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Best 1911 Upgrades & Mods [Ultimate Guide]

Find out the best 1911 upgrades to make your gun perfect. We're breaking it down into easy DIY mods, gunsmith required upgrades, and recommended products.
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    Love it or hate it, the 1911 is here to stay.

    But sometimes, the ones you find on the shelf need a little more oomph. So, we’re here to help you elevate your pistol with the best 1911 upgrades to make it perfect.

    Three 1911s
    Three 1911s

    We’re breaking it down into easy DIY mods, gunsmith required upgrades, and recommended products.

    So let’s dive in!

    Best 1911 Upgrades

    In this article, we’re not diving into pushing the boundaries of performance and reliability for competition. Just some effective upgrades that can make your 1911 more suitable for your needs.

    Lessons learned from upgrading several of our guns and even building one from the ground up. Also some links from our favorite vendors so you can find the best price at the moment.

    1. Grips

    All it takes is a few turns of a screwdriver to put in new grips that will give your gun a new look and feel. There are waaaay too many options here and it’s mostly personal preference.

    For me…I always like extra grip over everything else.

    I’m also a fan of the thumb groove that lets you hit the magazine release easier. Make sure to choose the correct size based on your 1911…most likely either Government (full-size) or Officers.

    Recover Tactical 1911 Grips, Open
    Recover Tactical 1911 Grips, Open

    Magpul 1911 Grip

    Cheap with moderate grip. What I have in the top-most 1911 above. Except I went above and beyond and also stippled it for extra grip.

    19
    at Amazon

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    VZ Grips

    One of the most well known and respected grip manufacturers of G10 material grips that are virtually indestructible.

    My go-to race gun uses the Simonich Gunner Grips which are known to be the grippiest ones they have.

    Warning though…you’re going to build up some tough hands after a long range session. Operator II’s and Alien’s are grippy but not painful.

    58
    at Amazon

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons
    1911 Ed Brown Maxi Well and VZ Gunner Grip
    1911 Ed Brown Maxi Well and VZ Gunner Grip

    Hogue 1911 Wraparound Grips

    No grip list is complete without Hogue grips. Here is the popular wraparound version which gives you finger grooves along with their trademark grippy rubber surface.

    23
    at Amazon

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Alumagrips

    Forget wood, polymer, and G10…Alumagrips goes with precision milled aluminum for a light and snug-fitting grip.

    I really like their “Grater” model which gives a Goldilocks amount of grip.

    70
    at Amazon

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    2. Magazine Catch

    If you’re having problems reaching the magazine release easily you can swap out the magazine catch for an extended version. The hardest thing you might have to do is light sandpapering to fit it into your frame.

    Wilson Extended Mag Catch

    Extended version from the trusted Wilson Tactical brand.

    35
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    EGW Extended Mag Release

    My preferred extended magazine release since in addition to making it easier to hit, it raises loose-fitting magazines a little higher into the magwell to make feeding more reliable. 

    I was having problems with feeding the first round of a new magazine and switching out the release to this one cured my race gun.

    30
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons
    EGW Raised Magazine Release
    EGW Raised Magazine Release

    3. Mainspring Housing + Magwell

    Chances are your mainspring housing that came with your gun is fine. 

    However, you can choose to swap it out for a different checkering pattern (more or less aggressive), if you want a palm swell or not, or if you want to have a combo extended magwell.

    All Mainsprings

    Too many to count…choose one based on your criteria of pattern, palm swell, and even material.

    43
    at Amazon

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Ed Brown Maxi Well

    My preferred mainspring housing incorporated an extended magazine well for easier magazine changes. The regular magazine well of the 1911 is pretty small and I find the Maxi Well makes it so much easier under stress.

    80
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons
    1911 Ed Brown Maxi Well and VZ Gunner Grip
    1911 Ed Brown Maxi Well and VZ Gunner Grip

    4. Full-Length Guide Rod

    Beating a dead horse topic on forums…

    I prefer to go with a full-length guide rod because it adds some weight to the front which reduces muzzle flip and it minimizes the recoil spring from potentially binding on the short guide rod. 

    I can deal with the slightly more difficult assembly/disassembly process. Plus if you hate it, you’re only out a few bucks.

    Full-Length Guide Rod

    Blue or Stainless options. You decide!

    25
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    5. Extended Slide Release

    Another quick and easy part swap for some decent gains if you’re having trouble hitting the slide lock during reload.

    Wilson Extended Slide Release

    What I chose in my build project and works great. Comes in blue or stainless.

    32
    at Amazon

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    6. Magazines

    If you’re having feeding issues, it’s almost always your magazines. The ones that came with your gun are probably not great. 

    And for the 1911, there are two names that are regarded as the best magazines.

    If you want to really dive deep in this though, we have a dedicated article for the Best 1911 Magazines — 45 ACP and 9mm!

    Wilson Combat Mags

    7- or 8 round-capacity.

    Wilson Combat 1911 Magazine Feed Lips
    Wilson Combat 1911 Magazine Feed Lips
    24
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Chip McCormick Mags

    8 round capacity.

    Chip McCormick 1911 Railed Power Magazine
    Chip McCormick 1911 Railed Power Magazine
    33
    at GunMag Warehouse

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    7. Best 1911 Sights

    Probably the most important upgrade if your 1911 came with stock crappy sights. You can install them yourself but I’ve found 1911 sights require some fitting and sanding that is probably better left to the pros.

    As for what sights are the best…it’s personal preference.

    Rock Island 1911 GI Sights
    Rock Island 1911 GI Sights, not great

    You will also have to figure out if your current sights are Novak or Bomar cut on the frame, and then choose a new sight accordingly. 

    Sometimes you will have to have a gunsmith mill the frame if you’re on a GI frame or looking to switch cuts.

    Night Sights

    A necessity if you are using your 1911 for self-defense purposes where most encounters happen at night.

    Will probably be two-dot rear sight with one dot front sight. Cannot go wrong with Trijicon, Meprolight, or Truglo. More options.

    70
    at Optics Planet

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    XS Big Dot

    Another favorite for quick target acquisition since it’s just lighting up the rear “V” with the big front night sight.

    100
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Fiber Optic Front Sight

    Really visible during the day and a small sight for more accurate shots. You can pair it up with a fiber optic rear site as well. I like running an rear adjustable sight with it. More options.

    39
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Adjustable Rear Sight

    Pairs nicely with a really visible front sight such as a fiber optic. Adjustability allows you to really hone in your accuracy for a set distance and/or ammo.

    Different choices of rear such as pure black or two dot sight. I run the black STI on my race gun.

    67
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Honorable mentions: Heinie Sights and 10-8 Performance. I haven’t personally tried them but I’ve heard rave reviews from competitors

    Heinie Slant Pro
    Heinie Slant Pro

    8. Trigger

    You could probably install it yourself with our guide, but it does require some custom fitting and tweaking. The end result is going to blow your current stock trigger away.

    Wilson Ultralight Match Trigger

    Several lengths and curves. I run two of the long, skeletonized, and with a curve.

    35
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons
    Three 1911s
    Three 1911s

    All Triggers

    Lots of other triggers out there with different looks, I recommend getting one that has overtravel and pretravel tweakability.

    20
    at Brownells

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    What’s your take on fixing up your 1911 trigger until it’s super light and super smooth?

    Readers' Ratings

    5.00/5 (1320)

    Your Rating?

    9. Trigger Job + Springs

    This is how people mess up their 1911s. We have a tuning guide if you’re up to it…but I would suggest leaving it to the pros if you’re not super confident in your skills.

    1911 Trigger Job
    1911 Trigger Job

    And spring changing is how you end up making your 1911 unreliable. I should know…I have a box of different spring weights before I gave up and just went with stock springs.

    Caliber and Barrel vs Recoil Spring Weights
    Caliber and Barrel vs Recoil Spring Weights

    10. Add a Rail

    Do you have a 1911 without an accessory rail? Check out the Grip and Rail System from Recover Tactical.

    This rail installs in just minutes with the supplied hardware and allows you to mount up modern accessories to your 1911.

    39
    at Recover Tactical

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Prices accurate at time of writing

    Available Coupons

    Conclusion

    This should get you started on getting your 1911 a modern facelift! Be careful in how you go about your upgrades and always save the old parts, you never know when you’ll want to revert something down the road.

    What upgrades have you added? Got any “must-haves” that we missed? Let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to take a look at the Best Pistol Weapon Lights and the Best Pistol Mounted Red Dots to take your 1911 to the next level.

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    13 Leave a Reply

    • Commenter Avatar
      Franklin Navarro

      Great info guys. I want to add serrations to the front part of my 1911 grip, and dont have the time to do it myself. I have seen a few videos, but i must admit, this is beyond my skills. Could you recommend anyone that does this kind of jobs? thanks,
      -Frankie

      July 5, 2023 9:01 am
      • Commenter Avatar
        Franklin Navarro

        Checkering! I meant to say Checkering.

        July 5, 2023 10:53 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      GARY WALSH

      Very informative and very precise for a new shooter and even some of us old fogies. Was issued my 1st 1911 as an MP in Berlin 1966.

      January 26, 2022 3:05 pm
    • Commenter Avatar
      Kenneth Miller

      Very informative article. Thanks.
      I carried a 1911 in the Army in Vietnam and I loved it and
      depended on it. But short of knowing how to clean it I had
      no idea the things I could do to upgrade it. I recently bought
      a Government model and I want to upgrade it. My first concern
      is the sights. As you know, the sights are almost non-existent.
      Two questions - First is the rear sight replaceable? Next, Would
      it be a bad idea to replace the slide its self with an upgraded one?
      Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

      December 13, 2021 4:28 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      Albert

      What rail attachments did you add onto the 1911s? It looks like the rails are part of the frame but I know for a fact the colt does not come with a rail installed.

      January 21, 2021 1:19 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      James

      Am I correct in assuming that under the recoil spring table, the 10mm weights should be 18.5 to 20? It says 18.5 to 2, which doesn't make sense.

      December 7, 2018 8:11 pm
    • Commenter Avatar
      MICHAEL S. WHITLOCK

      TRIGGERS: "GREIDER PRECISION" (BOB & JENNY GREIDER)--THEY PURCHASED ALL THE TOOLS, DIES, PRINTS, RAW MATERIALS, ETC. FROM MR. VIDEKI, WHEN HE RETIRED. GREIDER ALSO MAKES THE MAJORITY OF TRIGGERS FOR ALL THE "UBER-HIGH END & FANCY BRAND NAMES".

      MAGAZINES: MCCORMICK RECENTLY SOLD HIS COMPANY TO "WILSON COMBAT", BUT THE MANUFACTURING PLANT IN BOGATA, TEX. SHALL REMAIN. CHIP MADE ALL OF THE "WILSON" MAGAZINES SOLD UNDER THE TRADE NAME "WILSON COMBAT" SINCE DAY #1.

      HINT: YOUR PISTOL COULD CARE LESS WHAT "NAME" IS ON IT'S PARTS !!!! PURCHASE HIGH-QUALITY PARTS WITHOUT THE "BRAND NAME". YOU GET THE SAME PART, BUT THE $$$$$$$ IS MUCH LESS !!!!!

      October 6, 2018 6:44 pm
    • Commenter Avatar
      John

      Hi, Eric. Nice article. What mags would you recommend for a double stack 45? I have a Para Pro Custom that I love but the persistent feed problems where the round seems to enter the chamber at the wrong angle then gets stuck has kept it in my safe instead of at the range. Thanks!

      May 9, 2018 6:24 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      Peter

      Thanks for all the info.......Holland the worst country to own a colt 1911 .22. Info....parts etc is finding a needle in a haystack. Terrible but i love my colt 1911. I see in upgrades & mods nothing about red dot sights....i'd like to mount a docter or similar one. Question if powerful enough. Maybe some info would fill in some blanks........thanks again forr the info.

      February 15, 2018 12:53 am
      • Commenter Avatar
        Eric Hung

        You're welcome, Peter! We have an article on handgun red dot sights here. But it's catering to those with slide cutouts.

        February 15, 2018 10:48 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      cj

      great info.
      hey found a spot that the thought dropped off
      ( cut off mid sentence)

      Best 1911 Sights

      You will also have to figure out if your current sights are Novak or Bomar cut on the frame, and then choose a new sight accordingly. Sometimes you will have to...........???????????

      We will sometimes have to WHAT?

      July 20, 2017 6:04 pm
      • Commenter Avatar
        Eric Hung

        Thanks for catching that! It should read:

        Sometimes you will have to have a gunsmith mill the frame if you're on a GI frame or looking to switch cuts.

        July 23, 2017 9:37 am
    • Commenter Avatar
      WildBillOH

      Hey Eric, great article as always. I completely agree with your top two recommendations for magazines. Here's my #3 which I feel should be included.

      Tripp Research Cobra Mags
      https://www.trippresearch.com/store/store_1911.html

      Great magazines, althought WC are my go-to first choice.

      Take care!

      March 5, 2017 7:55 pm
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