My own hand made 10mm...

Stainless Caspian frame, oxide blasted @ 90/90, GK'd flat moly OD

STI slide, parked and moly coated

Ed Brown barrel (jeweled - hard to see in the pic), Ahrends tactical grips, Caspian diamond ghostring rear, Trijicon front, Wilson GS and a mix of Brown and CMC internals...

Jonathan

Very nice. Have you shot it?

She's logged 88 rounds so far. 11 before finishing or putting on sights as function test. 77 after partial finishing to work up some loads for her. None since refinishing the lower (Monday) and jeweling the barrel (Wednesday).

Jonathan

*starts drooling*

How can I make one? I want one. No, really.

Sweet looking pistol you have there. Congrats on your project and thanks for sharing.

DE,

I like those grips!!  Are they ebony?  That's exactly what I want to put on my milspec... the half smooth half checkered.  

Where'd you order them from and what was the price, if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks!  Looks like a sweet pistol!  I hope she shoots as good as she looks!

Demanding the best is one thing...creating it is quite another...great work indeed!

Thanks for all the praise guys.

She really shoots great, though I havn't had a chance to paper her yet. Fits perfect to my hands and the diamond ghostrings get on target fast. Everything is fit perfect, free movement with zero play.

The Ahrends grips came from Brownells. Pin cutout, ebony. They give a unique feel, smooth with just enough bite in the right places.

Jonathan

If you don't mind me asking what does building your own like that set you back? I would understand if you don't wanna answer.

Quoted: If you don't mind me asking what does building your own like that set you back? I would understand if you don't wanna answer.

I did compromise on a few pieces with price vs. performance (ie. I didn't really need a Scheumann barrel). In total, I've spent around $1300 on parts and countless hours getting everything to work and look just right.

I could've spent a lot more, and still be just as happy. I could've spent a lot less and been not quite as happy.

I'm pleased with the way it turned out and don't regret spending the money.

Jonathan

 

Sweeeeeet

VERY nice pistol

Well, I still havn't papered her, but I did put 200 more rounds through her.

Offhand in a desert in ID (hey, I took her on vacation with me ) she would put three holes on top of each other in a board stuck in the ground from 15 yards. I would claim more than three, but I couldn't tell if I was missing or going through the same hole...

That was using handloaded rounds which are around 650 to 700 ft-lbs of energy (damnit I need a chronograph so I will know for sure). Definately made the 9mm my accomplice brought feel like a .22 pistol with a bull barrel....

I am quite pleased with the performance.

Jonathan

very nice!

THAT is my next handgun.

could you share what kind of fitting or machining you had to do?

was it mostly a bolt together type operation?

clue me in man, i really want one!

thanks

-Spaceman

Quoted: THAT is my next handgun. could you share what kind of fitting or machining you had to do? was it mostly a bolt together type operation? clue me in man, i really want one! thanks -Spaceman

Ahh, the journey of building my own pistol. Let me start by saying that you really have to KNOW the 1911 platform and be at least somewhat mechanically inclined.

Somewhere around December I sat down with a Brownells catalog infront of my computer and started selecting items.

I weighed the prices between buying an 80% frame or ordering one from Caspian. I decided on the Caspian when I realized my milling machine connections were not going to be guaranteed. I built a list of all the parts I needed and ordered them sometime in February.

After I had all the small parts (and built my funds back up), I started talking to Caspian about making me a frame. I decided on the stainless, cast, government model with custom serial no. and Caspian style BTGS cut. April brought around having a frame and all the parts to assemble a pistol.

On the slide I had to fit the barrel, barrel bushing, extractor, the FP stop, the front and rear sights and drill and tap a hole for the rear sight.

On the frame I had to fit the slide, BTGS, MSH, thumb safety, ejector, mag catch, barrel and trigger. Then I went through and adjusted everything to give me a good trigger pull (measured by my hand, not a scale) and smooth feel to everything.

I used a couple file sets, a hammer or two, a punch set, a dremel (sparingly), some flitz and some clover compound. I did most of the fitting work in my living room, with exception for clamping the slide to install the sights.

After that I sent off the slide to AzExArms to park and moly it. Then I built a sandblasting cabinet and sandblasted the frame @ 90/90 and coated it with GunKote. Built a barrel vise and chucked it up in my drill press to jewel the barrel hood.

It took 6 months to procure the parts and get everything finished in my spare time. In the mean time I graduated from The University of Tennessee with a BS in Computer (Electrical) Engineering.

All in all it took a lot of time, a lot of patience and a bit more money than I originally expected. BUT I am completely satisfied with what I created. And that is what matters.

I've told CCA that I'd build copies for them, but I ain't holding my breath on it either.

Jonathan

Edited to add a link or two...

Nice job, you should be proud

thanks for all the info man!

congrats on graduation!

i should be doing the same in a year or two (Mech-E)

-Spaceman