Eight hour (!) P&S Modcast on nothing but 1911s

[HKGuns]

Given that Virgil Tripp saw fit to place metal inserts where the slide stop is engaged by the plastic follower, it seems evident that someone other than the guy in the podcast thought plastic followers could be improved upon. And then did so.

Because his experience said it was a needed upgrade.

It is easier to suggest that something is fine if it has never been modified. For further proof of that, ask yourself why Chip McCormick came out with his Power Mag Plus follower If the standard, somewhat considerably flawed Power Mag followers were all that great. The upgrade sought to address nosediving problems with the original that dinged aluminum frame ramps and exacerbated the tendency toward feeding problems relating to steeper than desirable feed angularity, especially with the first few rounds out of the magazine.

I guess the lesson is that just because you have not yet had problems does not mean the same is true for everyone.

Don’t assume everything changed is an improvement. There can be hundreds of reasons for such changes.

The Colt I carried in the Navy had full metal followers. What does that say?

[johnnyrem]

The original follower found in the seven shot GI magazines is better than the McCormick follower in the Power Mag.

That’s what that says. Following your dicta that modifications are not always improvements, the McCormick PM design incorrectly modified the standard steel follower. It was not an improvement in a number of ways.

In the case of the all plastic magazine follower getting a metal insert to beef up the durability of the slide stop engagement, there are no downsides to so doing. A durability change was the only real change. Just one real reason....not hundreds.

There were downsides to what McCormick did in shortening the rear skirt of the standard metal follower. Those shortcomings have been mentioned. Follower stability was adversely affected.

[Coal Dragger]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with Dan Wesson or Nighthawk, I own a Dan wesson, and Nighthawk is a great custom shop.

Have the ETMs been out for a decade already??

I know the guys in the vid, everything they covered was an undercover bash on Bill and Ryan Wilson. That's why they weren't specifically mentioned, but if you the minutiae of all of their build philosophies, it's perfectly clear.

The Himton Yam and LAV doctrines are more in line with Wilson's vs what was talked about there.

I didn’t hear any bad mouthing of Bill or Ryan Wilson.

I knew a fellow Marine in the reserves who worked at Wilson Combat in the early 2000’s, he had no kind words for Bill Wilson at all.

[ggammell]

I didn’t hear any bad mouthing of Bill or Ryan Wilson.

I knew a fellow Marine in the reserves who worked at Wilson Combat in the early 2000’s, he had no kind words for Bill Wilson at all.

Isn’t this kind of the underlying reason why Nighthawk exists? Bunch of guys left Wilson and started their own shop.

[Coal Dragger]

Yes, to my understanding.

My buddy liked Ryan Wilson just fine, but said Bill was very difficult to get along with. A talented business man no doubt, and my buddy said the guns and parts were nice, but just not a good place to work.

Now that Bill is semi-retired and Ryan runs the day to day maybe the work environment is better.

[The_War_Wagon]

If I hadn't been working all day, this this would've been a LOT more entertaining, than 8 hours of SuperBowl pre-hype show!

[Norseman]

Isn’t this kind of the underlying reason why Nighthawk exists? Bunch of guys left Wilson and started their own shop.

Thought I remember reading or hearing the same reasons for Guncrafter Industries came into being. But, maybe I am off base with my understanding or maybe I am just seeing things that aren't there due to all three being in the same corner of AR.

Regardless, I plan to own one of each someday.....hopefully.

[pointblank4445]

Thought I remember reading or hearing the same reasons for Guncrafter Industries came into being. But, maybe I am off base with my understanding or maybe I am just seeing things that aren't there due to all three being in the same corner of AR.

Regardless, I plan to own one of each someday.....hopefully.

If memory serves...

Alex Zimmerman left Wilson Combat and started Guncrafter Ind. in 2002
Mark Stone left Wilson Combat and started Nighthawk Custom in 2003

All 3 are in Berryville, AK.

[Norseman]

If memory serves...

Alex Zimmerman left Wilson Combat and started Guncrafter Ind. in 2002
Mark Stone left Wilson Combat and started Nighthawk Custom in 2003

All 3 are in Berryville, AK.

Thanks.

Thought there was a connection just could not remember the details.

[MountainRaven]

If memory serves...

Alex Zimmerman left Wilson Combat and started Guncrafter Ind. in 2002
Mark Stone left Wilson Combat and started Nighthawk Custom in 2003

All 3 are in Berryville, AK.

I believe that Alex Zimmerman or one of GI's spokespeople have said elsewhere that Bill Wilson was one of their first customers.

Alex Zimmerman has also done work for a variety of the larger manufacturers, helping them to develop various bits and bobs for their 1911s. Including, IIRC, S&W's E-series 1911 external extractor (which I recall Hilton Yam being very excited about when the pistols debuted, but I don't know that it ever went anywhere, since that was about the time that Yam stopped posting as regularly on the interwebz).