ltwguns.com

This pistol started life as a cherry, low mileage, easy life Colt Commander with nice, straight lines. Your ideal base gun for a custom job. From the top down, I added 30 lpi serrations on the slide top, working around the radius with 50 lpi serrations cut on the rear of the slide. A set of Harrison Design HD-005 sights with a white dot front were cut in. I used the tall version of the rear to keep from having a shorter front sight than I wanted. The white dot is a synthetic white rod inserted in a drilled hole.

A Kart barrel was fitted with a H-D logo bushing and spring plug set and a Harrison Design slide stop. The slide stop pin was shortened and countersunk and the muzzle was cut with a deep bevel flush crown. The ejection port was lowered enough to true up the lines, add live round ejection clearance and a roll-over flute. We decided to keep the Colt spring tunnel radii rather than ball cuts in this case. An EGW extra-oversize extended ejector was used to fill the unusually large gaps between the ejector and the slide. I had to silver-solder extra steel to the inboard side of the ejector to have enough material to fill the .38 ejector track that a Commander uses. I used an EGW square bottom firing pin stop and a Wilson Bulletproof extractor to finish the slide.

The fit between the slide and it's aluminum frame was unusually good, having so little wiggle that I didn't feel that the addition of Acc-U-Rails was worth the time, expense and aggravation of coming back tighter than you really want them, so I stuck with the factory slide to frame fit. I did modify the frame to have a steel feed ramp insert for long term durability. The exterior ergonomics were handled by a CMC beavertail, a VZ flat aluminum MSH, and a Wilson 6B thumb safety. I trued and raised the front strap, then checkered the front strap and MSH 30 lpi with a smooth top and bottom border.

The MSH and frame were treated to my RoundButt mod and the mag well interior was beveled. All exterior edges and corners were dehorned with a Carry Bevel. I made a set of smooth walnut stocks in a thin profile. A Michiguns plunger tube was installed along with a H-D extended mag catch. The 3 1/2 lb. trigger pull is handled by a short H-D trigger and a H-D slotted Commander ignition set with tool steel strut. The aluminum receiver and MSH were finished in matte black Type III hard coat anodizing. All steel parts were finished in IonBond DLC after the slide flats were polished to 600 grit.

This wound up being one of those pistols that I've been meaning to build for myself for a long time. Had I been able to develop a plausible story about the gun being abducted by aliens or such and if I thought the owner would've have bought into it, this pistol would still be in my safe! Sadly, I just couldn't come up with a lie that'd fly...........

Now for some pics. Hope you enjoy!

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shop.HarrisonCustom.com
www.HarrisonCustom.com

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.

That's a great looking gun John. Very nice indeed.

Sure is a purty blaster!

Nicely done John.

--md

Great Work and the blending really is exceptional

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Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

Do your research but you get what you pay for front end or back end
http://www.pt-partners.com
@ptpartners_tx

WOW! That's perhaps the finest Commander I've ever seen. Bravo John!

I have the pleasure of telling you this pistol shoots as well as it looks. I had wanted a Colt 1911 built to spec for the 100th anniversary of the 1911, searched for an appropriate earlier LW Commander, and was lucky to find one in, as John said "cherry condition". John and I had spent months exchanging emails about the build, and he even hosted me for a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon to deliver the "raw material" and to finalize the details (e.g., picking the stock blanks, and deciding between white and gold insert on the front sight). The finished product arrived on March 29, which must be some cosmic sign.

I couldn't be more pleased. John was a pleasure to deal with throughout the project, and it's apparent he puts himself into the build.

And from his post above, I now understand why he was sending me links to articles in the National Enquirer about alien abductions . . .

Now THATs the epitome of understated excellence. Just perfect.

The owner will be showing it off at every BBQ he can attend.

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If You're Not the Lead Dog, The View Never Changes.

That is truely a work of art !!!

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GO-FOR-IT

Gorgeous as always.

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No Piece, No Peace

Astounding. Simply astounding.
As we all have come to expect; John's work is a full flourished and sophisticated piece of art.

Ari Ariel

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I don't associate with or support anti-Semites, Fascists, Marxists, Terrorists or other anti-American scum. Unhappily my President does so with pride.

Another HD beauty.....

That pistol is simply oozing class. Schweet!


-Matt

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"If it has breasts or a motor, you're gonna have trouble with it."

Such an excellent build John.. thanks for sharing pictures. Perfection in a carry gun!

Mr Buzz- If you don't mind me asking, what made you decide on the white insert versus gold dot front sight?

Thanks,
Ross

I asked John what he suggested for older eyes, even though I wanted the gold (thinking it more durable and classy. He suggested white, as more visible under differing light conditions. He had both on various pistols he was working on, and I tried both under different lighting. It's clearly a personal preference sort of thing, but I agreed with John. I'd certainly suggest looking at whichever options you're considering before choosing if possible.

Buzz

A peach of a build, John.

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CT Brian Custom
'Blending Art With Firepower'

That's pur-dee!!

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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