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Jason Burton
03-27-09, 23:33
This was a gun I had on display at the last SHOT Show in Orlando... and, true to the gunsmiths timeline, I’m only just now getting around to posting some pictures.

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/18335901521.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

This gun was actually a special project on many levels... the gun had been with me for some time and was a gun I had shot, not a lot, but with somewhat regularity over many years past. It was also a gun that had certainly seen better days and, since its beginning at the Colt factory in 1918, probably wasn’t cared for in a manner that one would want. In 1918 the pistol started life in service to this country and, like many others, was a tool from day one. Sometime between its initial completion and now the gun had see many rounds, lots of parts swapping, and some seriously misguided modifications and general kitchen table gun-plumbing. Among many other misdeeds done to this old warrior was a the drilling and tapping of a hole at the root of the trigger guard in order to insert a machine screw to act as a really foolish way to make for an over-travel stop. The gun had also been subjected to a very backwards frame and slide fit... not a traditional “peen and squeeze”, which would have been marginally acceptable, but rather a misguided effort to - as best I could tell - realign the slide raceways to the frame rails. And the word goofy can’t even begin to describe what was going on inside the gun.

In addition to all that the gun was in a general state of disrepair. It was pitted, heavily, and had numerous large dents, dings, and couple of serious spots of misshaped metal. This was a gun that, once the Parkerizing was removed, showed a metal surface that was more like craters on the moon. So after all the cringing, wincing, and ugly discovery what better to do than build it up into a full-house Retro gun...

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/20123748991.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

Starting with the easy stuff... after fixing the slide the gun got a welded frame and slide fit. A Kart barrel and EGW bushing were fit, as were the usual host of internals such as a Wilson Combat Bulletproof extractor and ejector, EGW firing pin stop, machined slide stop, short trigger, tool steel sear and disconnect mated to a Colt Commander hammer, and a machined mag-catch. A silver soldered ramp front sight with gold line insert was used in conjunction with a Yost Retro rear sight, the mag-well was beveled, front strap serrated with matching serrated mainspring housing, and rounding out the retro theme I fit one of our retro beavertails and our “BM” thumb safety.

The hard part... in this particular case the hardest part was the cosmetic clean up. Years of pits, dents, dings, and general abrasion - not to mention some goofy gunsmithing - made for some interesting fixes and remedies. After removing all of the cosmetic offenders I sent the gun to our good friend JR French for a freshening up of the roll-marks... JR, as usual, hit this one out of the park.

After that the rest seemed simple... polish and blue with nitre blued accents and fit ivory stocks complete with antiqued Colt medallions. Toss in some good leather and helping of 230gr hard-ball and it’s once again ready for service to its new owner.

Enjoy!

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/18335901512.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/18335901503.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/18335901494.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/18335901485.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/20122770871.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/20122770842.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/20122770755.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/17346252981.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

http://www.louderthanwords.us/mediumfoto/picts/ulfls/27032009/20122770744.jpg (www.hp1911.com)

subzero
03-28-09, 00:28
Interesting story. Would it be possible to get a "before" pic?

padwan
03-28-09, 01:55
Sweet blaster!

I really like the retro beavertail. Does it ride like a Wilson or Caspian? It looks to ride higher than an S&A but lower than a Brown.

If I didn't read the description, I'd swear this was one of the reissues Colt offered a couple of years ago, and then tuned by the Heirloom Precision crew.

Really slick work.

SWATcop556
03-28-09, 03:58
Very nice blaster as always Jason. I too would be interested in a before picture if they are available.

No matter how much has changed for the 1911 platform in the past 100 (almost) years I still love the "retro" look. The new owner is a lucky shooter.

murphy j
03-28-09, 08:09
Beautiful blaster Jason. I'm a huge fan of the retro look done well. I have my own retro look 1911 I've slowly been getting together over the last couple of years. Nothing as pretty as that, but a hell of a shooter none the less.
On a side note...Who sells those grip safeties? That is an awesome look.

Cagemonkey
03-28-09, 09:08
I love the clean classic lines. That grip safety is the best look for a 1911 I've ever scene. That pistol is making me drool with envy. Great combination of simplicity and function.

TOrrock
03-28-09, 09:48
Wow. :cool:

Buck
03-28-09, 10:05
Very nicely done...

B

Pesty0311
03-28-09, 14:27
I think I drooled on that at shot at little sorry, very well done!

mike240
03-28-09, 15:42
I found Mr Frenchs site but it offered no reference to prices that I found. I have a 70s made Gov't Model that I would like to have the slide roll marks all restored on to a uniform depth and appearance for a project. What would I expect to pay?

Lumpy196
03-29-09, 00:04
One of the most beautiful 1911s I have ever seen.

Shihan
03-29-09, 03:43
That is awesome.

Hersh
03-29-09, 09:56
I really like the retro beavertail.


Yeah I noticed that too! I grip a 1911 really high and a GI grip safety lets the web of my hand get bit. This one looks like it would stop that while maintaining the retro look.

VA_Dinger
03-29-09, 11:46
Wow, that is one impressive 1911.

VooDoo6Actual
03-29-09, 13:03
Very nice retro 1911.

That beavertail reminds me of Jim Hoag's.

Here's a pic of a Hoag beavertail on a 6" Longslide Jim made some years back. Looks same/similar to me.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e225/teehee321/CopyofJImHoagbeavertailandLonbslide.jpg

My tastes and shooting technique require a high grip hold on Beavertail for a closer bore axis index. Unfortunately, this beavertail design does not promulgate a High Hold and close to bore axis index.

I had Jim build me several guns several years ago and he builds some fine pistols as well. IIRC, he got his training from Al Capone at King's as well.
He use to shoot at Big Bear, Ca. when a lot of the current 1911 mods were T&E'd.


IIRC, he did the 1911 work (longslide et al) for Michael Mann's movie "THIEF" several years back when James Cann went to Gunsite to learn Modern Pistol Technique as it was called then.

SeriousStudent
03-29-09, 13:09
If you look upon a pistol like that, and do not smile, you have no soul.


What a terrific example of craftsmanship. :)

DrMark
03-29-09, 13:29
Wow, beautiful. A very special pistol.



As others have mentioned, a before pic would be fascinating.

Jason Burton
03-29-09, 21:23
Gents, thanks for all the kind words... these Retro style guns are still proving to be a very popular build style for us. I think for a lot of folks they deliver the classic looks so many love with far more usability than either a bone stock gun or many of the customs of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

As for before pictures... unfortunately I’m not that smart. :confused: This is not the first project of this kind that I’ve done and in every instance I’ve stopped half way through to kick myself for not taking proper before photos. But I may have a photo of me shooting this gun when I was a kid, if so I’ll try to post it.



I really like the retro beavertail. Does it ride like a Wilson or Caspian? It looks to ride higher than an S&A but lower than a Brown.

The shape and abbreviated nature of that part makes it fit in the hand a bit different than any of the conventional beavertail grip safeties. In terms of height it would likely be somewhere between a Wilson and Brown... but since the “tang” is much shorter it doesn’t really feel like anything else. The neat part about these grip safeties is that, even for a guy like me who grabs super high into a gun, there is no hammer bite.


I found Mr Frenchs site but it offered no reference to prices that I found. I have a 70s made Gov't Model that I would like to have the slide roll marks all restored on to a uniform depth and appearance for a project. What would I expect to pay?

Can’t tell you what JR would charge for your specific gun. I would recommend sending him an email and getting a quote from him direct.

QuickStrike
03-30-09, 02:50
Gorgeous pistol!

I just bought a colt WWI repro today. Will have to copy from yours. ;)


Are the retro beaver-tails available as parts?

M4A1CQBR
03-31-09, 22:40
Very nice looking piece.

David Thomas
03-31-09, 23:29
Gents, thanks for all the kind words... these Retro style guns are still proving to be a very popular build style for us. I think for a lot of folks they deliver the classic looks so many love with far more usability than either a bone stock gun or many of the customs of the ‘70s and ‘80s.




Jason,

Very nice 1911.

I do have one question about your retro builds. Having seen several of your retro builds either here or on LTW, I noticed on most, if not all of them, you install a long sloping front sight instead of a more square faced front sight. What is the reasoning behind this decision?

It may be asking too much, but I would love to see a picture with the camera looking down the sights.

oldcrow
04-01-09, 17:21
What a beautiful piece! You Sir are a gifted individual, the craftsmanship is truely something to be proud of. Just an awsome job!

Jason Burton
04-02-09, 00:45
Jason,

Very nice 1911.

I do have one question about your retro builds. Having seen several of your retro builds either here or on LTW, I noticed on most, if not all of them, you install a long sloping front sight instead of a more square faced front sight. What is the reasoning behind this decision?

It may be asking too much, but I would love to see a picture with the camera looking down the sights.

The long ramp front sight is just more, well, retro. ;) It's a throw back to some of the sights that were used in the past on guns from makers such as Swenson, Hoag, Chow, etc. but I've also done one or two of these guns with a "post" front sight that is silver soldered into the tenon slot... omiting the dovetail helps keep the retro look.

Swenson in particular was well known for using a ramp front sight with a red insert just like those in S&W revolvers. Our ramped front sight with the gold line insert is the same idea, but with its extra length makes a front sight that is much more visible than the smallish red ramp.

Once you mount the gun the sight picture is basically the same as a more vertical front sight... you don't really "see" all of the ramp, just what is above the rear sight notch. I'll try to post some "shooter's-eye view" pictures of the next one I do.