Cam73

I normally bounce between Cheely, Shooters Connection, Speed Shooters Intl. and Atlas when looking for barrel. Everyone is pretty tapped out right now. You can order directly from KKM. Lead time is posted at 8 weeks https://kkmprecision.com/product/govt-355-bull-4-65-clarkpara-ramped-threaded-1116x40-2/ (C/P) My open gun has the SVI barrel you are talking about. It's been a few years, but this is the info from my order. Could always call and ask if they are going to run more. Item : SVP 4340 Steel Threaded Bull Barrel SKU : SVPTBBARREL-.355-CP-IMM For comparison's sake, their 5.5" OAL is $100 more than the KKM now days

A cut down Gov't slide and a 5.0" OAL threaded barrel is what you need. The 4.65" OAL threaded is commander barrel. A Brazos 10-221-UN-38 9/38 bald unique slide and KKM PN-CX1ABCT .355 Bull threaded 5.0" OAL C/P is a great place to start. Knock .4" off the slide and away you go. No data on the tungsten comp.

I really like the BE 2-port on the pistol pictured above. Shoots good, even without holes. AA#7 115 gr PD V2 JHP. It's worth mentioning- Tevo Sports and D2 Customs both offer stainless 2-port comps now. I have one of the D2s on hand for a future build and plan to purchase the Tevo as well. Can't speak to the performance of either yet, but the thought of not having to work with titanium is appealing.

May as well if you are going to blast him like that I have no plans to buy from him, simply not the reaction (based on comments) I've seen from others about his work. To include other serious collectors on your level.

Are you referring to the level of workmanship or overall the pistol doesn't suit your specific taste?

Jeremy Reid is next level! That stainless Colt with the shrinking diamond pattern was unbelievable. I dig the work Kirk at Golden Valley Firearms is doing. His rust blue finish is awesome. Far as I know, both of those guys are manual only, super impressive.

Thank you, I really appreciate the feedback. Looking back, I think the extra effort for the bull barrel bobnose was worth it. The gun shoots great. I haven't shot irons in a long time and was quite pleased with the groups while determining how much to cut down the front sight and later when confirming POA/POI. I've been kicking around hard chrome (polished slide/matte frame) and a black grip. Certainly open to suggestions.

Thank you sir. Still not coated, but I did wrap up a few loose ends: Cut in, serrated, installed and blended a Harrison Novak style front sight blank. Crowned the barrel 11* I needed it shoot-able to finish the front sight install so I bought the first crown tool I could find in stock and left the land thick with plans to increase the angle later. An engine lathe has since found it's way into the shop, so it's back on the list of to do's.

I built a 1911 on a JEM long dust cover frame and it required a good amount of clean up and deburring. The underside of the dust cover was bad enough that I should have just put it on the grinder and saved a lot of sanding. There were a few other small gripes with the frame, but I would buy another one. Especially if I was after a LDC because choices are pretty limited. A Brazos slide went half way onto the frame right out of the package and the fit was finished with stones. I have used two Warwick slides and while totally serviceable, I found them to be pretty rough compared to a Brazos or Caspian.

I look at it like this: For good or for bad, the smaller (in terms of pistols/year) builders are required to use the parts that are available to them. IE- a variance frame, slide, barrel and grip from one of a few places. Most of the guys I've spoke with develop a combination of quality parts that work well together and stick to the formula. The price is reflected in the cost of parts, making the parts work together and the attention to detail. The same box of parts can yield 2 wildly different results depending on who's bench they land on. On the other hand, big companies are able to manufacturer or have manufactured parts to their specs. This should equate to less touch time because the interface is better, but it's not a given as there are a ton of variables in that situation to include part quality (raw material/process/tolerances) and price point. I don't know how to quantify the return on investment with more expensive pistols. Where does material/build quality take the back seat to custom aesthetics driving the price up? Is the quality of the parts used by the big guys comparable to those available to builders out in town? No idea, but I know what it takes for me to put one together (I'm pretty inexperienced) and if I ever were to build for money, MPA and BUL prices won't pay the bills. Lots of good advice to follow in this thread.

Do you have a friend with a mill? You could buy the Harrison Design slot cutting fixture and a no slot EGW HD extractor for a few bucks more than the Atlas extractor. I’ve also had to re-profile the nose of the EGW HD 9mm extractor to avoid contact with the case bevel.

Nice! There are lots of good resources out there. That said, nothing will replace the hours spent trying to diagnose and fix a problem you never knew existed!! My experience is limited to a few builds, but I am happy to try and help if you have questions.

Slide cut square. Thanks man. Trying to remember what you said... "every missed opportunity to shoot open is a disservice to oneself" or something like that.

Suit yourself!! Thanks! It’s been a goal since getting into USPSA a few years ago to shoot something I built. I certainly appreciate everyone that helped and answered questions.

Update- Put an FTP Alpha 3 on the gun a few months back and ran another 200 rounds through it. All was good, so I decided to shoot open for the first time yesterday. I'm happy to report the gun ran well with no malfunctions after the buzzer, but should note: I stepped into the box on the first stage and said "I hope this thing runs," tossed in a full big stick, racked the slide and the first round jammed low on the feed ramp Pulled one round out of the mag and didn't have any problems the rest of the match. Feed lip dimensions were checked and mags were left loaded for a few days when new. Gonna double check everything and try to replicate the problem, but it's possible I rode the slide forward too. There is a bunch more clean-up to do and then it will eventually go to H&M for black nitride.