Gunsmithing
1911 & 2011 Fitting
The 1911 and its descendants are fitted, not assembled, and that's the work this bench was built around. Safeties, mag releases, triggers, grips, barrels, and slides hand-fit on Colts, Kimbers, Springfields, Staccatos, Atlas guns, and CZ-pattern competition pistols — tuned, safety-checked, and test-fired before they go home.
Prices, up front
Every bench service and what it costs, in one searchable list. The final number is confirmed before we touch your firearm.
Fitted parts, not dropped-in parts
A 1911 thumb safety that came out of the bag will either not engage or not disengage cleanly. A grip safety needs its tab fitted to the trigger bow; a barrel bushing, a slide stop, a beavertail, an ambi safety, a new slide on an old frame — every one is filed and stoned to that gun. That's what you're paying for: a part that works like the factory meant, on your frame, not a part that mostly works.
Competition pistols get the same treatment with a competition eye. Left-hand mag releases and ambi safeties for a lefty shooter, a Staccato with new fire-control parts fitted and then run through three hundred rounds to break it in, a CZ Shadow 2 with a spring kit and hand-fitted action, an Atlas with a double-stack release and its overtravel set for a comp trigger. If you shoot IDPA, USPSA, or Steel and want the gun set up for it, say so and we'll set it up for it.
Safety-checked, every time
Every fitted 1911 leaves with a full safety check — thumb safety, grip safety, half-cock, disconnector, sear engagement, and a drop test — and a function check with live fire. Trigger weight is measured on a gauge and written on the ticket; on race guns the floor is 2.0 pounds, and we won't go under it. Trigger work on its own has its own page; on a 1911 it's usually part of the fitting.
How a fitting job runs here
Talk through the build
What the gun is for, which parts are going in, and what you want it to feel like — with a quote for the fitting and any parts we're ordering.
Fit and tune
Each part is hand-fitted to the frame and slide, the action is tuned, and the trigger is brought to the agreed weight on a gauge.
Safety-check and test-fire
Full safety check including a drop test, then live fire — a break-in course if you asked for it — and the numbers go on the ticket.
Answers
Common questions
Can you install a parts kit I bought?
Yes — most of the fitting work here is customer-supplied parts: Atlas ignition kits, Cajun Gun Works springs, Wilson and EGW small parts, aftermarket safeties and releases. Bring the parts and the gun; we'll tell you at the counter if anything in the bag won't work with your frame before we start.
How much is a full 1911 tune?
1911 tuning and fitting starts at $150 on the price sheet and most jobs land between $100 and $300 in labor depending on how many parts are going in and how much hand-fitting they need — a trigger, safety, and beavertail together is more than a safety alone. Parts are quoted separately, and the number is agreed before the first file stroke.
Do you do full custom builds?
We build on your frame and slide with the parts you choose, and we'll advise on what's worth the money. A ground-up custom from a bare frame is a longer conversation — bring it in or email the spec and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a job for this bench.
Elsewhere on the bench
More from the shop
NFA Center
Silencer sales plus Form 1 and Form 4 filing, ATF fingerprints, passport photos and gun trust notary — handled at one counter in Roswell.
Explore →04 servicesFinishing & Metalwork
Durable firearm finishes done in-house: Cerakote and stencil work, laser engraving, anodizing and parkerizing.
Explore →04 servicesRestoration
Restoration of M1 Carbines and Garands, Mosin Nagants and 1911s to correct configuration — plus fire and water damage documented for an insurance claim.
Explore →05 servicesLogistics & Commerce
Inbound FFL transfers, outbound firearm shipping, bulk ammunition, and FFL08 importation with Form 6 filing and CBP clearance.
Explore →Bring us the project.
Start an NFA transfer, ask about a service, or send photos for an estimate. We answer fast.