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Thanks for the help, I was able to get it figured out.

Jason Burton from Heiloom Precision would be the go to person on this.

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No Piece, No Peace

This gun has some very Swensonish features but doesn't appear to be a Swenson gun. No markings under the slide on the disco rail?

I love the pachmayr beavertail.

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I sent the pictures to Wayne Novak, who worked in Swenson's shop and has seen a lot of them.

In his opinion, the frame and trigger are correct. He stated that Swenson never installed a grip safety like that. The slide is not a Swenson; the front sight installation is very poor and would never have left the shop like that.

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I'll try and ask Bruce about that, I believe he used to work for Mr. Swenson as well...

*edit* Bruce did not work for Swenson but he is familiar with his work, and that doesnt look like it...

I would bet not. While the frame and trigger do look correct (I would not argue with Wayne on those points) the front sight is wrong, the rear sight is not correctly positioned, being rearwards a bit too much, and lacking the recoil lug. The mainspring housing appears to be a Pachmayr, and those ambis were most definitely not Swenson.

And I guess I do have ot argue with Wayne, the checkering just doesn't look right.

If it works 100%, and is accurate, great. But if you paid a higher figure for the Swenson provenance, you should not have.

Well, the checkering, while not-so-great, is similar to that I have seen on other Swensons (maybe guns done near the end of his career ?)

The horizontally-serrated trigger is Swenson look.

The lack of markings anywhere is a little concerning, though.

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No good deed goes unpunished.

I'm no expert, but that might be a Jim Hoag gun. I have a Springfield that Jim built for me a few years ago, and that beavertail looks like Jim's, the checkering looks like the checkering on my gun, and the S&W rear sight installation looks like the way Jim builds them. If that's not a Swenson, it might be a Hoag gun. Look on the cartridge pickup rail for any other markings, Jim often marked that area on his builds.

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Ted

Doesn't look anything like my Hoag....click my Blog for pics

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"The most effective armor is to keep out of range"-Italian proverb

CHECK OUT MY CUSTOM 1911 BLOG
http://thearsenalofdemocracy.blogspot.com

It doesn't look at all like my Hoag, either. Aside from aesthetics, the workmanship looks to be standard fare for Bruce, but it's sure not a Hoag gun. Gray apprenticed under Behlert, but I didn't know he worked with Swenson, too.

I, too, hope you didn't pay a "Swenson" premium for it.

As to the markings, I remember hearing that he was completely inconsistent with marking his work; some of his guns were marked, and some he didn't, and that after he passed away someone had stolen his stamps, accounting for some forgeries turning up.

I didn't pay a "Swenson" premium, fortunately.

I'm still happy with the gun at the price I paid, I'd just like to know who it came from.

I was wrong on Hoag, the beavertail doesn't look like his trademark only the checkering looks like mine.

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Ted

Maybe Craig Wetstein (sp?) who once worked for Pachmayr and was later on his own in CA?

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