I have a well-used surplus Mk II BHP that I’m considering for a project gun. The trigger is stock (horrible with no discernable reset), the finish is non-existent in places, and the rear sight looks as if it were used as a hammer. Despite the trigger, it shoots well to POA, and seems to be a very reliable pistol with a variety of ammunition types.
I have $300 in this pistol; it is not rare in any way, has no story of which I am aware, and other than being a BHP, it’s not special. Rather than leaving it in its current state as a truck gun, I’m considering a re-work and new finish. I have no desire to making it a $2500 custom gun, but I do want to fix the trigger, replace the sights, and re-finish it with a deep glossy blue (like many of the classics I have seen). I’m not concerned so much with removing the rollmarks, although I would like to get rid of the silly looking import mark on the right side of the frame, if that is even legal to do so?
Oh, and one more thing, I’ll need to have the lanyard ring and stud removed from the butt so that I can install some nice wood grips—the stock grips have a cutout to accommodate the lanyard stud, and I have yet to see aftermarket grips which feature this accommodation. Plus, a lanyard ring doesn’t jive with my vision for what this gun should be.
My problem is choosing the right shop to do the work. I’m not aware of any specialists in my area (Ala.) so I figure I’ll be sending it off. C&S is backed up at least a year, and very expensive to boot; Novak can do the sights and trigger work, but evidently does not have the finish I’m looking for (their’s is a dull blue-black, according to their website); Yost apparently does only high-dollar custom jobs. From my reading here, those are the three names I most commonly see for quality 1911 and BHP work.
Before anyone points this out, I recognize the rules of “Cheap, fast, and good”… you can have two of those, but not all three. Having said that, I’d really like to keep my cost at $700 or less, and I don’t mind a reasonable wait (say, 6 months or less). I’d prefer to use just one outlet rather than sending the piece to multiple parties, but I would do that if it represented a real value--- and for that I’d like recommendations of what order the work should be done (refinish before adding sights, or vice versa?).
Finally, to answer those who will probably ask “what purpose will I have for this pistol”? Since I already have a Mk III which has the dull matte black finish and looks nothing like a show piece, my plan for the Mk II is to be a range gun, carried very sparingly, and something that just satisfies a “want” I’ve had for years… a pride of ownership thing.
So… any suggestions?
I have $300 in this pistol; it is not rare in any way, has no story of which I am aware, and other than being a BHP, it’s not special. Rather than leaving it in its current state as a truck gun, I’m considering a re-work and new finish. I have no desire to making it a $2500 custom gun, but I do want to fix the trigger, replace the sights, and re-finish it with a deep glossy blue (like many of the classics I have seen). I’m not concerned so much with removing the rollmarks, although I would like to get rid of the silly looking import mark on the right side of the frame, if that is even legal to do so?
Oh, and one more thing, I’ll need to have the lanyard ring and stud removed from the butt so that I can install some nice wood grips—the stock grips have a cutout to accommodate the lanyard stud, and I have yet to see aftermarket grips which feature this accommodation. Plus, a lanyard ring doesn’t jive with my vision for what this gun should be.
My problem is choosing the right shop to do the work. I’m not aware of any specialists in my area (Ala.) so I figure I’ll be sending it off. C&S is backed up at least a year, and very expensive to boot; Novak can do the sights and trigger work, but evidently does not have the finish I’m looking for (their’s is a dull blue-black, according to their website); Yost apparently does only high-dollar custom jobs. From my reading here, those are the three names I most commonly see for quality 1911 and BHP work.
Before anyone points this out, I recognize the rules of “Cheap, fast, and good”… you can have two of those, but not all three. Having said that, I’d really like to keep my cost at $700 or less, and I don’t mind a reasonable wait (say, 6 months or less). I’d prefer to use just one outlet rather than sending the piece to multiple parties, but I would do that if it represented a real value--- and for that I’d like recommendations of what order the work should be done (refinish before adding sights, or vice versa?).
Finally, to answer those who will probably ask “what purpose will I have for this pistol”? Since I already have a Mk III which has the dull matte black finish and looks nothing like a show piece, my plan for the Mk II is to be a range gun, carried very sparingly, and something that just satisfies a “want” I’ve had for years… a pride of ownership thing.
So… any suggestions?
