Mounting a red dot on a 1911

Hi
I'm looking at different mounts. One has the rail connected directly to one grip, so you replace one grip and your done no drilling involved.
Does anyone have experience with these ? Any good? 
The other one I was looking at would bridge the slide and get a bunch of screws holding it on. Drilling all those holes in a gun doesn't excite me.
Any advice appreciated,  thanks Tom

Absolutely the best way.  Adjust the recoil spring.

https://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=1684

The grip mount has a tendency of coming loose if you’re not careful and also sets the scope up fairly high above the bore line which is not preferable. You also describe the frame out which is only use by a small percentage of shooters out there. And the most common method is the slide mount which mounts a rail directly to the slide.
Jon

I've been happy with this one.  It has a built-in brass defector.
http://www.marvelcustomguns.com/1911_new_bo-mar.htm

Slide mounts account for 85-90% of the optic mounts out there.  Many shooters that start with frame mounts end up changing to slide mounts as they get better or when they have their 1st purpose built bullseye gun made.  Some people just prefer the feel of a frame mount some prefer the feel of a slide gun.  I have several slide mounts including a KC's Integral Slide Cut:

KC's Slide Cut (mine isn't as beautiful as this one)


Frame mounts, I have several including a LB wad gun with a bridge mount, and I wouldn't get another LB style bridge mount. Frame mounts are easier to tune for light loads.  My favorite is a RedBuff mount on a 38 Super KC built for me.  If I were looking for a new frame mount today I'd consider a David Sams (SCG) Aimpoint Micro Mount. Or a Double Alpha Academy DAA that mounts the Micro at 90 degrees so it can sit almost on top of the slide. 

- Dave

RedBuff on my KC built 9MM he rebarreled with 1-10 twist 6" 38 Super



SCG


DAA Mount

OK thanks guys. 
I was thinking frame mount so I could just swap out the conversion kit and not mess with the scope.
Maybe I'll just get two slide mounts.
Tom

If you should go with a grip mount, the old NPC ones, occasionally found on Ebay, are the best, in my opinion................

You may want to look into Steve Huff's mounting systems. Try Accuracy X and check some of them out. They would require some slide modifications, but may give you what you are looking for.

thessler wrote:OK thanks guys. 
I was thinking frame mount so I could just swap out the conversion kit and not mess with the scope.
Maybe I'll just get two slide mounts.
Tom

Never use a frame mount on a conversion, the rail (optic or iron sight) is attached to the barrel, take advantage of that.  The zero's between the conversion and the 45 will not even be close so swapping the upper and using the same optic will be problematic.

- Dave

I understand many shooters use the slide mount, presumably on tuned wad guns with light BE loads.

What if I wanted to run standard GI ball FMJ loads? Is it just a matter of starting with a gun that works with the loads, mount the rib and optic, then choosing a recoil spring that runs correctly?

Yes.  The extra mass typically requires a lighter spring.  Since it takes the gun out of the EIC category, why would you still run 230 ball?

On th other hand, if you want to make your EIC gun do double duty, a grip mount is the only way you can go other than having a new slide fitted.

+ 1 on Marvel

Wobbley wrote:Yes.  The extra mass typically requires a lighter spring.  Since it takes the gun out of the EIC category, why would you still run 230 ball?
...

Thanks.

Not a competition gun, not concerned about EIC. I just want to shoot any cheap loads, including a bunch of "vintage" GI type brown box M1911 that I already own.

You can replace your rear sight with one of these and mout a reflex sight.
http://www.egwguns.com/optima/docter/vortex-mounts/
Or, you can buy a Kimber like I did - comes ready to mount an optic.
The second from the top is my Kimber and below it is a Dan Wesson with an EGW Mount.
https://i.imgur.com/PZR9m6W.jpg

I much prefer the Kimber with the optic being mounted significantly lower.  I shoot this gun for several different disciplines and the lower optic is easier to shoot.  If just shooting bullseye the higher mount is fine.
The Dan Wesson is getting the slide milled to accept the Kimber optic plate.  We’ll see how my cunning plan works out.
Jeff