Limited Top End Build

[Rather-B-Huntin]

I'm trying to ascertain a ballpark figure for how much it'll cost me to have a limited top end built. I've been offered an exceptional deal on an SV Open gun and want to have a limited top built for it too. Doesnt have to be the bestest and most eye catching thing you've ever seen, just solid and reliable. And who would you recommend to have build it?

Thanks!

[Joe4d]

Buy a used Limited gun that's similar to the Open. The switch top sounds good in theory but doesnt work out that way in practice. Fitting a different top end will have some affect on the fit of the original top end. A good smith should be able to do all the fitting on the top end but it'll cost more in labor. Then as you shoot different slides they are gonna wear different.

But lets look at parts, nothing crazy just good,

STI Slide stop, $25, Prefit (yeh right) Nowlin match ramped bull barrel $278, STI slide, flat topped, Bomar cuts, rear serrations, $330, sights, $90, extractor, firing pin, retainer, bout $35, steel guide rod and plug 20. Spring $5

That's getting real close to $800 in parts. Now granted a dealer can save money on parts but many will pocket the savings and pass along the markup. You also dont have magazines nor have you paid for labor and even when you do you still wont have an Ideal system, I'd look for a deal on a Limited gun

[chirpy]

I thought about doing that myself using Acu-rails and decided it was to costly.

Richard

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: $1100 or so chromed and a 6"slide. Thanks, Eric

[Rather-B-Huntin]

Hello: $1100 or so chromed and a 6"slide. Thanks, Eric

Who should I have build it? I'm thinking about just selling the Open upper and going straight Limited. I've always wanted to shoot Open, and did so yesterday for the first time with an actual Open gun. After doing so, I just don't think it's my cup of tea and would rather stick to an iron sighted gun. I'm going to purchase this gun because of the price, but will probably either sell it to fund a nice Limited gun, or just sell the upper and have a Limited upper built for it.

Edited May 4, 2009 by Rather-B-Huntin

[TMC]

If you start with an open gun with a good fitting top end and then have another slide fitted for a limited gun this is the best wat to go. With a frame mounded sight on an open gun a good slide fit it improtant but with the sights mounted on the slide on the limited top end the slide to frame fit is less critical and the gun can be more than accurate enough with a less than perfect fit. That said you can fit a new slide to a frame and only remove material from the new slide so the fit should be as good as the old slide.

[Religious Shooter]

I had a local gunsmith build me a 6" 9MM top end. He charged me $1250 with the parts. He's now charging ~$14-1450 after getting a better idea of how much labor was required.

Since I wanted to switch tops he had to fit the slide (Caspian) to my frame (SVI). The actual thickness of the rails on the SVI was thicker than the grooves on the Caspian. So he couldn't just mill the bottom of the slide. He had to widen the slide's groove and had to buy some fixtures or tools or something to do it.

This was for a lightened slide and Bomar type install. If you just got a regular round top, precut for the sights and left it alone it should be a tad cheaper than the $1400-$1450.

[HSMITH]

$1000 to talk, $1400 by the time you get some bells and whistles. You might be able to get it done for less but is this something that you really want to budget shop on? Not a criticism, just a thought....

[pjb45]

EGW should be a little north of you. Have you called them? Or Bedell?

I live out west so I tend to know these guys. Kodiak Precision, Matt Mclearn, Springer Precision, Accuracy Speaks, Frank Glenn.

Parts: Caspian slide, Nowlin barrel, SV rear sight, Mclearn long firing pin, Aftec, Brazos front sight. ~ $700 in parts and $200 to fit the barrel. $200 to fit the slide to the frame. Is your frame cut a W/N or C/P, that may change your barrel options slightly.