Caspian Commander Build

Well after about 15 man hours the EZ fit barrel is in. The whole process was so much more than I anticipated but it came out well and still falls within all the minimum safety lockup limits.[thinking] The gun is tighter than a tank but wow what a lot of work, all hand.

Here are some more pics..

caspianbarrel005.jpg


I reworked the bushing and gave it a nice bevel, i think.

caspianbarrel013.jpg


Last pic is of the rear of the frame. It will take some doing to get it flush along with the dust cover.

caspianbarrel006.jpg

caspianbarrel008.jpg


As always hope you enjoy


Semper Fi
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I got to see this in person today when I bumped into hpic55 at the shop, If you think the pics are nice you should see it up close! [smile] Great work, can't wait to see the finished product and congrats on the fight. That was a great KO!
 
RADIO

It is nice to put a face to a forum member. I have seen you there before but didn't know your forum name. I love NE shooters and the fact that when you go to a local gun store you will prob bump into a member who always turn out to be great people.

Thanks for the nice comments.

Semper Fi
1*

JUST WENT GREEN.....FEELS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!
 
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Just an up to date. I finished the trigger work and got her nice and crisp. I had a feeling the trigger, an old one but i like it, was a little long and with no overtravel screw might be ify. Well I loaded two rounds and when I pulled the trigger two rounds came a flyin out.[hmmm] I was ready for it so all is well and even got a three round burst out of it. I think, have to check, the trigger bow is too long without a stop and or the disco might be to short. Have to take it down and recheck.

I also trashed my Ed Brown safety because I was not paying attention and cut the angle wrong, failed safety test.[sad2]

Oh well part of building is getting to ruin stuff.

Semper Fi
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trigger work

Well I just finished the fire control group and it was the old trigger that was the cause of my problems. There was too much movement rearward as there was no stop on the back of the trigger for adjustment. When you pulled the trigger fully it would fire the weapon but overtravel and push the sear spring off the sear itself allowing for the hammer to follow the slide home. I fit the original trigger I purchased for the build but I'm not so keen on it. I plan on applying alumablack on it to see if it helps.


Back to the range tomorrow to retest. The only good thing about today was that even though I got 3 round bursts the gun never faild to feed, eject or extract properly. [wink]

Semper Fi
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Ok I took her back out to the range and got 50 flawless rounds through her. I did some more work, not much but figured pics say it better so.

Hard to see but I beveled the entire slide, it feels great no sharp edges but still holds clean lines.

caspian5001.jpg


Here is a pic of the barrel and ejection port that has been filed just a bit.

caspian5004.jpg


I beveled the mag well. Had to rework it a bit after this pic due to spring tension but it looks nice and smooth now.

caspian5007.jpg


Here is a pic of the back that needs to be blended to the frame before sending her off to get the Melonite treatment.

caspian5009.jpg


Feel free to leave comments as they help.


Semper Fi
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Looks like you put a lot of hard work into this gun and it definitely shows! Looks great!

-Dan
 
Wow....still looking great. Glad to hear she is shooting well.

I like the bevel.

I can't believe how much material is left on the back that needs to be blended. If you could, please detail the process and tools used when doing that (pic or 2?)

Great work!!!!
 
Just some up dates on blending the rear of the slide. Let me just say that I think I need a new pair of shorts after doing just one side. Man is it stressful!

Here are some quick crapy pics of the one side I just finished.

blendingslide001.jpg


blendingslide004.jpg



I will post again when I finish the other side.

Semper Fi
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Ok guys and girls after a few hours of stress and swearing I think it came out ok. Not pro or anything but I like it.

For those who were asking I used the dreaded dremel on this one.[shocked]

I started out with a stone then to a paper roll and then to the cratex bits to smooth it out. So here we go, be gentle with the replies as this is my first one.

slideblending2001.jpg


slideblending2002.jpg


I put the rear 10-8 sight on just to see how everthing was going to look.

slideblending2006.jpg


slideblending2007.jpg


slideblending2008.jpg


slideblending2009.jpg


Still have a lot of work to do but it is coming along bit by bit. I can't wait to see it Melonited and in a nice VMII on my side!!

Semper Fi
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95% done!

Got a little more done on my Commander.

First let me warn you that there was a hacksaw used in the making of this but no firearms were hurt![smile]

I finished the rear of the slide, flushed the slide stop and beveled the hole, and cut the dust cover to fit the ball radius.

Let me know what you think!

finishingtouches001.jpg


finishingtouches003.jpg


finishingtouches004.jpg


finishingtouches005.jpg


finishingtouches007.jpg


finishingtouches009.jpg


finishingtouches010.jpg


finishingtouches012.jpg


Sorry about all the pics but I think most like to see them so...

I still have to get a new thumb safety, fit the front sight, an extra extractor, and get some grips before I send her off to get finished. OH and all of those minor scratches will come out when it gets the prep before Meloniting.

Thats all for now, enjoy


Semper Fi
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Thats a great job!

Using a dremel is no easy task (I spend the better part of the last 5 years at work using a dremel). The blending of the back of the slide looks great!

Keep up the good work; I can't wait to see the finished product!!!
 
Just a little update from my build. I put the front sight on, a trinium dot from Novak, and went to the range. When I ordered the sight I was not sure if the front sight height was correct as the rear sight was from 10-8 and not a match set. I did a little research and came up wtih a front sight height I thought was correct.

So, I go to the range and start at 20yrds on a Q target figuring if its off I will know right away. My first shot took the Q right out so I finish with a 10 rnd Wilson and 8 round CM from 20 yards. I was rewarded with a fist size group of 18 rounds from the 20 shooting from a combat stance!

Well, now it's off to CCA for the Melonite treatment with lots of pics when it returns.


Semper Fi
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Got a call from CCA last week. They informed me that the Melonite finish came out with a small blemish so they are re-doing it. Not sure when it will be finished but I am anxious to get it back to shoot it!!

The entire gun will be black to include the trigger!

PICS will be posted ASAP



Semper Fi
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Rather than belnding the rear of the slide and cutting the dust cover, could you not have shaved a little of the front of the lower locking lugs on the barrel to get the slide to close a little farther into battery - and thus the rear of slide would match up with the frame and the dust cover with cut out on the slide?

If I were to ask this in reverse, by shaving the rear and cutting the dust cover to get it all to look nice, does the barrel now lock at top dead center and the breech face contac the slide correctly? (though this may be moot now as youve already cut the dust cover and rear of slide)
 
Hmm

Mr MAcadoo has a point there.... I mean unbelievable work as it is.... but when I was assembling my casping with the help of a smith, he theory was work on the cheapest part first to solve any problems... Thought that was a great idea! [smile] Great work and also did you have to finish your rails any? My caspian had a lotta rough spots so I hand lapped it a bit.... Looks fantastic!

MacaDoo--- Golgo 13?? Niiiiiiiiiice.
 
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Mr MAcadoo has a point there.... I mean unbelievable work as it is.... but when I was assembling my casping with the help of a smith, he theory was work on the cheapest part first to solve any problems... Thought that was a great idea! [smile] Great work and also did you have to finish your rails any? My caspian had a lotta rough spots so I hand lapped it a bit.... Looks fantastic!

MacaDoo--- Golgo 13?? Niiiiiiiiiice.

Golgo 13 it is, nice catch!

Yea, I learned that painful lesson to - cut and fit the cheaper parts first. Hpics work is really clean and it looks really, really good - far better than I could do with hand tools. But I'm in the process of putting together a 1911 commander, and I had a very similar issue. The slide did not align perfectly with the frame, I too was considering smoothing the rear and cutting the dust cover. I thought about it for a week, re-read the book on barrel fitting by Knuhausen (sp?), searched high and low on the web and then it occurred to me, I could get the slide/barrel to stop and lock more forward by removing a little material on the front part of the lower locking lugs where the slide stop sits. So I tried with a few passes using a fine, half round file on the locking lugs and test fit. Low and behold the slide/barrel assembly started locking up more forward. I then slammed it forward, looked for the bright contact spots and keep removing material almost 1 file stroke at a time. And It worked and I did not have to all the heroic polishing that Hpic has done.

Either way will totally work - but if I went the Hpic route - not being nearly as skilled with a file and paper, I would have likely destroyed my slide and frame.

Another question for Hpic, since cutting and fitting they way you have, did you have to cut any away from where the thumb safety travels up on the slide?
 
Greap points on the barrel guys. I did alot of measuring and fitting with this combo and went the way everything fit the best. If I cut the lugs on the barrel and let it go forward the gap with the thumb safety would have been huge. It appeared to me that the rear of the slide was over built in that some of Caspians stuff has extra material for final fitting. I even measured the rear of my other guns and the rear of the Caspian slide had a deeper chanel where the hammer falls into. When you get a ball radius and not the recon cut it is not built to match but I could not live with that.


Thanks for all the great posts and when she is back I will do a photo shoot and a range report.


Semper Fi
1*
 
Well, I got her back today!!!! I can't believe how nice this thing looks. CCA did an awesome job on my gun![smile]

The only thing not flat black on the gun is the hammer strut, Ti, and the front night sight.

I will post pics asap but I am working a double today and detail tomorrow so it might be a few days[hmmm].

But I tell you it is worth the wait, at least I think so.

PICS SOON!!

Semper Fi
1*
 
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