The Rohrbaugh Forum

Miscellaneous => Other Guns => Topic started by: Richard S on June 04, 2006, 10:53:41 AM

Title: Before & After
Post by: Richard S on June 04, 2006, 10:53:41 AM

While going through an old memory card for my digital camera, I found this photograph of my 1911 taken about six years ago before the artists at Clark Custom Guns got their hands on her.  Back then, she was a real "Plain Jane," with only some stag grips to set her apart from the crowd.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/Colt1991A1BeforeCustomizing.jpg)

I've posted the following photograph before, but I do so again just to show the contrast -- before and after.

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/RichardS/Apr1702.jpg)

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: tracker on June 04, 2006, 02:40:09 PM

Quite a difference; who did the refinishing work?

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Richard S on June 04, 2006, 03:42:59 PM

Tracker:

I believe that, while CCG does the "melting" and other custom work in house, they have some specialty shops to which they subcontract plating work.  I don't know which shop they used to apply the bright-chrome finish to my pistol, but the work is flawless.  

Not everyone likes bright chrome on a gun.  Some of my old service buddies refer to it as "bling bling."  I can't help it, though.  I like it.   :D

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: tracker on June 04, 2006, 08:35:04 PM

I do also.

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: R9SCarry on June 04, 2006, 11:51:07 PM

Not all ''Bling'' is bad Richard !! :)

Thx for the pics.

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Arizona on June 05, 2006, 05:58:10 PM

Very nice.

Have you had any trigger work performed?

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Richard S on June 05, 2006, 08:38:14 PM

Arizona:

Yes, CCG gave the pistol a trigger job and installed an aluminimum match trigger set for a 4.5-pound pull. They also performed the following work:
 
*  Throating and polishing of the barrel and frame.  
*  Lowering and flaring of the ejection port.  
*  Tuning of the extractor.
*  Tuning of the ejector.
*  Installing an extended tactical thumb safety.
*  Beveling the magazine well.
*  Installing a "King Beavertail" grip safety.
*  Installing a Clark "Big Bushing."  
*  Off-setting the firing pin bushing.
*  Dehorning the entire pistol ("Clark Meltdown").
*  Plating the entire pistol with hard bright chrome.

The result, with her Bo-Mar adjustable sights, is a reliable "tack driver" pleasing to both the hand and the eye.  I like her a lot!   8)      

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: BillinPittsburgh on June 05, 2006, 11:27:16 PM

Very nice, Richard, and that generally looks like a very good choice in a custom package.

No doubt hard chrome is appreciated on a hot summer day.  Beyond the unbeatable corrosion resistance, the tradeoff is the risk of giving away your position if your opponent otherwise can't see you verses the ability of the opponent who already sees you to see very clearly that you just pulled a gun, giving him one last chance to get civilized.

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Richard S on June 06, 2006, 08:05:12 AM

Thanks, Bill.  

I neglected to mention that she has also been equipped with a LaserMax sight (note the black activation lever on the slide stop) and a Cylinder & Slide SFS conversion.  I've found both of these aftermarket accessories to be excellent additions to the pistol and well worth the investment.

http://www.lasersights.com/html/1911_lasermax.html

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/sfs.shtml


I always wanted to take a standard-issue 1911 and give her a "complete makeover."  Now that I've done that, I'm looking around for a new long-term project.   :D

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Aglifter on June 07, 2006, 03:29:18 AM

I humbly suggest, unless you've already done it, a really nice lever action -- but, then again, I've always been partial to them

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Richard S on June 07, 2006, 07:28:50 AM

Aglifter:

That's a good idea!  Would you recommend a Winchester, a  Marlin, or a Henry?  

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: tracker on June 07, 2006, 10:54:03 AM

I just bought a Marlin 1894 M--.22 WMR and I like it a lot.
It was made in the 80's and was sold out of an estate.

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Aglifter on June 10, 2006, 02:54:50 AM

I'd personally go for a 1895 CB Marlin -- I've put a Wild West extractor, trigger kit, follower and big loop lever on mine.  I also had all the internals polished by my local smith, as well as the biggest recoil pad I could find put on it.  I may try some mercury tubes for using the Garretts in it.  I'm very impressed w. the quality of the WWG parts.  They seem like nice enough guys when I met them at the SHOT show, but I think they have so much work, that unless you really want a cut down guide gun, or a 50 Alaskan/457 WWG magnum, I'd just buy the parts.  I also have a trijicon reflex sight on mine, which I'm quite happy with.  Personally, I'd be quite happy w. the 45-70 -- Garrett cartridges provide all the power I'd need.

Now, w. that said, I admit I'm thinking about a 405 Winchester, in maybe an 1886 Winchester...or maybe a 45-90 to try and get some more room to lower the recoil w. high power cartridges -- but my only real interest in that is that I want to use a lever gun to travel around the world hunting.
Now, I'm not sure about this, but I suspect that the recoil on a pistol griped lever action may be easier to handle -- but I never really had too much problem until I shot 18 garretts in a row.

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Richard S on June 10, 2006, 07:28:12 AM

Thanks, guys!  That gets me started on my research.

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: erh on June 10, 2006, 11:11:08 AM

Richard S
- Very nice both before, & after..!  
My Dad has been known to use the term "Nickle Plated Sissy Pistol Very Jokingly of Coarse..!"  
  At least however, I've NEVER known him to say it to someone that was "Holding a loaded One..!"    

Eric Howland :) (LOL)

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Richard S on June 10, 2006, 07:51:04 PM

Quote

Richard S
- Very nice both before, & after..!  
My Dad has been known to use the term "Nickle Plated Sissy Pistol Very Jokingly of Coarse..!"  
  At least however, I've NEVER known him to say it to someone that was "Holding a loaded One..!"    

Eric Howland :) (LOL)

Eric:

I agree with your father.  The traditional nickel plating is a delicate finish which Hoppe's No. 9 can destroy in a few applications.  Even the newer nickel finishes are somewhat vulnerable.

My maternal grandmother back in Oklahoma owned a nickel-plated .38 revolver which she kept under her pillow until the day she died.  I recall that the revolver's finish was beginning to flake when I last saw it -- and I doubt that "Granny" ever cleaned the thing in her life.  

Intending no offense to others of a different view, I tend to look at nickel plating in the same way that General Patton looked at mother-of-pearl grips.  

A hard-bright chrome finish -- now that is an entirely different matter.  I tend to look at hard-bright chrome plating in the same way that General Patton looked at ivory grips.   8)

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: BillinPittsburgh on June 10, 2006, 11:02:18 PM

I would suggest trying the Trijicon Reflex before buying if you have any opportunity whatsoever.  I very briefly had one on my AR-15, but couldn't even see a target 100 yards away that I have no trouble hitting with iron sights at the same distance.  I've had problems with other illuminated dot sights as well, like C-more.  Others on other forums had better luck than me.

I think a good test when handling such a sight in the store is to try to read something from a distance while looking through the sight and then compare it to reading the same thing with the naked eye.  If the text is more difficult to read through the sight, you won't like it.

The only ones I would consider are Aimpoint and the Leopold CQ/T.

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Aglifter on June 11, 2006, 04:18:55 AM

I put the reflex sight on mine because I wanted to use the gun in Zambia -- and still will, if my buddies and I can ever coordinate our schedules, so I wanted something that aimed very fast, and was good close up -- the other thing about them is it takes practice to use them properly -- I can only shoot mine well free hand, and w. both eyes open -- not match quality, but at 80 yds, I can shoot about a 2.5" to 3" group w. factory remington ammo -- considerably larger than acceptable w. good iron sights/scope, but much faster to use, at least for me.

But your right, at about 100 yards, that 4.3 MOA makes the gun pretty difficult to use on paper -- still works fine on animals -- but 150+ and it's time to go get out one of the scoped bolt actions.

Title: Re: Before & After
Post by: Rocnerd on June 12, 2006, 02:45:05 PM

I took my Marlin 336 with me on a hog hunt this past Sunday and got a nice 220lb boar.  The sausage he provided is excellent.  I used the new Hornady leverevolution rounds and they performed extremely well.  I hit mine in the shoulder and it ran about 15 to 20 yards before realizing it was dead.  So, my vote is for the Marlin in any caliber you desire, though the Henry in .44 mag is mighty tempting.