Posted: 1/3/2007 8:25:55 PM EDT
How about a couple of cased pairs...    The cased pair of Springfield Armory guns (on the left) started life as a couple of Springfield's wonderful frame and slide kits or "gun kits" as they call them. This pair is a collaborative build between Ted and myself and it represents the very best that we have to offer in every aspect of our custom builds with no detail overlooked. Flattened and serrated slide tops, hand-cut 25lpi checkering, round-butt conversions, Kart barrels, etc. all neatly tucked away in a French fit case/book. Doing a collaborative pair for this years show was Ted's initial idea but from there we both ran with what we new would make these guns a "classics" all the way down to the book-like case. Considering the case and its execution the name Ted gave the pair is quite fitting... "Twenty Paces". The stainless Colt Government Models are 100% Signature Grade as only Ted Yost can do. These guns define attention to detail and the package is complete with a French fit case that houses hand made tools featuring oil finished walnut handles and nitre blued shafts to compliment the niter blue accents on the pistols. The details on this gun are unreal... hand-cut 40lpi checkering, weld-up frame an slide fits, Nowlin barrels, round-butt conversions, etc. and those with a keen eye will likely pick-up something special on this pair.  Hope to see a bunch of you at SHOT... stop by and check out these and a bunch more 1911s!        
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Sequentially numbered pair? What do I win? Not a cookie I hope! |
I'm kinda focusing on the trigger. Is that ivory? But maybe that's not it, since it looks like both sets of guns have similar triggers. Either way... they look great. I'd love that done to my stainless gov't. model. 
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Hmm. Yeah I can see that now. Aluminum makes much more sense than ivory. I think the color threw me off. I was sitting here thinking it wouldn't be a great idea to have ivory as a trigger considering it might degrade and crack over time. |
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Beautiful weapons! Can I make one small criticism? Such beautifully crafted firearms deserve display cases just as beautiful and well crafted. The wood chosen for those cases is lame to say the least. Using the same wood used for the grips would have been a very nice touch but baring that, they could have used something with a little nicer grain and figure. Some more interesting joinery would have been a nice touch too. I know, I know, it's about the guns not the boxes but my other hobby is woodworking so I notice things like that. Presentation firearms should be displayed in boxes worthy of the work inside of them. I hope you do not get offended by my comments and take them in the sport in which they were meant.  Thanks for the sneak peek |
Guys, thanks for all the comments... these guns are an enormous amount of work but having the packages come together as they did and being able to display the final product always makes the labor worth the effort.
As for this bit of trivia... all the clues you need are in this picture.
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Looks like every pin (at least visible on the right side) was blued...including the slide stop. Slide stop is ...what, brushed chrome? On the left side, but fire-blued on the right...? |
Good eye and while you’re not dead on you’re very close. We like to use the nitre blue for accents on the guns and since Ted started adding it to the Signature Grade builds some years ago it has become a staple on our best grade work. As you can see stainless guns now even get it on the pins, screws, mag-catch lock, etc. but, since stainless steel will not oxidize like carbon steel will, it took some doing to make it happen on the stainless slide stop and thumb safety. So what you have here is some of Ted’s finest efforts… stainless parts to which he has meticulously added stress-proof steel only to the ends to result in the deep blue accents you see while still maintaining the stainless parts throughout. Very cool... |
Polished sides of the slides, or, did you shorten the frame up a little? |
Gotcha! I was thinking it started life out as a blued part, and went through the plating/dipping process early 1911 mags went through...bottom blued, top nickled or tinned or whatver it was they used at the time. I didn't expect more metal would have been welded on for bluing.. That is beautiful |
Evil_Ed guess it commenting... ”Looks like every pin (at least visible on the right side) was blued...including the slide stop. Slide stop is ...what, brushed chrome? On the left side, but fire-blued on the right...?” As for the cases Ted and I made those.
Booth 1295...  |
