Interesting Projects?

Desert Dog · Mar 30, 2001

Just curious if any of the smiths or any of us regular folks (the customers :smile: ) have a particularly interesting project they are working on? I would be interested to see pics of projects that any of the smiths would care to share. Anyone?

DD

Stephen A. Camp · Mar 30, 2001

Hello. About the most "interesting project" I have going right now is having Kurt Wickmann to install a set of Novak fixed sights on a Pre-B CZ-75 of mine. As you may know, the Pre-Bs fixed sights are kind of smallish and hard for my middle-aged eyes to see as clearly as I did when I got this gun in the early 80s! I believe that they use the rear sight designed for the 1911 on the CZ75s as its rear sight is quite high for the height of the front sight.

A few years ago, I did have a new Marlin .30-30 made into a nice "walking rifle." Had the bbl and mag tube cut to 16", trigger job,
synthetic stock, fitted with Williams Peep ("Ghost Ring" size aperture) and had the metal black parkerized. It's pretty nice for feral hogs in brush.

Best.

Mike Benedict · Mar 30, 2001

My latest project is converting a five screw S$W .45 ACP into a round butt 4" .44 special

Desert Dog · Mar 30, 2001

Mike,

Is that a 5" 625 you are modifying to comply with the new IDPA SSR ban on 5" revos? I am still grumbling about that new rule change... just can't bear the thought of cutting down my prized 5" 610!

Stephen,

I have a thing for lever guns too. I have been thinking about trading my .45-70 Guide Gun in and having a smith cut down a standard 1895 instead. The straight stock is definitely not as nice as their pistol grip style stock for firing the thumper rounds. Those 530 gr. +P Garrett Hammerhead .45-70s rounds are brutal to shoot. I once made the mistake of doing that off a bench! :roll:

Anyone have any 1911 projects they are especially excited about?

Me? I have a new bull barreled full house 9x23 built on a Colt 1991A1 that Dane is just about finished with. Should be pretty darn nice. We are waiting on George at EGW to finish welding away the last vestiges of the Series 80 lockwork. I have seen the frame and slide. Nice metalwork! It is perfectly checkered 30x30 f&r, high gripped, flatted and serrated top of the slide, rear serrated to match the Heinie Straight Eights, french border, polished flats, full hard chrome. Videcki trigger, Brown ambi, CMC beavertail and an AFTEC extractor. It will have a titanium guide rod to offset the added weight of the Brown bull barrel. This should make it swing like a stock gun with no guide rod. It should shoot sweet and be another Burns tack driver. Can't wait! :smile:

DD

[ This Message was edited by: Desert Dog on 2001-03-30 09:44 ]

Blackjack · Mar 30, 2001

Sounds great DD.

Dane has my Colt Series 70 Frame & Colt Competition slide in shop now for building into an Old Colt " Retro Gun".

Bar-Sto Barrel, Old Type Period King Sights, Flat Mainspring Housing with Lanyard Ring, period Spur Hammer, A very light Melt.

High Polish on the Flats so it can take an old Colt Royal Blue Finish. His Blackwood Grips.

I love the old Colt Black Guns :smile:

Mike Benedict · Mar 30, 2001

My project is actually an old S&W pre-ww2 fixed sight pistol. Like a 1917 Army model.
I have wanted a fixed sight .44 Special. It is like the old 38/44 Heavy Duty models but in .44 Special. Smith made a few hundred of them but I have not come across one in a lond time.
And besides I like the old 5 screw frames alot.

emclain · Mar 30, 2001

Mike-
A fixed-sight .44 spl. Ahhh, one of my favorite things in life.

Blackjack-
That's exactly the kind of idea I'd had for a custom job. I really love the look of the standard, mil-spec 1911. My personal fav custom carry would be a 1911 w/short Videcki Trigger, Heinie Slant-Pro's and a Kart Bbl tricked out to still look Mil-spec. Except for the sights, I guess

To me, it's kind of like having the engine blueprinted on a car. You're not really changing anything in the orginal design, just cleaning up the "slop" that comes from mass-production.

Eric

Bruce · Mar 31, 2001

My project is in Dane's shop. Old piece of Colt history, getting it's hair and nails done up to be BBQ-carrying ready

Dane, post pics whenever you want.

Guest · Mar 31, 2001

Someone ask for pics?

A little 'diversity' in the shop this week.

The racegun is off to the platers Monday.

More pics of both at:

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumInd ... a=12367921

_________________
GOOD-FAST-CHEAP
Pick any two!

[ This Message was edited by: Chuck Rogers on 2001-03-30 21:55 ]

Bruce · Mar 31, 2001

Niiiiiiice, Chuck

If that old thing in the bottom picture is looking for a home...my safe has a nursing home wing

It is a beaut! To me, that is a 1911.

Desert Dog · Mar 31, 2001

Glad you found the place Chuck. :smile:

Would care to tell us a little more about the pistols?

Keep those pics coming. It is always fun to have pics to look at.

DD

Ken Sham · Mar 31, 2001

Not that imaginative, but I used to admire the Pocket Rocket that the late Brian Bilby offered, which is a Commander length slide mated to a Officers frame. As far as I know, Brian was one of the few smiths who offered a gun this size chambered for 10mm. Hopefully, I plan to jump on Richard Heinie's long wait list soon, and would like him to build me a gun of this size. If I start reloading in 6-7 years (or if 10mm factory ammo becomes cheaper and more available), I will ask him to build this gun in 10mm as well.

gyp_c2 · Mar 31, 2001

Yup...that old beater needs to live up here in the mountains!
Welcome Chuck!

Stephen A. Camp · Apr 1, 2001

Hello, DesertDog! Last year, I shot a Guide Gun in .45-70 that had been ported. Believe it or not, recoil was not bad at all. I don't normally like muzzle brakes and that sort of thing, but this was not bad and really might make sense on a rifle of substantial caliber being used to stop a bear, etc, at close range.

Best.

J Sanders · Apr 2, 2001

Got a new marlin 1895ss in 45-70 I'm in the process of working up some (when you shoot em, part will be laying there and the other part won't go far)loads. I'm having a bomar melted in my 1996-2 and I'm mad at idpa changing the barrel length of the revolvers too. I'm going to shoot mine like it is and if I get a good score I'll pat myself on the back and not worry about being elligable for match trophy's or awards. JS

Tom Novak · Apr 3, 2001

I just finished a customers IDPA pistol,Its
a commander size caspian in 40S&W.
Tom Novak (N.H.O)

Desert Dog · Apr 3, 2001

Tom, I would love to see photos if you can post them. :smile:

DD

Desert Dog · Apr 4, 2001

Stephen & JSanders,

Glad to see we have a couple of other lever gun fans. While I do like the porting on the Guide Gun, it is the straight stock design that makes the rifle such a punisher with stumpier loads. I should have bought an 1895SS and had a smith cut it down. I like the work of gunsmith David Clements and am considering ordering one of his tack driving beauties.

Clements Custom Guns Marlin 1895SS .45-70

As for ammo, IMO the best .45-70 hunting rounds are from Garrett Cartidges.

Garrett Cartridges 420 gr. & 540 gr. HAMMERHEADS

DD

[ This Message was edited by: Desert Dog on 2001-04-04 01:41 ]

Bruce · Apr 4, 2001

Garrett makes some good stuff, indeed. Although it was more than was needed, dropped a buck with one of the Hammerheads, through and through shoulder shot at around 100-120yards.

Would love to put some of these to work on larger safari stuff. As a friend who has hunted just about everything, in all places, said about the 45-70...we own other calibers, but no one knows why. :smile:

JiminCA · Apr 5, 2001

For those of you who love the 45-70 Guide Gun, check out Jim West's work (of Anchorage, AK).

http://www.wildwestguns.com/

I have been to his shop and checked these babies out. You need one. Beautiful work.

The takedown model is exceptional. I will order one someday.

Interesting Projects?

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