UW Mitch Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 Not sure if this is the right place to post, but I'm just so damn excited. I've known John for a couple years, and collecting custom knives, I knew a long time ago I wanted him to build me a custom gun. It's not just that his guns look nice or run great, but it's about the friendship we've established, and the care and expertise he puts into a ground up build. That being said, I ordered an open gun a few months ago. About a week and a half ago, he had the parts fit up. The slide to frame fit felt like it was riding on greased glass, with no wobble. The barrel and comp fit up great with it all coaxial with the firing pin (he's got a little mandrel to stick down the barrel and comp with a little pin on the end that goes through the breechface - if it's not all perfectly on center, the pin don't clear through the firing pin hole). Last night I got to fire the first shots through it. There was a little hiccup, but when we put a slightly heavier spring it, it just ran. My ammo needs a little more crimp, but it still fed. No pics yet, I'll save that until the guns all done. But I can't say how excited I am to have John building me something, and to see that project finally coming to fruition. I know the gun will run, so the only issue will be if the shooter will be able to reach its potential! ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLM Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 How 'bout some specs to tide us over until we git the pics?! It sounds like a nice blaster! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug H. Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 Thats the problem with having John build you a gun, you only have yourself to blame when things go wrong. Good luck with the new blaster! Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted May 29, 2008 Author Share Posted May 29, 2008 9mm Major "Long and Heavy" STI Frame and slide - raw parts no cuts no prefitting 5" KKM Bull barrelBarrel Bedell Comp Dawson Ice Heavy Magwell C-more Serendipity For now I'm going with no lightening cuts as the guns I tried that I liked most tended to be the heavier ones. And being a C shooter, that little extra swing weight probably won't matter, but the battering I'll take might. I can always go and have JPL put some holes and slots in it later ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EZ Bagger Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 (edited) Gun Porn MUST include pictures! Hope it's done soon. Edited May 29, 2008 by EZ Bagger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskySig Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 I look forward to seeing it Mitch. Hopefully this will get you to quit switching divisions for awhile! mattk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted May 29, 2008 Author Share Posted May 29, 2008 I look forward to seeing it Mitch. Hopefully this will get you to quit switching divisions for awhile! mattk No it just means that I'll be able to switch between ALL 5 divisions on any given weekend! Honestly, on that subject, I know I could become a better shooter by sticking to one division, but some mornings I wake up and say "I wanna shoot the revolver today" ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr2e Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 (edited) sounds like you are describing i pistol i have seen/been shooting... . i know for a fact you will enjoy coming over to the darkside. (i need a darth vader emoticon!) Edited May 30, 2008 by dr2e Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splashdown Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Awesome. Can't wait to see it Mitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sasquatch981 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 (edited) So Mitch, are you going to shoot the new open gun at Area 1, or one of the other (4) divisions? I am still keeping my fingers crossed that we can get you, cel, and albert on our squad together. I saw the squad model and you guys shot the same days, and times as we do. I'm hoping we can make a trad of a few shooters and make everyone happy. See ya at Area 1 Edited June 2, 2008 by sasquatch981 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 (edited) Rene from Speed Shooters International in CA just shipped the last little bits of parts to finish out the gun! Parts will be here tomorrow if UPS comes through for me I can hardly contain myself!!! ~Mitch edit update - 6-June 2008 Had oral surgery this morning, when I came home UPS had left a note for me to check my Apt. managers office The last of the parts are HERE! Edited June 7, 2008 by UW Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 I'm supposed to pick it up tomorrow. Here's two preview pics of how an open gun starts life. Gotta thank Chuck and Mike from Shooters Connection, Rene from Speed Shooters International and Rhianna from Brownells for great customer service in getting my parts. ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskySig Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Are you going to do the shake down at Marysville? mattk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Look out Dave, here comes Mitch! Can't wait to see it run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splashdown Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Just do what I did. Take delivery of the pistol at the match and just go for it! JPL guns are so reliable, you don't need a break-in period! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 Are you going to do the shake down at Marysville?mattk I'm anticipating UW giving me another degree (three strikes you're out) so my family is coming up for Commencement, which means I probably can't make it to Marysville. Maybe I should just drag my gun-hating Mom to the match so see can see what it's all about! Gonna shake it down at plate league tomorrow - good thing we just instituted "open gun" at plates (to include any gun with optics, including 22lr and pistol caliber rifles!). ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskySig Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Perhaps Renton in a week then. I look forward to seeing what JPL and you came up with. Have fun at commencement! mattk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofe954 Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 A little drift...your pic of the parts on the left...Does Brownell's sell mags with Dawson basepads? What mags are those? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 No they don't. A couple items were special ordered. The unfortunate part is that some items are still on backorder, but the good news in Rene at SSI had them, so I just added those items onto my order from him. Brownells sells just the stock STI tubes or complete mags. Better off to order the pads and guts from guys like Shooters Connection or Speed Shooters Intl. ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofe954 Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Ok, thanks, that is what I am doing, I just wind up getting a better price at Brownell's and wanted to make sure I didn't miss them somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 (edited) As I said I ordered some parts from Brownells, but I realized they're really not set up to support the competitive shooter the way SC and SSI are. It's really a good idea to support the guys who support us, otherwise they disappear. Off soap box, and counting down 8 hours to picking it up! Since I can't help myself, here's some pics from about a month ago when John got all the major parts fit up. It blows me away - he just throws the box of parts into his tumbler and this is what falls out. Or was it the magic gun fitting machine he threw the parts in? Right...it was all those years of expert knowledge and ability and putting in hours of work on my raw parts that led to a perfect fit up. Slide feels like it's on greased bearings - no wobble but not binding - just right! ~Mitch Edited June 11, 2008 by UW Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskySig Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Looks good! I think you should shoot a match or two without sights. What division will you be shooting at Area 1? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eerw Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 sweet.. looking good..welcome to open... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Because I know it's shocking that I didn't post pictures last night when I got home from the range and having dinner w/ the plates crew (it was 1240am when I stepped in the door!)... First pic: It's done - I'm so excited I'm trying to hand over money, get some paper work done, and John has the audacity to tell me - "why don't you take a look at it to make sure you want it!" "well, I guess I'll take it, it's only exactly what I ordered" Second pic: Happy and Sad JPL. Happy because he got paid, sad because he's having to let one of his kids go. Can you imagine the kind of man who's willing to sell his kids!?!? Well I couldn't be happier with it John! Third pic: JPL followed me to the range to help me sight it in. It runs, it shoots, and it's now zeroed. The only thing holding this puppy back is me! Thanks JPL! Oh so let me justify why this thread is is "Open Gun Technical" and not Gallery (and if the mods want to move it to Gallery that's fine too). So I have heard a mixed reviews on 9mm Major being problematic, but JPL really seems to have it figured out. The guns that John's built in the past that I got to test (thanks Sue, Dave, Bruce, Floyd, Will, everyone else I've forgotten) all run. I've watched these guys shoot at matches, and it boils down to them. For some people the issue is "if" their gun will run, so there's always a potential excuse. So now I've got no excuse This gun is spec'ed out just the way I wanted based on shooting a number of different guns, and I know it's technically sound. Last night at plate league I shot it. In my over excitement, I wanted to "race" and run fast like Tom Kettels and Gunter and Sue and all the other fast people I see shoot open guns. Well you can only shoot as fast as you can get the dot on the plate, and I definitely got carried away just wanting to squeeze (read flinch/flail) the trigger as fast as I could. The gun is not magic. When I put the dot on the plate and press the trigger without disturbing the dots position on the plate, the plate did fall down! AMAZING! ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 While I've got one of my subjects watching a training video... Some quick pictures I shot this morning with the point and shoot, because I know there are people eagerly awaiting some pics. I'll have to clean it, and put the skateboard tape on the grip etc, then do some "real" photos. ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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