Posted: 7/23/2008 9:51:05 AM EDT
| need some advice on who to call to get my front strap checkered. what's the cost to have this done? |
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Hand cut is sharper, or at least the hand cut diamonds on my commercial are sharper than any machine checkering I have ever held. It's not a bad value to have GOOD machine checkering touched up by hand. As bd as most companies fuck up checkering, I will not order a gun with it. Only hand cut for me. Honestly I don't know who does god piece work. Wish I could help. But keep in mind that you will need to have the whole thing refinished, so do everything you want done at once. |
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...or buy a checkering file and jig and do it yourself... On a side note, sharp checkering is great to look at and great for magazine covers. Not great to shoot more than a couple hundred rounds (20lpi). I cut mine deep and sharp, then crop the tops with a #2 pillar file. I like the square tops. I have pics on here somewhere. |
I just received my Colt back from Ted at Heirloom, and after a 150 round range session with 25 LPI frontstrap and mainspring checkering, my hands are just fine. A master's work is something to behold. |
25LPI is all around perfect IMHO. Marc Morganti does nice work. As does the Springfield Custom Shop. 
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I checker my own. 20lpi works for me.  
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Nice work. |
that looks sweet! is it hard to do? |
Thanks Everyone.  the hardest part is looking at your frame, which is the "firearm", and taking the plunge and deciding to cut into it. Once you get past that, you need to make sure your first cuts are straight, up and down, and side to side. for the vertical I use the vice as a guide, for horizontal, I made a jig from a 90* piece of steel. Brownells sells 25 and 20 lines per inch files. I practiced on a brass rod to get the feel of it first. Once you get going, the lines you cut become the guide for the lines you are going to cut. It's a lot of elbow work, but it's satisfying when you get done. here's an old pic of one just starting...  Here's my Compact 1911, I tried it in 25lpi. almost done, before the HARDCHROME re-finishing...  
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Here is what the Wilson looks like. It has been described as being a "third world cheese grater", however, it functions well. I epoxied mine in place to prevent any surprises. Others use sandpaper or skateboard tape. Nothing looks as good as hand cut checkering, but, as mentioned, it is expensive. 
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for those on a budget I used 3M Safty walk tape and it came out pretty nifty most of my buds thought it came from the factory that way. The guns former owner had Pachmeyer wraparounds on it , which i dont like upon their removal i found a nice big chip on the front of the grip. I'll try top get a pic up but I like the look.
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The last few I had checkered were done by EGW. Excellent work and quick turnaround.
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Take a class shooting 600+ per day with sharp 20LPI checkering and you'll beg, borrow or steal a file to smooth it out. Like I said, it's nice to look at but not good for a hard use pistol. |
 I took a Matt Burkett class with the 1911 pictured above. we shot about 1000rounds in two days. My hands felt fine afterward. |
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At least you shot 1000 in a Burkett class. We didn't shoot that much in ours. I shot 500 185+p Hydrashoks through 5 guns I built with sharp 20LPI checkering, all shot in a day. I felt it the next day. Guess I need more "alone time" to toughen up my hands... I also like to do the backstrap and MSH.  |