Melting down the 1911, ideas?
- Thread starter Amati
- Start date
Not to be rude but if you have spent north of $3000 on this pistol and are looking to spend more you wasted your money. You could have sent it to a real custom shop like Yost, Williams, Cogan, Harrison, Burton, Chen, Christiansen etc.... and gotten exactly what you wanted for less and I can guarantee that the gun would be worth 80%-90% what you had in it if it was built by one of these guys. If you cannot sell a customized gun with documentation then you are trying to sell in the wrong places.
Someone with a soft spot for a GI pistol is not going to do this kind of work. Custom work does not equal GI pistol IMHO. Without pics of the existing gun I get the feeling we are being trolled.
SGW Gunsmith
Moderator
Skadoosh...........That's one of the very BEST lookin' 1911 pistols that I've seen in quite some time. No sharp edges that are prone to hinder a smooth and easy holster draw.
Bluing? Always a practical and appealing finish on a 1911 style pistol, and the very best examples that I've seen, to date, come from Doug Turnbull and the artists that he employs. Worried about bluing wear? Get yourself a GOOD, molded-fit and lined holster. Nothing better.
Bluing? Always a practical and appealing finish on a 1911 style pistol, and the very best examples that I've seen, to date, come from Doug Turnbull and the artists that he employs. Worried about bluing wear? Get yourself a GOOD, molded-fit and lined holster. Nothing better.
Here's mine, carried everyday in FL for 10 years and Ohio for 8 more. Bet mine holds up longer.
Nice area you're in, I spent time in the service in Newport News. Still one of my favorite places.
Have the same DS too, they are great guns. Carry mine in an ankle holster. Bought mine to replace a First Gen Cobra.
I used to be a big fan of blue but found it just isn't durable as the others.
Nice area you're in, I spent time in the service in Newport News. Still one of my favorite places.
Have the same DS too, they are great guns. Carry mine in an ankle holster. Bought mine to replace a First Gen Cobra.
I used to be a big fan of blue but found it just isn't durable as the others.
Heck, I think that's a decent blueing job.
Always funny to see someone else posting a picture of your gun.What's not to like?
Clark Meltdowns aren't for everyone, which is probably why they have backed off on how much they cut guns down, the more recent Meltdowns that I've seen are less radically smoothed out than the older ones. But, if you want one Clark's is the place to go. Manufacturer's have done their own versions, like Kimber's Ultra CDP but they're much less melted than Clark's work.
Clark's did the original work on my gun back in '98, not long after they first started offering the Meltdown package. They parkerized it after the melt and the finish was showing some wear by the time I got the gun from the original owner. I had it polished and blued and some other work done by a local 'smith about 5 years ago. A melted gun is probably the most comfortable to carry piece you'll find. There are no sharp edges to poke at you, hang up on fabric or wear on your clothing.
As far as bluing is concerned, how it holds up is totally dependent on how you care for it, there are waxes that really help to protect the finish. Hard chrome is a great finish and super tough, it also takes on whatever the surface texture you apply it to is - hard chrome polished metal and it'll be bright and shiny, apply it to a matte surface and it will be matte. It holds up incredibly well, I've had guns that were hard chromed 20-30 years ago and the finish looks practically new.
And, as far as customizing a 1911 or any other gun, I say have at it. You bought , you own it, do whatever you like with it. If someone else doesn't like it , who cares?
Here's a couple more recent pics of my Meltdown-
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We all have different tastes and I think every gun pictured here is good looking.
And I like 1911's. I don't do mil-spec anymore after buying my first Kimber. I carried a 1911 for awhile when I was in the service. The happiest moment to me was when I turned it in, it was the most inaccurate gun I ever fired. It turned me against the 1911 until I learned from a friend years later that they can be accurate. Amazing how sometimes you can do a 180 turn.
And I like 1911's. I don't do mil-spec anymore after buying my first Kimber. I carried a 1911 for awhile when I was in the service. The happiest moment to me was when I turned it in, it was the most inaccurate gun I ever fired. It turned me against the 1911 until I learned from a friend years later that they can be accurate. Amazing how sometimes you can do a 180 turn.
Model12Win
Moderator
You want a GI gun, only to melt it? Son, THIS is a GI style 1911, no melting required:
Model 12 Win.......looks better than anything I have seen in this post 
. Reminds me of sitting on a sea wall in Korea looking at the mud for miles when the tide was out and banging away at the mud with my issue 1911 until my hand was really sore. A few hours after I left 0 there would not be a case to be found anywhere.
. Reminds me of sitting on a sea wall in Korea looking at the mud for miles when the tide was out and banging away at the mud with my issue 1911 until my hand was really sore. A few hours after I left 0 there would not be a case to be found anywhere.Exactly if you want a GI pistol get a GI pistol.You want a GI gun, only to melt it? Son, THIS is a GI style 1911, no melting required: