[Dane Burns]

Couple of Swenson's both built in the early '70s. According to the original paper work with each pistol the owners waited 4 years for the finished product.

Colt Commercial guns, a Pre Series 70 National Match and a Government Model.

 

[TCao]

Simply Gorgeous!
Is that your signature barrel crown on the NM one?
Thong

 

[Anthony Lombardo]

Awesome!!!

One BIG nit to pick...the stainless thumb safety on an otherwise chrome gun..that bugs me to no end..

Dane is there any reason Swenson may have done that?

 

[Dane Burns]

Anthony, this is just a guess of course but I suspect since Swenson had been hand building the single and ambi safties for some time and they were very time consuming, my thought is he was thrilled to have a stainless part. Remember there were darn few, if any, stainless parts when he brought out the production Swenson ambi. The time frame to build and install an ambi on one of his guns went from several long hours to a few minutes with his stainless production part.

There are lots of pictures of Swenson's guns and Heinie's guns for that matter, blued, with a stainless Swenson ambi. The cosmetics and attention to detail that we find common place today, was different 30 years ago. Chrome was a new thing and stainless was the FUTURE :grin:

On this Govenment model the ambi is on the original sales receipt. The NM guns I have seen had hand made single safeties and all were chromed. The two Swenson Government models I have here to rebuild both have hand built ambis and both were indeed chromed with the guns.

That is why I think Swenson used the stainless material, less work on fit and finish.

 

[Hoser]

Hey Dane,
Nice pre-70's Swenson on top -- wanna trade? :wink:

Hope you got my other emails!

 

[Dane Burns]

Is that your signature barrel crown on the NM one?

Good eye!

I too wondered about Swenson's "signature". I think his signature would have to be 30 lpi checkering, squared trigger guards, hard chrome and K frame sights.


I have crowned my barrels in a similar fashion long before I could afford a unfired Swenson. As you note though I was quite pleased that I ended up with the same result that Swenson used here. None of the other half dozen Swenson guns I have seen have a recessed or even a flush cut crown though.

My older Colts from the 1920's and '30s do have flush crowns but they are not recessed.

My AUTO SHOP gun has both :grin:

 

[Dane Burns]

Nice pre-70's Swenson on top -- wanna trade? :wink:

I did get the emails. Thought I could help you out on a couple of pictures :grin:

My thought is I should own BOTH!

 

[Dane Burns]

What do ya think Hoser :grin: A "fair" example of an unfired NM Swenson?

 

[RMLamey]

Very nice examples. I bet your right on the money as far as the safety goes.

On a side note, Swensons hard chroming was a carry over from one of his other very successfull ventures.... performance boat building.

 

[RickB]

Dane - Did Swenson have any tricks for keeping the Elliason sights on (other than the solid pin)?

 

[Hoser]

Dane,
Quite pleased!!!!! Man, them be nice pistols, eh?

Looking forward to my BCP someday. I'll email you some other photos of the other new toy I told you about and why I can't afford one of yours right now.

While I have your latest post, is the 9x23 pretty much a defense round (not hunting or competition)? I have a reason for asking.

Check your personal email. Just sent you something.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hoser on 2001-08-01 17:09 ]</font>

 

[Mute]

You're killing me! I've been trying to get my hands on a Swenson for years.

 

[crc]

Dane,
I'm new to the sight and it's great! Love those SWENSONS!!!!!

 

[JLM]

Dane, thanks for sharing! That's some cool stuff there :grin:

 

[HET]

Woo! I’m lust!!!
Those are some good looking guns. :grin:

 

[Andy]

Note how Armand used an insert inset into the slide to maintain proper barrel position/lockup. Only other guy to use this on a regular basis I know of is Jim Hoag. Very hard to do machine work of this quality.

 

[gyp_c2]

Geez...that NM could cause a seizure...

 

[Paladin]

Very nice pics, Dane. Thanks for bringing us in touch with 1911 history. With our focus being on what we can acquire among today's better guns, spending time on the range, and learning tactics, you're providing us with a very effective little "time machine" to appreciate 1911 roots. Plus not to mention a few guns some of us can aspire to owning some day...

 

[Richard Heinie]

Many of my early Pistols had a Barrel positioner inside the Slide. I would cut a piece from an old Barrel Bushing and Silver Solder it in place.
Swenson had access to one of the best Hard
Chrome Platers. It is hard to find Hard Chrome like he used.

_________________
Richard Heinie
Heinie Specialty Products

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Richard Heinie on 2001-08-06 09:27 ]</font>

 

[bmwguy]

I'm not sure if this belongs here, afterall, this pistol's creations date is somewhere in the late 80s? but here's a pistol from Steve Woods. I bought from a friend who waited for 2 years.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: bmwguy on 2001-09-02 22:36 ]</font>