M1911-A1

M1911-A1REDUXDrawingsoftheGovernmentModelM1911-A1Semi-AutomaticPistol,OriginallyDesignedbyJohnBrowningforColtFirearmsCompany,Completely3DCADModeledandRedrawnWithPresent-DayStandardsandTechnologybyRioBenson,BensonConsulting,LLP,©2010re·dux(rē-dŭks’)adjectiveBroughtback;returned.Usedpostpositively.FROMRIOBENSON,BENSONCONSULTING,LLP,ONTHEPREPARATIONOFTHESEDOCUMENTSToqualifymyeffortsinthedevelopmentofthisdrawingpackage:AsaMachineandMechanicalDesigner,I’vebeenpreparingdrawingstoDOD-100/1000andASME/ANSIY14standards,foraliving,formorethanahalfcentury.Iamalsoashooterandafirearmsenthusiastwithsportingexperiencesincemymid-teensandsignificantmilitaryfirearmsexperiencefrommylateteenstomylate-twenties.IamalsoanavidfanofJohnM.Browningandthe“original”M1911.Historically,whenthedrawingsforJohnM.Browning’sColtM1911werefirstcreated,therewaslittleinthewayof‘consensus’standardstoguidethedesignersandmanufacturersofthedayineitherdrawingformatorinDODdocumentationofmaterialsandfinishes.Forthemostpart,thesewereadded,hitormiss,inlaterdrawingrevisions.Furthermore,duetotheoriginaldesign’sflawlesspracticalityandit’samazinglongevity,thegovernment’sinvolvement,andthefactthatintheensuing100-plusyearsofproductiontheM1911designhasbeenofficiallyfabricatedbyseveraldifferentmanufacturers,thedrawingshavegonethroughmany,manyrevisionsandredrawsinordertoaccommodateallthesevariousinterests.These‘mandatedbycommittee’redrawsandrevisionswerenotalwaysmadebythemostcompetentofdesigners,andstrictdocumentcontrolwasvirtuallynon-existentatthetime.Allofthishasledtoanexceedinglysadstateofcredibility,legibility,andeventheavailabilityoflegitimateM1911drawingstoday.Granted,theM1911isstillbeingproducedbyamultitudeofmanufacturers,butobviouslynottotheoriginaldrawings.Thecurrentmanufacturershavetheirowndocumentation,includingtheirownmodificationsandproductionimprovements.Becauseoftheircompetitiveness,thereislittlechanceanyofthesecurrentmanufacturerswillpublishorfurnishanypartoftheirdocumentation,sincetheymightbegivingawaysomeoftheirtradesecrets.Ofcourse,wemustassumethatnoneofthesemanufacturershaveeverheardof“reverseengineering”[LOL].Withthatbeingsaid,IhavenoticednumerousrequestsforM1911drawingsovertheyears,andnowhavingthetime,theknowledge,andthemeans,IdecidedtomodeltheM1911in3D,usingSolidWorks2009,andthencreateupdateddrawingsfromthosemodels.Mysourcefortheoriginal[?]drawingscame,freeofcharge,fromtheinternet.AsadrawingsetfortheM1911thesewerebetterthannothing,buttheywerefullofmisinterpretations,errors,omissions,inadditiontobeingverydifficulttoread.Unfortunately,thatwasallthatwasavailable.Duetothepoorlegibilityofthereduceddrawingsizes,originaldraftingquality,andreproducibilityofthesourcedocuments,andalsoofthecollectivequestionableveracityofrevisionstatus,anumberofassumptionsandeveninterpolationshadtobemadeinthecreationofthesubjectdocumentationpackage.Whileeveryattemptwasmaderegardingthemaintenanceoftechnicalcorrectnessandcompleteness,I(RioBenson),orBensonConsulting,LLP,cannotwarrantorguaranteethepackage’saccuracyorsuitabilityformanufacture,andrecommenditsusebelimitedtoonlythatofasourceofinterestingandhistoricalinformation.Thispackageisfurnishedfreeofcharge,andtheusermustassumeanyandallliabilityinanyconnectionwithitsuse.Thelawsregardingintellectualpropertyapplyhere.Thisdocumentationmaybepublishedanddistributedfreelyasacompletepackage,withoutcharge,providednothingisalteredinanyway.Furthermore,thiswritingisanintegralpartofthepackageandmustaccompanyitinanyofitspublishedforms.Bytheway,thispackageprintsbestonatabloid(11x17inch)printer,colororno.Onlytwosizesofdrawingformatwereused,B(11x17)andD(22x34).TheadvantageoftheDsizeislessformatperdrawingarea.TheDsizeprintedonatabloidsheetresultsinahalf-sizereproduction(half-sizeisnothalfasheet;doyourmath)thatisstillquitelegibleforallbutthelegallyblind.AlloftheSolidWorks2009modelsanddrawingscreatedforthispackageareavailablefromme,[e-mail],forasmallfeetohelpcovermyexpensesinmaterials,equipment,andtime.WhileIwillgladlyassistanyonewishingit,technically,Iamnotinthehabitofdoinganyone’sworkforthemwithoutsomeformofcompensation.Theapproachtotheupdatedmodelingandredrawingcontainedinthispackagewasasfollows:1.Whereverpossible,‘turn-of-the-century’machineshopmethodologyandtechnologywasusedindeterminingthedesignintentoftheoriginaldocumentation.2.Otherwise,noattemptwasmadetoarbitrarilychangeanydimensionsortolerances,howevercostlytheywouldbetoreproduce.Therewere,however,afewinstanceswherethe“original”dimensionsweregeometricallyimpracticaltofabricateorwereincorrect,thusdictatingachange.Furthermore,theapplicationofcurrentdraftingstandardsrequiredsomeadditionalchanges.Overall,andasanaddedbenefit,thechangesmadeshouldmakethedrawingsmorelegible,logical,andeasiertoread.3.Manufacturingtechnologyinmaterials,heattreatment,andfinisheshavechangedconsiderablyinthepastseveralyears,therebymakingvirtuallyallofthe“original”drawingnotesobsolete.Infactmostofthestandardsandspecificationsoriginallyreferredtohavebeenobsoletedorsuperseded.Asaresultthere