Finding a frame for nelson conversion

I am looking to find the best option for a nelson conversion dedicated frame and i don't want to spend more that $400. What options do I have for getting the best quality for the price?

You will need some luck

I had considered buying a RO and trying to find someone to buy the slide, barrel, etc...

VolScorpion wrote:I had considered buying a RO and trying to find someone to buy the slide, barrel, etc...

I put mine on a Remington R1 and put a KC Battle trigger assy.  The R1 is a fairly cheap 1911 and with the Nelson you really don't need a custom BE gun IMO.  Don

How do you like the remington frame with the battle Are? Was looking at that closely

VolScorpion wrote:How do you like the remington frame with the battle Are?  Was looking at that closely

I really like it I can't tell the difference between it and my LB Wadgun except for the bang.  Don

Okay, I just ordered my les baer so I was looking at getting a very similar 1911 rimfire

Add cost changing out all the internals,add checkering,trigger work, beavertail you're close to a custom build...but everyone has their budget.

Caspian has marked down Foster frames to $100-120 recently

rreid wrote:Caspian has marked down Foster frames to $100-120 recently

I thought about going that route but didn't want to do all the fitting.  Don

$400 is gonna be tough. The frame alone could cost $100-$300 depending on what you find. Finish work may or may not be needed. Then internals. Find a local plinker that has a used Springfield for sale. Make some adjustments to the trigger, change out Mainspring and you should be good. Not a cheap thing. But the Nelsons shoot wonderful.

What do I need to do to the trigger if I will be putting in a kc roll trigger? What is the purpose of changing the mainspring? This is all new to me

VolScorpion wrote:What do I need to do to the trigger if I will be putting in a kc roll trigger?  What is the purpose of changing the mainspring? This is all new to me

I did not have to do anything but put the trigger parts in the gun and have not changed the main spring.  I have a Matchdot II riding on the slide as I bought the Nelson with the rail on it.  It has eat any ammo I have fed it so far from SV to HV.  Now I did say a few bad words while installing the parts as the R1 has a trigger bar lever which my LB didn't and that little part was a bear for me to get on the pin beside the sear.  I had to remove every thing again to put in the Les Brown Long trigger so I could use one of Frank's trigger shoes and it all went back in a lot faster the second time.  Don

Sometimes - depending on ammo - you can get the conversion to run just fine using a standard 23# mainspring. Most people I've talked to use a 19# or 20#. I use a 20#. A lighter spring just works a little better. A heavier mainspring will make it hard for the ammo to push the slide back along with the hammer. Could slow it down too much. Failure to feed or failure to eject could be symptoms. Not always a problem. But for reliability in a MATCH lighter mainsprings are popular. 

The comment I made about the trigger is if you plan on using stock internals. Stoning a sear, hammer hooks, deburring parts etc. If you plan on using a KC kit I believe it's drop in ready. I don't own one. Regardless - KC kit or stock parts - your sear spring may or may not need to be tuned/adjusted. It's a crap shoot when you throw together a bunch of parts and things from multiple manufactures.

Okay that makes sense, I currently am shooting a volquartsen scorpion with a target frame and it's a great gun, but I just wanted to be shooting two 1911s in a match instead of changing different types of triggers and different grip angles

This may be a bad idea but I would check with Larry Nelson if they have any experience with the kit below? The ignition parts are more than likely not good but If are going to do a roll trigger it doesn't matter. $300 for a built lower is cheap. I would also call SARCO and see if they have any built RIA lowers. Building your own lower will cost $600 to $800 and fitting the grip safety is tough the parts will cost more than the frame. That said if you get some really good stones, and a Harrison Design true radius sear jig maybe an Iver Johnson lower is good enough? 

http://www.iverjohnsonarms.com/3001/9501.html

rich.tullo wrote:This may be a bad idea but I would check with Larry Nelson if they have any experience with the kit below? The ignition parts are more than likely not good but If are going to do a roll trigger it doesn't matter. $300 for a built lower is cheap. I would also call SARCO and see if they have any built RIA lowers. Building your own lower will cost $600 to $800 and fitting the grip safety is tough the parts will cost more than the frame. That said if you get some really good stones, and a Harrison Design true radius sear jig maybe an Iver Johnson lower is good enough? 

http://www.iverjohnsonarms.com/3001/9501.html

I would go with a built I just didn't ask on here.  I have always liked my R1 as I shoot it well in IDPA and would rather have kept it stock.  Putting a lower together is the easy part making it nice may require blending the grip safety, main spring housing and a few other place,  Don

I don't know why you didn't like this choice. I don't have any horse in this race but a loaded SA lower for 500.00 is a good deal. It is more than 400.00 but not much and if your buying a Baer I don't think money is the problem. If I didn't have 1911's in excess I would buy it just because.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Item/637716035

LenV wrote:I don't know why you didn't like this choice. I don't have any horse in this race but a loaded SA lower for 500.00 is a good deal. It is more than 400.00 but not much and if your buying a Baer I don't think money is the problem. If I didn't have 1911's in excess I would buy it just because.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Item/637716035

Very nice and I would have bought it had I known I could and still might so I can put my R1 back to stock.  Thanks.  Don

I had a rounded mainspring housing on this lower so when I decided to use it as a dedicated lower it was easy to change to a 19# mainspring at the same time. I might have tried it with the original spring but grips didn't work so it was a no-brainer. I like the two tone look but it doesn't make it shoot better.