Here's what you need to do to turn a so-so G.I. pistol into a fighting weapon.
1. The issue sights must go. Replace them with 3-dot or Millet white outline high visibility sights. Tritium sights are nice, if you can afford them, but not mandatory.
2. Get a trigger job that produces a crisp 3.5-4.5 pound pull.
3. Replace the sloppy, G.I. stamped short trigger with a National Match type that has an over travel stop screw. Trigger over travel after the sear disengages the hammer is probably the biggest contributor to inaccuracy in a .45. The NM trigger paired with a good trigger job does wonders for your shooting and builds confidence.
4. Replace the standard M1911 ejector with the extended Combat Commander ejector. Ejection jams, including stovepipes, will become extinct.
5. Replace the G.I. plastic or wooden grips with Pachmayr “Classic” neoprene grips. The pistol will no longer squirm about in your lands due to skin oil and sweat.
6. Check your pistil for a good barrel-slide lockup. Install a barrel that locks positively into the slide. You may have to do some fitting and change the barrel link. Do NOT use a bulged muzzle that requires a collet-type barrel bushing. (You've introduced two non-standard parts — the collet barrel bushing and bulged muzzle barrel — if you add these parts.)
7. If you must refinish the pistol, never blue the parts. At minimum get it manganese phosphated (”Parkerized’). Alternatively, a baked-on epoxy coating will stand lots of abuse. Metacol III, Gunkote, Duracoat, or CeraKote are examples of these spray-on and bake coatings.
8. Install a Wolff spring kit so all your springs will be refreshed with new ones.
Once your G.I. .45 has gotten this tune-up, you'll have a real “go to war” pistol.
Forty plus years ago I looked up the FSN for the 1911A1 pistol. The government price for one was 57 dollars—— which of course meant that none had been purchased since WW2.
I believe that the biggest problem in accuracy for GIs was the wretched POS sights they were issued with——just like my brand new expensive Colt Series 70 in the 1970s.
Since the end of WW1 Colt had more than 60 years to improve their product and couldn’t be bothered to lift a pinky finger to improve it. I also bought a Gold Cup so I know they were capable of it. They deserved to lose the contract.