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In all the hurry to get ready and make it to SHOT Show 2011 I didn’t have a chance to photograph any of the guns before leaving. So, better late than never, here is the first installment of 2011 SHOT Show guns from Heirloom Precision. Pictured here are the two guns I did for the show, a Colt Delta Elite and a Commander Operator.

The Delta...



This was one of those projects I think we all have... the base gun has been with me for a few years now and it was always something I wanted to build but could never find the extra time... yeah, extra time . But this past year the stars must have aligned and I managed to get this one ready just in time for SHOT 2011.

Guns like this are always fun to build and this is a fairly standard recipe that can still have a little extra flavor added where desired.... take one Colt base gun and throw everything out except the frame and slide. Next add a bit of metal back to the frame rails and machine back just enough to get the slide to glide on trouble free. Mix in a Schuemann barrel and EGW bushing and we‘re really starting to cook now. Replace all the factory components with the best available, flatten and serrate the slide for a bit of eye candy, serrate the rear of the slide for good measure, and top it off with a PG rear sight and Gold Line front. Stir in an EGW machined thumb safety, S&A grip safety, French borders and ball-cut the slide for a bit of extra zest, and wrap the whole gun in a coat of polished blue.

















The Commander Operator...

Unfortunately this gun got even less time in front of the camera. It went from SHOT Show to a quick photo session...



... to its owner's hands...



... then holster...



... followed by a some time on the line with me at a recent class...



The gun started as an oversized Springfield NM Government frame with a really long dust cover. From there I whittled it down to a Commander size and fit a Caspian slide to the oversized rails, Kart barrel, EGW bushing, S&A grip safety, EGW thumb safety, 25lpi front and rear, flattened and serrated slide top, lanyard loop, PG sights, and lots of other details. The dustcover/pic-rail got chopped down to what was needed and overall it makes for a handy little Commander that will easily take an X300.

Credit where it’s due: All of these photos, which are much better than my rickety hands and feeble mind could do, are courtesy of our pal Brady at Monkey Edge.

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Heirloom Precision
http://www.heirloomprecision.com

Both pistols are awesome, but that commander is off the hook...... Very nice work....

Nice pistols ...

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www.tonyhernandezphotography.com

Any particular reason why a champion operator frame wasn't used?

Well that CO OP isn't something you see every day. Very cool build....looks kinda mean and dirty adjacent to the barbecue....which looks really out of place. lol

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"Bones heal, chicks dig scars, pain goes away"

Great looking guns

curious, why the S&A grip safety?

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Jake Martens
Indianapolis, IN
https://www.facebook.com/USPSAIndiana

Mostly because they aren't available as NM oversize frames. The added work of converting a Gov't to a Commander is not a problem for those capable and properly equipped, but starting with oversize frame rails is always preferable to having to weld up and recut rails.

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Heirloom Precision, LLC.
480-804-1911

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

TR

Jason I like the Delta very much; are those Colt
grips?
Regards,
Lubin

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With Ball They All Fall.

Thanks for the explanation.

As my cohort Ted mentioned the oversized rails on the Operator frame made it ideal for the work that was to be done. Additionally, to the best of my knowledge the Springfield Champion Operator only comes in an aluminum frame configuration and has a pre-cut beavertail radius. This customer wanted a steel frame gun and this combined with the true blank canvas approach of starting with an oversized Government frame made the choice of base gun easy.
I prefer the S&A to almost anything else out there. I personally like the radius and height that can be achieved when fitting the part as well as the sweep of the “tail“.

But perhaps the biggest benefit is the size of the pad. I grab really high into a pistol and as such I have problems disengaging most grips safeties... Wilson’s are very hard for me to reliably disengage and McCormick’s and the like are almost impossible. The dimensions of the pad on the S&A make it possible for me to have a grip safety that works on my guns and experiences like these, things I’ve learned from shooting and using the guns, quite often coalesce with what I build.

The grips are desert ironwood by Craig Spegel.


Thanks for the kind words guys!

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Heirloom Precision
http://www.heirloomprecision.com

That Commander Operator would look great in my hands!

That Delta is killer. Sorry I missed you this year at SHOT, Jason.

Regards,
Greyson

The Commander is cool, no doubt about it, but DAMN! That Delta looks nice! As always, cool schtuff!


-Matt

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

Stunning, to say the least. Keep up the good work Jason!

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Kandros Customs Gunworks
www.kandroscustoms.com

God Almighty...would I love to shoot that Delta.

Thanks again for the kind words fellas'...
Me too... we'll have to catch up next year.

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Heirloom Precision
http://www.heirloomprecision.com

Jason,

Did you chop it down to 4 1/2 inches or the Springfield Champion size of 4 inches even?



rasheed

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STA Plt, USMC 1985-1993