Damn that looks great Dana.

I don't think I would have the patience to complete something like that.

A refurb is on the horizon.

Great work Dana. You've come a long way from what I can see. I'd be proud as hell to call that mine. Hell of a job sir!

Makers mark ... I'm thinking back strap in a braided dreadlock pattern.

Could be textured enough for improved grip friction.

Decent antler grips and a buckskin finished or lined case.

They shoot as good as they look too. Nice work man.

Dude - fucking obvious - yourself, smoking a giant home made spliff.

Of your home grown tobacco, of course....................................

In an elk hide holster and mag holder set - fur optional.

Nice.

Damn that is very impressive. Great work on a beautiful finished pistol. Something to be proud of right there Dana. Congratulations.

I have an ash tray around here from Jamaica with a Rasta, a spliff and ganja leaf all crated together. It was a gift from some church folks down there. They also gave me a bottle of Appleton rum that year.

Thanks for the compliments guys. Let's get the ball rolling on the next one. You may recall that I made a 5" model from an 80%. It was the first gun I milled and got running but, having shelved it as an unfinished worked until I got back from Bob Rodgers' class, it was ugly. Built on a stainless steel frame and a parts kit from Sarco. I didn't know any better. I saw a price point and jumped on it, and you get what you pay for. When I decided to machine the hammer hooks, one of them chipped. The trigger job was very clunky and sounded like chuonk instead of a click. I'm still working on the precise sound and feel that I want to replicate each time but, in the mean time, this guy needed an overhaul.







It looks OK from the side right? Sure...but it still needed to get be finished, the blending was funky, many of the parts would not take a nice surface finish because they are cheap. The slide and the other parts are made from 4140 steel according to Sarco. I'm not a metallurgist and I can tell you there's definitely something different about that steel. When I was blending it with the Dremel, sparks came when dressing the extractor. What does that mean? I don't know.

While this is still an unfinished work, it's back in progress. I have replaced the mainspring assembly, hammer/strut, sear, disconnector, trigger, grip and thumb safeties, slide lock, ejector, and pins. Soon come will be the plunger tube, grip screws and bushings, magazine catch/release assembly, and sights. All upgraded parts are Wilson Combat stainless steel except for the sear spring which is a Wolff. I also need to decided on how to address the front strip. I may serrate it on the mill.


As you may know, 1911 parts aren't supposed to be drop in parts. So of course everything needed some fitting. I'll tell you what, thumb safeties make me pucker up real tight. "The difference between a good fit safety and one that's junk is, one file swipe." -Bob Rodgers
In my first endeavors last year, I ruined three before I got it right. This time I was determined to do it myself without asking for help at anytime and to get it right without having to replace the part. You know what I found out? There's sometimes more than one area that needs clearance. I had that safety feeling real nice. A good up sweep that required a firmer push down so you don't accidentally flip off the safety as I used to do when I carried a Kimber Ultra Cary II many years ago. But during function checks, the hammer would stop. It wasn't dropping to half cock, just barely move. There was another part of the lug that needed to be filed. I was a left click away from asking Bob for insight. I left the email in my Draft folder and went to the shop and figured it out. The internet was no help in figuring out the problem either. Maybe it's an 80% out of spec thing. Perhaps that's what they really are, 80% out of spec, not 80% complete. I digress. I could spend another couple paragraphs on issues with the 80% frames.


Trigger job, safety fittings, spring polishing, deburing, shaping and blending, throating the barrel, lots of cleaning, replacing a staked front sight, and we come up with this.






There's a beginning to a softening of the dust cover going on there


Thanks to WAJim for the front sight.
I needed to replace the one I took off so I could test the gun. In my haste, I removed the original and then learned I had better not attempt to stake on a Trijicon without a $300 tool that no longer exists. The sight does the job and is a bit too high but, it does allow you to sight and run the gun. Until I decide if I'm going to buy cutters and mill the slide, or send it off, I'll keep using it and perhaps mill or file it down.

Now keep in my that I have a flinch that I'm working out but, I still got consistent drop with that front sight. The original sight was much shorter.



After ~60 rounds of my hand-loads I was pleased with no malfunctions. The trigger is currently at 4.25 pounds. I'm going to bring it down to 4 and maybe a hair less so I can settle on 3.50 pounds.

I'll be spending time finishing up the aesthetics and deciding on what type of finish for the frame and slide. Currently I'd like to matte the frame with blasting and perhaps coat the slide with a matte color.

Damn nice work dreadi, you really have a knack for it. Now please, do a small class and pass along some of the knowledge you have gleaned for some of us that appreciate a nice 1911.

I will gladly pay to attend said class to make it worth your time.

And shorten my potential customer base?

ATF called. Appointment set for tomorrow.

Better get a dogsitter.

and a haircut!