10 1911 Accessories and Parts for Upgrades

The infamous 1911 is one of the most widely owned pistols in the country, and its basic design has been knocked off and replicated probably more than any other handgun in the world. You don’t even need to be historically astute to recognize the basic silhouette of a Colt 1911. It’s everywhere.

As a consequence of its popularity, 1911 accessories are widespread and, generally speaking, also readily accessible. It’s not too hard to find accessories and parts for a 1911, and no one has more 1911 accessories than Sarco, Inc.

1.Recoil Spring and Spring Guides

If you’re experiencing issues with cycling such as failure to eject or feed, it could be due to a fatigued recoil spring. Replacing these springs is easy enough, and we have no shortage of recoil springs specifically for 1911 pistols in our collection of 1911 accessories and parts.

If you’re going to replace a fatigued 1911 recoil spring, you should also think seriously about upgrading your pistol with a recoil spring guide. The spring guide will help prevent kinking or twisting of the recoil spring, which may extend its useable lifespan. At the very least, it will keep the spring straight, allowed for faster, surer, smoother cycling.

2.Firing Pin Assemblies

After a couple of thousand rounds, there’s a good chance your firing pin is going to break. Realistically, as one of the parts of any gun that sees the hardest use, any firing pin is going to break or deform eventually, at which point it will need to be replaced.

If your pistol doesn’t fire but you’re confident the issue is not associated with the trigger or the spring, first check to see where the firing pin is striking the primer. Sometimes firing pins don’t strike the primer at the center, which is the issue - but it could also be that you need to replace your firing pin outright.

3.Magazine Catches

If you have a hard time reaching the mag release, you can swap out your magazine catch for a larger, more ergonomic model. There are tons of extended mag catches designed specifically for 1911 pistols and variants that can significantly diminish the time needed to remove a spent mag and replace it with a new one. In competition, that time saved can equate to higher scoring - but that’s far from the only way an extended mag catch can help you.

4.Magazines

Magazines might not be the most exciting 1911 accessory, but they are definitely one of the most practical. Magazines also have a habit of wearing out internally after prolonged use (or with advanced age) and may not seat properly or feed reliably. If any of those situations befall you, you’ll need to get new mags. Besides, a new magazine that feeds smoothly and reliably gives a slide-action pistol like a 1911 new life.

5.New Triggers

The factory trigger on most 1911 pistols and variants won’t give you much cause for concern. In fact, this is one of the prime features that make the platform so popular, since it moves only along one axis and breaks reliably. Either way, if you feel that a new trigger could improve your confidence behind the platform, it’s easy enough to replace.

6.Upgraded Sights

If the iron sights on your 1911’s slide aren’t cutting it for you, you can replace them with new iron sights or upgrade them to a fiber optic or tritium night sights, both of which are far superior in low light conditions to the faction iron sights most pistols come with.

7.1911 Lanyards

It’s a ho-hum accessory, but lanyards were once a common sight on military-issued 1911 service pistols. While it might not be the most exciting 1911 accessory in our collection, adding a lanyard to your 1911 can keep it close at hand, and most importantly, can keep you from losing your pistol.

8.Mag Pouches

Just like 1911 lanyards, magazine pouches are necessarily exciting, but they do represent a lot of value and make it practical to keep your magazines close at hand when you need them most. Best of all, many of our mag pouches have space for two, so with a loaded mag in the gun, you can keep effectively three charged mags close by.

9.New Grips

New grips can add a lot of flash and character to a 1911, but they can also vastly improve your grip on the pistol, especially if you find the factory grips too angular or uncomfortable. The truth is, comfort while shooting is a huge impactor on confidence, and if pulling the trigger makes you flinch because it’s uncomfortable to hold the firearm, your abilities will suffer.

Upgrade your 1911 with comfortable grips that fit your hand more adequately so you can train in comfort and build confidence. You can swap out your grip scales easily enough, but you can also invest in larger, fuller grips like wraparound grips for even greater comfort.

10.A New Barrel

A new barrel is also not a really exciting 1911 accessory, but it is one of the most practical of all. If your firearm is aging or has seen its share of rounds to the tune of many thousands, you might notice that accuracy suffers a little bit. Over time, the rifling will wear down, and when that happens, you’re going to need to replace the barrel to restore it. Also, upgrading to a higher quality barrel like a match-grade barrel may help you shrink your grips, even if your barrel doesn’t necessarily need to be replaced.

11.A Spare Parts Tin

One more bonus 1911 accessory - a spare parts tin to keep springs, pins, and other small hardware close at hand so you can make repairs on the fly or in the field.

Except where noted, all of our 1911 parts are blued steel and series 70. If you have any questions about these parts, about how to make upgrades or installations, or are looking for additional ways to improve your shooting experience, feel free to reach out to us directly. You can get us by phone at 609-250-3960 or come visit us at our location in Easton, Pennsylvania, where we would be glad to assist.