digi531

Hello, I am not a business man having spent my career in law enforcement. Like you, I am a hobbyist builder for my own competition guns (mostly open division) for about twenty years or so. I guess I started because of long waits and the cost and I've enjoyed tinkering, adding better parts at first and so on. After buying most 1911 tools and eventually adding a small bench top mill and lathe I was able to do the open guns, slide cuts, etc. I agree with both parties above, especially concerning the running a business comment, people try things and succeed and others fail, theres a lot to consider. I once visited our local guy shop who has been successful for many years and we were talking about this stuff. He surprised me with a sudden comment " theres no money in building " as we continued to talk. I drove home contemplating his comment, considering how long he's been in business and has built who knows how many guns and other gun related work. Our other somewhat local guy (Atlas Gunworks ) started small and today has a successful thriving business, selling his wares for premium prices compatible to the industry, so it can be done. There is a saying, do what you enjoy and you can make a living at it, but probably easier said than done. Another saying " nothing ventured, nothing gained " so who knows. If you truly have the desire, discipline, dedication and so on that successful people have then go for it. In reality, you will never know unless you try, good luck and if you do, I wish you great success.

Hello, few questions first. What is the barrel O.D. before threaded area usually .693 - .694 and measure inside diameter of slide bore, is it close to .699 - .700 ? Did you polish the inside of the slide bore to remove any rough or high spots ? Also, you didn't mention if you removed any material from the barrel locking lug recess, especially the first ( closest to the chamber ). You need to mark those recesses right to the sides and see if it's hitting. If it is you may see bright shiny marks especially on the sides of the barrel lug recess area which may prevent upward movement. Once the barrel begins to move upward you will get light marks on the TOP of the barrel lug recess ( closest to chamber) where you must file ( lightly ) to allow upward movement and more barrel / slide lug engagement. Go slow with that filing, a little goes a long way. And, sometimes will bull barrels the very top about 3/4 to an inch back from muzzle area may be hitting inside the slide, mark this area and look for that bright shiny mark. If there remove lightly with a file, stone or even shoeshine the spot with 300 - 400 grit paper. Sorry for the long winded reply but bull barrels can be tricky and some brands are easier than others to fit. Be patient and go slow. Use a new piece of brass in the chamber and look through the slide firing pin hole. Your looking for a nice round and centered hole to tell you the barrel is high enough. Good luck.

Yes, I wouldn't waste my time building if I didn't.

I leave the comps bare.

I have used hard chrome for many years and received back my latest build a few weeks ago with turn around time about three to four weeks. I specify the matte finish because I don't care for shiny guns and small scratches don't show so easily, and the thickness for matte has not caused me tolerance issues. You can specify polished flats on the slide if you prefer and it's a nice looking contrast against the matte color. Hard chrome is extremely durable, has excellent coefficient value and will last and yes it can pit or rust through but you really need to abuse it for that to occur. My TI comps don't match but personally I like the color difference anyway. I believe it's the best bang for the buck.

Hello, we can speculate on how this pistol will do in the competitive arena since we don"t know to much at this point, other than the video's. However, I believe this pistol is a marvel of engineering, talk about engineers who were thinking " out of the box " so to speak. These people weren't thinking on how to improve an existing design, they wiped the chalk board clean and started from scratch. There is something to be said on handguns with a low bore axis and the Alien is about a low as possible. Couple that with s fixed barrel, low mass slide and gas delayed blowback system and you have one extremely fast cyclic rate pistol. Add to that a top rail with sights that don't move and no external safeties to manipulate and I ask you how this thing wont rock in USPSA match's, open division or otherwise. As an open division competitor I would certainly welcome the opportunity to try one and compare its performance value. And as far as holding up I can only guess, but I don't think the engineers would design a fragile lightweight thats going to fall apart after a few thousand rounds. As mentioned, only time will tell but I for one do admire the Alien pistol innovative and super modern design.

Hello, option two would be my choice, forget the Glock thing for sure.

Hello, I agree with the back up gun if your a serious open guy, along with all the mods up front at the get go. You don't want to start sending guns back for mods that you know you wanted in the first place. However, if you do go back up I strongly suggest it be ( Identical) to your primary, it's the right way. Good luck.

I use the aluminum buffs in my open guns with no issues. To me it's good assurance against frame damage and the aluminum is more of a dead blow hammer effect and much better than plastic buffs. It doesn't hurt to try one, if you don't like it or have a gun issue then you take it out, simple.

Hello, ( aandabooks ) method is the way I would go as well. The fact that it's a cone doesn't matter much.

Hello, I'll mention what Bob Lodrigan from Brazos wrote on a back up gun. And, he suggest a back up should be " Identical " to the primary gun. I follow this advice with my open guns being identical in every way and its makes sense. They feel, shoot and handle the same way as I can barely tell a difference from one another. Also, most importantly, the velocity is extremely close with no power factor worries if I need to change guns. If you can manage it, it's the best way to go for sure.

My three RTS2 work great and don't seem to eat batteries. The first and older one I bought a few years ago went back, but the newer ones thus far are spot on with no issues. I do turn off the dot between stages.

Try to keep it simple at first, install a 7 # spring and try it out, it wont hurt the gun. If not working then up the load slightly and try again. If still not functional, then back to the smith for examination.

Hello, I suggested this before on the forum. I bought a nice electric engraver relatively cheap on Amazon. Then I used a small screwdriver blade and rounded off the corners, then cut it to length and installed it. Talk about a time saver without all the heavy scraping like I use to with the Arredondo comp scraper. Also, you can set the engraver speed to where it works best and its like using a miniature jack hammer. However, be careful when using near the muzzle crown.

Hello ksf141, open division sized guns have been discussed many times and the bottom line is personal subjective preference. I break the size down to three categories , shorty ( Comdr. Length. ) midsize, ( Infinity, IMM ) and full size ( gov,mt ) length slide. Years ago I built a shorty similar to the Dan Bedell setup using a full length guide rod system. The gun was fast and light and in my opinion not much fun to shoot, it was just a bucking horse. Some people can handle it, you know strong grip and forearm strength, etc.. After years of my own building I,ve come full circle back to full length guns, using a 5.4 inch bull barrel, four popple holes and a titanium comp.. It handles any power factor, shoots soft and flat ( but I hate that term ) and most importantly, works foe me. Even if I were younger I would'nt use a true shorty with major PF, for steel yes, not for USPSA open division. However, I would use something similar to an Infinity IMM open gun size. Good luck.

Sounds like a smith did his own version of sear / hammer engagement. And if it works and is safe then why not, especially if the trigger is sweet with that setup.

Hello, first off, you buying price was quite good, old school gun doesn't mean it's not a good shooter. Before you spend more money I would first check accuracy from a rest at say twenty five yards. The barrel may be shiny but that won't indicate accuracy and you may need a new barrel, however it may be just fine too. If accuracy test are good then leave that setup, should work just fine even at a lower PF of say 170 - 173. I would change out all springs and start with an 8 or 9 # recoil spring and 17 # hammer spring along with a new sear spring. You should strip the gun down and check wear on the sear and hammer for safety reasons. The scope mount is fine and should accept a C- More railway with no issues and I would make that change. . The numbers on the ammo indicate a PF of 178 if it's correct and that setup can easily handle it and I would I would try a few of those rounds. However, if that worries you then wait and load some rounds with a usual type powder such as VV 3N38, 3N37, N350 ( my choice) or HS 6 and develope a load. Since your new to open division that setup will suit you just fine, then you can go from there. Good luck, and welcome to the " dark side "

Not sure what you mean by " hybrid comp " unless your referring to the hybrid barrel and comp combination. I've built some open guns using a standard diameter threaded barrel cut to the needed length with a cone type comp, some ported, some not and they work just fine. And, your right about the weight at the muzzle, being somewhat lighter feeling. It depends on what your trying to do. If your looking to cut back the slide to whatever length, then your options are limited because of barrel design. Threaded bull barrels are usually 5.4 to 5.5 inch and mated to a full size gov'mt slide that you can't cut back. I've used Clark threaded barrels which are six inches long and threaded 2/12 inches and can be cut back to the length needed, then used with a cone comp or a ( conversion cone). The conversion cone is good if you don't like the styles limited to some cone comps as the conversion cone allows you to chose all comps designed to fit bull barrels. Brazos Custom sells a Barsto 4.8 inch threaded barrel in 38 super for a cone comp but you did mention 9x23 and I don't think he carries that caliber. To turn down a bull barrel and then thread it is unnecessary work when you can buy a Clark threaded barrel in your caliber and cut it to length. And, Brazos has a good article on light comped guns for a 165 PF. Check it out.

My last few open builds have KKM threaded bull barrels and they are great. The twist rate is a mystery, when I asked the owner his e-mail reply was ( " 1 in 20 something " ) I'm guessing 1 in 24 twist rate, same as a Schuemann AET design. My observation also suggest that KKM newest barrels are dimensionally smaller in the O.D.and seem identical to the Schuemann size. I've noticed they seem much easier to fit than his older barrels which seemed bigger in diameter and required lots of work to fit properly. Using CK Arms or STI slides, KKM barrels are a great choice and they are ACCURATE for sure.

Check that the ejector nose isn't to long. The barrel ramp can overhang the frame but only slightly, if the front of the mag isn't hitting then it should be ok. And, if your having the finish done by the pros they will take care of scratches and marks, it's usually included in the price.

Hi, I use a cheap engraving tool with a custom tip I made from a small screwdriver blade. I rounded off the flat blade so it won't dig or gouge and cut to length. You can adjust the vibration speed as it chisels off the crud, just be careful near the muzzle crown. Easy and clean going too.

Mosinvirus, haha, I've watched all his videos and he is very talented hobbyist. In one video he cut a frame for the CP barrel lug using a " dremel " tool and files and I was thinking no way in hell, he's going to ruin that frame, but he did it and a great fit too. Definitely some talented folks out there.

Hello, I would choose either STI or CK Arms, in my experience both usually measure about .755 - .756 on the inside rail width. Why make the fitting harder on yourself and that's probably why your frame rails are at .756 during the initial slide / frame fitting.

I like to hear about other hobbyist builders like myself, it's exciting but also somewhat overwhelming especially starting with an open gun which is certainly more work. You are correct by watching videos and reading articles especially if you are self taught as I was and be prepared for some road blocks ahead. I hope your a patient person, because you need to take your time in All aspects of the build. If your not sure on something STOP rethink what your doing and rewatch a video, read again and seek advice. Don't be afraid to ask the professionals via e-mail on their opinions, I was surprised at how fast they answered some of my questions, but don't expect a three page detailed " how to " either. Also, these forums are a great source of info with lots of experienced people who love to share knowledge. And, you will most likely buy more tools along the way, the right tools for the job is key ( including a milling machine ) for open gun slide work, etc., but you can buy slides already cut ( Brazos ) if your not ready for milling. Good luck, have fun with the build and don't let frustration stop you.

Hello, I've settled on JHP 121 gr. several years ago. To me, they seem to fit nicely in the middle, between the 115 and 124 with the JHP design being very accurate and the cleanest for the comps.