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Posting for a computer challenged friend: Background, he's got a Series 1 Kimber Custom Combat that's seen some better times. Front strap checkering is dented and knocked down and the MSH isn't any better. I realize the MSH can be replaced and checkered according, but how about the front strap?

Can 30lpi checkering be flattened then recheckered? Or does he have to go with alternative front strap treatments like scalloping/golfballing/conamyds etal? How about changing the checkering pattern to 25lpi?

Ideas?

Will

Why flatten it out? Get, or have someone, renew it with the finishing file.

Didn't/don't know that checkering could be renewed in such fashion?

I figured if the diamonds were detented or flattened then a solution could be just to flatten all the diamonds then recut.

Ideas?

No, no, no, don't flatten your checkering, no matter how bad it might be. Your smith will really appreciate you not doing that when he goes back over it and hand checkers it. You already have your starter lines...now your smith just needs to get his checkering file out and start the cleanup and re-pointing.

Don't flatten it out unless you have your heart set on a different LPI or golf balling...etc. Before you look into something different, keep in mind you have only the ammount of material that your frontstrap is made up of. You flatten out the .025"-.033", and you are going to have to cut more off. How thick is your frontstrap right now?

Bob

Good questions Bob, I really don't know what he has in mind so I'll pass on the info.

Thanks

Will

If the front strap is machine checkered you may be at a loss all together. Depending on how it was done you may not be able to point up a 30lpi machine checkered front strap, at least not with a spacing file.

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So best thing to do then is to send it to a pistolsmith for inspection?

Okay, hypothetical, if the checkering cannot be "sharpened" what other options are available?

Jason is right, pending on the machine checkering job, the frontstrap might not be able to be chased with a checkering file. But most hand checkering is finished with a single point file. In your case, it might be a good idea to have a smith check it first before any commitment is made and go from there. Pending on how marred the points are, is is most likely some time with a single point will do wonders.

I have saved some pretty bad checkering with a little elbow grease, a loupe, some high spot blue, and a bead blasting cabinet.

Your options beyond that is how much material is there to work with as stated before.

It may be a good idea to strip the frame and send it to somebody for inspection before any permanant decision is made.

Thanks,
Bob

Thanks for the info guys! I will pass on the info to my friend and have him decide.

Another option is to send it to EGW and have George weld in one of his checkered inserts, believe the old is cut out on an EDM machine and new TIG welded in. Seamless, but it is not cheap, you can get the price off of the EGW site.