Hacksaw for a 1911 school? Huh?

[Peacekeeper1408]

I was looking over the required equipment for the Cylinder & Slide 1911 pistolsmithing course (really wish I could go) and it requires an 18 tooth blade hacksaw. My knowledge of 1911 smithing is small, but I've never heard of using a hacksaw on it or any other pistol. Anybody know what use it would serve?

[Buck]

Anybody know what use it would serve?

In the interests of all 1911 owners everywhere, that’s what they use to cut your hands off with if you fail the course…

[Peacekeeper1408]

In the interests of all 1911 owners everywhere, that’s what they use to cut your hands off with if you fail the course…

They should use a dremel for that. :D Too many good guns ruined by one.

[mark5pt56]

Maybe when used with a jig for checkering? No idea really since I'm ignorant in that AO.

[Sam]

Maybe when used with a jig for checkering? No idea really since I'm ignorant in that AO.

Files are used to checker.

Maybe the hacksaw is for any possible desire to bobtail a gun.

[RD62]

I can't think of anything you'd use it for, but what do I know?

-RD62

[HankL]

The only thing that I can think of is using the saw to make tools to use when working on the 45. i.e. they supply some steel rod, you slot it with your saw for a sandpaper holder ???

[MX5]

C&S is well known for really small 1911s & Browning HPs. Back in the day (I started 'smithing in the early to mid-70s), we used to make our own parts or modify existing OEM parts. We couldn't buy what is now readily available - slides, frames & other parts were shortened, extended, welded, ground, etc. The names Swenson, Nonte, Behlert, Brown, Power, C&S, Seacamp, ASP & Devel come to mind. There were many others; some are no longer with us. Mini 1911s, P35s, S&Ws were made from scratch from full sized blasters. A small 1911 was a Commander, or you 'chopped & channeled' it yourself. Good luck with those longer or shorter mags, mag springs & recoil springs - it was all trial & error. Pocket guns were .25acp or smaller. There were no Officers Models, small S&Ws or Glocks. You could build a Colt Python from a early Colt full-sized revolver & there was even a gun called the "Smolt" - Python barrel on S&W frame. I remember seeing an 11" barrel/slide 1911.

Sights? We had factory, Bo-Mar, S&W adjustable revolver sights or we made them ourselves. 1911 mags held 7 rds, tritium sights didn't exist & plastic was crap. Hell, you had to weld-up & reshape a 1911 thumb or grip safety to get what you can buy today. We had no Internet, there were no paint finishes - it was blueing or parkerizing. Hard chrome was becoming the next best finish. The first portable handgun laser sight was as big as the gun, required a back mounted power supply & goggles.

Modern usage: I shortened the frame of a Kahr P9 to PM9 length long before Kahr made their 1st Covert model. Also, I've modified Glock G19 to G26 frame size & Glock G22 to G27 frame size. Dave Bowie at Bowie Tactical has developed quite a following for this same type work. Times have changed considerably.