1911 Project Number Two:

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Tamara

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2002
Messages
9,327
Location
Hoosieropolis
Well, now that 1911 Project Number One is done, I could move on to Project #2...

Start by finding a '66 Commercial Colt that has been badly re-blued and has suffered from a poor kitchen-table checkering job for sale in a local gun shop where your friend Marko Kloos works.

Trade in a basket case Essex-framed 1911.

Take the poor ol' Colt home (well, you can't unring a bell...)

Get busy with the Brownell's catalog.

Have THR's own Kaylee clean up the checkering on the frontstrap, countersink the tip of the slide stop, and fit the new grip safety & mainspring housing.

Have Shannon Jennings (865.688.0077) lower and flare the ejection port and do the final fit 'n' polish work.

Send the gun off to be tefloned by Predator Custom (865.330.2423) in Matte Black and Gunmetal.

Enjoy the finished product.

attachment.php
 
Parts replaced with:

Wilson firing pin spring, Ed Brown disconnector, Chip McCormick thumb safety (hey, it was lying around free!), Trijicon night sights, cocobolo grips from an SA Lightweight, Dlask hammer, S&A flat checkered mainspring housing w/lanyard loop, Ed Brown memory groove grip safety, STI long polycarbonate & titanium trigger...

attachment.php
 
Nice. I like it. I need to finish my house first. A roof over my head and then a custom 1911. I see 1911s like this though and I think I could just buy a mil-surp poncho.:cool:
 
Detail of nicely cleaned-up checkering, courtesy of Kaylee (Thanx for bringin' it back from the dead! :cool: ):

attachment.php
 
Preacherman, hey I was drooling and my glasses were dirty - gimme a break will ya? I also leaned my laptop monitor back a bit -duh?

Yeah , yeah I see it now. :D

Wow...I need a ladies touch on a firearm for sure!!
 
Detail of beavertail, which is smoothly fitted from above when at rest, and perfectly contoured on the underside when gripped; a detail overlooked by many.

attachment.php
 
And finally...

...now that 1911 Projects One and Two are out of the way, a preview of 1911 Project Three: an early ParaOrd frame kit built with GI parts. It had a set of Micro sights on it when I got it, and the GI MSH and thumb safety have been temporarily replaced with a flat checkered plastic Kimber unit and the thumb safety off of the '66 Commercial Colt seen above. I'll try and post pics as the project progresses...

attachment.php
 
Wow!! That's pretty. Outstanding photography too. I got 2 questions though:

1. Why countersink the tip of the slide stop? Asthetics, or is there a method to your madness?:D

2. What kind of camera are you using? I've seen you photos in other threads and am always amazed at the closeup detail.


Thanks,

Keith
 
Tam's New Shooter

Outstanding!

Kaylee is a smif??? How COOL! The checkering looks really good...and
you say it was butchered? Not too many out there can make a silk purse
out of a sow's ear. Kudos KayleeGirl! Ah am impressed, ma'am.:cool:

Only thing I woulda done different would be to contour the bottom of that
mainspring housing a little to keep the sharp edge from chewin' on my shirt or coattail.

Pignock, the countersunk slidestop hole is done when the end of the pin
is flattened so that the stop can be pushed out with a fingertip. Some
folks knock the round end off the pin to prevent accidentally pushing it out.
It's a little reliability tweak to prevent that one time in a million "Murphy" moment. Southpaw shooters also do it when they take a grip that points
their right thumb at the target, which lays it right on the end of the pin.

Nice job, ladies! Very nice indeed...:cool:

Tuner
 
Tamara,

With all due respect...

STOP IT!

I passed on several, 1911 varients at a gun show yesterday, now that I see the potential of a little TLC, I'm kicking myself.

:)

Nice weapon, I like the first one best.

Smoke
 
Smoke,
I like both, but I like the second one best.
Not like me to make a big deal out of hammers...dang hammer grows on ya.
Has a built in bottle opener too. :p
I can just imagine how smooth and natural in the hands this thing feels.

Very well thought out and minor details do add up.

Agree with Tuner on Kaylee cleaning up the checkering. Ma'am - as one whom has used gravers to florentine, do lined finishes and the like, by hand - my hat is off to you.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, worked with some ladies that knew how to work with tools and hands, real craftsman, they have my respect. Damn site better to work with than some fella's - attitude, skills, patience, better to look at when working alongside, and the ladies have some great insights and ideas.

Besides when the sales rep "said" he had no more carbon steel of a tool when I asked, and she saddles up and I leave...and the gal bats eyes and smiles and the rep "just happens to have a few set back" and WE get a set of these as a result...well...works for me. Men are such pigs at times.
:D
 
Really, REALLY sweet, Tams!

I well recall our "1911 Personal Preferences Review" at Byron's cabin last December. I said at the time that my inclinations run toward fewer bells and whistles. Well, you've got it, gal. You have reclaimed the beat old pistola and achieved a 1911 in the image of my personal ideal full-size pistol. At what weight does the trigger break?

Nits? I don't personally feel the need of glow-in-the-dark sights. I like the arched housing, but can use the flat one. While it's very nicely fitted, I'm not fond of the ski-jump grip safety tang. That's about all I'd change for my own use. I don't NEED the front strap checking, but it is beautiful.

Anything I'd change is only a matter of degree. Your pistol, as it sets, is one I could use for the rest of my days.

Superb looking work, Lil' Sister. You and Kaylee should be proud!

All best,
Johnny
 
2. What kind of camera are you using? I've seen you photos in other threads and am always amazed at the closeup detail.
Click to expand...

A Nikon Coolpix 990, courtesy of Mr. Oleg Volk. Older pictures were done with a Sony Mavica (I disremember the model number; Marko Kloos has it now, perhaps he can tell us... :uhoh: )

Only thing I woulda done different would be to contour the bottom of that
mainspring housing a little to keep the sharp edge from chewin' on my shirt or coattail.
Click to expand...

The bottom of the MSH is blended better than the pictures would indicate. It's nicely rounded, and doesn't snag on anything, thanks to Miz Kaylee. :cool:

Nits? I don't personally feel the need of glow-in-the-dark sights. I like the arched housing, but can use the flat one. While it's very nicely fitted, I'm not fond of the ski-jump grip safety tang. That's about all I'd change for my own use. I don't NEED the front strap checking, but it is beautiful.
Click to expand...

I went with the Trijicons because their abrupt frontal angle allows me to use the rear sight to cock the pistol on a holster or belt. As far as the flat MSH and beavertail go, I learned to choke up way high on 1911's, and the arched unit and standard GS cause the gun to slice up my hand and point skyward. What one's used to, I reckon. ;) (As my gunsmith puts it: "Decide what trigger length, mainspring housing shape, and grip safety configuration you shoot best with, and then set all your 1911's up like that." :cool: ) Regarding the frontstrap checkering, well, it looks better than skateboard tape. :D

FWIW, while speccing out this gun, the foremost consideration was "What do I want in a fighting 1911?", but at the back of my mind were a couple of voices that sounded suspiciously like Johnny and Art saying "Don't do anything stupid, okay?" ;)


The trigger, BTW, breaks very crisply at (I'm guessing) four pounds. (It's noticeably lighter than the one on my Pro...)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
Just in case there haven't been enough Delta Elite projects...
Replies
15
Views
811
ElToro
E
Back
Top