Got me a Clark Custom .45

V

vanfunk

New member
Well, I went into the local gunmonger's store to see if any interesting pieces had come in. I looked over the usual milsurp stuff and some nice old S&W revolvers, when mine eyes bespied a nice looking pre-series 70 Colt Government Model. Though the tag was partially obscured, I could make out "Colt Gov't Model, accurized by E. Clark, Shreveport, LA, 1958". I tried to be nonchalant as I asked the salesperson to hand it to me. It came with a case, 3 magazines, and a sales receipt for the cutom work - slide fitted to frame, barrel fitted to slide, bushing fitted to slide and barrel, Elliason front and rear adjustable sights fitted, trigger shoe installed, trigger adjusted to 2.5 lbs, frontstrap stippled. All work came to $115. Apparently the original owner bought the gun, shot it a little, sent it off to Clark for the work, got it back, then wrapped it in a silicon cloth and forgot about it for 43 years! I'm now $850 lighter, but ALOT happier than I was!
This thing is unbelievable. There is no perceptible play between slide and frame, and the barrel goes nowhere when locked up. Yet it is remarkably easy to rack the slide (insert proverbial "ball-bearings" simile here) and the slide and barrel unlock easily, like a little mechanical ballet. The only thing I'm not really crazy about are the Elliason sights, which are a bit too "high-profile" for my taste, but they do present a very good sight picture. I think it's a little lightly sprung, so I'm going to put a new 16 lb recoil spring in it, and get myself a bushing wrench. I won't get a chance to shoot it for a week or two; can't wait!
I feel a bit like a jerk, but sometimes the best Christmas presents are the ones you buy for yourself!:)
Thanks for listening!
vanfunk
 
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Got a chance to shoot it today, ahead of schedule. Unfortunately I only had a bag of lousy gunstore reloads with which to test it, but it shot 'em all up without a problem. I was able to shoot a few 1-hole groups at 50 feet from a rest, gosh darn tootin' good for me. I'm sure this gun is a far better shooter than I am.;) Gotta get on that spring swap, though, empties were chucking about 20'. About that stippling...Yeeeeooowwww. My fingers looked like my hand had caught fire and I'd beaten the flames out with a wire brush. Guess I've got to build up my callouses again.
Otherwise, I'm in love!:cool:

vanfunk
 
Clark 45

vanfunk

Glad to hear that you found, purchased, and love your Clark. Clark Custom has been around for many years.

Last summer I sent my Kimber Classic Stainless to Clark for their Meltdown Package along with a trigger job, checkered front strap, and reliability and accuracy job. They had my gun back to me in 50 days. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. The gun has to be seen and handled to be believed. The only sharp edge is the sight picture. The gun came back with a 3.0 pound trigger and will fire 1 inch 25 yard groups all day long. I also have a Wilson CQB so it's a hard decision to make which one will ride with me daily. Clark Custom does great work at a reasonable price and great turnaround.

:D
 
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'm very pleased with the gun. Around here, (Massachusetts, AHHHH!) a NIB Colt 1991A1 can go for $799, so I was positively pickled with this little serendipidous find. We were made for eachother. But next time out, I'll not forget my shooting gloves.;)

This piece was born in January '58. I've been thinking about sending it back to it's family in ol' Loosianna for it's birthday, to have Jim Clark the Younger have a go at the frontstrap. I s'pose it'll be expensive to have the frontstrap reshaped, checkered and blued. Maybe they'll honor their 1958 prices just this once, for old times' sake (that'd be about $35, I'd say):p
vanfunk
 
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