Posted: 8/23/2006 7:21:23 AM EDT
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I don't know where to post this so I will start here. I need a length of weaver rail to fit on top of a 5" Govt model. I will cut a front sight groove in it. It needs to be steel to hold up to the battering of the .460 Rowland conversion and will be carrying a small scope like a Leo 2X or red dot site. Can anyone tell me where I can find a piece of rail like this that will sit tight on top of a 1911 slide? I have not ordered it yet (99% sure it will be Caspian) so I can get the round top or flat top. FWIW Caspian has not been able to answer this question Many thanks Mark |
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Thanks Aleko - I am waiting on confirmation of thickness from RRA. Gregory. For a couple of reasons I want a slide mount. One is balance and height of scope to barrel. This will be on a .460 Rowland conversion that I intend to hunt with. It will be at various unknown ranges and I must be able to hit accurately the first shot. Secondly is carry. I have not found a single holster made regardless of material that I can use to carry anything with a frame mounted scope except competition rigs which offer no cover to the gun and questionable security crawling through grabbing vines and brush. |
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true on the holsters it will have to be a custom job. But then when I am just using a pistol to hunt its in my hands. then my area is proberly small to what you have in Tx. On accuracy. I've seen frame mounted 38 super USPSA open rigs put 6 shoots in the head A zone of an ipsc target at 50 yards. I do not know a lot on these conversions. If the conversion is still a recoil operation and not a gas operation. Slide mass will come into play. Your going to have to play with Spring rates untill you find a weight that will cycle the gun with the added weight of a scope scope rings and mount. I dont know if I would want any scope sliding back and forth on the slide. Seems like the scope is going to take one hell of a beating. Leoupold will honor the scope no matter what, but I would check with them that there scopes can take it so you do not find your self without an optic. |
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I know... I have considered that. Another reason against the frame mount. I am sure that if I keep an eye on it it could handle it and obviousy they work or all the pro's wouldn't be using them. BUT... they are normally shooting at known distances and their crawling around is limited to running from spot to spot. I am thinking of lightening the slide some on top of those other considerations. I probably will start out with a cheaper red dot that I already have and see how it holds up. According to Clark they have people using slide mounts with success, so I will take it slow and easy. |
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Just a quick update for anyone else who might consider it. I did end up going with the RRA rail. I just cut the rear pulling lugs off since I don't need them. Between 4 mounting screws I positioned 3 small dowels into the top of the rail. This should be absolutely rock solid. As an aside, I have not been able to fine a suitable holster - BUT - I also have a Marvel .22 conversion that has a smaller rail on it. I have a small 1" red dot scope mounted on it on a full time, purpose built lower from RIA. The whole thing fit suprisingly well and besides some gunsmithing to fit the high rise beavertail it has been pretty easy to do. Anyway, I happened to have in a box of holsters and 'stuff' like I am sure we all do, an Uncle Mikes 1911 holster. There is no model on it, but it is an open top with adjustable straps with a thumb break. I always liked it for field carry because you could use more than one belt thickness and the straps made it secure. It was open about to the front of the ejection port. The Marvel would could not be inserted, but I decided that for the price I paid, I could afford to destroy this one. An hour or so after getting out some tools, various sized and shaped pieces of wood and a propane torch, I reshaped the top end. I flattened the sight channel just a bit to clear the scope - there is still plenty of room. I cut off the sides of the open portion about 3/8" (just drew a line with a wax pencil) with a dremel and continued that line forward to the front of the front ring and cut that off. So there is still about 2 3/4" enclose from the muzzle end. Cutting off these little sides allowed the rings to clear and it still covers the gun up to the rail so have full protection. Once the cutting was done, I set the propane torch on very low and held the holster above it in the heat - not in the flame. If I got too close and it heated too quickly, it told me by start to smoke and the surface got really soft before the whole area was soft enough to form. I loosend up the two retaining screws and once softened, I squeezed the top down and out and shoved the gun in... it went in! I had to trim off a touch more to fit all the way in because of the front ring to make sure the trigger guard snap fit perfectly. With the top softened I was able to manipulate it to fit around the square rail. I just repeated this process a few times using the pieces of wood (the kydex was pretty warm!) to move and hold shape. After about the 4th time I put a bit screwdriver handle in it that I noticed if I held it as just the angle the corners of the handle coincided with the sharpest/widest corners on the rail. I held it and let it cool and lo and behold... a perfect fit! Whether I can do this with another one just like it I don't know. The RRA rail is wider, the scope rings will be positioned differently AND I want to mount a light on it. I don't mind trying it with a $25 Uncle Mikes, but I would be a little more hesitatant with an $80 blade tech. We shall see. |
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I actually checked into that... the only Kydex I could find came in 2mm thick sheets. The UM's probably started out as 4mm and I have a couple by Hoffner's that are thicker still. Besides, I'd have to have the forming foam to ensure a uniform finish and I honestly don't know if you can use a gun as the mold without scorching anything anywhere. I think of it like "you can get a blank and make your own stock". Sure could. First 3 or 4 would look like crap though. By the time I spend that much money, time and effort I could buy and ruin a couple of UM's! |