1911 Accessories Not to Miss

If you own a 1911, then you need 1911 accessories - end of story. The same could be said of people that own a Mossberg 500 or a Lee-Enfield Rifle or a Springfield 1903 - you’ll need accessories for these if you own them.

The point is if you’re going to take good care of your favorite platform, you need to have the accessories to do so, and in this case the name is 1911 accessories. These are some of the critical accessories you need; you might need others, but this is a good place to start.

1.Firing Pins/Hammer Pins

If everything else on your 1911 works but your firing pin is broken or your hammer pin is missing or worn down, then you are thereafter the proud owner of a semi-functional non-firing replica, and an expensive one at that. Firing pins and hammer pins are relatively easy to replace with only a little know-how, and probably the most important part to keep on hand as well.

2.Mainsprings

While it might be obvious that a broken or missing firing pin would compromise the firearm, a worn out mainspring will result in an unsettling (and potentially dangerous) click when you drop the hammer. Many firearms are susceptible to this form of wear; it might even be a more common problem than a broken pin.

The mainspring that operates behind the firing pin is critical. If it does not store and release adequate energy then the primer won’t ignite and you’ll have a misfire. Also, the mainspring is under a lot of tension and heavy use, and they wear out from time to time.

3.Extractors

Extractors are another one of those parts that no one thinks about till they stop working. A broken extractor or one that is worn down too far will fail to eject the empty cartridges from your 1911, converting it into something like a single-shot pistol. They’re also cheap and relatively easy to replace, so don’t let that happen to you.

4.New Barrels

Just like everything else on a 1911, the rifling in the barrel will wear down over periods of use. Even if you lightly use yours, over time the lands will wear away and accuracy will suffer. You’ll want to replace your barrel every so-many-thousand rounds, but a careful disassembly and visual inspection in the wake of poor grouping should tip you off.

5.Grips

While you can theoretically use a “naked” 1911, they’re a lot prettier when they’re decked out with unique or custom grips. Some 1911 grips are made from exotic materials as well, like ivory; many of these are rare and expensive and will give your gun a lot or character, even though they won’t really impact performance.

6.Spare Magazines

Spare magazines are probably the most commonly sought out 1911 accessory of them all, because who couldn’t use a spare mag? Whether you carry your 1911 for self-defense or love to burn brass at the range, a spare mag is a potential lifesaver either way. At the very least, loading a ton of rounds into mags at the range is not the way to have a good time. Carry a few loaded spares with you and make the most of it.

7.Sights

Some - many - used firearms come missing critical components like sights and chokes. While your 1911 won’t come missing a choke, it might come missing sights, or with bent sights that cannot be repaired.

Then again, maybe your 1911 didn’t come without sights and you simply want to upgrade to night-sights or something else of that nature. You can do it, when you have access to a collection of the right parts and accessories.

8.Cleaning Brushes (and other 1911 accessories for cleaning)

Cleaning is an essential part of being a responsible firearm owner, and it’s one that far too many people neglect. It’s one thing to own a side by side with chromed barrels and fixed chokes accumulate fouling; it’s bad enough, but not too much can go wrong.

For those who shoot muzzleloaders, firearms with complex actions or semi-autos, failing to clean can seriously mess up your firearm to the point that you’ll need to replace parts instead of being able to restore them.

9.1911 Holsters

Any respectable collection of 1911 parts and accessories would surely have some 1911 holsters, and we here at Sarco, Inc., are no different. Whether you actually carry yours or just want it to look cool, we have the holsters to make it possible.

10.How About a Full 1911 Parts Kit?

When all else fails, then the ultimate accessory to keep on hand is a full 1911 build kit or parts kit. A complete parts kit for a 1911 pistol will have at least one of everything mentioned here with the exception of a holster, and some also lack scales. Still, for the most part, you can get one or more of everything with a parts kit.

Is something not working on your 1911? Do you want to learn more about making repairs or replacements? Call us up first - we’re not just the largest provider of specialty parts, we have a lot of experience, too, and that’s all to serve you better! Call us up at 610-250-3960 whenever you need help!