Brain Pickin'
Howdy Jon. Yep...The name's Johnny.
You asked:
Is there such a thing as a drop in beavertail for the Norinco Commander? If not, who is a good gunsmith in the Central PA area?
King's makes "drop-in" safeties that will fit any 1911-pattern pistol, and
they will drop in and work MOST of the time. Some require a little light fitting, and some few are a little problematical. Just because a part is
advertised as Drop-In, doesn't guarantee that it really will.
The King's Drop-In grip safeties do prevent getting the web of your hand chewed up, but look awful. If all you want is shooting comfort without altering the frame, they'll work nicely. I use those on pistols that I want to shoot, but keep them in original condition...but like I said, they look bad.
A fitted ducktail...(I call'em that 'cause that's what they look like. Go look at a beaver and look at a duck and see for yourself).... isn't that difficult to
do with a jig. The jig does cost about 25 bucls, or so...(not sure, since I
haven't bought one in years)...and the cost of buying one to fit one safety
may not be worth it, unless the personal satisfaction of doin' it yourself is
a factor. It is with as lotta guys.
Sorry...I don't know of any good smiths in Pennsylvania, but somebody on THR probably does. Throw out the question on a new thread, and you'll
probably get a dozen responses by suppertime.
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Any advice on mags?
Oh yeah...and I can get a flame war started by not praising the offerings like Wilson 47D/McCormick Powermag/Tripp Research/Name your Favorite
Brand magazine. I believe in stickin' close to original design parameters,
which means a 7-round magazine with a flat, dimpled follower, and a good,
strong spring. Contact Metalform Company...They've got a toll-free number.
When the option menu starts, punch 4 on your touch-tone, and ask for Ginny. The prices on their website haven't been updated, so they may not be accurate. Can't recall the numerical designation, but the blue steel,
7-round magazine with welded base is a good one to get...Also available in
stainless for a little more money. Ask for the upgrade to Wolff springs.
Money well-spent. A group buy on 50 magazines will get you the discount
and bring the cost per mag down to about 12-13 bucks + shipping. You
may be able to arrange a group buy right here.
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Is there such a thing as a drop in beavertail for the Norinco Commander? If not, who is a good gunsmith in the Central PA area?
Which coating for the frame?
If you mean which sprayed-on, baked-on coating...I don't. They look good
when you take'em out of the oven, and hold up pretty well for a while if your metal prep and degreasing step is well-done, but they flake and peel pretty quickly. Bottom line is that it's still just a paint job. Have it
blued. The prep is your option. You can have it bead-blasted for a matte finish, or polish it like a mirror for a deep blue. If you go with polished, you can do it yourself and save some bucks when the smith finishes it up.
All it takes is time, a supply of wet or dry paper in varying grits, and a piece of glass to polish the flats. If the slide has some pitting, you may want to invest in a bastard-cut mill file, and learn to draw-cut. Follow up with a
smooth-cut mill file, and start the polishing process.
Luck!
Tuner
Edited for typos before Old Fuff gets a target to shoot at.
