted. Filing was minimal—small strokes with a jeweler’s file with the stop lubricated and bumped into place—and a good tight fit was achieved, adding a little expense but cheap life insurance for a carry gun. Complete field stripping required more effort due to the tight fit but this is secondary with a defensive handgun.

I had a rather simple problem come to my attention with another Rock. The magazine did not drop free when the magazine catch was actuated and the magazine had to be removed by hand. The problem was the trigger bow was contacting the magazine. Careful, light filing on the bow solved the problem. A standard of custom pistolsmiths is to tune each magazine to the trigger and this is the reason.

Although we do so because we wish the trigger not to bind on the magazine for a smooth trigger action, achieving the proper drop with the magazine is also a good reason. Another problem—one that may also be addressed with training— are shooters using the thumbs-forward firing grip sometimes raising the palm off the grip safety, resulting in a failure to fire. It is simple enough to tune the Rock Island 1911 to release the grip safety a bit easier. We never deign to make the

All worked well in the Armscor gun. grip safety inoperable, just tune it for easier activation. First, understand how the leaf spring works. Looking at the back of a 1911, the leaf on the right pushes to the rear and exerts pressure on the grip safety. Bend the leaf forward to reduce the pressure needed to depress the grip safety. Replacing the grip safety is another option but to retain GI appearance (or to save money) bending the spring is an option.

Care must be taken as the likelihood that inertia of the grip safety can overcome the spring in the case of a dropped pistol increases. It may be best if this modification is limited to competition pistols, such as a handgun for the Wild Bunch division in Cowboy Action shooting. The grip safety doesn’t really need much pressure to be activated but it does need movement. Remember the contact area is where the bump on the grip safety contacts the trigger stirrup.

Safety Check Let’s go over safety checks that must be done when any work is performed on a 1911. It is a shame but sometimes the safety operation of 1911 handguns leaves something to be desired. The home gun butcher is responsible for much of this but occasionally it’s a haphazard factory worker. Check the safety with method first used around 1912. Confirm the gun is unloaded with the hammer cocked and thumb safety on. While pressing the grip safety, pull the trigger. The hammer should not fall.

Try to move the cocked hammer to the rear; it should show no movement. If a faint click is heard, the sear moved slightly when the trigger was pressed with the safety on. One particular brand of 1911 often has this problem even though the trigger action is sometimes good. The safety is quite soft and spongy on these pistols and should be replaced with quality aftermarket parts. Next, take the safety off; the hammer should not fall. Some further testing.

I had a pistol was fitted with Cherokee Hills (Cherokee Hills.biz, custom grips. The design is a bold and personal one, and the adhesion during firing was excellent. Good aftermarket units like this can be a good idea. Rock Island Armory pistols often have cheap slabs that are not the best fit. High Standard 1911s have checkered grips that fit better. I ordered a Wilson Combat Extended Thumb Safety from Brownells (965- 600-007WB).

This safety seemed to demand more fitting that is usual with the 1911, but it was done and maintained a good sharp action. Trouble came when I fitted the Unotch rear sight I also ordered. From Harrison Design & Consulting, the Retro Rear Sight (100-004-784) is sometimes called the "old man’s sight" as its open rear notch allows real ease and speed in finding the front sight and is recommended for fast shooting at close range. Advertised to fit the GI rear sight notch, the sight did not fit the High Standard notch.

Considerable file work was needed to file down and mount the sight, too much for practical use in my opinion. The Retro Rear was simply too wide for a GI rear dovetail. Sometimes, and it depends on the individual pistol, you’ll need to remove 0.008 to 0.010 from the bottom of the this sight and it takes time and care to keep the surface even. Make the cut, bevel the front

At least it did not fly off. and rear corner of the sights, then lubricate the sights and try to get it started in the dovetail. You will probably make the cut and then have to file with a large bastard file some more. File a little bevel into the dovetail in the slide to relieve pressure on moving the sight in. Be aware of this amount of work before you take such a job in. While a difficult operation, the Retro Rear sights are good and work well once installed properly.

After working the High Standard up, I had a Colt 1911 come in with a damaged rear sight. This was a GI gun that was a good shooter but not worth a lot of money. The pistol had been dropped on the rear sight and there was practically no rear sight notch. The rear sight was bumped out with a brass hammer and the rear sight that had been on that High Standard was bumped into the Colt All the better but also more expensive. notch, fitting well as the High Standard rear sight is GI type.

Trigger Thoughts Smoothness found as improved function of trigger compression is most evident after takeoff and before the hammer falls. Stoning the sear is fine but maintain 0.020 engagement in the hammer hooks. It is easy to see if the hammer hooks are taller than 0.020 using a feeler gauge. At the same time, the hammer hooks must be checked to be certain they are perfectly square. When performing this type of work I set the stone in the vise rather than the part to be stoned, working the part over the stone.

I have had better results with this technique. Of course, if you purchase aftermarket parts, stoning and polishing must not be undertaken. As an example, I simply install Ed Brown parts as is because they are properly cut for engagement and do not require additional smoothing. Such work is contraindicated for smoothness and proper function. Leave known-quality factory parts from reputable makers as they are delivered. For standard guns, study the hammer hook and sear and how they fit together.

When polishing, it is fine to produce a smoother surface but always maintain original angles. And it is not all in the hammer and sear. The sear spring is another part that bears close study. The sear spring places resistance on the trigger bar and on the bottom or foot of the sear. I have checked many factory sear springs and found variations. Become familiar with what proper sear spring is supposed to feel like.

The spring can sometimes be adjusted by bending to reduce pressure on the trigger, an expedient that works. The owner enjoyed the excellent results after putting his High Standard pistol together. The sights were what he wanted and the pistol exhibited a personal look that he found pleasing. However, less than 200 rounds after the modifications the staked-in front sight came loose.

Since replacing a single tenon front sight is problematic for longevity, the decision was made to cut a front sight beavertail and permanently modify the slide. This was a good answer, however, it was expense not originally expected. While I haven’t seen the front sight come loose on a Rock personally, this was a miscalculation since the Rock is a GI gun and this could have been expected. In the end, are Armscor/Rock Island 1911s and the similar High Standard and Cimarron pistols compliant with GI mil spec parts?

Yes they are. Are they worth modification? Yes, as the projects turn out well. Could a good quality pistol with equal features, such as a Springfield 1911 Loaded Series as an example, have been purchased for the same outlay? Yes, but it would not have been as unique. AG