Beater 1911 project, help/input needed!

My stepdad is not a gun dood. He got this rattletrap piece of shit 1911 given to him by a family member who didn't want guns around. He keeps it as a defensive gun, but it runs like ass. It has one magazine I pulled out of my box o' old gun shit from a 1911 I owned years ago. Gave it to him after his original one fell the hell apart while he was shooting it, sending baseplate, spring and ammo straight to the deck.

I told him I would refurbish it and work it over as best I could for Christmas. I originally planned on replacing the recoil spring as it's probably never been replaced, ever. Dood who owned it before wasn't a shooter, that's for sure. It has trouble feeding steel case, which is likely due to the poorly machined feed ramp and barrel that is as not exactly smooth either.

So plans were originally to score some mags, replace the recoil spring, Polish the barrel and feed ramp, paint a new dot on the front sight and black out the rear since it's totally lame three white dots.

Got it to work today and my install manager jokes about how the factory finish looks like a nasty old penny, and says lets sandblast and cerakote that shit Burnt Bronze since he has all the equipment at his house.

A YouTube video and setting up a workbench in the tailgate of my RAV4 later, the 1911 is totally detail stripped.

My manager already got the barrel, the grip and thumb safeties as well as the trigger polished to a mirror finish. I'll have the rest of the gun back from Cerakote Wednesday. Then I get to YouTube how to reassemble the hoss and will need to go test fire it.

So since it's getting such a drastic makeover, the chintzy wraparound rubber grips have to go. I want to find a pair that will match the color of Burnt Bronze well enough, and has little or no texture so I can stipple them myself. Any suggestions? I've spent about 2 hours in the iPhone finding nothing I like, I'd rather not just order Magpul and call it a day but if it comes to that, it's ok.

Need to shop for a recoil spring. I know where to score one online, but is that something I can score at Cabellas or Gander mountain? I haven't had time to check by there, so I was hoping one of you doods knew off the top of your head.

Also need mag recommendations. Wanting to go cheap but not garbage. I was looking at these, I had them for my old Springfield Armory and they worked great.

www.cdnnsports.com/magazines/1911-45-8rd-blue-classic-flat.html#.VIvFoIpHbCR

I've also heard that 8 rounders can have feeding issues. I never had problems with my old SA, but I'm no expert on this platform. Opinions or concerns here?

Anyway, any help would be great. I have my work cut out for me, but it should be rewarding. Hopefully when it's said and done I have something better than a rattletrap hunk of garbage that looks amazing.

Here are some pictures:

An Auto Ordinance ZG-51 "Pitbull" with the silliest looking ported barrel I've ever seen:



My makeshift workbench. Can't have guns inside the building at work, so tailgating will do:



All detail stripped and placed into handy envelopes:



What a joke these sights are. Not sure on how I'm how I'm going to fill in the front yet, but I'll figure it out:


The barrel, before and after: my boss is the shit for volunteering to do the polishing, sandblasting and Cerakote!