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Hey fellows,
I recently got all three of my FLH'd guns in one spot and figured I'd give a snap of what they look like. This is an over decade long evolution, but still pretty neat.

Nice pictures. I can guess what "FLH" means because when I saw your pic I thought, "Whoa, those magwells are ___ large holes!"

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Ted

Ted, "fairly" was what I had in mind, you bad boy!

Nice conamyds on the MSH's as well.

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Steve

"Fairly" huh? That word didn't even enter my mind....

Ned, do the pictures show that you machined the frames down in front of the MSH? That's what it looks like but then the grips would also have to be custom fitted also, right?

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Ted

TedT, otherwise it woulda been LFH

Yes, part of that magwell treatment (absent moans of protest from the customer, and some really don't want it) is to take the bottom of the frame to the level of the cutout in front for the mag's floor plate where it sticks out the front of the mag bottom. The idea is that on a mag with no extension or bumper pad, you can more positively seat it, and yes, this way the grip panels can help out as magwell area.

Stokes, thanks for getting this started...... what is the third gun? I thought you only had the two.... did I forget one or did you pick one up recently?

In looking for a side pic to illustrate the grips/frame cuts, which I did not find, I found these of some "I.V." magwells to hold you until I can find the other pic.......

A pin gun for a very good friend of mine. This is from 1991:



The "Zen Ten" 10mm. I built this for a good customer in CA in, I believe, 2002. This gun recently changed hands.

Hey Guys!
That third gun you're seeing, Ned, is one that I picked up on the secondary market. I'm not sure who the original customer was, but it's not a full house effort. It has all the standard stuff that makes it a utilitarian fighting pistol, but is lacking much of the frill. Kart barrel, ingnition set, sights, FLH, conamyds, and a few other touches. It's a great gun, and I use it as a back up to the other you built while I'm at class.

I snapped a few shots of it's FLH just to give a better view of the FLH. Hope these are helpful.

I love the mag well/grips treatment on the Zen Ten.

Stokes, I see I never explained to you why I put a little notch in every mainspring housing retaining pin. When you install that pin, the notch should be on top, where it just gives you a little easier ramp-in against the mainspring plunger which is also the detent for said pin. So that notch should be here:



It's something I do to every gun but I don't think I ever really mentioned it.

Also Stokes, check your other ones, any magwells I've done in the last6-7 years should have a little scallop at the sear spring cut like this:

Hey Ned,
Thanks for mentioning that MSH retaining pin gig. I noticed it on all three of my pins, but I figured the relief was just to get it into the frame. Never occured to me that it might help get it past the detent as well.
Also, the Colt has the relief in the MS slot, but neither of the springfields do. I had thought that the one I got on the secondary market was only a few years old, but by this time, 6 or 7 does only seem like a few!

Me too and the idea of it was a stroke of genius on Ned's part. I want it done to one of mine now.

What's the purpose of the scalloped out cut on the sear spring cut? I saw that on a custom gun but he had no idea why it had been done.

I'm not sure that it serves a specific purpose. If it does, Ned will chime in, I'm sure. My guess is that it's more like a signature than a functional modification.

It's an amazingly efficient solution to gaining more area for magazine insertion. Instead of adding a little weight and what I consider to be awkward dimensions to the gun, you take a little weight away and gain a really nice increased area. It's a Michiguns innovation that I've always loved on my own 1911 that Ned built. And to think that I was skeptical when he asked me about doing it!

Thanks Harold.

The cut on the inside of the mag chute at the sear spring slot is for this: when a magwell is opened up a certain degree, it follows that the mag can be "started" in the chute at a greater angle. At a certain angle, the rim of the top round in the magazine can catch on that cut just a little..... it would not usually bring everything to s stop but it can put a real hitch in the insertion of the fresh magazine. That cut just takes away the sharp edge that might catch the rim.

Ok, you are talking about relieving the inside edge of the MSH so that the bevel removes the bottom, say, 1/4 inch or so of the back of the frames portion of the mag well and blending in that bevel, I get that.

On the gun I was looking at, the sear spring slot itself was cut with a cove -^- as if someone had taken that picture you posted and cut on the yellow line, so that only the two outsides of the sear spring were contacting the frame on both sides.

I am very proud to say that I am the new owner and it sits in a very nice display case.

Chris

Chris, that was one of my all-time favorite projects..... that comp was a real challenge, getting it to fit up just the way I wanted everywhere. Bluing on that one was by Doug Turnbull Restorations..... I bought I think three sets of Hogue grips so I could hand-pick a set for it. Glad you're enjoying it! I've done several, but not lots of, magwells that way where the checkering in the steel is an extension of the checkering in the grips.

Glad you are enjoying your acquisition!

I am fortunate to own many high end 1911's and this one is without a doubt the most impressive.

Chris

Ned

Your metal work is 'Insanely Cool'!!

I have always loved the detail on this Colt you did, and the mag well...Im always amazed, and usually just
shake my head and smile, and think, only Ned could pull this off.

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The Spirit of God hath made me, the breath of the Almighty hath given me life

Ned was refering to the cut you describe in your second paragraph. If the spring cut was left straight, the rim could catch. By cutting it into a scallop of sorts, the rim will ride the edges of the cut up to the point and right up into the magazine housing without ever hanging up.

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

OK, sorry about not getting it, that makes sense now that I see the relationship....

Thanks for the information.