I figured a 1911 for $380 is a perfect gun for learning basic gunsmith skills.
I took out mag safety, firing pin safety, disabled grip safety, and adjusted the sear spring to make for a more pleasant shooting experience.
Filing aluminum slides is easy, I took my time and the sights turned out OK. I mean I didn't 'bubba' the gun. I'll post pictures when I find my camera...
If you did all this and did not put it back together so that it shoots you in the face (or around corners) then you must have some prior experience with guns.
My GSG 1911 is my first semi- and my 2nd handgun. The first is a SA revolver (Heritage Rough Rider), where all the disassembly is taking out the cylinder. I wouldn't even dream of going further.
I have a boresighter but I don't think it is needed for handgun sighting. I used mine when sighting in a red-dot on my SKS at 25yrds. It only gets you on paper but you still have to adjust the sights afterwards, both at 25 and 50yrds or whatever you normal shooting distance would be. With the GSG I put the sights in then fired groups at 7yrds off a benchrest and adjusted as needed.
Oh but I do need it. for the SA.
When I first got it, it was shooting alright but a bit high and to the left. Our indoor range is 20yds. I don't have the opportunity to work my way from 7 to 20 yds. A Range Office tried it and found it shooting definitely high. He tried lowering the (adjustable) rear-sight but it already was at its lowest (screw wouldn't turn further.)
So he proposed I put a shim under the front sight. Two (then three) shims later, elevation was not too bad. And then I discovered that a little piece of translucent plastic, no larger than 1/2 a grain of rice, was lodged under the rear-sight, so, back to playing with shims and rear-sight elevation, till I was less than dissatisfied with elevation. Forget about groupings; I was satisfied to put all shots on paper and obtain my Centrefire Badge (shooting rimfire but scoring with all ten rounds.
Then I tried adjusting windage (Of course the range being indoors, I was the fault, not the wind.)
Now I'm all over the place and since we shoot ten minute relays and you can't sign up ahead (one relay at a time, shoot then go out and sign up again. So I end up shooting every other relay and don't have the luxury of being able to move a HEAVY sandbag to and from the shooting bench (which itself is flimsy and wobbly).
That's why the boresighter. At home I do have a distance of about 15yds and a Black and Decker Workmate (to use as a vise, hoping to grip the gun through enough towels to protect it but not enough that it swims freely in a towelling cocoon.
Oh, and if your tools are gathering dust, I can give'em a good home. I'll even pay shipping.
I have thought of putting some of them up for sale, but I can't think of even one of them from which I'd part willingly. Souvenirs and memories. And there's always the hope that I'd strike a 6/49 and be able to move into a house with basement (where I'd immediately try to set the basement up as a CFO-approved indoor private range.)
However I'll keep your adoption offer in mind. Thanks.
