Here is an interesting project that I thought I would share with you. After falling in love with 1911’s around 4 years ago, I found that I wasn’t shooting any of the other pistols in my collection, so I sold them. This left me in the unusual position of having money for firearms “stuff” but not needing anything. I started looking for a new project. After a little research I decided it would be “fun” to own a suppressor. I live in a Class 3 friendly state (TN) so it was just a matter of doing all the proper paper work and getting the needed signatures (which was actually much easer than I thought it would be). The suppressor is at my dealer awaiting final approval by the government.
This leads me up to my project. I have always preferred the compact 1911’s, I own two, a Kimber stainless aluminum compact (which is my carry/IDPA gun), and a Kimber stainless compact that was my first 1911. I wanted to put the suppressor on the stainless compact and keep my other Kimber as it was.
Now I already knew no one made a drop in threaded bull barrel for the Kimber due to its unusual size (larger than a Officers smaller than a Commanders). My first thought went to welding a threaded extension on to the front of my existing barrel. The suppressor manufacture told me that that would not be a good idea, OK now for plan 2.
Plan 2:
Put a Commander length slide on the compact Kimber, and take a standard length barrel and cut it down to commander length + ½” for the threads.
I purchased a stainless Comanche length slide, night sights, and fitted match bushing from Les Baer. I was able to talk with Les about what I was planning to do and he was both helpful and friendly.
I purchased a standard length (5”) match barrel from Ed Brown; I wanted to go with stainless because the suppressor that I ordered worked best with 5cc of water in it. What I didn’t realize (having only had bull barrels in the past) is that a standard barrel flairs slightly at the muzzle to fit snuggly in the front bushing.
This leads me up to my project. I have always preferred the compact 1911’s, I own two, a Kimber stainless aluminum compact (which is my carry/IDPA gun), and a Kimber stainless compact that was my first 1911. I wanted to put the suppressor on the stainless compact and keep my other Kimber as it was.
Now I already knew no one made a drop in threaded bull barrel for the Kimber due to its unusual size (larger than a Officers smaller than a Commanders). My first thought went to welding a threaded extension on to the front of my existing barrel. The suppressor manufacture told me that that would not be a good idea, OK now for plan 2.
Plan 2:
Put a Commander length slide on the compact Kimber, and take a standard length barrel and cut it down to commander length + ½” for the threads.
I purchased a stainless Comanche length slide, night sights, and fitted match bushing from Les Baer. I was able to talk with Les about what I was planning to do and he was both helpful and friendly.
I purchased a standard length (5”) match barrel from Ed Brown; I wanted to go with stainless because the suppressor that I ordered worked best with 5cc of water in it. What I didn’t realize (having only had bull barrels in the past) is that a standard barrel flairs slightly at the muzzle to fit snuggly in the front bushing.
