loop
Member
I meant to post this about a month and a half ago when it happened, but real life got in the way...
My Kimber Custom that I bought more than 10 years ago and has been my primary carry gun for that time and shot an average of two IDPA matches a month since was getting to look pretty worn.
I never gave it much thought because it is 100 percent reliable and way more accurate than I am. But, I rebuilt and refinished a Norinco and was proudly showing the wife the fruits of my labor and she looked at the Kimber and asked to see it. She told me it looked like crap. Then she asked why I didn't rebuild it and refinish it the way I'd like it. Then she said "Do it."
So I detail stripped the gun and picked all the parts that looked worn and ordered replacements. Then I picked the changes I wanted to make. I replaced the springs and pins and added a Smith & Alexander arched mainspring housing with magwell, an EGW oversized slide stop, TruGlo TFO sights (green front, yellow rear) and a pair of grips from Esmeralda.
I rebuilt the gun and took it into the smith for refinishing along with a complete set of springs and an Ed Brown pin set, just in case.
I went to the guy at the counter and began to order my refinish. I wanted the slide in nickel and the frame in blue. The smith came out while I was making the order. The guy reads the ticket to me and says matte blue frame, matte nickel slide.
Meanwhile the smith picked up the gun and was checking it. He taps the guy who is writing up the ticket and says "This is the smoothest 1911 slide I've ever felt."
I'm saying, no, no, no, to the matte nickel. I want high polish all the way around. But, now my pistol is being passed back and forth between four guys behind the counter who are all going "Ooooh" when they rack the slide.
Counter guy says OK, high polish. Then he says "The round parts will me matte." I say "No, I want the whole thing high polish."
"That will cost you $40 extra for the frame and $30 for the slide."
My answer is "I didn't ask that." I want high polish."
I ask when it will be ready and counter guy pulls out a calendar and gives me a date 30 days away. The smith grabs the gun and it says "I'll have it for you tomorrow about this time."
I explained I wouldn't even be back in town for two days, but he says that's OK, the gun will be ready for me tomorrow afternoon. Counter guy says something about all the orders ahead of mine. Smith says that's just crap. He'll get all them out on time.
Two days later I go to pick up the gun. It is gorgeous. I don't even want to touch it it is so pretty. I profusely thank the smith for doing such a nice job. He tells me he is honored that I would entrust my gun to him and thanks me. He thanked me for "letting" him do the work three times before I left the shop.
I was anxious to break out the gun and shoot it, but I had to go to Las Vegas on business the next day. So I took it with me and went to an indoor range. When I took it out for the RO to check it he said "Would you please show clear. I don't want to touch it."
The gun still shoots a one-inch group at any range I've tried, out to 25 yards. And, I've been back in the gun shop three times and each time the smith has come out and thanked me for "letting" him work on that gun.
I've probably had 40 or 50 guns worked on over the years. This is the first time I've ever had a smith thank me for allowing him to work on my gun.
The guys I shoot IDPA with have taken to ragging me pretty hard over my pretty gun, even though they know it is the same gun I've been shooting for years.
But I'm just blown away. I never had a smith thank me for the privilege of working on a gun.
It isn’t the best quality pic and it doesn’t have the new grips in this pic, but here’s the gun.
My Kimber Custom that I bought more than 10 years ago and has been my primary carry gun for that time and shot an average of two IDPA matches a month since was getting to look pretty worn.
I never gave it much thought because it is 100 percent reliable and way more accurate than I am. But, I rebuilt and refinished a Norinco and was proudly showing the wife the fruits of my labor and she looked at the Kimber and asked to see it. She told me it looked like crap. Then she asked why I didn't rebuild it and refinish it the way I'd like it. Then she said "Do it."
So I detail stripped the gun and picked all the parts that looked worn and ordered replacements. Then I picked the changes I wanted to make. I replaced the springs and pins and added a Smith & Alexander arched mainspring housing with magwell, an EGW oversized slide stop, TruGlo TFO sights (green front, yellow rear) and a pair of grips from Esmeralda.
I rebuilt the gun and took it into the smith for refinishing along with a complete set of springs and an Ed Brown pin set, just in case.
I went to the guy at the counter and began to order my refinish. I wanted the slide in nickel and the frame in blue. The smith came out while I was making the order. The guy reads the ticket to me and says matte blue frame, matte nickel slide.
Meanwhile the smith picked up the gun and was checking it. He taps the guy who is writing up the ticket and says "This is the smoothest 1911 slide I've ever felt."
I'm saying, no, no, no, to the matte nickel. I want high polish all the way around. But, now my pistol is being passed back and forth between four guys behind the counter who are all going "Ooooh" when they rack the slide.
Counter guy says OK, high polish. Then he says "The round parts will me matte." I say "No, I want the whole thing high polish."
"That will cost you $40 extra for the frame and $30 for the slide."
My answer is "I didn't ask that." I want high polish."
I ask when it will be ready and counter guy pulls out a calendar and gives me a date 30 days away. The smith grabs the gun and it says "I'll have it for you tomorrow about this time."
I explained I wouldn't even be back in town for two days, but he says that's OK, the gun will be ready for me tomorrow afternoon. Counter guy says something about all the orders ahead of mine. Smith says that's just crap. He'll get all them out on time.
Two days later I go to pick up the gun. It is gorgeous. I don't even want to touch it it is so pretty. I profusely thank the smith for doing such a nice job. He tells me he is honored that I would entrust my gun to him and thanks me. He thanked me for "letting" him do the work three times before I left the shop.
I was anxious to break out the gun and shoot it, but I had to go to Las Vegas on business the next day. So I took it with me and went to an indoor range. When I took it out for the RO to check it he said "Would you please show clear. I don't want to touch it."
The gun still shoots a one-inch group at any range I've tried, out to 25 yards. And, I've been back in the gun shop three times and each time the smith has come out and thanked me for "letting" him work on that gun.
I've probably had 40 or 50 guns worked on over the years. This is the first time I've ever had a smith thank me for allowing him to work on my gun.
The guys I shoot IDPA with have taken to ragging me pretty hard over my pretty gun, even though they know it is the same gun I've been shooting for years.
But I'm just blown away. I never had a smith thank me for the privilege of working on a gun.
It isn’t the best quality pic and it doesn’t have the new grips in this pic, but here’s the gun.
Now I have to add ANOTHER gun to the want list just GGRREEAATT.
