Well, here are a few thoughts on setting up your bull barreled gun.
Start with the top end-
One of the advantages to a bull barrel vs a coned barrel with a flange, is that the barrel does not require a guide rod to support it during the unlocking cycle. If one starts with a bull barrel instead of a screw on cone, the pistolsmith can tune the feel of the gun by removing weight from the barrel. The most obvious example is via fluting, but one can also selectively turn the barrel depending on where the weight is desired.
There are various places the slide can be lightened, both inside and out. The guide rod offers many tuning options. It can be either a standard short rod, or made from delrin, titanium, stainless or tungsten. You can also tune the weight distribution by using heavier or lighter materials on the front or back of the rod.
On the bottom end of the gun there are a few similar options- most involve lighter materials and carefull weight removal from selected areas. Examples include the use of aluminum or titanium frames, beavertails and mainspring housings. These however have the attendant drawback of being less durable under high round count use and in hard use environments.
Keep in mind that in order to keep the weight down and maintanin reliability, the pistolsmith must take a systems approach to weight reduction. Where one adds and/or removes weight can affect the balance and handling charateristics of the pistol.
It is pretty difficult to make up all the weight in any one area, balancing the factors above is part of the pistolsmith's art and skill.
