Filed under: History, Misc Stuff by VGadmin [No Comments »]

Another Interservice and Perry are done and gone – the end of my bullseye ‘season’. It was bitter-sweet, to say the least. Last year I was present at both, but couldn’t shoot for medical reasons; I was determined at the end of last year to get back on the line. However, it only worked out half as good as I had hoped. I didn’t get the trigger time in that I should have; various commitments preventing 100% dedication to it. Nonetheless, I went to both this year – guns, ammo and a machinist from the shop in tow.

Interservice was more nerve-racking than I thought it would be…as a shooter. Last year I was consumed with training, bugging the Army and the Marines incessantly (to wit, they gracefully endured my presence, LOL), so I didn’t have to deal with going to the line at all. Let me tell you this: no matter how steady you think your nerves are – they’re not. I didn’t ‘feel’ nervous or jittery – but my shots broke like those of a regular CATM guy, LOL (yea, that’s a poke at the AF’s focus on marksmanship…or lack of it ). I couldn’t pull it together, and I had no idea why. Now I’m not a 2600 shooter by any means – but I’ve definitely done better at practice than I did at Interservice. So the only stray from the norm would be the environment. I guess standing next to some 20 something Marine who can knot-hole a .45 at 50 yards plays havoc with your mind, no matter how you think you ‘feel’, LOL. A hearty salute to PFC Lamb though – this fine Marine helped me pull some of it back together with some quick guidance on the line. I feel a bit of a kindred spirit with this guy because (without getting too much into it) we’ve both gotten a bit of the shaft from our respective services — that and he’s from Jersey; he can’t be all bad.

Then there’s Perry…

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So I got a call, last minute, before leaving for the Nationals at Camp Perry from Airman magazine. Long story short…Guy #1 at a gas station meets another guy (#2) and gets to shootin’ the breeze. The subject of the USAF pistol team comes up, as well as the impending National Matches at Camp Perry Ohio. Guy #2 turns out to be some big-wig at Airman magazine, returns to his office and tells his editor to do something with the info. Guy #1 goes back to work, finds me, hands me the card of Guy #2 and tells me the quick little story of the conversation. We both say “that would be cool” and go back to work. It turns out, the editor just happens to know of a person who works where Guy #1 works…the person the editor knows is me; she just happens to be my brother’s supervisor in the AF Reserves, LOL. I couldn’t have planned a better instance of random chance, ha!

Check out the article:

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123214087

Filed under: Home Works by VGadmin [No Comments »]

Got an old AR lyin’ around? Well, I’ve got a great use for it – ha! My super-cool candle holder thingy! It’s just a hacked off M16A2 barrel tapped with 1/4-20 and screwed to a piece of steel. I originally had a nice chunk of walnut, but didn’t feel like refinishing it. I kept the gas tube beneath the hand-guards just to locate them better and spot welded the candle thingy to the compensator. I suspect epoxy would have worked just fine…but I have been known for overkill…hehe.

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Last month I finished my latest gun…finally, this one is for me. Been a long time since I did anything for me…felt good, hehe. It is built off of a Caspian ‘factory 2nd’ frame and Caspian slide. The rest of the guts are as follows: KKM Precision Barrel, NM Bushing, Clark full length guide rod, Cylinder & Slide fire-control (re-cut to 3.5 lb “long roll” trigger), Videki-type trigger, STI grip safety (really cool, it’s design allows removal without disengaging the MS housing) and just a mil-spec mainspring housing. Everything was fit, of course, and all the checkering was done by hand in 20 LPI as in the MS housing and the ‘pad’ of the grip safety as well as the front strap. The only glitch I have right now, that I need to tweak, is the spent brass whacking into the optic – nothing a little cut of the ejector won’t fix (yes, the tension on the extractor is perfect ). Unfortunately – it’s been raining cats and dogs here in SATX, so the range has been a bit less than desirable, hehe. Apart from fitting, I used reduced power Wolfe springs throughout – and also snipped an additional 3 coils from the recoil spring as well as the magazines (which are Chip McCormick, by the way). The gun eats 185gr SWC lead (both Zero’s and Minnesota), with 3.7 Vihtavuori and Federal cases and primers. Additionally, I serrated the rear of the slide – a theory says that it cuts down on glare, but I just think it looks cool, ha! I finished it off with a 320 grit polishing of the frame and slide flats and a light blasting of the radius-es for that nice ‘matte-gloss’, old skool national match type finish…with a nice deep blue, of course. Topped it with a Match Dot (30mm) and some standard grips. It shoots like a dream from the line, pulled off a 98-3x (25yd TF) with the first ten shots the thing ever saw…should have time to ransom rest it soon and get the ‘true’ ability of it. Although…if it shoots like a champ right now, you may wonder ‘what’s the point of resting it?’. Well, it’s one thing to tell someone that the gun is accurate, or even for the shooter to ‘believe’ it is…or ‘hope’ it is – but it’s definitely another to prove it with a target from the test-tunnel. The potential of shooters varies, but the ransom rest (with all things considered) doesn’t lie…and positively ‘knowing’ the gun’s capability definitely reduces the mental stress of the shooting game.

Filed under: Home Works, Misc Stuff, National Match 1911 by VGadmin [No Comments »]

So I’m finally getting a chance to get back to Rafe again and the building of his 1911. Let’s all remember that he is in college and also works, so there are a lot of ‘gaps’ in our time together and thus, his progress. Collectively, he’s spent about 9 hours fitting the slide to the frame. He trued the slide on the first day and has been working the frame rails for the past couple of meetings. We’ll call it days 2 – 4.

Days 2-4: The Slide and the Frame; Continued

Rafe did a really good job at truing his slide, so moving on to the frame to see how it would fit would be our next part of the ‘slide and frame’ process. I feel it necessary to mention a thing or two about the mil-spec slides, like the one’s you can get from Sarco. They’re inexpensive and they’ll do the job – HOWEVER, they’re not oversized. That means you WILL have to work the frame rails and swage or peen them – unless you have the wherewithal to weld the bottoms of the slide. Yes, that can be done – but it’s A LOT of work. You’re almost better off spending the few extra bucks on a Caspian slide – but if you’re on an actual $$$ budget; elbow grease is cheaper than parts, I guess.

As I’ve mentioned before, there are numerous ways to fit the frame rails. Some are preferred by some smiths, some are preferred by others – but some are the only ‘smart’ option. In a perfect world, with perfect parts, all you would have to do is stone the frame rails to the proper dimensions. In that world the slide would slip on with no play – done right, I haven’t even needed oil. That kind of fit is so beautiful it makes baby Jesus cry, hehe.

On our world, that’s not the case. Some would say that truing the slide caused our problems with perfect fit and caused the need to swage/peen…to wit, I would ask; would you fit a dimensionally atrocious slide to a true frame? If your answer is ‘yes’…then I don’t want you working on my guns, hehe. Seriously, some mil-specs aren’t bad and aggressive truing isn’t necessary – but as I said, that was not the case here. The biggest part of this whole ordeal is to teach Rafe how to get it done – so having a ‘worst case scenario’ situation is actually good for him.
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Filed under: Home Works, National Match 1911 by VGadmin [No Comments »]

A while back I started a series called “The 1911 National Match” which was a guide to how to match-grade a 1911 pistol. There were some great comments about it and some pretty good ‘success’ stories – if we want to call them that. However, being the picky SOB that I am, I have decided to scrap it and start over. I was unhappy with the publication in general and felt that it didn’t say exactly what I needed or wanted them to. So, herewith, henceforth and all of that – it’s in revision.

Filed under: Home Works, Misc Stuff by VGadmin [1 Comment »]

Filed under: Misc Stuff, National Match 1911 by VGadmin [No Comments »]

The question of barrels has been asked of me a few times, so I figured I’d babble a bit about it. These days barrels sold as ‘match grade’ can get a bit tricky…some are more ‘match grade’ than others, while some aren’t even close. Unfortunately, I wish I could say ‘brand X’ sucks and ‘brand Y’ is the best…but I don’t really ally with manufacturers. I will say this, in the small circle in which I move, I can’t build a gun for any of them without using one of the three Kings; Kart (heck, I can’t even mention the “easy fit” model), KKM or BarSto…but apparently that only applies to certain groups of folks. Others are die hard BarSto or KKM (Marines currently use these religiously) or Kart. In the IPSC/IDPA world I’ve heard those who swear by companies like NightHawk Custom and Storm Lake – which a lot of ‘my folks’ have never heard of unless they pick up a Brownells catalog. My point is, barrels – while they can make or break a great gun – ALL have a few things which are necessary, no matter who makes it. Of course – you have to take into account the shooter. Most are prima donnas who’ll blame a barrel for their bad shooting just because of it’s manufacture mark, hehe. Give’em what they want and take the cash…that’s what I say, LOL.

Back in the day, before the amazing availability of ‘match grade’ barrels, the mil-spec was common. It often required welding of the hood and lugs so it could be re-cut to fit. Often it needed throating – which is NOT the same as re-dimensioning the feed ramp, as other guys may lead you to believe; the ramp and the throat are NOT the same thing. So, word of note – those of you dumping out cash to have your barrel ‘throated’ by ‘reliability guru’s’ (cough) who inevitably end up merely running a dremel over the feed ramp – you’re getting ripped off. That’s all I’ll say about that. Anyway…where was I? Oh yea – so mil-specs usually got their chamber reamed and throated (depending on the ammo) and needed the feed ramp enlarged to facilitate better feeding; especially/specifically for wad-ammo.

These days though, there’s myriad barrel types from which to choose. Drop in fit, Gunsmith fit, Sort-of drop in, Sort-of Gunsmith, and of course, mil-spec…the list goes on. As I’ve always said and written, the barrel you decide on will be based on your wallet, need, ability of installing it and – of course – your opinion. For a true match grade barrel, you MUST have oversized dimensions in areas like the hood and the lugs. It isn’t always necessary, these days, to ream or throat the barrel, or even to re-shape the feed ramp, for that matter – many can be bought good to go. That doesn’t mean that the barrel isn’t any good because you don’t have to ream it or throat it…just for the record. For the average Joe – a ‘drop in’ match barrel could be just the thing he needs; remember, if you have an old gun or shot-out barrel, a new barrel will ALWAYS help – even a drop in. Your need will determine that. If you’re a beer can shooter (empty, of course, we don’t waste here at VG ) you have absolutely no need to spend the money to get a barrel fitted. Conversely, if you’re a 2650 Bullseye shooter – you’d be a choad if you bought a drop in and expected to stay in your class.
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Filed under: Home Works by VGadmin [1 Comment »]

Rafe is a member of the Texas state junior pistol team and attending college at UTSA. In a sport which requires many dollars, he has spent the last few years saving his money and buying parts to build his own 1911. He’s 18, so we (obviously) ran into the issue of being legally allowed to purchase a frame…we took care of it. It’s odd…the Texas team has won countless competitions, have national champions, are some of the most responsible and mature people I’ve met – more than many adults – but not a single one of them are allowed to own their own handguns…that’s so retahded.

He decided he wanted to build it himself…so I obliged. From 0900 – 1200 on Saturdays, until he’s done, he comes to my house and that’s what we’re doing…building his next .45. He already has one from me; an un-fancy, mil-spec 1911 which I built for him…his team took 1st place at nationals last year (with his scores near the top), so that makes me happy, LOL. It cost his mother under $400, held under 2″ with handloads and is a shining testament to my thumbed nose at the ‘idea’ that a 1911 has to cost $3000 to be any good. Of course, I didn’t charge labor – that was my ‘gift’ to the Junior program – so maybe that’s where the discrepancy lies, hehe. Makes me wonder how much is being charged for ‘labor’ these days…meh, gotta make a living, I guess.

Anyway the project was officially started on the 17th of October 2009. He was commanded (:P) to buy the Kuhnhausen book because, since I actually broke down and bought it, I find it to be a very good tool. Since Rafe has a sparse knowledge of what he’s reading, I’m there to explain it and show him how to complete what he needs to. That and I’m pretty sure his lovely mother doesn’t want him to build a “shop” in his bedroom, LOL. After some lessons in various techniques, we got right into it. For the record…I’m just instructing (translated: drinking coffee and laughing at his fear of hacking metal, LOL); Rafe is doing all of the work.

Day 1: The Slide and Frame Fit

Rafe uses an Alpha Precision rail guage, installed into the slide, as a foundation for measuring the height of the slide rails. He measures them with a caliper fitted with a depth base – a depth micrometer works best, but I don’t have one, LOL. He marks some points on the slide with a marker so he knows where he took his measurements, with the idea that he needs to ‘cut’ the slide rails to a uniform height…this is called ‘truing the slide’. I had him measure the points three times each, ensuring the caliper was ‘zeroed’ each time. This was to make up for his having never used a caliper before.

After he took his measurements, he needed to ‘true’ the rails to a uniform depth. This can be done in a few ways, but it depends on the amount of metal that needs to be removed. It would make very little sense to load the slide up in the mill to take of .001″ of material…it’s just a waste of time. Stones might not take enough and a file might take too much – you have to find a happy medium. Luckily, Rafe’s slide measured out where he could afford using a file and finishing up with carbide paper and stones to clean it up. It was a perfect time to teach Rafe how to draw file…muahahaha. Of course, I’m nice (*cough*) so I let him practice on a piece of steel before I let him go to town on his slide.

Once he was confident and understood the filing method, he put his slide in the vise and started cutting. He cut and measured, cut and measured until he got to within a tiny breadth of his goal. Then he went to a stone to clean up his filing and paper marks…yes, I know the gauge is still in the slide It is imperative that all ‘metal chips’ be cleaned from every part, in every step of the process…so I gave Rafe a rag, hehe.

Of course, not all projects run completely smooth…Rafe decided that he was going to lose one of the tiny screws for the rail gauge…so I made him look for it. He never did find it, so he owes me one screw…I’m still waiting for it LOL.

So, that was day 1.

Filed under: Misc Stuff by VGadmin [No Comments »]

I’ve heard this guy’s name for years and often sluffed off what people told me about building a .45 when they prefaced it with “…well, Kuhnhausen says this…” – especially when said individual has never built a 1911. Of course, I mean “built”…not “assembled”, LOL. I’ve been fairly successful with guns I’ve built using the methods I was taught and figured out through trial and error…at the time, I had the resources for trial and error…not so much now, hehe. Anyway, I never understood why the guy was regailed – then again, I never read his books. I equated it to those who try to cram the Bible down your throat…you might dig the message or the theme, but the method by which it’s force-fed is a distasteful turn off. Last June/July however, when I had the chance to mingle with the ‘smith’s of the various services, Kuhnhausen’s name popped up again. So, I decided to give it a whirl and bought both of his books; ‘The Colt .45 Automatic – A Shop Manual’ and ‘The U.S. M1911/A1 Pistols & Commercial M1911 Type Pistols – A Shop Manual – Volume 2 in the Kuhnhausen .45 Auto Series’.

Holy Crap!

Talk about in depth! These books are the most in depth publications I have ever seen…and I read A LOT. If you’re a fan of the 1911, these are a must-have! In print, I am pleased to write that I was wrong for sluffing off people’s praise of the man – I’d have probably saved countless man-hours had I read these a long time ago. From detailed specs to theory of operation, this series it loaded. It only lacks in ‘employment’, that is: when it talks about a task, it speaks to the desired outcome but doesn’t often address ‘how’ to do it – i.e. how to actually ‘cut’ or ‘file’ or ‘stone’ etc. Often that is appeased with pictures and, if you have any experience, you can usually figure it out. Conversely, I’d like to offer a hearty ‘piss off’ to the Kuhnhausen droids. The books address most, if not all, popular methods for fitting and the like, citing (quite often) his ‘preferred’ method. He is great at justifying why he does things the way he does, but also makes concessions for varying opinions and practices on the matters at hand – based on his experiences. Except in matters where such things are a necessity, he rarely presents his methods as the ‘only way’. To wit; the series encompasses a ‘complete’ persepctive – which is very refreshing to see…in anything, these days.

Gripes and Grins…

If you’re going to try to use Volume 1 to actually build a 1911 – you’ll come a cross a bit of a snag. There are some fixtures and tools he uses which are no longer in production. So, you’ll have to discern the desired outcome of the task, figure out what it is you’re trying to accomplish and either a) find an equivalent tool or fixture or 2) fabricate the fixture on your own. That’s a bit of a bummer because some of the things he uses are better than what’s currently available and making your own takes the ability or the funds. On the other hand, there are things he uses which are still available, but only made by one manufacturer and not offered by Brownell’s (the gun guy’s Mecca). So, again, suck up the cost of the minor-monopoly or fabricate your own. Either way – if you dive right in and go for it, you’re definitely going to need a bigger tool box, LOL. The bright side of it is, if you’ve been doing this for a while (and have never read these books), you’ll find that some of his methods are far easier and produce a better result. It’s one thing to be told there’s a better way, but it’s a different thing entirely to be ‘shown’ there’s a better way *grin*. My way is still better for some things, but for others I’ll bow to Kuhnhausen – and that’s the goal, isn’t it? Learn what you can, take what you need, employ what works.

Kudos to Kuhnhausen. You can get the books at Brownell’s…but I’m not trying to sell you anything, so no links, hehe.