Gentlemen,
This is my first post here on LTW, although I have been checking in from time to time because I really like what you have going here. I talked to Ted a few weeks ago about a Springfield I want him to build up for me, and he invited me to come along for the ride then. So, Ted, sorry for taking my sweet time. And BTW, I have just about gathered eveything for my goody bag to send off to you. This next year or so will be an eternity.
This is a somewhat long post, and I already shared it with the people on pistolsmith and 1911forum. So, my apologies if you've seen it before. I though it would fit here even better than the other two forums simply because of the attitudes of the individuals here. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
.......................................................................................
Like most of you, I too am a huge 1911 fan. Like you also, I have a thing for
custom 1911s, and usually get them made simply because I can in this great country of ours, because in all honesty, I only
need one. This thread is in recognition of both a new gun and our country, as my backdrop for the photos is othe great Stars and Stripes. The gun is a 1970s Colt Combat Commander that had been riden hard and put up wet by its previous owner (as seems to be the case with all of my Colts – go figure). I bought it for a small chunk of change and gave it to my regular gunsmith, Dave Sams for resurrection. The flag is a similar story, as I found it in a dumpster here at Virginia Tech while walking by a building renovation site a few weeks ago. My friends thought I was crazy for getting into the dumpster to get the flag, but something in my heart… I knew I would either have to try and clean it up or give it a proper laying to rest. The flag, like the gun, was covered in rust spots. It had been boxed in a damp place and rested against a steel lamp that had corroded and stained the flag all over. I washed the flag twice and got the strong majority of the stains off and then used a toothbrush, various detergents, and some elbow grease to get the small spots off. Surprisingly enough, it cleaned up quite nicely… kind of like the Colt.
Some people might say I am disrespecting the flag by using it in this way, and with all due respect, I must disagree. I think it is more of an honor to be cleaned and displayed than be buried in a landfill somewhere. Just my $0.02.
Now for the gun. I wrote the beginnings of this project a few days ago in my “A Couple in the Works†post. I had no idea I’d have the gun this soon, as I thought I’d be waiting for my Delta to be finished. Oh well. I can deal with it. It’s a Colt 70 series Combat Commander that was full of minor pitting on the slide and victim of serious neglect by the previous owner(s). The fit, like many of that period, was atrocious. Dave and I decided not to tighten the slide and frame simply because here was no real need, and doing so would be more trouble than it was worth. We salvaged the pins, sear, hammer, disconnector, sear spring, firing pin and stop, extractor, and ejector. Here’s a list of the other various parts:
- KKM Precision Barrel
- EGW Slide Stop
- NM numbered bushing
- Novak Lo Mount rear and dovetail front sight (serrated)
- Casull short solid trigger
- McCormick Beavertail GS
- Brown Single Side Thumb Safety
- Brown Flat Smooth MSH
- Wolff 20lb recoil spring & 17lb mainspring
- Brown mag release
Dave lowered and flared the ejection port, hand beveled the mag well, dressed all pins and parts, set the trigger at a surprisingly smooth 4.5lbs (this is a carry gun), removed machine marks on the inside, gave the butt a slight radius, concave radiused the bottom of the slide stop, and finished it off with a bead blasted matte blue. There is more, but I simply cannot remember it all, and do not have the ticket in hand.
I had the chance to put 200 rounds through it yesterday. 150 rounds of 230gr Federal American Eagle ball followed by 50rds of Federal 230gr Hydra-Shoks went without a hitch. Follow up shot were fast and easy, and even though the gun is totally smooth, it was quite controllable. I like it. I’ll be sure to report on it after I have the opportunity to really shoot it a lot.
I am proud to own both of these. Thanks for your time.
~Jim Keeney
Register
Login
FAQ
