Suggestions For Open Top-end On P14?

[D_4_Ever]

Well, I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. I have a P-14 which was customized by DVI (Dave Helton) several years back. I don't shoot it much any more as I've gone to .40 for Ltd. Got me thinking: Why not build up an open top end?

The frame will need a new hammer and trigger-job, no doubt. It already has S&A Magwell, Ed Brown Extended Ambi Safety.

For the top end I've been considering:

Caspian SS Slide (lightened toward the muzzle), Schu AET barrel, AFTEC extractor, C-More, Brazos Ti Comp, Ti Firing Pin.

Any other suggestions? What's the latest and greatest?

[Shadow]

I'll assume this will be .38 Super/comp or 9mm.

Suggestions:

I don't believe Brazos makes a Ti comp, but their Pro-SX comp is great (stainless).

Get a Limcat extra long firing pin instead of a Ti pin, more reliable.

Nothing wrong with a Schueman (other than they are currently unavailable) but I'd prefer a Bar-Sto barrel.

Not top end, but you'll also need a different ejector. The Brazos tuned ejector usually works well.

My .02 cents.

Edited April 20, 2006 by Shadow

[yoshidaex]

before drilling holes into your para frame to accept a c-more mount, read here.

[D_4_Ever]

before drilling holes into your para frame to accept a c-more mount, read here.

Thanks for the info. folks! I spoke w. g-smith about dust cover cracking and he agrees that Para frame's not a good platform for Open. The casting is thin and not designed to take both the drilling for scope mount holes and the added pressure of .38 Super. Besides, the cost of a brand new SVI or STI and that of making a custom top for P-14 are about the same. Oh well.

[yoshidaex]

you could always go with a docter sight. i have no experience with it but know a few guys who use it and they think it works pretty good.

[spd522]

My Para Open gun was built in 1996 as a 38 Super. A C-More SL750 was installed on it. Last year, it was converted to 9mm Major. Same C-more is still on the gun.

No cracks in the Para dustcover or problems with it anywhere else. The C-more legs are developing hairline cracks from the mounting holes and from the open slots on the sides. Still holds zero although I did order a new C-more to replace it. I think the legs are cracking from age. Plastic does that after time.

Maybe the dustcover area of the Para is a weak spot. But apparently it doesn't affect them all. Perhaps I have been lucky or maybe mine was just built right.

[ChuckS]

spd,

When I started my Para open project, I was told that the risk was with the single side mount. Your experience backs up the claim that a double side mount is ok.

Later,

Chuck

My Para open project:

Edited April 21, 2006 by ChuckS

[Flyin40]

My Para Open gun was built in 1996 as a 38 Super. A C-More SL750 was installed on it. Last year, it was converted to 9mm Major. Same C-more is still on the gun.

No cracks in the Para dustcover or problems with it anywhere else. The C-more legs are developing hairline cracks from the mounting holes and from the open slots on the sides. Still holds zero although I did order a new C-more to replace it. I think the legs are cracking from age. Plastic does that after time.

Maybe the dustcover area of the Para is a weak spot. But apparently it doesn't affect them all. Perhaps I have been lucky or maybe mine was just built right.

I just sent my C-more back to C-more and exchange it out. Got a brand new one, of course you have to pay for it but not as much as a new one.

Flyin40

[D_4_Ever]

My Para open project:

Wow, Very nice work. May I ask who built that for you?

[ChuckS]

My Para open project:

Wow, Very nice work. May I ask who built that for you?

Yes you may! The gun was built by Will O'Hara in Corona, Ca. He takes care of many of the Norco shooters. The guy is real busy but he does great work, his stuff works, and he always meets the agreed schedule. This gun started life as a stainless P-16 . The finish on the slide is hard chrome. It has Extreme Engineering action parts and a Schuemann Tribid II 6" barrel in a unique profile STI 5" slide. The Docter mount job is by Beven Grams. It puts the dot just about where your Bomars would be on a limited gun so the index is real fast. If you can see barrel in the sight, you can find the dot.

I tried a C-more gun a few time before building this gun and had a real hard time adapting to the offset. In retrospect, I just probably didn't give it enough effort. But that, combined with the frame cracking issue drove me to the Docter. I know a 2 sided mount would work and that you could tune the ejector to make sure the empties clear but I have seen too many jambs that made me shy away from that. Will had suggested that we silver solder a mounting plate for a C-more onto the frame and then just re-center the C-more. Just about that time I saw Beven Grams new mounting scheme and it just appealed to me so that's the way I went. I like the gun a lot! I still have the limited top end for it but it has not been back on the frame for a long time.

Later,

Chuck