Bench Shots.. Completed Projects.. General KM3 1911 shenanigans..

[Axlnut]

Going to make this my new home away from 1911 home for everything 1911 related from KM3 - bench shots (from my cell phone, aren't you lucky), completed projects, processes, my morning coffee.. whatever

Oh and first thread award

Let's start with some in progress shots of AZ Photo Man's Ruger SR1911

Starting the checkering, when it's all ugly
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It all comes together though, along with a beveled lower edge, high cut frontstrap/triggerguard, and beveled/recessed slide stop
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Blend and serrate slide rear and site
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[Axlnut]

Throw back to some older stuff for a minute.

The trigger relief cut is different from brand to brand, and was not part of the original (pre-A1) 1911, as far as I can tell, and those guns looked smoother for it. Some companies do it well, some not so well - Springfield falls well into the not-so-well category, whereas Nighthawk has one of the smoothest lines in this regard. What's a smith to do when you need a SA looking smooth?

Bust out the tools:
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This gun also needed a magwell - Wilson Bulletproof was chosen for a variety of reasons, though again SA has some sharp lines and edges at the front corners. So we blend:
magwell.jpg

The finished result after checkering, cerakoting, and brushing the flats:
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The trigger relief:
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You'll notice if you look closely a little fuzziness to the hand blended new trigger relief cut where it meets the brushed flat. This was a hard area to match without doing a "melt" and brushed flats don't work with melts. It drives me crazy, it's a small flaw but one I won't repeat. Live and learn.

[Axlnut]

No in progress pics of this one from a while back - but it came out a pretty cool for such minor work. Just some blending and frontstrap serrations on a box stock RIA, then a Cerakote job in an attempt to mimic a stainless / blued combo.
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[Dstrbdmedic167]

i need a 1911 now... nice work!

[Axlnut]

i need a 1911 now... nice work!

Thanks!

I'm sharing a lot of old stuff here and some mistakes included in that, stuff I won't share elsewhere. Glad it's appreciated.

Needing one is how it starts. Soon after you NEED 5, and your bar raises higher and higher.

[Axlnut]

Cutting some BHP/Carry cuts on a RIA 22TCM. PORTS as well but can't find the pictures.

Roughing cuts (pro-tip, don't clamp 1911 slides in the vice like this, no damage to this one but now I use the proper fixtures):
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Final result, before finish:
2015-03-23-e1478229702664.jpg

[Aragorn]

Very nice. I've wanted my own 1911 for years now, and damn near started a build a few times. Had parts lists and everything.

Maybe if I ever get around to getting the parts, might send to you for assembly.

[Axlnut]

Very nice. I've wanted my own 1911 for years now, and damn near started a build a few times. Had parts lists and everything.

Maybe if I ever get around to getting the parts, might send to you for assembly.

That would be outstanding, and I'd be more than happy to build it out - if you make that decision contact me and we'll go through your parts list together and see where we can save you some $ and make sure everything is cohesive and the best fit for what you want out of the gun.

[Axlnut]

Some serration work, 20 LPI on the frontstrap, 40 on the slide rear:

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[Axlnut]

That particular completed pistol, a RIA/Armscor 22TCM Commander length

I did:

Dehorn and blend
Serrated slide rear
BHP/Carry cuts
Slide Ports
Frontstrap serrations
Polish Barrel complete
Cerakote

Just a simple cosmetic enhancement. The Cerakote goal was to incorporate white and green in a distressed look, and the pistol was going to Louisiana so I went for a "moss covered southern estate" look.

full_front_profile_22tcm_custom.jpg
muzzle_custom_22tcm.jpg
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ported_22TCM.jpg
serrations_22TCM.jpg

[Axlnut]

worn_22TCM_green.jpg
22tcm_front_profile.jpg
greyscale_custom_22tcm.jpg
22TCM_rear_profile.jpg

[Axlnut]

I'm not a fan of unfinished stainless steel guns - galling is too much of a factor, I understand that supposedly slides and frames have been tweaked to different hardness levels, etc over the years, etc, but still a nice tight fight introduces the possibility of galling.

This Springfield had galling, as well as a loose fit, and some weird damn near punch marks in the frame. No clue what somebody did at one time.

The answer? Silver Solder to fill the divots and give me a surface to level before cerakote:

2015-03-08-1-e1478229602213.jpg

After stoning and blasting:

2015-03-08-e1478229660495.jpg

[fledge]

Love that 22.

[Axlnut]

Love that 22.

Thanks - me too. 22TCM is a hell of a round. I've often thought about carrying it, even more so now that there are Glock conversions available from RIA, although they use the 22TCM(R) or some shit, which has the same performance but a slightly different shape.

I don't want to have to buy two almost identical rounds, etc.

[Axlnut]

I have been building a bit of a signature - slide stippling, typically bordered in some manner. I plan to move this over to Glocks, etc as well.

I don't always stipple the slide tops, but when I do, I prefer it clean..

Going to cheat - this is a Ruger P90, but same look, and first time I did it. This slide from the factory was a f'n MESS of mismatched casting and machining from side to side.

slide.jpg

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Springfield Loaded, flat topped between sights and stippled:

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RIA 22 TCM, cut out the cocking serrations, milled borders and stippled:

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Then added another matching cocking area to the top ahead of the rear sight:

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