[Dave Waits]

What I always suggest is to first get Jerry Kuhnhausens' great manuals in the 1911/1911A1 and study them with your pistol in front of you. A good understanding about how all the parts work and how they work with each other will make doing the mods much easier as you'll know what happens when you do what.

As for how to do things, I would suggest that when you're ready, start hanging out and reading the how-to threads in Forums like 1911pro.com and other sites where the pros like John Harrison, Dave Berryhill, Chuck Rodgers and such hang out. There are some large egos there but, there is also a trove of great information.