Couple covid projects: 1911 checkering and faux sniper

Self taught how to metal checker a couple months ago. Now checkering like a madman. Always wondered what it would be like to shoot a scoped 03A3 after watching Saving Private Ryan so scoped one last week. SK no drill mount; not gonna drill holes in a receiver!

Thanks for the kind words. Grips are from china via amazon. Tried shopping a bit for some kind of vintage repro scope. Gave up. Too expensive, lolz. I try to do stuff like this in order to keep my sanity except for a Rifle Shoppe musket kit which made me crazy...

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Not sure how the Rock in the Ocean gunshows are, but around here, I often see steel-tube El Paso Weavers for pretty cheap. You're right, thouh, people want stupid money for them online. If you can find one with clear glass, they are easy to polish and reblue too.

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Oahu; spring and fall gun shows before covid cancellations. Good idea though. A close friend might still have fixed power weavers. I'll ask. Have another SK "no drill" mount for a No2mk4. That will end up looking weird too. Hope nothing falls off and that it'll be fun.

Howland937 said:

The back side of those blue grips resemble the WC Sunburst grips and the scales on the black ones look a lot like the G10 Piranha from Hogue that I put on all mine. Guess I'm gonna start looking on Amazon instead of spending $60-$70 on 1911 grips.
Wish someone around here could do that level of checkering. I'd probably have kept 5 or 6 I didn't like.

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Ya, 20 dollar knockoffs; just needed something cheap to save the factory grips. Wish I had 6 1911's to not like . I only did four front straps and one mainspring housing but if you want to try, PM and I'll send you a very short list of the stuff I used and one video you tube video I watched.

Have this 1911 I didn't like. Took time and a bunch of parts to stop not liking it. Will post a pic later for grins.

bannockburn said:

Twocanary

That's some mighty fine checkering you've got there!

Have to agree with NIGHTLORD40K about maybe looking for a more period correct/vintage scope for the M1903-A3 Springfield.

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Thank you. Looked into weaver k4's; interesting history. Makes me want one just because. However, SK scope mount, rings and the cheek pad is not period correct either. All fake. This was just for a retired person got nothing better to do most of the time.

Riomouse911 said:

What tools did you use to checker and where did you learn the skill? I have a couple of 1911’s that I would love to have the front of the grip frame 20 lpi checkered like that .

Stay safe.

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Riomouse,
Watched a you tube video: "Mosin virus 1911 checkering". Checkering file is from Brownells and the Power Custom jig is Midway. Used various files and 80-400 grit sandpaper for contouring the area under the trigger guard and polishing out filing over runs. Mosin virus uses wire to prevent over runs. I use paracord; won't scratch anything.

I didn't do any filing and smoothing prep on the front straps to remove the high spots. Didn't practice and filing took longer because of the lack of prep. First frame was an Essex (dubious quality) anyway. Was willing to mess up as part of the learning curve. After that, the mystery was gone and I would checker as long as my 65 year old hands could handle. Gloves are helpful.

One pic is 20 LPI checkering done by pro local gunsmith. Functional and I like it, but it looks unfinished, to me. Point is I can work on that, if/when I feel like it. Good to be independent that way, imho.

4v50 Gary said:

Nice chequering. I have both a 20 LPI and 22 LPI file. Haven't used either.

Started working on a flintlock trade gun (20 bore) again. My main lockdown project was a book on WW2 sniping (initiated shortly before the lockdown). Didn't even care about the lockdown (still went out for groceries) and was busy read'n and write'n. Book gets published next year.

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Nice. Will be looking forward to the book.

I've been waiting over a year now for a Rifle Shoppe 1756 artillery carbine kit which is close to 20 bore? Maybe I should have chickened out and got a Chambers kit or something (more refined kit, I think) but I had to have something from the F&I war. Rifle Shoppe Baker kit took me 8 months to build and was the hardest project I ever tried. Made some mistakes; wood putty and brownells glass bedding products was my best friends.