[pale horse]

Ok here is the deal. I would like to have one of my 1911s turned into a bbq gun.

The pistol in question would get the following upgrades.

Everything Hard Chromed
Stag grips with initials on them
nice leather holster to go with it maybe a Tucker rig


Thats all I can think of right now any suggestions?

[tiberius]

BBQ gun? :confused:

[pale horse]

BBQ gun are generally eye candy. They are worn during fancy occasions like weddings, parties, or the every so popular company picknick.

Texas rangers wear them as a Dress gun for formal functions and governor protection so I am told. While I am not going to be going to many formal functions and would not want to protect the governor of the state I do go to bbqs and would like to have a dress gun.

[tiberius]

Oh, I guess I'm not Texan enough to know that term. :)

[rhedley]

http://www.fototime.com/798D7F67608AFF3/standard.jpg

[Skunkabilly]

Bling bling!

[Baba Louie]

tiberius

check out this old thread

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6653&highlight=BBQ+gun

Be sure to read LawDog's summation (page 3) of the difference between a Court gun vs. a BBQ piece. Learn from the master. (and you're in TX?)

Adios

edited to add.
tiberius, not that you don't know, its just that you're kinda new round these parts.

[Gerald McDonald]

Hello Pale Horse,
I have seen many BBQ guns in my short 47 years in Texas. The best ones are understated, but have the ability to make you say "WOW". Hi polish blue with color cased hammer, safety and slide release, light engraving and ivory or stag, light on the bark.

If you want shiney go with nickle with light engraving and a few fire blued parts for contrast with ivory grips. Hard chrome while better than nickle doesnt have the depth. In the border region you see quite a few Q guns that are flashy with black lip pearl grips.

I have never seen a BBQ auto that was not a 1911/commander or P35. Revolvers run towards Pythons or N frame Smiths, but I dont see why a K or L wouldnt do just as well. Rugers, while damn fine shooters just dont cut in the dolled up catagory. But I have seen a Blackhawk tricked up by Turnbull into a Ruger New Frontier that would pass the test.

Some of Colts offerings such as they were could be considered factory Q guns.

Edited to add that the J frames above certainly pass the test.

[Standing Wolf]

...a few fire blued parts for contrast with ivory grips...

You're making me drool on my keyboard, darn it all to heck!

Seriously: does anyone know who does top quality fire and/or nitre bluing?

[tiberius]

Lived here 7 years, I'm not a Texan......yet. :)

But I like the idea of a BBQ gun, that's for sure.


I from Florida...Go Gators! :) :)

[Gerald McDonald]

Standing wolf, do a look up on either Doug Turnbull, Turnbull Customs or Turnbull Restorations. He does charcoal blue, fire blue and the old Hi Polish blue like you used to see on Colts.
Gerald

[Clark]

Here is my first BBQ gun in 1955:
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=473451

[hksw]

BBQ gun are generally eye candy. They are worn during fancy occasions like weddings, parties, or the every so popular company picknick.

You learn something new every day.

[lee n. field]

....this would be an example

OH, my eyes! I can see that when I look away. It'll take a minute to fade.

[MoNsTeR]

I think you need one of Kramer Leather's snakeskin holsters. And don't forget to have the hammer gold-plated, or maybe TiN coated.

[pale horse]

Thanks guys. I am checking Lawdogs post now. Hey where is Lawdog I miss his stories.

[Benjamin]

Whenever there's a thread about BBQ guns, someone mentions the Texas Rangers.

I'm from the wrong side of the country to have first hand experience with them; their website shows a current manufacture, sedate Kimber as a representative 1911; searching on Google has been unproductive.

Could someone please point me to an example of what they might carry?

Something akin to the Renaissance P-35 Browning, or the factory engraved presentation CZ-75's?

Thanks

-Ben

[TheEgg]

The Ranger standard issue is as follows:

Sig Sauer P226 Pistol
Ruger Mini-14 Automatic Rifle
Remington 12 Ga. Shotgun


However, they are authorized to carry any weapons they chose, as long as they can qualify with them. (The current force is 116 strong -- that's right, 116 for the entire state of Texas.)

This address will give you lots of information about historical arms.

http://www.texasranger.org/

Modern arms are a mix -- the one Ranger that I know personally (now retired) carried a Colt 1911 .45 acp, blued, with ivory grips.

Below is a link to a gun carried for a while by Sgt. Drew Carter, which is now on display in the Texas Rangers Museum.

http://www.texasranger.org/benefactors/Eakin_Memorial.htm

[Gerald McDonald]

From the troopers I know they are thinking of switching the Ruger for some form of Sig 223 semi auto rifle. I cant ever remember seeing a Ranger in any photos without some form of 1911. I knew of one who gave an old jeweler in a neighboring town a nickled smith 59 for protection. (they knew each other for years) I'm sure some carry the sig, but probably not a a q gun

[Country Boy]

Skunk - It's not "bling bling", it's "bang bang"! :D

[swingcatt]

Oh! I thought you meant one of these...

http://www.futurehorizons.net/FLAM_lg.jpg

(FYI, It's a hand held flame thrower)

SC

[jarhead]

Clark - please tell me that picture of you holding the cap gun DOES NOT show your finger safely outside the trigger guard maintaining good trigger finger discipline??? I'm going to really worry about you if you were 7 years old and already had that kind of firearm safety discipline...

[Clark]

I was only 5.
I didn't hear about keeping the finger outside the trigger gaurd for another 40 years, but now I am a believer.

When I saw this on line video of a police woman having an accidental discharge, my first thought was, "Get your finger out of that trigger gaurd!"


http://www.ops-se.com/Videos/Negligence.mpg

[BluesBear]

That video!?!?!

Did you see where her muzzle was pointing about 1 second before the ND?
Looks like it was pointed at the officer cuffing the suspect?? Either that or she was planning on shooting the suspect in his glutious maximus.
She couldn't even find her holster to secure it afterwards.

It's people like her that truely scare me.

[Texas Bob]

:evil: Look at putting a caspian Damascus slide on your .45.:D

[Mike Irwin]

I'd apparently never make a Texas BBQ maven, then.

To me, silver guns look garish, like something a pimp would carry when he's slapping his ho's around...

I'm not much of a fan of Colt Pythons, but the Colt Royal Blue that you find on the best of the Pythons, along with a set of Ivory grips?

That's a BBQ, Wedding, Funeral, and Christmas, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, St. Swithen's Day, and otherwise general all around a$$-kicking BBQ gun.

Put that finish on a S&W Model 27, and you have a gun worthy of being taken to the Lord Almighty's BBQ of BBQs....

"Hey Moses, nice Glock, you yutz! Why don't you go part the baked beans!"

[another48hrs]

That video is scary! I live in the Las Vegas area and you hear horror stories about metro and accidental shootings and now the proof is on video. :(

[Rock45]

I have to say that something like "The Westerner" from Safari Arms (Olympic Arms) would look great in a bikini hlster...though I am not sure what kind of history this particular pistol maker has.

[Sisco]

They come out really tough and greasy.
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=119560

[Old Fuff]

Standing Wolf:

If you want to niter-blue small parts (screws, safeties, hammers and triggers, etc) you can easily do it yourself. I have on a kitchen stove, although a camp stove outside is a better idea.

Brownell's has the stuff, and it doesn't have to be expensive. Go to www.brownells.com

You need an iron pot - the kind used to melt lead in will work for small stuff - and the material from Brownells, which comes in powder form.

First polish the parts - the brighter the better, and degrease them.

Second, melt the powder into a liquid on the stove.

Third, put the parts in the bath and watch them color - they'll go from yellow through brown and finely blue

When you see the color you want pick up the part with tongs and drop it into a pan of water. BE CAREFUL- IT MAY SPATTER.

When finished, oil the parts, and you're done.

The solution is the pot will solidify into a solid cake when it cools, but it can be reheated and used over and over.

On request, Brownells will send you the instructions for free. If you don't have a copy of their catalog get one. All sorts of ideas will spring forth.

[Johnny Guest]

- - To very good advantage, though not "over the top."

Last year, I decided my rather dogged-out Commander needed to be put on limited duty, if not into retirement. Friend sold me a newer one, which had a very nice, high polish blue finish. I switched the flat mainspring housing for an arched one, installed a neoprene buffer, checked the sights and carried it with standard Colt checked wood stocks. Couple of days ago, I dug out a pair of plain ivory stocks I'd bought back in the early 1970s.

Y'know, the bright blue finish with smooth ivory look VERY good in a nice holster. I catch myself talking better care of this pistol than of my old one. There's something about even unchecked ivory that allows for a good hold - - Not as slippery as one might think.

I DO keep a fully engraved, carved-pearl-and-gold-overlay-stocked, Government Model as my weddings and funerals piece. It would meet the definition of state occasions-and-barbecue gun, but it lives in the safe over 95% of the time . . . .

Best,
Johnny

[Standing Wolf]

Old Fuff:

Thanks for the suggestion, eh? I'll call Brownells this week and give the stuff a try.

[Sean Smith]

To me, silver guns look garish, like something a pimp would carry when he's slapping his ho's around...

You won't see too many pimps with something like this, Mike. ;)

http://www.imagemagician.org/images/igc_76543/teddelta.jpg

[Black Snowman]

That's cheating Sean it's a flat finish. I think he's talking mirror grade nickle or chrome. Of course I can understand the desire to show off your Delta any chance you get ;)

Sisco, that's some funny stuff. Don't hurt that poor grill now :D

[BluesBear]

Back around 1980 when I was still on the job a friend on mine who was on the County Police carried a 6" Model 28 while in uniform. He carried a 6" Model 27 in BRIGHT nickle (he recommended SemiChrome polish) in the glove compartment of his cruiser. If he had to go inso a bar on a call while working graveyard shift he switched the 28 for the 27. His reasoning was, "If I ever have to pull iron I want every (mothers son) to see it."

I must admit a bright finish makes an N frame look even bigger.

[Mushinto]

... To me, silver guns look garish, like something a pimp would carry when he's slapping his ho's around...
Me neither. Pardon the poor photography -- I'm still learning about lighting.

http://glocktalk.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=1962160
ML

[C.R.Sam]

Welcome to The High Road Mushinto
Uh....er....do you mind if I ask what you do ?:)

Sam :D

[Mushinto]

...do you mind if I ask what you do?...
Thanks C.R. I've been playing cop for about thirty-years. Also martial arts instructor, father, gun-twirler and other "ways of life."
ML