The backstory:
As a lot of you know, I’m a big fan of Col. Jeff Cooper and all the Cooper-isms that have sprung from his teachings.
Not long ago, a Cooper-era Gunsite 1911 crossed my path. I knew that it had already been to a local(ish) smith having had an issue with the grip safety… and although I really REALLY wanted this gun, I knew I’d have to sacrifice another to have it.
I thought about it and thought about it…and came to the reasoning that since this started off as a Springfield Mil-Spec and ended up having all the enhancements done that I’d do to my own Mil-Spec…that’s what I decided to trade off.
I loved my Mil-Spec…it was cherry and hit what I aimed at every time, eating any ammo I schlepped through it. But I wanted that Gunsite gun…so it was culled from the herd.
I have a friendly acquaintance who visits where I work fairly frequently, and I’ve taken to asking his advice on just about all things 1911…especially this gun. Why? Because he was not only one of Col. Cooper’s best friends for decades, he was extremely involved in the original Gunsite. It’s fair to say I’d take his opinion over ten others. Unfortunately, he never saw this gun before I bought it and sent it out to be fixed. More on that in a bit.
Firstly, these are the things were changed on this Mil-Spec since 1990…No way to tell which were done AT Gunsite, and which happened between leaving there and crossing my path;
Upon my maiden voyage to the range, out of multiple dozens of tries, only 2 or 3 rounds actually stripped off the mag (tried several different mags, and different ammo). The round nose FMJ were getting stuck in dead level nosed right into the feed ramp.
Turns out there was a divot horizontally across the feed ramp (as if someone “polished” it from side to side instead of up and down.
I knew it was going to have to go to a smith, but I didn’t want it going back to the same one that had spot welded a fix for the grip safety it had before I bought it.
I chose to send it to AllenM.
Every time Allen fixed one problem, another would present itself.
For instance…upon fixing the feed ramp issue, it was evident the slide wasn’t moving fast enough…because the hard chrome treatment had gotten on the rails. Once that was resolved, when the slide moved at optimum speed, there was hammer follow…and on and on.
I’ll let Allen show you the step by step photos (and maybe videos) and explain the progression of steps he took to fix this lemon (and trust me…I did trade away a lurved cherry gun for a LEMON)… but in the end when I got it back, I’ll say my 1911 advisor extraordinaire told me that he hasn’t seen a gun that well fitted and that well worked over in over 30 years. He was extremely impressed with Allen’s work and told me if there was ever anything he decided to do to his own guns, he was getting Allen’s contact info from me. Furthermore, he said that if there was ever a 1911 that he would (without question) buy and walk out the door with, without even asking what the price was…it’s THIS one, after Allen’s work.
Aside from the things he changed that I asked him upfront to do, this gun returned to me with pretty much the original frame, the original slide, and all new guts.
The high points of what AllenM changed per my request:
I’ll let him tell you the specifics of the rest.
If you have any smithing that needs done, AllenM should be at the top of your troubleshooting 911 call. He’s the bombdiggity!
Take it away, Allen…
As a lot of you know, I’m a big fan of Col. Jeff Cooper and all the Cooper-isms that have sprung from his teachings.
Not long ago, a Cooper-era Gunsite 1911 crossed my path. I knew that it had already been to a local(ish) smith having had an issue with the grip safety… and although I really REALLY wanted this gun, I knew I’d have to sacrifice another to have it.
I thought about it and thought about it…and came to the reasoning that since this started off as a Springfield Mil-Spec and ended up having all the enhancements done that I’d do to my own Mil-Spec…that’s what I decided to trade off.
I loved my Mil-Spec…it was cherry and hit what I aimed at every time, eating any ammo I schlepped through it. But I wanted that Gunsite gun…so it was culled from the herd.
I have a friendly acquaintance who visits where I work fairly frequently, and I’ve taken to asking his advice on just about all things 1911…especially this gun. Why? Because he was not only one of Col. Cooper’s best friends for decades, he was extremely involved in the original Gunsite. It’s fair to say I’d take his opinion over ten others. Unfortunately, he never saw this gun before I bought it and sent it out to be fixed. More on that in a bit.
Firstly, these are the things were changed on this Mil-Spec since 1990…No way to tell which were done AT Gunsite, and which happened between leaving there and crossing my path;
- Replaced the GI guide rod with a two-piece system (which I didn’t care for)
- Serrated the front of the slide
- Checkered the front of the trigger guard
- Added Novak sights
- Replaced the trigger with a skeletonized one
- Checkered the front strap
- Replaced the spur hammer with an enhanced one
- Replaced the stock grip safety with a swept beaver-tail w/ memory bump
- Checkered the arched mainspring housing
- Replaced the thumb safety with an ambidexterous
- Hard chromed
Upon my maiden voyage to the range, out of multiple dozens of tries, only 2 or 3 rounds actually stripped off the mag (tried several different mags, and different ammo). The round nose FMJ were getting stuck in dead level nosed right into the feed ramp.
Turns out there was a divot horizontally across the feed ramp (as if someone “polished” it from side to side instead of up and down.
I knew it was going to have to go to a smith, but I didn’t want it going back to the same one that had spot welded a fix for the grip safety it had before I bought it.
I chose to send it to AllenM.
Every time Allen fixed one problem, another would present itself.
For instance…upon fixing the feed ramp issue, it was evident the slide wasn’t moving fast enough…because the hard chrome treatment had gotten on the rails. Once that was resolved, when the slide moved at optimum speed, there was hammer follow…and on and on.
I’ll let Allen show you the step by step photos (and maybe videos) and explain the progression of steps he took to fix this lemon (and trust me…I did trade away a lurved cherry gun for a LEMON)… but in the end when I got it back, I’ll say my 1911 advisor extraordinaire told me that he hasn’t seen a gun that well fitted and that well worked over in over 30 years. He was extremely impressed with Allen’s work and told me if there was ever anything he decided to do to his own guns, he was getting Allen’s contact info from me. Furthermore, he said that if there was ever a 1911 that he would (without question) buy and walk out the door with, without even asking what the price was…it’s THIS one, after Allen’s work.
Aside from the things he changed that I asked him upfront to do, this gun returned to me with pretty much the original frame, the original slide, and all new guts.
The high points of what AllenM changed per my request:
- Putting a GI guide rod back in
- Installing a fiber optic front sight
- Replacing the arched mainspring housing with a flat one
- Installing slim Grips from RAASCO
I’ll let him tell you the specifics of the rest.
If you have any smithing that needs done, AllenM should be at the top of your troubleshooting 911 call. He’s the bombdiggity!
Take it away, Allen…
I say semi because I have been showing it to everybody I can. 
