Mine has been sent out for refinishing! Almost there!

Nice!

“Like button”

Not quite MEU(SOC)

Trying drop some videos of the build
Slide and frame work
Barrel and bushing fit

Also, I did a thing.

If you're collecting parts for a V1 - 3, I saw an eBay listing  for 7 beavertails today. Two of them look like they may be Clark safeties. Look up "1911 grip safety" and organize by newest, should be there. $95 for the lot.


*ETA - there is also another listing that looks similar to Clark, just a few listings down from this one.

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Blending!

BEFORE

AFTER

Love me some good blending

Small parts are going to another Springfield project. But the slide will be for a 100% correct build.

Fantastic looking work!

In process pics of mine getting refinished

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Sneaking a rifle in there too?  M40A3?

That’s my gunsmiths, he had a A3 clone that he is refinishing to put into a wood stock he is working on for a hunting rifle

Bruh I’m so stoked for you!

Thanks man I can’t put into words how excited I am

Mail call. Now I need the Bar-Sto barrel, MSH, hammer, trigger and trigger parts, then should be good to go.

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This is awesome.  Cant wait to see it finally put together.

Getting close

We just missed two Bar-sto barrels on GB for under $150 and one on eBay for $55!

@Infidel4life11

Wow, I haven't even been searching either for a barrel. Been focusing on the harder to find stuff.

Just picked up a Springfield Loaded as the basis for my build, earlier today. It has the Novak cut sights, same as other Loaded models. So, my build with have to replicate one of the later MEUSOC pistols.

Mods so far (stuff I had laying around)
Pachmayr grips
Short guide rod and plug
Wilson 47D mag
Surefire 310R

Still need to blacken the barrel and bushing. I do have a question about hammers. I currently have a Commander style hammer, and a skeletal hammer, as well as the one that came on the pistol. I’ve mostly seen the round commander type hammer on the early model MEUSOC pistols. However, I’ve seen some rarer pictures of the pistols with the commander hammer, but with the later model Novak cut sights. Was this some kind of transitional setup? Would the commander hammer technically be accurate for a Loaded slide, or do I need to use the skeletal hammer that is commonly seen on the later models?

@SlinginBrass

There were Variant 4's that had the commander hammer with the FCS slide, Novak sights, Ed Brown grip safety, and Ed Brown ambi.

@Pleaforwar

Thanks for the information. Do you happen to have any reference pics I can view? Would they have been during the time period that the 310Rs were still in use?

Also, what do you guys recommend for blackening my barrel? Would Cerakote suffice?

Mail call for today. Got some parts for both the ICQB and M45 builds. Still need the barrel, sear, disconnector, and sear spring for the M45.  

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@SlinginBrass

I stand corrected on the Ed Brown ambi. Good news is there are Kings 201AW safeties on eBay right now (not exactly correct but close enough IMO). If you go on Page 1 there are a few photos of the commander hammer with EB grip safeties, FCS slides, and Novaks.

Infidel is probably the best to ask about what was correct with the 310r. The only legit MEUSOC I ever held was in 2006 on my MEU deployment, and it did not have a light.

@SlinginBrass

I would not recommend cerakote because of how thick it is and how close the tolerances are on a 1911. Idk if stainless can be parkerized or blued, I would have it nitride if it were me.

Also Ed brown does not make a grip safety that will fit well on your loaded frame because the tangs are a .220 radius. You are dancing on a variant 4 so I’d keep your stock grip safety.

BTW I have been looking for a SF 310r for all my life so if you feel like letting it go I am your fucking guy


ETA
My RECON/MEUSOC/DET1 GWOT homies tell me 310r or 610r were what they remember one dude showed me a disposable camera pic of what looked like a plain 310 to me. Somewhere around 04/05 I ran into an Army guy with a beard while deployed. He had a USGI modern rebuild with a 310r. Years later I bumped into another dude while in Afghanistan who had a Caspian recon frame with a surefire x300, a gun I’m currently cloning.

Travis Haley’s build 610r

I know it's not clone correct, but does anyone know what the rear sight is on Haley's gun in that pic?

Looks like a modified Novak.

Regards

The army 1911A1's were SOCOM 1911A1s.  There were two types of Caspian frame pistols that were built for he army.  The first batch (1911A2 marked frames) were built by AMU.  They had adjustable Novak type sights and a frame with a one notch/cutout rail. They were more of a prototype. The second batch of Caspian framed 1911A1s (275 pistols) were built by the Springfield Custom Shop.  JSOC provided the parts and Springfield Custom Shop built the pistols.  The 2nd batch had a rail with two notches and adjustable sights.  

Regards

I believe it’s a Heinie ledge

Just looks like a standard ledge sight
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@Pleaforwar

I'll check those out. Thanks for the info, sir.

@Infidel4life11

Thanks for the suggestions, sir. I'm in Atlanta, so I'll look for local Nitriding services. Hope someone local offers it. Yeah, Surefire 310Rs are super hard to find, without having to pay loco money. Best I ever did was found one almost new in box (had only been mounted to pistol for a few months, then I bought it. Even though it was technically used, it was in MINT condition). I got it for $125 shipped. So, they can be found at reasonable prices. I actually have a clone of a Surefire 310 / 610. Only difference between the 310 / 610 and 310R / 610R is the switch on the housing of the light. The "R" models have the constant on / off rocker switch. The non "R" models have the monetary on / off sliding switch. It is a clone (which I think even the clones are discontinued now), but I was able to obtain a laser products label for the body to make it look legit. It's made of aluminum just like the real thing. IM me if you're interested in it. Would at least be a good place holder until you find a legit 310R.

You could also be on the lookout for a Surefire 607R or 307R, which was made for the Para Ordnance 1911s. Only difference between them is the Slimline grip switch. The 310R / 610R has the one that bolts into the upper grip screws. The 607R / 307R simply "clamps" around the front of the grip and the pressure switch has a very stiff metal flat spring that runs the length between the grip and back of the light. That is what provides the clamping force of the light against the frame, unlike the 310R / 610R that uses the grub screw, which when overtightened against the trigger guard would cause the slide stop to not lock the slide back reliably.

The light on the pistol that Travis Haley built is NOT a 610R. It's actually the 607R I mentioned above.

@Dunderway

Is does look similar to the profile of a Heinie ledge that Infidel4life11 mentioned, but I agree it looks more like a modified Novak meant for easier one handed racking off clothing / shoes. I say that, because comparing the gun Travis Haley built to the Heinie Ledge sight, the Haley version looks "thinner" or more low profile, as well as the rear part of the sight looks narrower. Also, look at the front corners of the Haley sight (mainly thee chamfers), just above the dovetail and compares it the Heinie ledge.

Not entirely correct, difference between "R" and non-"R" is the type of remote pressure switch not housing switch.

Sources? I called Surefire, and the rep told me the R in those model names correlated to the rocker switch vs the sliding switch. Not the Slimline grip switch vs the older rectangular pressure pad switch.

Most CS reps are clueless when it comes to old products.

http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/surefire_310610.pdf

http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/surefire_310r610r.pdf

Very interesting! I stand corrected. If that's the case then, the one with the sliding housing switch must be a different part number / model number. Looks like a 311 / 611 and the 311R / 611R may be the model with the sliding housing switch.

IT IS TIME.

Over 10 years wanting and waiting. It is finally complete. Tomorrow I will see the finished product for the first time and take my baby home. Pictures will be coming tomorrow!

STAND BY!!!!

That's fantastic!! Can't wait to see it!!

The housing was changed sometime in the late 90's from sliding switch to rocker switch, model numbers stayed the same.

Maybe you guys can answer this, but why does the USMC hate the FLGR so much? I thought the point of them was to decrease the possibility of the recoil spring binding, which I’ve never personally had happen *knocks on wood*.

@SlinginBrass

My guess would be that the Corps didn't want a weapon system that required a tool for disassembly.

I am going to be doing some glamour photos with it in a few days. He got me a meusoc marked cleaning kit but forgot to bring it in today. I literally can’t express in words how happy I am with it. Slide to frame fit is tight and glasslike, but smooth. I love it. The fact that it was also refinished at PWS adds so much more awesomeness to it coupled with the fact that it was built by a former 2112 who built the last run of these.

Included with it were a weapons book, challenge coin, extra shokbuffs, notes on hand fit dimensions, and a filled out set of PWS inspections sheets.

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Awesome.

Or disassemble itself while shooting

Beautiful. And it'll only get better with age.

I did this project fully wanting to use the shit out of it like a good combat pistol. Now that I have it in my hands, part of me doesn’t want to fire it!

@NapeSticksToKids

Looks great.