Essex Arms Slides

[rhgunguy]

I am going to build a .40 top-end for my 14.45 Limited. I was wondering about the durability and service life of their slides.

[blackdragon]

Caspian!!!!

Ivan

[bulm540]

Do they even make .40 cal slides???

[Flexmoney]

Yes. I'm not sure that they are posted on their website, but they do list them on their price sheet.

[Radical Precision Designs]

Both Caspian and Essex make excellent parts, including slides. In all calibers.

Essex has been in business a lot longer, started when the "spare parts" business was in its infancy, initially offering "GI" style parts in (what else?) .45 ACP. While there were others who came and went, because of the quality of their castings, Essex stuck it out, continually improving their quality, quantity and diverse parts. While Essex has in the past catered to customers with a lesser refined palate, nowadays their stock including "custom and select" has nothing to envy other suppliers. Most manufacturers today are using "investment cast parts", and this is what Essex makes. Essex does not make "MIM" parts.

Caspian came into the scene a lttle later than Essex, and quickly established a reputation for quality. In addition to investment cast parts they will also make some slides out of "bar stock" on special order, but are quick to point out that their "cast" slides are about as good as their "bar stock", in spite of their lower prices.

Prices are not that different between Caspian and Essex. Prices are usually dictated by the features incorporated into the actual slide/frame.

Caspian does enjoy a very loyal following, as Caspian has strived to cultivate a market among Custom Pistolsmiths offering more diverse "accomodations" for "in -house" features. Essex offers many features, but not as many as Caspian, relying in their lower initial prices. Sometimes it is impossible to tell apart whether a slide came from Caspian or Essex... ???!!! (Although nowadays Caspian insists on engraving their name and logo in most if not all of their slides, which sometimes can get on the way of custom mods.) Both companies will sell "ready-fit", 'smith fitted sets, and unfitted sets or slides.

My suggestion is to call and talk to Gary at Caspian, or Gary at Essex. Either of the two Gary's will treat you right.

[eric nielsen]

If the two Gary's wanted to have a nice little competition, they could both try to design & sell a 1911 slide that's designed for 9Major. Like:

--Breechface exactly .400 wide - width of any normal Wondernine factory slide

--Higher-cut tunnel for the extractor, to get on the middle of a 9x19 case. The 1911 tunnel is cut to sit on a 45acp case [because JMB was pretty smart way back then]

--Wider cut on the opposite side to accomodate a wider/taller ejector, same reason

That MIGHT get more ppl shooting 9x19 in an open S_I without the hiccups. That & a nice long bullet - like a 135gr FMJ jacket and the lead hollow-based to make it 121gr.

Similar mods might help in 40cal Limited, the extractor position especially.

Edited May 26, 2006 by eric nielsen

[Merlin Orr]

While all the slide experts are looking...

A little thread hijack.

I have a stainless 9mm slide with "Blue Ridge" stamped on it. Looks like a pretty decent slide with good machining. Anyone know anything about this slide..?

[Radical Precision Designs]

If the two Gary's wanted to have a nice little competition, they could both try to design & sell a 1911 slide that's designed for 9Major. Like:

--Breechface exactly .400 wide - width of any normal Wondernine factory slide

--Higher-cut tunnel for the extractor, to get on the middle of a 9x19 case. The 1911 tunnel is cut to sit on a 45acp case [because JMB was pretty smart way back then]

--Wider cut on the opposite side to accomodate a wider/taller ejector, same reason

That MIGHT get more ppl shooting 9x19 in an open S_I without the hiccups. That & a nice long bullet - like a 135gr FMJ jacket and the lead hollow-based to make it 121gr.

Similar mods might help in 40cal Limited, the extractor position especially.

When I was a kid, I remember an uncle who wanted to be my "aunt" but wouldn't/couldn't pay for the necessary surgeries to do it properly... so he just "dressed" the part.

It indeed would be nice if "the little geometry's" would be taken into account by most manufacturers in their caliber determination of their slides, rather than just making the changes in "caliber specific" secondary parts.

[Irishlad]

I believe Caspian produces only forged and barstock slides. They do manufacture only cast frames now.

Essex produces cast slides and frames.

No idea on the quality difference if any.

[sfinney]

I ordered an Essex slide in 9mm with bomar cuts, serrations, etc - nice features for the price. But its not EDM manufactured - for those use to STI or SV, or even finished Caspian products, expect much more hand fitting/tweaking/finishing to get it nicely finished and fit up correctly. Quality seemes good, just a rougher product than todays computer controlled stuff. FYI.

[Radical Precision Designs]

I ordered an Essex slide in 9mm with bomar cuts, serrations, etc - nice features for the price. But its not EDM manufactured - for those use to STI or SV, or even finished Caspian products, expect much more hand fitting/tweaking/finishing to get it nicely finished and fit up correctly. Quality seemes good, just a rougher product than todays computer controlled stuff. FYI.

In the earlier days, the blacksmith would wield a variety of hammers upon a red hot piece of metal, held over an anvil...

Since then technology and progress have exponentially exploded. Prices of state of the art equipment have come down tremedously. Somebody told me of a trip not that long ago to the STI factory and looking in awe at a whole row of Bridgeport/style milling machines set-up for individual machining operations. Very impressive, but by todays standards a little bit archaic. Most other manufacturers handled their machining operations similarly, including Caspian and Essex. If you refer to any present day manufacturer's "bio" you will read where they all state an extensive or exclusive use of "CNC" machining processes, and this includes both Caspian and Essex. Heck, even small shops, including mine have CNC capability and Digital Read Out controls. Bear in mind though that CNC machining is really meant for larger output than most custom shops are in need of. Places like SVI/Infinity do an outstanding job of eclusively CNC work, even on individual programmed orders, and makes everybody else jealous with their "bar-stock-only" pieces/parts.

EDM and ECM machining comes very handy in making parts like hammers, sears and such. It is interesting to see the "electro-wire-cutting" machines in action making those parts. John Nowlin makes fantastic barrels with "electro cathode discharge" machining. I would definetely love to watch Wil Schuemann making his barrels. Yes, we are not in Kansas anymore. We are indeed blessed with a pletora of usefull available technology. That is the reason why we get so many good parts available to us.

Hint. The thing to watch out for is more than anything: PROPER HEAT TREATMENT of the parts obtained, and its consistency through-out the production output.

Edited May 27, 2006 by Radical Precision Designs

[gino_aki]

I've used both Essex and Caspian slides...they're both excellent products. When you're first into IPSC, you can't beat an Essex slide on some old G.I. frame for getting you into the game quickly (read less expensively) with the one "trick" modification that is worth something: the Bomar cut at the rear. After you've been in the game awhile (and have got like 3000+ posts in these forums) you find yourself gravitating towards Caspian slides for all the extras you can afford. (Or at least run up on your credit card when SHE ain't lookin'.)

[shred]

Since then technology and progress have exponentially exploded. Prices of state of the art equipment have come down tremedously. Somebody told me of a trip not that long ago to the STI factory and looking in awe at a whole row of Bridgeport/style milling machines set-up for individual machining operations. Very impressive, but by todays standards a little bit archaic.

FWIW as of mid year whan I got a tour, STI had no rows of Bridgeports doing machining ops. They do have several big CNC machines making dozens of slides or frames at a time, start to finish, and a bunch of EDM machines making stacks of small parts. They make a lot of parts for a lot of people now.

Looked a lot like this: http://www.stiguns.com/factory/factorytour.html

[Flexmoney]

Wow...lots of good pics, shred.

[Radical Precision Designs]

Very impressive indeed!

The person/friend who told me about his trip to the STI factory was my local STI distributor, who made the trip a few years back. Since then they have indeed upgraded and updated to the state of the art facility they have today. But in those earlier days, those Bridgeport rows was then "state of the art". You still see in the pictures here and there some of the older machinery. Make no mistake about it: Bridgeport mills will last forever, and are a great investment, even the old ones. Many of the Bridgeport and Bridgeport style machinery can be converted to modern CNC controls by installing ball lead screws and servos plus the DRO's and computer linking. Much of the newer CNC machinery in use today has been designed and built for specific multi operations tasking, for individual/specific parts, in a much smaller size constraint. Specialized machinery, if you may... Much better suited for the expanded product demand of today. Got to love that progress. (Got my eye on a nice little sweet job/set-up myself. Can't wait to get those parts flowing ... $$$... )