Man, I never have enough time to get to my friend's shop and work on this.  Anyway, this is a gun belonging to FROST18E, and I felt like posting pics of this work in progress as I'm extremely bored.  It's a new prodcution Series 70.  

My friend Adam has been very patient waiting for me to finish.  I'm hoping it really turns out nice.  I have a lot to do still.  I'm fitting the frame and slide now.  Next is the barrel, followed by checkering the front strap at 20 LPI and high gripping it.  

Very nice.

Very nice.



I like the beveled slide stop hole.
Tim Brian does that on his 1911s and it really gives it a "finished" look, IMO.

Nice work.

Thanks for all the nice comments.  I like doing the bevel, but have not done it to many of my own 1911s.  The very first handgun class I ever took was in 1989, and the instructor was very adamant about putting your trigger finger slide stop pin.  The first malfunction clearance I did resulted in a locked slide, which is the reason this modification exists.  I really think it's one of the more practical modifications for a 1911, though many would would consider it strictly cosmetic.

Very nice work hobbs.  How does the malfunction clearance drill work with the slide stop pin?  Does keeping your trigger finger on the outer pin keep the slide from locking back during a rack?  Thanks.

Hobbs,
     That is simply amazing.  At first I didn't realize it was the same gun.  I'm so impressed.

For some, when you have your finger straight along the side of the frame, your trigger finger may ride on the tip of the slide stop.  If you do a "tap, rack, assess" or a class 3 malfunction clearance under stress, more than likely you will have a pretty firm grip on the gun, which means you're actually pushing in on the slide stop pin.  

When you rack the slide back, you run the risk of partially or completely popping the pin out, usually resulting in the slide stop engaging the diassembly notch in the slide and locking the slide in place.  This will mitigate or completely eliminate the possibility of a severe stoppage for those who might ride the slide stop pin with the trigger finger.

Try it with a non shortened, non countersunk slide stop, and you'll see very quick how bad the malfunction can be.  It doesn't happen for everyone, but it does for me.

Quoted:

Hobbs!!!!!
That is some First Class work.

Thanks again everyone.  Chuck, I have to admit I try to plagiarize your work, as I've been a devoted fan ever since picking up a used gun of yours in '88.  I used to sit in Nelson Ford's shop and drool over all the pics he would show me of comps you built.

I only wish I had not sold that gun when I was a poor college student.  It had a perfectly executed full profile single chamber comp with the most beautiful crown.  It also had French cuts and a flattened and serrated slide.  It was a work of art, and whenever my best friend visits and talk turns to guns, he still chastizes me for selling it.  

beautiful, I wish I had the talent to build a 1911 of this level of detail

Hobbs, nice to see you've returned. Nice work on the Colt.

Holy smokes, Hobbes!!!!

I mean, DAMN!!!!

DAMN!!!!

John is a First Class guy and you can see he does first class work.  As for being patient, of course I am, I'm just happy I wasn't put on a 3 year wait list for a full house!  I know that one day when John retires and starts doing this full time I'm going to have a very valuable weapon, one of Johns first.  He just better mark it so I can prove it!

I'll talk to you soon john....... how about a "git togather" at Crossroads on 4/22?

Great job.

I particulary like the grip safety fit...very nicely done.

Nice work.

Quoted: John is a First Class guy and you can see he does first class work.  As for being patient, of course I am, I'm just happy I wasn't put on a 3 year wait list for a full house!  I know that one day when John retires and starts doing this full time I'm going to have a very valuable weapon, one of Johns first.  He just better mark it so I can prove it! I'll talk to you soon john....... how about a "git togather" at Crossroads on 4/22?

Between the stinky, 3 toothed, trailer park militia types and the inflated cost of guns there, I usually pass, not to mention we're probably having a baby that day.  I appreciate the offer though.  Instead, check the LEO forum at the other site, as we're planning a Sunday get together witha bunch of LEOs from some of the down south agencies.  I'm thinkin' Tukee sports bar followed by Christie's.

To everyone else, thanks again for the compliments.  Desertmoon, wanna grab some beers in Tukee?  Bring GravityTester?  

That is breathtaking...

Simply a work of art.
Well done, well done indeed.

I don't see anything I would change and I'm a picky bastard!

Wow. Very nice.

You do nice work Hobbs!  You convinced me on the need for beveling the slidestop hole and shortening the pin.

Didn't I do that to yours?

Quoted: Quoted: John is a First Class guy and you can see he does first class work.  As for being patient, of course I am, I'm just happy I wasn't put on a 3 year wait list for a full house!  I know that one day when John retires and starts doing this full time I'm going to have a very valuable weapon, one of Johns first.  He just better mark it so I can prove it! I'll talk to you soon john....... how about a "git togather" at Crossroads on 4/22? Between the stinky, 3 toothed, trailer park militia types and the inflated cost of guns there, I usually pass, not to mention we're probably having a baby that day.  I appreciate the offer though.  Instead, check the LEO forum at the other site, as we're planning a Sunday get together witha bunch of LEOs from some of the down south agencies.  I'm thinkin' Tukee sports bar followed by Christie's. To everyone else, thanks again for the compliments.  Desertmoon, wanna grab some beers in Tukee?  Bring GravityTester?

yeah, we gotta hook up at some point...ya gotta check out my Browning HP ( 9 ) that I am waiting on...sights are getting installed and then a nice park with moly resin over the top.....

WOW!

First.....WOW!!!That is beautiful!

I know I don't know shit, but wouldn't you do the front strap checkering before you refinish it??

Also what is that finish???


Looks great!!!

Travis

Yup, checkering gets done before refinishing.  It's "in the white" currently, meaning it's bead blasted carbon steel.  A lot of times when I cut on a gun, I bead blast afterwards to see how the finished part will look.  

For example, I had to grind on the top and bottom of the beavertail and frame tangs to blend them.  I did this with a 120 grit drum on a Dremel tool, followed by a 320 grit drum.  After that, I used a Cratex rod, coarse, to blend out my grind marks.  

At this point, the large grind marks are no longer visible, and the Cratex gets it pretty shiny.  I bead blast it to see if there are grind marks I missed.  It might be hard to see in the photos, but there are faint grind marks on the tangs and beavertail, and I still need to go back and hit it with the 320 grit again before I refinish it.  

Also, I just have a bad habit of bead blasting a gun after I work on it, because it annoys me to look at it after I've cut or ground on it.  It also makes for better pics if I want to e-mail progress photos to the gun's owner.

After I finish frame and barrel fitting, I'll high cut the frontstrap and start checkering.  That will make it look pretty bad until I finish it.  Anyway, I'll post photos of the frame rails being lowered and the slide being squeezed if I get a chance.  It's going to turn out nice I hope.

By the way Adam, start thinking of what gun you want out of my safe.  I fear I'm going to have to keep this one, as it's my little boy's favorite gun.   First thing he does when I get home is to stand by the safe and beg for me to get it out.  

Wow, that's in the "White"?  I like it like that!  Any way to "seal" it like that so it is protected?  Or does the photos make it look better than it would in person?



Travis

I don't know about sealing it.  The pics are pretty much what it looks like in person, but it's perhaps a little lighter.  I did a gun like this in Brownells clear baking laquer once, and later decided to change the finish.  It was not easy to strip the old finish.  I spent over and hour doing the frame alone in the blasting cabinet.  When I coated it with clear baking laquer, it changed the color slightly, making it darker.

Quoted: By the way Adam, start thinking of what gun you want out of my safe.  I fear I'm going to have to keep this one, as it's my little boy's favorite gun.   First thing he does when I get home is to stand by the safe and beg for me to get it out.

I'll take everything on the top row and you can keep the Pony!

PS: the wife ACTUALLY said I should put a work bench up in the garage and get a lathe!  somthing fishy here...........

Don't think, just get on it.  Stop by the machine tool shop at 31st Ave. and Thomas.  By the way, the top row is dwindling.  I'm thinking either new flooring or something class 3.

When I first checked this thread, I was in a rush and didn't get to say how amazingly beautiful that is, Hobbs.  I only wish I could do work like that!  The bevel on the slide stop pin is amazing.  That's the first time I've seen that done.  I really like that.

I also like how you did the serrations on the slide stop itself.  Is that the original slide stop or an aftermarket?  To me, it looks like the original that's been checkered?

I really love the fit on that beavertail.

Thanks for sharing these photos with us.  That pistol is a work of art.

Cheers,

kk7sm

Me LIKEY!!

Thanks for the nice comments.  It's an original Colt slide stop.  Again, I'm plagiarizing, as I saw a CT Brian gun over on the LTW forum with the same serrations.  I did this one just to mess around, as FROST18E had a Wilson Barstock slide stop.  He's still going to get that one shortened and fitted to this gun as long as it's no larger than the Colt in diameter.  If not, then he'll at least have an extra he can sell.

Hobbs,

What does a job like this cost?  Not to be nosey and if you would rather not say I respect that.

OUTSTANDING WORK!!!!

Quoted: Hobbs, What does a job like this cost?  Not to be nosey and if you would rather not say I respect that. OUTSTANDING WORK!!!!

It's a complicated situation for me.  It's free if you can talk me into it and you live close to me.  Basically, I'm not a gunsmith by profession, and I don't have an FFL.  I can't accept serialized parts from out of state.  I don't make a thin penny at this, and I don't charge.  I only accept work from people I know, and I do it as a hobby.  This way, if I ever go into this as a profession, nobody can come back and say that I was doing work under the table.

The "client" pays for parts and pays for any tools that I might go through.  Other than that, it's just a matter of whether I have time, and if the project is something I would find interesting.  

Unfortunately, at any given time, I have many people who want work done.  I can't even keep track of all the people that ask, and I don't think those people know it's free of charge, labor wise.  I also have to consider the fact that any time spent on a gun is time away from my wife and son.

As for what it would cost if I was in business, I would probably charge about what others do.  Some smiths charge a lot more than this, especially if they are "name" smiths.  Some of the best though, like Chuck Rogers, Don Williams, and Ted Yost, have extremely reasonable prices, especially compared to those in their class.  It would be about like this for labor alone:

-machine slide for Heinie sights, $80
-flatten and serrate top of slide 40lpi, $90
-French cuts on slide, $40
-serrate rear of slide, $40
-install match barrel/bushing, $150
-fit frame/slide, $90
-install Brown beavertail, $90
-flush cut and countersunk slide stop, $30
-install and blend S&A magwell, on non beveled frame, $35
-high grip and checkered frontstrap 20 lpi, $190
-install ambi safety, $35
-trigger job, $95
-reliability tune, $75
-install and silver solder plunger tube, $45
-carry bevel package, $45
-reblue pistol, $135

So, about $1265 on labor, plus about $970 for the gun (that's a guess), plus about $900 for the parts at wholesale (another guess, and only Adam knows what he has into parts), and you have a hefty price tag of $3135.

Hobbs that is amazing!!

Quoted: Hobbs that is amazing!!

Why thank you sir!

Regarding FROST18E, and his taste for expensive guns, I found a pic of him with some rather pricey, pymped out guns.  I thought I would share this with you all.

Quoted: Quoted: Hobbs that is amazing!! Why thank you sir! Regarding FROST18E, and his taste for expensive guns, I found a pic of him with some rather pricey, pymped out guns.  I thought I would share this with you all. img496.imageshack.us/img496/8241/iraqifreedom02915rw.jpg

Hehehe...That's awesome!!!

Hey Frost, you got da Bling, yo!!!

This is Bling

(Note the SF uniform and crate of AK's for trading with REMFS)

Adam, seeing you in that outfit makes me want to ask you out to Brokeback Mountain!  I thought you SF guys were supposed to be meat eaters.  I realize you're working Sunday, but my Ranger buddy is just in from Iraq, and we're going shooting.  If you're of by chance, bring your SS Colt and a bunch of ammo.  Heck, if I can get your slide and frame fitted Saturday, and maybe even get your barrel in, we can put it through some paces.

Quoted: Adam, seeing you in that outfit makes me want to ask you out to Brokeback Mountain!  I thought you SF guys were supposed to be meat eaters.

Who needs to wear all that tactical gear when you ARE an instrument of death, stacking bodies like cord wood.

Good point.  Can I use that arguement so that my son can have a fine 1911?

Quoted: Quoted: Hobbs, What does a job like this cost?  Not to be nosey and if you would rather not say I respect that. OUTSTANDING WORK!!!! It's a complicated situation for me.  It's free if you can talk me into it and you live close to me.  Basically, I'm not a gunsmith by profession, and I don't have an FFL.  I can't accept serialized parts from out of state.  I don't make a thin penny at this, and I don't charge.  I only accept work from people I know, and I do it as a hobby.

I'm looking for someone to do a custom job on a 1911 I have in the "pipeline" and am considering

a move to AZ and becoming your  new best friend after seeing the pictures of this Series 70 he