More on this one presently but it is, I believe, the second pistol I did in Conamyds. I did it for a company that at the time was looking for a patented pattern to adopt as a company signature feature. In they end they did not use it because they were looking for something that could be done with off-the-shelf cutters. Quite a while went by after the decision not to use Conamyds and I forgot about the sample I had sent. Eventually I requested the return of it and it hung around here for a good long time with only the front and backstraps done....bit by bit I pecked away at it. Finally about six months ago I determined to get it finished, and I offered it to a group of guys on my waiting list, hoping it would come close enough to what one of them was waiting for. I could get the pistol finished, shipped and off the books and everybody else on the list would ratchet up one place, and it happened just that way.
This was long-ago enough that I was modifying mainspring housings, or making them from scratch, to have a forward-projecting feature at the bottom. This enables the magwell to be ramped quite a bit to the rear without creating a knife-edge on the rear wall of the mag chute. That knife-edge is unsightly but also presents a catching point for any incoming magazines-- and knife edges are prone to damage and that damage then, theoretically at least, promotes cracks. These days I usually use the mainspring housings made by Stan Chen, saves me making the modification.... unless I need it in aluminum in which case I still make it from scratch.
Finish is Tungsten DLC over Metaloy. once again a shame to cover the primo job by Metaloy but the taker wanted black. But DLC alone is not number one in rust protection so a little chrome under it goes a long way. I think it's so cool that now there's way to black-out chrome and at the same time add even more hardness and wear resistance. It is a very durable and appealing combo but here we go again, not getting something for nothing: between the two plus all the shipping, cost is between $600 and $700...... and this thing was out for DLC for maybe 3 months.... but it will last! This whole pistol in fact, with its primo slide to frame fit and lots of high-end bits, should be destined for a long and full life. I believe it will last for 200K-plus rounds given a few barrel changes and the extractor (of which two are fitted and provided) might not make it that far.
Although it looks good (to me anyway), there are some lengths I consciously and purposely did not got to, to make every square millimeter of exterior surface perfect. I envisioned it being well used, maybe even a little abused, and wanted to imbue it with a no-frills, working-man character. It puts on Carhartts, grabs a hammer and a pipe wrench, and charges into the mud and grime to get it done. No standing around in a nine-hundred-dollar suit, nose in the air, sipping a nineteen-dollar martini. As I came nearer the finish, I could not help but pair it mentally with Rob's Operator, now at 103,000 rounds, and I'm sure the theme for this one was influenced by Rob's pistol:
http://forum.ltwguns.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9204
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