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*The
CHOPPER |
* SideWinder |
The SideWinder may be small, but big things come in tiny packages.
2. Narrowed
slide:
Not
enough to compromise structural integrety, but enough to lighten
and slenderize it a bit.
3.
Barrel
throated
& feed ramp
properly angled and
polished.
Just to make sure.
4.
The
sights that come on an Ultra Carry are 'just ok' in my book. These
highly modified Slant Pro's provide an exceptionally fast and clean
sight picture. With the addition of bar-dot-bar tritium inserts, you've
got about the best low light sighting system there is.
5.
Ejection
port lowered and
flaired:
A bit lower and wider - again just to make sure.
6. Match
grade
extractor:
Recut,
adjusted
and polished.
7. FlushFit
hammer:
In
my opinion, there is no need
to ever touch the hammer on a 1911
style carry gun. I'm sure this will stir up some controversy, but if
you think about it, you really can't come up with a logical reason why
you would need to be able to manually manipulate the hammer of a carry
1911.
8.
By eliminating the hammer spur, one can further reduce the length of
the pistol by eliminating the grip safety tang or beavertail. The
FlushFit grip safety requires quite a bit of frame modification, but in
return offers an extremely high handhold and greater concealability. No
hammer bite is possible, and printing is less of a problem. I've always
liked the feel of a Browning High Power in this area, and the FlushFit
grip safety captures some of that feel, albeit thinner.
9.
I start with a wide thumb safety, then narrow and reshape it.
When done, it just 'feels right'.
10.
Eliminates vertical movement, which adds to consistancy in trigger
pull. The exact same each and every time.
11. Trigger
job:
Four
pounds. Crisp and clean. Perfect for a carry gun.
12.
Using a special jig that I designed and built, I first perfect the
radius of the front strap, then machine the initial lines, both
horizontal and vertical. This makes for perfect alignment. Then, using
a special file, each diamond is individually and painstakingly brought
to point by hand. Finally, the area is gently bead blasted to take away
any sharpness of the diamonds to prevent discomfort when firing. Time
consuming, but there's just something about hand cut checkering that
machine cut checkering can't duplicate. 20 and 25 line per inch
checkering available on request.
13.
After replacing the plastic mainspring housing with a steel one, I
again use another special jig of my own design to radius the mainspring
housing flush with the frame, machine the initial horizontal and
vertical lines, then bring each diamond to point (by hand). Gently
beadblasted, it gives a very nice (but secure) 'soapbar' feel. 20 and
25 line per inch checkering available on request.
14.
The bottom of the mainspring housing and frame is an area that can
'print' under a shirt or sweater. By carefully radiusing and rounding
this area (with a file, by hand), this problem is eliminated. Makes the
shorter grip of the Ultra Carry more comfortable when firing, too.
15.
A nice blend to the rear sight blade, it also eliminates any
possibility of sight glare.
16. American
border slide:
A fine line is cut on the sides of the slide where the flats meet the
upper radius. One of those aesthetic niceties that is a sharp addition
to a full house custom.
17.
For a little something extra, the top of the slide is flattened and 40
line per inch serrations are added.
18.
Detail
complete
pistol:
Some call it
melting, but I
use a file, not a grinding wheel. Every
sharp edge is given an identically angled cut. In addition, all lines
are straightened and all tooling marks
are removed. The
slide
stop
is given a 'makeover' and the
slide stop hole recessed. As with any custom I make, attention to
detail is of the utmost importance. Each and every individual part is
modified until it achieves absolute perfection in both looks and feel.
Anybody can install parts. The difference in my work comes from making
sure all of the parts and pieces that make up a pistol flow together.
19.
Master
grade
blueing of slide and small
parts:
20. Hard anodizing
of the frame:
Bead
blasted to match the bead blasted
areas (non flats) of
the slide.
21.
Smoothed
and
contoured grips:
22. Thin slot grip
screws:
Aligned,
as they should be on any firearm
of genuine custom
quality.
23.
24. Airline approved hard case: