Unique 80% 1911 Frame Build Candidate Beryllium Copper

[expat_alaska]

If anyone is interested in a unique project, here you go, but a bit of my history with Oly first.

I own a 1911 .22 Ciener Conversion based upon a Olympic Arms (Olympia WA) stripped carbon steel Matchmaster frame (with the trigger guard "hook" removed by me, which Oly parked for me for $40 and a one day turnaround time via UPS as I live only 70 miles from their factory), for frame illustration only:



The frame I used is of very good quality, and the beryllium copper frame in the link below is of the same configuration. Oly has been out of the 1911 business since 2014 when their premier 1911 smith died in a fall. They produced many different 1911 pistols over the years and this frame profile was obtained when Oly bought out Safari Arms years ago. I have their catalog from 2014 on a .pdf file but I don't know how to attach it here.

An eye-opener.

I could entertain the idea that these were BC frames, and the guns are clearly marked Safari Arms (the shorter frame is the Enforcer and the longer frame is the Matchmaster, produced by Oly after the Safari buyout):



As of 2014-2015, Oly still had many proprietary parts (grips, hammers, MSHs, grip safeties, et al) but I don't know what they have left.

The 80% frame below is advertised as SAF-B, which I take as SAF(ari)-B(eryllium),but that is pure speculation on my part.

http://www.olyarms.com/shop/closeouts/saf-b.html

Good luck to anyone interested in such a project.

Jim

 

[CapnMac]

Ok, I did not know how badly I wanted something like this until seeing this thread.

 

[bannockburn]

expat_alaska

Thanks for the link but a raw 1911 casting in need of that much work is way beyond my home gunsmithing capabilities!

Like the look of the Beryllium frames with the Enforcer and Matchmaster guns and your Oly frame with the Ciener .22 conversion turned out real nice as well.

My own "build" was with an old Essex frame that I finally found a TacSol .22 conversion to put on it.

 

[kozak6]

Beryllium alloy dust is really nasty stuff. Be careful, guys.

 

[Blkhrt13]

Oh wow that is fine looking

 

[Speedo66]

I have a feeling that will be a little more difficult to play with than the typical 80% plastic frame.

 

[wally]

Beryllium alloy dust is really nasty stuff. Be careful, guys.

Yes, from Wikipedia:
"In solid form and as finished objects, beryllium copper presents no known health hazard.[2] However, inhalation of dust, mist, or fume containing beryllium can cause the serious lung condition, chronic beryllium disease. That disease affects primarily the lungs, restricting the exchange of oxygen between the lungs and the bloodstream. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists beryllium as a Group 1 Human Carcinogen. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) also lists beryllium as a carcinogen."