Two for One Colt 1911 Project pics!

[Greg Derr]

This project started out with a commercial Colt .45 of 1952 vintage. The owner also had a .38 Super top end of the same vintage. Both had been chromed, as in bumper chrome which was the thing to do long ago. My task was to make both run, and blue again on the same frame. It took a bit of work and some help to get them done right. I managed to use most of what they came with, with a few additions. The Super had a vintage Triangle sight, but is was installed on the GI dovetail which was much too high. That was set lower in the slide and a new dovetail front sight added. The .45 got a similar set up with a BoMar clone rear. I had to get the chrome commercial stripped at a local plater. The internals were up graded with some bar stock parts. The barrels got two new bushings cut for a close tolerance. The hammer is original and was surface ground to clear the slide slot. Two ejectors were cut, one for each caliber and slide. Finish is a hot blue to mimic a period Colt finish. The pins and screws were nitre blued to add a little contrast.

 

[edmxz2002]

Beautiful work! And great pictures too.

 

[ColdDayInHell]

It's beautiful.

 

[jason19711971]

sweet

 

[familyman15]

Call bs. Ship me one do an efa10 and ill believe it. Jk awesome work that's definitely a talent

 

[cfbackrow]

wow...what a transformation

 

[PCK9]

Amazing work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Royal]

Wow gorgeous!

 

[Paul455]

A real tribute to your skills Greg.

Thanks for posting.

 

[bob king]

Wow

 

[RDG]

Awesome work.... Really like the before, in-progress and after pics.

 

[Greg Derr]

Thank you all for the kind words. I was shooting the .38 super the other night,just once more before shipping. I really like this round, shoots fast and flat and the recoil is manageable . Groups were all "A" zone at 50 feet. Might have to make one of these for myself someday. Thanks again.

 

[45collector]

I love pre-70 series Colts. I have a '64 that is in excellent mechanical shape but has plenty of finish wear. Debating whether to just leave it alone or have it restored.

Excellent work Greg.

 

[nstassel]

Amazing. Can I ask how you apparently filled in the old dovetail when you cut the new one for the Triangle sight?

 

[bigblue]

I agree with the above comments: I love seeing the transformation of before to after. Definitely shows the kind of talent & skills required.

 

[Greg Derr]

Amazing. Can I ask how you apparently filled in the old dovetail when you cut the new one for the Triangle sight?

Thank you, the original sight cuts were Colt factory. Old school smiths would just use them and maybe file the dovetail wider. There was enough material for me to cut a dovetail and melt in the sights on both slides. The front sights are also dovetailed in.

 

[nstassel]

Awesome.