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I'll have to look up that book. I've always been a voracious reader.

I've considered buying a DW, but circumstances have not permitted a first hand examination. I do hear good things. I did read a blurb somewhere about the mainspring pin hole possibly being in a slightly different location.

This thing is so blacketty-black that it’s hard to photograph it without an elaborate setup and there’s just no time for that. The last pic didn’t do the muzzle end justice; I think it came out very nice and kinda unique. The recoil spring plug is made from scratch from a big ol’ socket head cap screw to maximize strength. Everything on this gun is blued other than the barrel(s) and hammer, which are WDLC’d. That black is a perfect match to the bluing.


The herringbone on the rib is at a fine pitch, may not come out so well in this pic without zooming up on it.

WOW... lots of detail there, your work never disappoints!

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https://www.graffcustom.com/

Thanks pal.

Commander-length recoil spring plugs in 5" gun-- everybody's doing it (almost.)

I guess it works-- but I kinda take exception to it. Not much dif in length but it's that must less support for the recoil spring on the outside. Most of the time I will switch it out for a longer one. Maybe doesn't make a dang bit of differenced, I have not really tested it.

The herringbone on that rib is gorgeous.

I suspect that if "everyone is doing it" then someone tested it, found it works, and can save a few pennies by having one less item on the inventory lists. then everyone else piles on.

In some companies, saving "a few pennies" adds up to a big bonus and promotion.

I might have mentioned this before, but Brownells is big on that. They had one employee, not even involved in shipping, who came up with a better solution to box sizing and packaging. As was related to me, once they tried her solution, they gave her a new car as a bonus. Then, as the ramifications of just how much it was saving sink in, they said "Your kids go to college on us now."

Wow!

I wanna job at Brownell's!

You have to live in Iowa. Lost of nothing but cornfields as far as the eye can see.

Ran across some older pics and thought I’d share some, the coming days are likely to find me doing something other than posting on LTW…. Apologies if any re-runs.

I did this as a prize gun for the 2002 Single Stack Classic (before it was the Single Stack Nationals). It changed hands about two years ago—the well-known competitor that won it was thinning his collection of winnings over the years.


My second prototype of the AR15 Hammer Install Tool. This secondary use is totally by (happy) accident:


Experimenting around. Yes, there are as-yet untried front strap treatments. You have to imagine it as being all black.




Lots of Conamyds on this one; I don’t expect to ever do grips again, way too much work! The magwell is made from scratch, prehard 4130. Aluminum frame, so, it is screwed on under the grips. The owner has reportedly left instructions that he is to be buried with it. Dear archeologists of the year 2425, how did the grip material hold up?


The “Jury” gun, 2005, I think, although the pic says 2008. Maybe it was 2008. When I ran across this pic I realized this was probably the subconscious thing that caused me to do the recently above posted gun the way I did.


Early 2000’s. This was my interpretation of what the customer asked for. He liked it but with true Magnums it was miserable to shoot. I told him, never shoot this with anyone within 25 feet of you on the line.

I continue to be in awe of the pistols you build, just looking at the pictures there are so many details that show through.

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And this eternal resting place Is known as Fiddlers' Green.

I continue to be in awe of the pistols you build, just looking at the pictures there are so many details that show through.

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And this eternal resting place Is known as Fiddlers' Green.

That experimental frontstrap treatment? If you could make each of those little skulls you'd be a busy and rich man.

You'd lose your rep as a man of taste and distinction, but you could have Scrooge McDuck-like evenings rolling in piles of $100 bills.

Sad and funny but true, Patrick!

A little stoning this afternoon.....

https://imgur.com/a/MiQGzSw

Expand it for full screen and turn on sound, there's a little narration. I was gonna post this on YT but they kicked it because the music is protected content....! It's so far in the background I doubt most will recognize it even if they know it, but YT sure did.

That's the last time I film while backstage at the Fillmore East

Are those mold maker's stones? Any advantage over the garden variety that most are familiar with?

Yes, they are. I go with what I know from the mold biz.... soft ones, hard ones, in-between ones..... they all have a use.

I spent a good 90 minutes looking for these tools. I haven't done a feed ramp insert for an aluminum-framed 1911 in several years, now two need doing.

Of course I spent a lot of time looking and looking again-- several times-- where they were "supposed to be". I pictured them in my mind in a certain place and I kept going back there-- wasted time after the first try. I was on the verge of re-making the whole set, thinking, "this time I'll put them in their own box with some other seldom-used tools and put them is a special place."

Wait a minute, that sounds familiar.....


Yup, I did that two years ago.

Those tools look a bit different than what the the EGW insert instructions call for. I'll be looking forward to your narrative and photos. Do you make your own inserts?

Making a "small batch" today and tomorrow. I will share all. I think it's on LTW somewhere, could be wrong.

Here's one from about 2002 or 3, not a great pic from my website:

http://www.m-guns.com/photos/abm.jpg

New feedramp inserts. Mill…. saw…..

Grind…..

Fit…. It blues off nicely at the bottom and is a no-wiggle fit. Wait, what’s that hole for in the bottom of the pocket….?


And what’s the weird punch for?

Gotta have a way to remove the insert.


NAK55 steel, kinda uncommon but made for good machineability despite higher hardness (~40), and great polishability.

If and when I need more of these I will just have them wire EDM'd to shape. I have thought about offering them as a part but I just don't think many people would want to do the delicate and tedious job of milling the frame for it. I have what might be an easier solution but the idea behind this one is that noting shows from the outside and it's not held in my a set screw. As seen here it can't move down, nor to the sides, nor back or forth, but it could move up. What is not yet seen is that there is a fore/aft pin that will hold it down. The pin hole is drilled and reamed from the front; the hole has a step in it so the pin cant' pass through toward the rear. Once in place it is staked in on the VIS. Even it if did try and come out forward, it would be prevented from doing so by the rear of the barrel foot. Pretty sold, but-- a lot of work.

Why go to the work...? The feedramp on this one was the best I've ever seen from Colt with regards to dimensions and angles, but it was awfully rough. I don't have much personal experience with LW guns but I do know we don't want a feedramp with the anodized layer polished off. Ramped barrels, just not a fan and they don't go as far down as I would like. For 9mm where the feedramp doesn't have to be so deep, maybe.

Nice tutorial. Lots more involved than any of the other insert installs that I've seen. I like the "wings" on the insert. A bit of a pain to machine, but no tippy tippy. When I first saw the pic of the hole thru into the trigger mortice I though pressure relief to prevent hydraulic lifting of the insert when installing. Figured you made it for a very close fit and the retainer (Loctite?) may have lifted the insert before it could cure.
Some use a flush set screw installed laterally under the slide stop (along with silly solder on a steel frame). Belt and suspenders approach. Looks like you want exta belts and suspenders with yours. A bit OCD maybe? I can say that because I am aflicted with that particular disease.

OCD, sorta. I just can't resist a rabbit hole

There won't be any Loctite in this.... although if the insert wound up with a little bit of wobble to it I mightn't be above putting some in there.

Insert pinned in, barrel bed surfaced down to match "existing", rear-facing area recut to match existing front radiused part of mag chute.


Feedramp cut and polished "phase 1". Stoned 300, 600, and rotary work from there. It's better than it looks but will need some touch-up anyway before shipping. Taking pics through a 4X loupe all the dust, lint, and oil jumps out.

I'm glad I made a bar of this shape because honestly I don't really want to do it again. I have one more to go and that's probably it (unless it's for my favorite customer, "me".) It's just too much work, even though the result is good.

Make feedramp inserts. Make a mistake? No biggie, start over.
Set up and cut receiving pocket for insert. Rather intense..... take your time and no misteaks!
Fit insert-- a little filing and stoning, probably. Not too loose, not too tight. Tap-in, tap-out kinda thing.
Drill and ream stepped hole for retaining pin. Goes from VIS through feedramp insert, out the back, then reamed a little bigger for the pin. You can see it coming out the back, nothing is gonna catch on that, it's too low and to the side.
Set up and cut barrel bed to match.
Set up and cut mag chute front to match.
Set up and cut feedramp.
Polish feedramp.
Remove feedramp insert and deburr knife edges at the side.
Make feedramp retaining pin-- exactly the right length.
Reinstall feedramp-- finish the rest of the gun, test fire.
Remove ramp, send frame for refinish.
Reinstall feedramp... could be a little tight now. Last time it goes in, probably never to come out again, but it could if needbe.

Nope. It's one of those things I could not possibly charge what it actually takes to do.

This is something new I've been developing for a couple years now. I say "new".... well, I guess what that really means is I have not seen it done before.

Frame to slide fit on aluminum-framed guns (that somehow often seem looser that other guns, in general.) I absolutely love the feel of one that has had Accu-Rails installed. That was one of the best ideas to come along in a long time and we are fortunate that someone is still doing it-- I hope that continues. A few downsides maybe, even if we say cost is no object. You have the rails to deal with when the gun is apart. I don't recall ever breaking one or seeing one broken. I am somehow convinced it has happened, like I've seen it, but I don't have an actual mental picture I can bring up. I've heard they have been known to break when dropped, but I have dropped them and not had them break. That might have been internet conjecture.

I am amazed at what can be done with laser welding, the puddle area of the weld is so miniscule that usually, or maybe always, the parts don't even get too hot to touch. Depends on a lot of things of course, but now having experienced a lot of frames that were laser welded up with no stress or heat-induced warping, I thought, why not some weld on the slide? On the aluminum frame, as good as laser welding is, as I understand it, it cannot produce a fresh surface that is not on the soft side and gummy.

That is not to say TIG is outdated for weld and refit jobs, it's absolutely fine, but I don't know that I would do it on a slide.

My new ("new") method is to weld up the bottom of the slide rails and the bottom verticals, and recut; fit to existing frame rails. On these two the buildup had to be between .005 and .008. I've seen sloppier and less sloppy ones. We are still running a piece of steel on aluminum-- also true with Accu-Rails-- but I get the new surfaces very, very smooth, almost glossy; wear on the aluminum rails will be minimal. In this method the new surfaces are broad, and square with a lot of smooth-on smooth contact. I mean the very worst wear would be back to where it was in the first place but I don't think the rest of the gun will last that long! Most often an improved fit is via widening the top rail only; here we are getting the fit at the nominal .625 frame rail slot. I've done every surface before, lots more work of course, not a ton of actual reward.

The first time I ever did this was on an all steel gun, just to get more bearing area. "White horse" was the gun, it's on LTW somewhere.... that was with TIG but in 45° strips along that bottom vertical in the slide, to avoid any distortion.

Not saying this method represents a cost savings-- the welding alone would have bought me an Accu-Rail job and we'd have all been happy. Just an experiment, and incremental improvement I think. This way when you're working on your friend's Commander in the back of a Jeep with holes in the floor while your friend is in a Caracas liquor store getting "supplies" (actual story, me doing the repairs), you can still lose other parts perhaps but at least no Accu-Rails will be fumbled and dropped onto the street below (citing again my record of dropping Accu-Rails ).

I don't believe that in either of these guns, accuracy will be improved enough to notice. It for sure won't hurt it-- but both shoot quite well already. I believe a better fit actually improves reliability though, and more bearing area improves longevity, and, of course, at a certain price point, a custom 1911 customer would "rather not" have it all rattly.... it has just come to be expected.

I've had several of my signature 1911 features appropriated, copied, and blatantly knocked off, as have many other smiths who have developed their own style. I haven't liked it, it has disappointed me. BUT.... somehow, for some reason, I feel differently about this. I will utter no complaint of someone else wants to take a whack at it. A mention is always appreciated, of course. It works quite well. More pics to come.

An interesting approach. And yes, I have seen one instance of Accu-rails breaking,. it was up at Second Chance, it was Ron Proudlock and his BHP on the 9 Pin event. The slide stop notch side rail broke at the notch and worked partially out int he course of shooting a table. So he just pushed the broken end back in, in-between each table.

If one orders a spare set, you know the ones in the pistol will never break. Never. A variation of Murphy's Law.

Not the first time I've seen laser welding on a gun, but the first time I've seen it there. I'm guessing most folks (me included) would be fearful due to the heat treat of the slide vs frame. My previous toe dipping in slide welding have been miserable failures. Thankfully all on junk slides.

Steel on aluminum? Err... Doesn't the steel slide run on steel Accu-rails? Inquiring minds...

Caracas is not somewhere I wanted to linger...

I'm guessing your welder buddy doesn't use one of the "Cheap" laser welders being pushed on the net right now. They promise to make everyone an expert within a few hours.

I see Accu-Rails and the slide weld-up both as closing the gap where the bottom horizontal surface of the slide is riding on aluminum. Advantage Accu-Rails as you do get steel-to-steel taking up the side play and the second-from-bottom horizontal interface.

Here you can see better what the welded-up bottom looks like:



The top rib on this particular gun is kinda unique, the serrations follow the slide top radius.


I think I recall the laser welder being $200K-plus, I'll ask. He's welding through a 10X or 20X built-in microscope.

Comps, comps, bo-bomps. And a few Danes.

I had these made for a guy who is my friend, my cousin, and my brother, Jess Christensen. Very few guys doing the 1911 have the sheer volume of 1911 work experience, the number of guns that have passed through his hands, that Jess has. Going in reverse order here: In his time of having hung out his own shingle maybe a couple years back, to years at Wilson Combat, and before that Guncrafter Industries, all the way back to his time as a young officer in the Royal Danish Navy Military Police, struggling to indulge his interest in competition shooting, reloading and all things "gun" while navigating the impossible Danish gun law, Jess has seen and done, and won, it all. Bianchi Cup, Steel Challenge, The Pin Shoot, State and Regional IDPA not to mention the Nationals. Single Stack Nationals, and many more. Gotta love a smith who lives and breathes shooting! There are several-- I think probably not all. Not sure how much it really matters, but I think it's a plus.

Jess was an NRA Life Member before he came here and went through the process of becoming a US citizen. YES-- he joined while he was in Denmark, constantly in danger of running afoul of convoluted laws, the meanings of which the very enforcers of those laws had no inkling other than, "Well.... I don't understand. So it must be illegal!" Jess once found himself having to explain the meaning of the law, and things like what a "primer" was, to the judge and prosecutor. Once they understood what the laws said and meant, they could see that Jess was scrupulously within the law in all that he was doing. but have one primer over the limit, have an extra gun part lying around, a Dane could be in big trouble.

Same deal with Alex Zimmermann of Guncrafter. I have and continue to consider him the current reigning genius of the 1911-- in the world. Many people are making them and smithing them, few have the depth of knowledge that Alex does. I love how these guys found themselves deeply involved in a hobby that their government so disapproved of that they had to leave for a place where having too may primers, too many bullets, a single cartridge case of the wrong caliber, wold not land them in jail.


Jess never said I couldn't keep a few....

"Pinsmyte"

My brain hurts from trying to figure out how to fixture and then serrate a slide on the top radius. Tip 'o the hat.