A Pictorial Guide Polished Throat and Feed Ramp – To improve the feeding of hollow point and other flat point ammunition; the original design had a very sharp feed ramp which fed round nosed (full metal jacket or round nosed) ammunition well, but doesn’t feed hollow point bullets so well. This is a necessity for proper functioning with hollow point defensive ammunition. See “My Fluff and Buff”

Beveled Magazine Well/Magazine Well Extension – To improve the speed and ease with which magazines are inserted into the well during a reload.

The extended magazine well is nice for competition use, but it makes the gun harder to conceal for carry guns. A beveled magazine well is a good compromise for improved loading without the extra length, but it is not a necessity.

Custom Sights – The original sights of the M1911 and M1911A1 were quite small and did not lend themselves to rapid target acquisition. Custom sights enable to shooter to more quickly get a sight picture.

Lowered/Flared Ejection Port –

To improve ejection of the spent casing out of the chamber.

This is a necessity for reliable functioning.

Extended, Ambidextrous, and Tactical Safety – Safeties come in many different sizes and shapes as you can see from the pictures to the right. It’s generally a matter of personal preference. For instance, the width and size of extended safeties varies from maker to maker, and gunsmiths can round, trim, and shape safeties into almost any shape. Some people like the safety to be accessible from both sides of the gun, while others like the ‘thinner’ feel of only having one.

You may replace your safety several times before you find one you like. Or you might be lucky and get one that fits right from the factory.

Beavertail Grip Safety – Increases the area over which recoil is spread which reduces the pounding of the web of your hand; eliminates hammer bite, and allows you to get a higher grip on the gun without being bit by the slide. Also provides for a more consistent grip, resulting in greater accuracy.

If you add an extended beavertail to the gun, you must either bob the hammer or install a Commander style hammer.

“Loop” or “Skeletonized” Commander Style Hammer

or Bobbed Hammer – A Commander style hammer, a.k.a. “loop” or “skeletonized” hammer, generally fits with a beavertail grip safety.

The Commander style hammer is lighter which provides a faster firing cycle for the gun and it is less likely to snag on clothing when drawn from concealment.

If you add an extended beavertail to the gun, you must either bob the hammer or install a Commander style hammer.

A bobbed hammer allows the grip safety to be trimmed back considerably at the risk of putting your hand up into the slide when grabbing the gun. The worst configuration is the spur hammer with no beavertail safety.

Checkered Front Strap – Checkering is done to improve the grip, feel and style of the gun. This is generally a matter of preference. Some treatments feel better than others, and some look really cool.

Mainspring Housing – There are a lot of variants available here; it’s generally a matter of personal preference.

Cocking Serrations – These are grooves in the slide which make gripping the slide to cock the gun easier. There could be serrations on the back or both (there are few without serrations at least on the back). The depth and style of serrations vary considerably. Some users have found that they do not like the front cocking serrations because they tend to tear up leather holsters.

Slide Release – There are various types of slide releases, including standard, tactical, and extended. This is a matter of taste and whether or not you feel you can operate the release without the extensions, which are similar to the extensions on safeties.

Extended slide stops can be dangerous because they extend back nearer to the thumb which makes them more likely to be inadvertently engaged by the thumb in recoil.

Melting – “Melting” is the process of smoothing off all the hard edges on the gun. Simple de-burring and softening is called “dehorning,” while melting actually alters the look of the gun.

A service weapon should at least be de-horned. Higginbotham says that it should feel smooth “like a bar of soap.”

Porting and Compensators – The purpose of porting and compensation is to keep the muzzle down during the recoil pulse of the gun. Ports are holes which are drilled through the top of the barrel and slide which release gasses in a jet as the bullet passes them in the barrel. It acts like a retro rocket on a space capsule, pushing the barrel down. The compensator adds weight to the front of the gun reducing the upward flip of the gun when it fires and pulling the muzzle down for more rapid re-acquisition of the target.

Note: Ported barrels are not allowed in IDPA competition. Porting is a modification which is primarily done on IPSC competition guns. It is not advised for a personal defense weapon since in the even that the gun might need to be fired close to the body (from retention) the hot gasses could spray up into the eyes.

See also:

Custom Auto Pistol Modifications for Serious Duty by Jim Higginbotham

Fluff & Buff – Tips for enhanced break-in and reliability preparation for autoloading pistols

Reliability Secrets by John Marshall

Recommended Modifications to the Colt .45 Auto for Self-Defense Use by Les Bengtson

Comments, suggestions, contributions? Let me know