ltwguns.com

Hello all,

I have just started building my own guns and am hooked on the challenge and reward of doing this myself. I have a plan to build a limited gun for myself for USPSA. I am going to build it on a Springfield Hi-Cap milspec frame and want the end result to look similary to Rob Leatham's limited gun. a la http://www.robleatham.com/vaultequipuspsalimited.htm (which incidently made my jaw drop when I saw him shoot it at Area 2 last year.)

My question is where would be the best place to send the frame to have the trigger guard squared out? I assume it's a cutting and welding job, but I don't have the technical expertise for that or the equipment at this point. Would a normal machine/fabrication shop be suitable or would a gunsmith operation be better? I would like fairly quick turnaround so I was considering maybe EGW, Springfield themselves, or other slightly higher volume operations you guys would recommend that would take a single small job like this. I know this mod has gone out of favor in recent times, but I really like it and it seems like Springfield is adding it to a few of their guns also. I would love one of the smiths on here to do it, but I would imagine the waiting lists are long for a single operation and that they would work mostly on full-house stuff.

Anywho, sorry for the long question. This site has sparked a fire in me which will probably only be quenched with years of working on and building pistols.....or years of therapy. Either way, thanks in advance.

Alan Tag
Seattle, WA

Alan, I'm thinking you might find a local one-or-three-man shop who would be willing to do it for you. Although it'd be nice to have it done by someone who does them or has done them, if you find the right shop that sees it as something a little different and a challenge, they'd probably do a good job of it.

Some guns have trigger guards that are meaty enough that you can heat it up red and just forge it out to shape. But that's best done with a purpose-made shaping too.

You can make a cut at 6:00, heat and bend the front out straight, silver solder a pice in, and file/shape to suit.

Or do as above and TIG the filler piece in. Probably a better choice than silver although a good silver joint is almost indestructable.

At one time, Ron Power made a "wrench" for that job. It was a bar with two round pins spaced to fit the (top outer and bottom inner) curves of the trigger guard. Heat trigger guard with a torch till red, then insert tool and bend to suit your taste. I used to do quite a few of those with that tool. Works well on forged frames. I don't think I'd try it on a cast one though.

BBBBill, Ron Power still has the tool, but you have to get it directly from him. It runs $19.98.

_________________
Don Williams
http://www.theactionworks.com
http://www.ltwguns.com

Is there a website, link or phone number for Ron Power?

Also, if I did got this route, would I just heat the trigger guard with something like a propane torch until it is red. And then after it's shaped, would I just let it cool naturally or do you use oil or water to cool it. If I find it's not exactly right, can I reheat and reshape mulitiple times or would this weaken the metal to much. It sounds doable so I game to give it a try.

Thanks for the quick replies!

Try here
http://www.powercustom.com/