Toyed with the idea of doing one about 15 years ago. let me know how it goes.
@verga BTW,there are hundreds of aftermarket custom parts for the 1911 series handguns. If you are not an experienced gunsmith,my advice to you would be to start looking around at the parts and manuals for sale,pick one,and buy ALL your parts from them. That way if something doesn't work properly,the dealer can't say it's because you used some defective parts from another source.
How far you go will depend on your knowledge,the tools you have,and your bank account.
One thing to remember is that just because some parts are more expensive than others,it doesn't mean they will work better. The flip side is to not buy from any source just because they are the cheapest.
AND,ALWAYS wear safety glasses and earmuffs when shooting at the range. The noise is not a problem if you are shooting to survive in a "real life situation" because the adrenaline will kick in and all you will hear is mild "pops".
BTW,the custom Combat Commander I built will shoot my "banzi" handloads without flaw,but GI ball won't even cycle the slide far enough to jam it.
AND.....if all this sounds to risky for you,buy a Single Action Only revolver in 44 Special with a 3 inch barrel that has no rear sights (but does have a groove in the top strap for sighting purposes) and MY preferred load for my Rossi is 200 grain hollowpoints. So far the only thing I have shot with mine other than cans and other harmless targets is poisonous snakes,but am VERY happy with the results. I put the rubber tip from a crutch over the muzzle and front sight to keep it from tearing a hole in my pants or jacket pocket or hanging up on the pocket so I can pull it out if I have the time.
Rossi is no longer in business. They were bought out by Taurus,that makes a larger stainless 44 Special. Damn shame,because in MY opinion,the Rossi was a much better revolver. Mine was so slick right out of the box that I have never even taken the side plate off of it,and I literally wouldn't sell it for a thousand bucks. It is still my personal "go to town" handgun if I have to go to a city for some reason. My normal carry gun is a 9 shot 22LR revolver with a 1-3/4 inch barrel. It had rear sights when I bought it,but I took them off.
The truth of the matter is you don't really need sights in a self-defense event. The other guy/guys are close enough they are almost impossible to miss if you can stay calm and not waste bullets. Shoot for the center of their chests because it is the biggest target.
Also,my BEST advice is that in a self-defense situation,the BEST thing you can do is stick your hand in your pocket and grab your handgun and tell the attacker/attackers that if they come any closer you will take your gun out of your pocket and shoot them all to death,and then smile at them and act relaxed.
Do NOT tell them what type of gun you have,or mention the caliber. There are actual cases of street thugs running away and then telling the police you pulled a gun on them and tried to rob THEM. They would have a hell of a time getting away with this if they can't describe the gun.
THINKING is what will keep you alive and unharmed more than anything else.
BTW,if push comes to shove,you CAN shoot right through a coat pocket if you are shooting a revolver with a bobbed hammer. You can't do that with a semi-auto because it will jam.
BTW-2,be VERY aware that if you do shoot through your pants pocket that your pants will likely catch on fire. BIG reason to wear a jacket and keep it in your jacket pocket instead of a pants pocket. You can pull your jacket off to stomp out the fire,but you are going to look both silly and obvious trying to run away in your drawers.
