Custom 2011 frame width?

[lrdchaos]

Just put a deposit down on a Venom Custom 2011 9mm hybrid/island barrel gun.  I’m trying to decide between the standard or the extra wide frame.  What is the general consensus? Pros or cons of each?

 

Thanks!

[zzt]

There are three frame widths.  Standard, wide and extra-wide.  Standard will not give you enough meat in the dust cover for frame mount threads.  You'll have to go to a two sided mount.  Wide is what just about everyone chooses.  There is enough meat for a one-sided frame mount and allows  judicious metal removal for gun balance.  Cheely is the only one I know making an extra-wide.  He has two.  One is full weight.  The other is hollowed out inside the dust cover so it feels like a wide.  If you choose the light-weight extra-wide you cannot remove material from the front to balance.

 

Personally, I'd go with the .926" wide frame.

[lrdchaos]

Thank you!

[38super]

If you're able to machine, Black Mountain frames are near full slide width.

[OnVacation]

On 8/19/2022 at 2:37 PM, 38super said:

If you're able to machine, Black Mountain frames are near full slide width.

caveat emptor on black mountain.  lead times are often longer than reported on their site and several people had problems with paying and not getting the product; communication is non-existent.  with 80% market being crushed with the new ATF rule not even sure they're shipping frames at all anymore. 

[38super]

Black Mountain is a one man show.  Their product is worth the wait.

[shred]

On 8/19/2022 at 5:50 PM, zzt said:

There are three frame widths.  Standard, wide and extra-wide.  Standard will not give you enough meat in the dust cover for frame mount threads.  You'll have to go to a two sided mount. 

In the old days when that was all you could get, good single-sided mounts worked well enough on standard width frames, but these days there's no need, so go with at least wide.

 

[Superkaratemonkeyfighter]

Ask Don.  
I’m sure he’s built every variant there is several times. 
if I was spending bucks on a custom gun id  get all the info I could out  of the Builder. His experience can’t be matched.  
you are kinda paying for that. 

[lrdchaos]

4 hours ago, Superkaratemonkeyfighter said:

Ask Don.  
I’m sure he’s built every variant there is several times. 
if I was spending bucks on a custom gun id  get all the info I could out  of the Builder. His experience can’t be matched.  
you are kinda paying for that. 

Yes sir,  we have talked about it and I think I know what I want to go with. 

[waktasz]

I loved my Cheely extra wide frame. It looks beefy and adds a decent amount of weight. For an Open gun I might not consider it but for a 40 major gun LOVE it.