CustomKillerGrips.com

Chris Kyle & The Punisher Symbol: the Myth, the Legend & their Influence on Pop Culture

2016-11-24T11:53:00.004-08:00

The Punisher was originally a Marvel Comics character created by writer Gerry Conway. Initially, the Punisher was meant to be a villain, an antagonist to Spiderman …but not a typical villain. Instead, the Punisher is a vigilante, relentless in killing bad guys, putting him at odds with the morally upright Spiderman. The Punisher’s secret identity is Frank Castle, a Marine Corps veteran with Special Forces training whose family has been killed by mobsters after witnessing a mafia execution in New York’s Central Park.

Originally created in the 1970s, the Punisher has gained popularity among military personnel, evidenced by the distinctive four-fanged skull artwork generated within the military. Most notably, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, known through his autobiography, "American Sniper", and movie adaptation, utilized the Punisher symbol. He also became known as "The Legend" among the general infantry and Marines he was tasked to protect. Kyle’s Navy SEAL unit called themselves “the punishers” and marked their gear as well as Iraqi buildings with the symbol. In an excerpt from Kyle’s autobiography, he states, “we spray-painted it on our Hummers and body armor, and our helmets and all our guns. We spray-painted it on every building or wall we could, we wanted people to know, we’re here and we want to f**k with you.” There have been connections made between Chris Kyle and the Punisher, as both are portrayed as men who pursued the course they believe is right and do not deviate from it. However, Kyle was never portrayed as a ruthless killer unlike the original Punisher.

The movie has garnered a lot of attention within the American public, and with it the symbol of the Punisher. The popularity of the iconic symbol among Chris Kyle and other military personnel have altered the myth that the character was meant to convey in its inception. Kyle bridged the gap between myth and reality. The character of Frank Castle as the Punisher was not meant to be a good guy, he was a violent man with seemingly no morality. Through the popular adoption of the Punisher symbol among military personnel, the Punisher has become the good guy, the guy who rights wrongs and doesn’t second-guess himself.

While the Punisher has been a popular character since the 1980s, he has never been regarded as an admirable role model until Chris Kyle’s ode to the Punisher in his autobiography. Today, you can buy American Sniper tee-shirts and other products with the symbol of the Punisher on them. Outside of the "American Sniper" franchise the Punisher has made a revival in popularity which can be directly attributed to the movie. In April, 2016, Netflix announced they would be releasing a Marvel Punisher’s series. There are also multiple articles regarding how Iraqi anti-ISIS fighters have adopted the symbol of the Punisher as their own.

The Punisher began as a second tier Marvel anti-hero. However, through the depiction of the Punisher in Chris Kyle’s autobiography, "American Sniper", the role of the Punisher has become that of a full-fledged hero.

Did I mention that we do have 1911 punisher grips available on our website? :) Check them out.

Our Top 6 Bestselling 1911 Grips of All Time

2016-10-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

So, you wanted to update the looks of your 1911 but found out that there were so many grip designs out there, right? Well, let's narrow them down for you, shall we. Here are our top-selling grips of all time on Amazon.

#6
The 1911 Gator Grips

The Gator Grips design started out as real gator leather grips in our early years. They were a bit expensive but there was a big demand for a more affordable version of the grip design. So, we remade them in ultra-strong polymer! These can stand a beating & are durable enough for everyday carry. They are available in different colors (made to order) like grey, OD, coyote & even pink!

#5
The 1911 Silver Dragon Grips

This grip design has garnered a lot of positive feedback on our amazon store. The design is inspired by Asian tattoo art found throughout the centuries made famous by the likes of Bruce Lee. This particular set is for a compact 1911. Make sure that it's for the right model 1911 when you order.

#4
The 1911 Black Punisher on Ivory Grips

This design is one of the our crowd favorites featuring the logo made famous by the American sniper & war hero, Chris Kyle, who was a member of SEAL Team 3. He became known as "The Legend" among the general infantry and Marines he was tasked to protect. Again, this particular set is for a compact 1911. Make sure that it's for the right model 1911 when you order.

#3
The 1911 OD Punisher Grips

A variation of the punisher grips, this design has attracted such a following in the military. Inspired by "the Legend" and of course the fictional vigilante of the comics, this symbol has transformed into an icon of our fighting men & women in the front lines.

#2
The Classic Black & White 1911 Punisher Grips

Our classic punisher grips with the gritty finish has gotten over a hundred reviews on amazon, mostly 5 stars. It is one of our bestselling products and most famous among 1911 aficionados. The symbol is an icon of the fight against terror, this is a must-have for 1911 grip collectors.

#1
The 1911 Dragon Scale Grips

Our infamous Dragon Scale Grips is our top selling design with over a hundred reviews on amazon. The design has been copied so many times, but no one can duplicate it's unique design & features. The DS grips come in multiple colors, like grey, OD, coyote, pink, zombie green & our famous blood red set. They are now available for the Sig P238 as well. Look for them on amazon!

We give discounts to our men & women in public service. If you are an active or retired soldier, police/LE or firefighter/EMT... or even a public school teacher, just send us a message after you made your order. This is our way of thanking you for your service!

Our Other Top Picks...

#7 - 1911 Stealth Punisher Grips
#8 - 1911 Red Dragon Grips
#9 - 1911 Infidel Grips
#10 - 1911 Black Dragon Grips

Find them on our website today!

1911 Grip Sizes & Options: What you should know before buying... (an UPDATE)

2016-10-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

(Note from the author: I wrote this article 7 years ago and decided that I needed to update it a bit.)

Replacing the stock grips on your favorite 1911 is one of the fastest & most affordable ways to upgrade the look & feel of your firearm. This can be done for as cheap as 2 or 3 boxes of ammo. There are so many choices of grips in the market today... exotic hardwoods with old-school checkering, wicked flames or skull designs... high-strength polymers with wild inlays & medallions... there are grips made of the latest high-tech materials like aluminum alloys, G-10 & micarta... and goin' nature-trippin', there are rattlesnake, alligator, stingray & other types of skins & hides that are now available... and don't forget ivory (legal), antlers & bone... whew! So many grips... So little time...

A lot of 1911 owners have multiple number of grips to suit their different moods. Some like the subdued look on their everyday carry, but on special occasions, they bust out their most outrageous, flashy grips. I have this regular customer from Hamburg, Germany who only has 2 or 3 1911s but has something like 20+ grips!

But before you start your own collection of grips, you must first determine your grip size and options for better fit. In this posting, I will attempt to briefly summarize what you will need to know before you purchase your dream set that you were drooling over these past few days (or weeks)...

Checklist:
Before we begin, here is a summary of the basic information that you will need:

1. Grip Size: Full-sized frame (includes the Combat Commander), Officer's Model, or
Others?

2. Options: Standard (no additional cuts), Ambi-cuts, Taurus-cuts, cuts for Extended slide stop &/or Extended safety lock?

1. Grip Size.
Size does matter! There are 3 basic grip sizes for the commercially available 1911. All of these are determined by the frame size of your handgun (and not the barrel length or slide size as some people think).

Grips for the Full-Size Frame: Government/Combat Commander/Pro Carry. This is the frame size of your original government issue-sized pistol with barrel lengths of 5" or more. Most of the ones in the market fall under this category. If your 1911 is not a "compact" gun, chances are, your handgun has a full-sized frame. The "combat commander" was first introduced by Colt as a compact variant of the "government" design. Like it's big brother, it's frame is actually full-sized too. The only major difference is that the barrel size (& slide) is shorter at 4.25". To quickly check if your firearm has a full-sized frame, the distance between the grip holes should be slightly MORE than 3" from center to center.

Grips for the Compact: Officers Model/Defender/Ultra Carry. After the introduction of the "commander", there was still a need for even smaller models for concealed carry. So Colt introduced a 3.50" barrel variant called the "officer's model". To make this gun work, they modified the frame. Grips for this model are slightly smaller & would not fit the full-sized 1911s. The Colt Defender & the Kimber Ultra Carry's grips are similar to this model. To quickly check if your compact firearm is similar to an officer's model, the distance between the grip holes are slightly LESS than 3" from center to center.

Others. Of course, everybody wants an even smaller gun, right? So they did it again. The Sub-Compact was introduced as a backup to the backup gun... The frame is now even more smaller, and so are the grips. Other variants of the 1911 like the classic Llama, the double-stacked Para Ordinance Hi-caps, the itsy-bitsy SIG P238 (Is this still a 1911?), and my all-time favorite, the hard-hitting .50 cal Grizzly LAR have very different 1911 frame configurations. Of course, these

variants have different types of grips as well. Take note that aftermarket grips for these are hard to find, so don't be discouraged. I do have grips for the P238, but in VERY limited quantity.

2. Options.
This section deals with the optional cuts needed on the grips for proper fit.

Standard/No Cuts. Yup, no cuts needed. The firearm does NOT have the following: ambi-safety, extended slide stop, or extended safety lock.

Ambi-cuts. The grips will need special cuts for the Ambidextrous Safety. They involve the trimming of the top of the right panel & I notch just behind the top screw.

Special Cuts for the Extended Safety Lock, &/or Extended Slide Stop. Check if your 1911 has these aftermarket parts. The grips may need to be trimmed down for these as well.

Special Taurus-cuts. The Taurus PT1911 is a special one because all the extended options mentioned above are found as standard on this gun. This & the fact that it's affordable make it quite popular to a lot of first-time 1911 owners.

Beveled or Magwell/Square Bottom? Finally, does your firearm have a magwell? Then you need flat or square bottoms. The standard grips have beveled bottoms.

The Bobtail. These guns popularized by Dan Wesson are pretty cool & functional. The bobtail gives the handgun a smaller footprint when carried with a cant & minimizes contact with the body while in the holster, so they say. Obviously, the grips of bobtails need to be trimmed. They actually have the same dimensions except for the diagonal (or round) cut at the bottom corner.

Summary:
So you want new grips to spice up your 1911 handgun, huh? Take note of the grip size & the options and you will have a smooth & easy time with your friendly neighborhood grip maker!!!

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

The Hundred (Plus) Year Old Design of the 1911 Handgun

2016-10-17T12:24:00.003-07:00

There are hundreds of gun designs over the years, but for some reason it’s the 1911 pistol that always manages to stand out. Why is this model so iconic? This pistol, created by John Moses Browning, was created as a versatile piece of hardware designed to bring stopping power & accuracy to the battlefield.

The history of this model started 20 years before the year 1911. Around 1898 when the US went to war with Spain and they had to deal with the Moro tribesmen in the Philippines. That’s the time when .38 caliber revolvers like the Colt model 1873 were called back into regular service. However, the field tests showed that the .38 caliber was no match for these warriors so a larger caliber was needed. This is when the military opted for the bigger .45 caliber.

Since then, the 1911 has multiple design changes and Browning actually approached Colt in 1906 with a few ideas for the .45 caliber model. After a few years and hundreds of tests, the Browning-created model ended up being launched as the Model 1911 or the M1911. It was 2 years afterwards that the marine corps and the navy adopted this model. The 1911 continued to be used from 1911 and up until 1985. The M1911 and the updated M1911A1 were used during WWI, WWII, Vietnam war as well as the Korean war. Since 1985 though, more and more companies have started manufacturing 1911 pistols and they continue to be some of the most sought after models.

Why is the design so special and what makes this model so attractive to the military, police & sportsman alike? The reason is actually very simple. Not only is this model very versatile, it’s also a pleasure to use and it’s very easy to optimize for any type of task. Plus, the way the 1911 was designed is simply perfect. The ergonomics of this “old” design is still better than more modern handguns. It’s narrow & has the perfect grip angle that most newer pistols copy. These are a few of the reasons why the 1911 is still a collector’s item to begin with, because aside from looking great, it’s a fully functional hardware that gets the job done.

The fact that a 1911 has a very smooth, single action trigger as well as a heavy frame does make it very accurate. Plus, you don’t need a lot of practice in order to use it properly. And since there are multiple sizes like the 5-inch barrel Government Model or the Defender that has a 3-inch barrel, you do have plenty of choices and it’s all up to you to pick the best one that suits your needs.

Overall, the 1911 has continually managed to stand out as the perfect handgun for a wide variety of situations. With its unique design, great accuracy and recent affordable pricing, the 1911 continues to be one of the best guns on the market. So, consider giving it a try as it’s well worth your time! Oh, and by the way, don’t forget to upgrade your grips with CKGs!

Get your GKGs here: www.amazon.com/shops/customkillergrips
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

The return of the Dragon Scale Grips!

2012-09-29T11:48:00.002-07:00

YES!!! They're back!!! ...well, in a couple of weeks. By popular demand, we are ramping up our production of our original classic Dragon Scale Grips. They'll be available in black, OD green & coyote brown. Watch out for them on amazon!

Check out our webstore on amazon!

See a review of our grips...

.

A .357 magnum 1911?

2012-09-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of a .357 magnum 1911? Check it out...

Seems that the Coonan is as popular as ever. Follow the discussion on our FB group.

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

The Glock 1911...

2012-09-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Glock 1911... myth or reality? :)

A lot of people can't believe it. But I heard that they'll be available in Austria by the end of the year... :) Follow the discussion & misinformation on our FB group.

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Free 1911 Grips Contest - September 2012

2012-09-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Our Free 1911 Grips Contest is back! We will try to have these every month on thebudgetarmory1 channel on youtube.

Check out this month's contest...

Some of the entries...

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Rifle Shooting Tutorials

2012-09-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

I've been shooting since I was a young boy... for a few decades now. However, I'm new to long range rifle shooting beyond 100 yards. I found a few videos from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) online that helped me understand the basic & most practical concepts of rifle shooting. I find the instructor, Ryan Cleckner, very knowledgeable... he really knows his stuff!

Mind you, each video is about 15 minutes long so try to watch one or two at the time. If you know how to zero your rifle by yourself, just go straight to the 3rd video about the most misunderstood rifle concept, the M.O.A. Warning: there's basic math in these tutorials... Who said there's no math in shooting long range anyway? :)

After watching all these videos, I'm confident that you'll be ready to shoot that elk 400 yards away! ...now, if only I can find time to practice...

How to Set-Up your Scope...

Rifle Sight-In Process...

Understanding the Minutes Of Angle (M.O.A.)...

Understanding the Milliradians (Mils)...

Wind Estimation & Compensation...

Shooting at Angles...

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Why do we celebrate Labor Day anyway?

2012-09-02T12:50:00.001-07:00

Here's my old blog from 2 years ago...

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. Speeches or political demonstrations are more low-key than May 1 Labor Day celebrations in most countries, although events held by labor organizations often feature political themes and appearances by candidates for office, especially in election years. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Yeah, we are spending the day at the beach. Labor Day also marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons. NCAA teams usually play their first games the week before Labor Day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day....

But do you know why we celebrate it?

The first Labor Day in the United States was observed on September 5, 1882 in New York City, by the Central Labor Union of New York, the nation's first integrated major trade union. It became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The September date originally chosen by the CLU of NY and observed by many of the nation's trade unions for the past several years was selected rather than the more widespread International Workers' Day because Cleveland was concerned that observance of the latter would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair, for which it had been observed to commemorate. All U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the territories had made it a statutory holiday.

The Pullman Strike...

The Pullman Strike was a nationwide conflict between labor unions and railroads that occurred in the United States in 1894. The conflict began in the town of Pullman, Illinois on May 11 when approximately 3,000 employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company began a strike in response to recent reductions in wages, bringing traffic west of Chicago to a halt. The American Railway Union, the nation's first industry-wide union, subsequently became embroiled in what The New York Times described as "a struggle between the greatest and most important labor organization and the entire railroad capital" that involved some 250,000 workers in 27 states at its peak. President Grover Cleveland ordered federal troops to Chicago to end the strike, causing debate within his own cabinet about whether the President had the constitutional authority to do so. The conflict peaked on July 6, shortly after the troops' arrival in the city, and ended several days later.

The strike was broken up by United States Marshals and some 12,000 United States Army troops, sent in by President Grover Cleveland on the premise that the strike interfered with the delivery of U.S. Mail, ignored a federal injunction and represented a threat to public safety. The arrival of the military and subsequent deaths of workers led to further outbreaks of violence. During the course of the strike, 13 strikers were killed and 57 were wounded.

Now when you're at the beach celebrating, think about why we have this holiday... it's a way the federal government tried to appease the labor unions for those who died during the 1894 Pullman Strike!!!

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

Shotgun Rainbow? Cool!

2012-08-18T21:07:00.001-07:00

Ain't she got a cute accent? :)

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

SB 249 will not be heard on Aug. 16!!!

2012-08-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

Stay vigilant, friends...

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Surviving an Active Shooter Event

2012-08-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

A friend forwarded this interesting video... Please watch, it might save your life some day!

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Take Action... STOP SB 249

2012-08-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Please read...

For Immediate Release: August 7, 2012

SENATOR YEE AMENDS SB 249 INTO A MASSIVE, UNCONSTITUTIONAL GUN BAN

CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL KAMALA HARRIS ENDORSES SB 249 REQUIREMENT TO USE DETACHABLE MAGAZINE FIREARMS

Reference: SB 249 Fact Sheet at http://stopsb249.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/sb249_fact_sheet1.pdf

SAN CARLOS, CA, AND MADERA, CA – In an egregious and deliberate move to ban hundreds of thousands of legal firearms and harm law-abiding California gun owners, California Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) has amended his bill SB 249 to make possession of all Bullet Button, or “maglocked”, firearms a criminal act as of July 1, 2013. Sen. Yee’s chief-of-staff, Adam Keigwin, has said that California should ban all guns, even bolt-action hunting rifles.

Joining Senator Yee in his effort to take away hundreds of millions of dollars of currently-legal guns are co-authors Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Senator Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), Senator Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), Senator Ted Lieu (D-Torrence), Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge), and Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles).

Explaining his support for the gun ban, Senator Steinberg told the Sacramento Bee that “no one will convince me it's anything other than a joke to say that having multiple clips and semi-automatic weapons that can shoot 100 or more bullets at a time is necessary in this state or in this country. It’s ridiculous."

Also on record as supporting SB 249, the Los Angeles Times reports Attorney General Kamala Harris as saying, “I applaud the Legislature's interest in addressing this problem and support efforts to pass legislation needed to" [ban Bullet Button firearms].

SB 249, if it were to become law, would categorically ban all “maglocked” semi-automatic firearms that are in common use, such as those which use the Bullet Button device. SB 249 does not provide for any grandfathering of existing firearms nor does it have a method of compensating gun owners for the firearms the proposed law would require to be destroyed or removed from California. The net effect would be what is perhaps the single largest unconstitutional government taking in California history.

More, SB 249 would subject gun owners to criminal liability as of July 1, 2013, for the mere possession of firearms that Senator Yee and Attorney General Harris have both said are legal under current law. Ex post facto laws, such as SB 249 would create if passed, are expressly unconstitutional.

Interestingly, however, SB 249 would create a de facto requirement that gun owners , hunters, and competitors in California use only “featureless” firearms, such as AR and AK-style guns employing compliance parts like the Solar Tactical KYDEX Grip Wraps, MonsterMan Grips, or Exile Machine’s Hammerhead Grip, which not only allow for the lawful use of factory magazine releases but large-capacity magazines as well. California does not ban the possession of large-capacity magazines. Wes Morris, owner of Ten Percent Firearms, demonstrates this is an excellent YouTube video you can view at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhC8LpHPbRQ.

Senator Yee’s bill is currently before the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is expected to be heard on August 15, though it could be heard as soon as August 8. The bill must pass both the Assembly and the Senate by August 31.

The Calguns Foundation and Cal-FFL, through their pathbreaking grassroots initiative platform StopSB249.org, have created many free, easy-to-use tools for you to help combat this massive gun ban. Please forward this message to your friends, family, favorite gun dealers and manufacturers, and your social networks, like Facebook and Twitter. Working together, we can Stop SB 249 - but we need you to TAKE ACTION NOW!

The SB 249 Fact Sheet is available for download at http://stopsb249.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/sb249_fact_sheet1.pdf.

Donate to The Calguns Foundation and help Stop SB 249.

Stop SB 249's Take Action page with many free tools to fight SB 249 can be found at http://stopsb249.org/take-action.

Website banners with html code are avalable at http://stopsb249.org/get-banners-for-your-website.

---

The Calguns Foundation (www.calgunsfoundation.org) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which serves its members by providing Second Amendment-related education, strategic litigation, and the defense of innocent California gun owners from improper or malicious prosecution. The Calguns Foundation seeks to inform government and protect the rights of individuals to acquire, own, and lawfully use firearms in California.

California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees (www.calffl.org) is California's premier non-profit industry association of, by, and for firearms manufacturers, dealers, collectors, training professionals, shooting ranges, and others, advancing the interests of its members and the general public through strategic litigation, legislative efforts, and education. For more information or to join Cal-FFL, please visit calffl.org.

AR-15 Zeroing Concepts...

2012-08-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

Found this very informative video on zeroing concepts for your AR-15...

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

I can see you...

2012-07-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

1101111100110111101111101100111001001000011010100010010100010100111011011101111100010011110101001110011110110011100111001011001010
0111001000000010100000110010100110000101010010101011100111011000111100100100101111010110101111111100111000111000100011000000011011
1110011110011110000000000010000011101001000000001001000100010010001000001010001100101010101110110010010100101101001011010110111001
0001001000000001010101011101101000101010111101110001011101001001011001111101001111101111011010010111011101101101100010010111000100
0010001011011100000010101010010010101000101010010101110111111001000001110000111001011111011111010100001100000001000000101010010011
0001011110110101011110011100010111011001000011110111000111001011111000010100000100100110010110101001100110011011011001011010001001
0111010101100011000110010111100000011001100101010000100010011011100000011001100000000101101011001001011100100111110111111101101000
0001111010100011101011011101010110110001011110110010001101001111100000001101010010101010101010100110111101000000110000101110011010
0011001111010001111011110011011110000010110010001011011010111011111100011011000101110010001101101100101000101010010111111011111011
0000101101111010010011110010110100011011000101101111111101100111000010011111011101010001011001011011101000010000111111110010011011
1111100011000001010110111011011000000101010011000110001001001101101110100111101101011111110100110000000111001100001001100000001100
0001011101110001010010000000110011110110001001101001111010000001111011000110001101001011110101011110110000010101000110110001111011
0100100101101000110100111010110110010101100011110100110111111010101000100011111110111010001101101001010101110010111110100001110111
1111001100011101100101110110110011110011101011001100110101110110001010111101001000000110101011111000100101110111001100011111000000
0101011101110101010011111101100011110110100000011001001101011110100110000101001111001111101111001100100010111111101100110100100010
0001010110111101100110000111010000010100110110011010001111101111100000011011010111110010000011000011101100011001101001000000100010
1011001110101110011010010000010011001010011101110111000000001101100111101100100100110011111110000000011111001011001111111001100101
1011111001110000100010011000010001010010000011011101101100111101011011111100111011111111100010001111111101101100001000010101011000
1100011010010110110011000001000110011001000000100001111101111101110010010101000101010111111110000101001100111010000110100000100001
1000000010001010011100100000001101010001011001000011100100111110001101000100000011000111010101010001101101111001011100010101101110
0110111100100000100001100010000100110001011111000101111110010111010110011100000011111011011011001000101111000010101011000011110000
1100101101111111001110101101010111010011111101000110000001101111001011001101011011111000100011011001100001110011001010111000111001
1101101001100000111000010111101001101100000101001011010010011101001100111101101000100100010001000111011011110110001111001111001011
1010101111110111101110100111111110100001001111001000101010111001000000011010110010101111100011001101111010001100000000101010000101
1111101001100000001111000100101110001111111011011010010001010001001011011100110110010001000011011000111100110101101001001110110111
1101101110101011000000111011010011101100000011110010001111110000011000001001011010100101100111001111100010001100010000100110000010
1100100100101010110000111110101000110111010010110011001010110000101001111011110000000110011101111000010001011101110010111001110110
0010100011001111101101110010010101011101011110101101101000100111110000111100111000100000001111000011001000110010010000001110011111
0011110000110100101111001011101011110111010110000110110000100011100111010000101000111111111101100110011100110000011011110011000111
1011111100010011000010110110111110110101001101011110010010100011000011101001000100111110010011011101011011111000101011001010010000
0000110010010001001101000101010011100100000001110101010011101110110110101010111001011110110101000101111010011010001011001100001101
0001010101100101101110001001110001001101101110001111111000111001111011101000111001011010000011001100110111011000101111110100000110
0001110101010111110110010010001011000001000111011001110110110110110001100110011110100110001111010100010110110101011010111111100100
1110100001100001011111111001110100001111011010011000011100110100111101111011001101010000000001001011000111100011101001001100011111
1000100010010110111111110011010011001001101110000101110010101101010111010000001010001110110011110111110110101101101111000001100110
1100110001110001101100000111011011011001100001101011011100000010111000110001011010111100010001101100100111110100101000010101111001
0010001111001111101101010001111000111001010010011101100110110111010100011011101001001100011111011110100011010011000000100011011000
1000010001111101010010101000000111000000010100110001011100101000101101100010101010110011111110101111010010111011100011010100101001
0011101010111000001110101101101110000010001001100011110101101111011000101010010110101100101101100001010111110101101000101101100110
1110111110111110100110100101110101010001001100010110001111001011101101000111100001011010100000000011100001101110001000111100000001
1010010101011000000110011101011111010101110110110001010100010010001001110101011100000010011010111111101111001011011110101101100010
1011110111101001101001111110100011001001011001001100010000111100011010111110001100010011010010100011100110111010111111000100000011
1001010111010110000000011010001110111111101000000010110000101111001111100001011110011010000111101010010001001110011111100110000010
0101111000011110011010011100111010010011110000010010111001111111100110100101101010110111111011010010011011111110010100011011001011
1010010011000111101000011111000110110100010101111111010100011000110010010101011110110111101111000110001000001111000100010010000100
1101101011000010111010000010110011010100010000010010010001000010100100000101001111010000001100000010001010011000111110101010001101
0011110011000101101010111011000000101011110000100000100100000101110011001111111110111001101000011101010001011100100101011001011010
1111111011100110001011010011001111010001010010010001111110100000010010111100001000100110111101011011111100111010011001110001001010
0011110110000011101111111101110000011110101111011111111110010111011100010011011010100010101100000110000100101100100001010110001111
0101011010010001110100011000010011111011100100001000111001110001111101110101000001101110011001111011100011000100011110101010101111
0000010000111000110110110011001000011111001111000010000000001100100111011011001000111010001011001000010100100110010100110011010010
1011001000010001100100011111001000101111101000001100100001000011010100011011111111010000001110100000110011111100111011011001011100
0100010100000101100100010111010000111000011110010010010110100110101011001100100100011010110010110111000101010001110101001100110001
1001110101101001111010100011110001001011100110110001000101111010011011011001001110111110010101110111111011010011111001001110110111
1011111111011101000111100101010100010001100010001011111101111110101011001101011000011011000011001001100001111000100011101111010010
0110111001110011001011101100000011100011011011110110000101110010000100010100011000001011100100000100001000010101111110111000001110
0110100110010000011000110111111110110101100111011000101100000100111010001101010100111010110000101110011111110011111100110110010010
0011101110111100001101110100010110001100001110100001001010001011110111011010110000110101011000101100101010001111011111011001000001
1010011101000100111000110000100001101101100011101101010110111110010111011010111011100101010010011101010101111100111101110111110000
0000101111111101110001011001001010011001110011100001100110110001110110100000101010100101111111010100111101010010101010110001100100
1111110101110100001001000100100011011001100111111011010110010001101101110100110111001010010100001010000100100011010101111010001010
1010000100100100001101001101110100101010010000101010101110100111111100000101111100101110100110111010111110000100001101000110110011
0111111111010100011100111111010001100100101110001101001111111100011000101111101010111010101010110001101000010011010111010110001100
1111100000001010110010110100001100110011010101001010110110011101000101010100010001011111110000110100110110000100001111100111011001
1110101100001001101011011001011110000110111011100110100000100001101111000010010000100110110010100110001010010100001010100011101000
0101011111000001111110010100100110000100011111011011011100100010001001010110111111010011001001000000001110011100111010001010000100
0111001011000010011101011111101101000101000001000100010011001110010010110000101000111011001111011011100100111010111010011001100110
1101011010100111000111110111000011001100001000010010101000010111100111010010101110110101100010110110111000111100010110001110111110
1101101011100100100001100100011110011110101010110101111100111100101111011110011100111000011100010011000101100011110100011100100010
0010110110100010101011100100001011000111100010111001000100100001000000010100100001110011010010110110110101011011001001100110101100
0011000110001000000010001010101111111010010111011001000100110010010101000111000101000100011000011011011011100010100101001000000000
1100011001101111000100111101101000101010000100010111100100101011111010010101010000000111100011011100111010101001011101110100000011
0000100100100010110011001101111011111111101010011101110001011001011110011000010001110010011100011000100110010100111001111001001011
0101001011001110111011000011100100100011100010111101000001110001101111100011001010001011111110001001110011100101110001111100001101
0100010000010110110100101001100111010001011011011111010000100011111110011111000100011001001111110001011001100010000001010010000000
1011010000110110010001101000010101000110000011010010111001001110001100000011111000011110100010110001101110000000100001100111010100
0101000100001010001111010101111010010100100100100010110011100001010100110100001111100100010001101000011101010001000011010111010001
1101010111110000001111011001110100101010000101100111001010001001111011100000101010000101110011111111000000111010100101111111100110
0011001000011101100100001010101001010110011111010001000001000110001101101101010111101101000110000000011011010010001010011100100010
1110111100000101011011011010011010010001100111110000110010000110101000100011010000100100101010100001110011010011111001010101101100
0010010111010011110111101101101101000010100100100101000000010100110100011111011100110001000000010101101011110010001011001000011011
1101111100000000100010001010111110010011010111111011101111000001111110001001100011000000100010001101011100010101110000010101110011
0001011001110110100000101000101000001101000101111001101011101000000000010010010011111001001001111010100011110110011100000101010111
1000000010011011001101010111011000111111101010100000000101101001101011100111011000100011110011100010101110010110101001110110110101
0011101010100001111010000111100111000100110100001011111111010001100100110101000001001001100110001100100000100110010000100100101111
0010001000001111010001011010111001011100001110010100010011010001100001110110011111110001000001100111111001010001110100010010100110
0000001100110110011101100001010011100000001010000110100001010001111000110100111010100000100100110110000110001010000100000000101011
1001111101000101101110001110101111011110000110010011011000001001101010111110110011101000010111100001011100001101000101101100011000
1111100111001101100111000010001001111101110101001010100010000001101000011000011010011000011100000101110001101111001000000001100111
0011101101101111110100111001111010101010110010010001100001000101111001111110000110101000100111110111100001100011001101101100111001
0111011001000011000101000100000010111011011011010101001111100010100101100100001100110010100000010110100011001111110110110000101011
1101001011010010110000011000101010101110010000010100101000101001001011110101001100110110110000000001010110011011100011010001000110
1011101001000100111010111000010011010101100010101101110101111001101010011101111010010010000010101010010000001100001000010001111100
0101000100100101011101111001101101110000111010101100111001111000001000100110011111010100101110010010011100110001000101001011110001
0101000110010000001110111100010010010000101110000101111011010010000111010111010000111011101000111101101011011000111011111100100110
1011110010100110110001010000101110110110110110111010100011010101101100000011101111101010001001101101100110000011000111000011110111

Baddest Movie Fight Scenes...

2012-07-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

Some of the ones on my list...

1. Collateral - the homie scene...

2. Book of Eli - machete scene...

3. The Unforgiven - bar shoot out scene...

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Read This Before Buying a Used 1911... (Part 2)

2012-07-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here is Part 2... Testing a Used M-1911 by Jack Fuselie

A CENTERED STRIKE ON THE PRIMER IS MOST DESIRABLE

Another contributor to inconsistent and erratic ignition is off-center firing pin strikes. Unless you can fire the gun yourself or the seller has fired cases to show his is not easy to determine. If the gun has had a lot of work on the rails the strike may be considerably off center.

THE SLIDE TO FRAME FIT MUST BE VERY TIGHT

While we have the the gun assembled without the recoil spring check the fitting of the slide to the frame IN BATTERY. Looseness when the action is open is not particularly important, it is in firing position that matters. Check for side to side and up and down motion while in battery. National Match standards call for only a very few thousandths clearance. This check should be made with ALL GREASE wiped from the rails, because even a small amount of grease will hide a poorly fitting slide. Now reassemble the gun with the recoil spring installed.

CHECK ALL SAFETY MECHANISMS

Cock the hammer and pull the trigger without depressing the grip safety. Try holding a pressure on the trigger and then depressing the grip safety. The grip safety blocks the trigger when it is adjusted right. The hammer should only fall when both are depressed. Cock the hammer again and push up the thumb safety. The sear should be locked and the hammer should not fall no matter how hard you pull the trigger. Release the trigger. Flip the thumb safety off and the hammer should not fall until the trigger is pulled again. Pull the slide back and let it go while holding a steady pull on the trigger. The hammer should not fall. Release the trigger slowly and listen and feel for the click as the disconnector re-engages the sear. Pull the trigger now and the hammer should fall. Cock the hammer again and pull the slide back about one eighth(1/8)of an inch. Hold it there and pull the trigger. The hammer should not drop. Hold pressure on the trigger and let the slide go back into battery. While listening and feeling for the click of the disconnector, let the trigger out slowly. Pulling the trigger now should drop the hammer.

BEWARE OF MULTIPLE FIRING

Finally, cock the hammer and pull the slide back all the way. Hold the trigger down and let the slide slam shut violently. Do this more than once. The hammer should not follow the slide down. Try to push the hammer to make it fall. It should not fall even with a very hard push. If this happens with either of these tests you may be looking at a dangerous gun that could take off when fired and unload in full auto mode. This DOES happen and such an exciting experience could result in an embarassing personal unload.

GOOD SHOOTERS AGREE THE TRIGGER IS MOST IMPORTANT

Cock the hammer again and pull the trigger slowly, feeling for take-up slack before exerting pressure on the sear. Carefully feel for sear "creep" before the release. Note overtravel after the sear is released. Overtravel may be even worse than excess takeup and "creep". It can cause wild shots by movement after the sear release. Check for trigger drag with a magazine installed. Any of these problems will make the gun very difficult to shoot accurately. A good "trigger job" can fix these problems but the additional cost must be considered in the price.

UNDERSTAND HOW "ACCURACY" IS DERIVED

Trigger and sight work is the most productive in terms of human accuracy. Ergonomics of the grip, weight and balance contribute to the human accuracy. Slide/barrel/frame/lockup work is productive of better accuracy in the pistol itself. All three of these factors developed to maximum advantage make an unbeatable team.

To recap, let's go through the steps again:

First, check the barrel to frame fit on the fully assembled pistol.

Second, check the barrel and frame measurements on the dismantled gun.

Third, check the barrel fit in the gun assembled WITHOUT the recoil spring.

Fourth, check for the proper barrel stop in opened position.

Fifth, check for barrel end play in closed position.

Sixth, check firing pin center strike, if possible examine fired cases.

Seventh, check the slide to frame fit at battery, then replace the recoil spring.

Eighth, check all the safeties and the disconnector action.

Ninth, check trigger for excess takeup, creep and overtravel with a magazine installed.

Tenth, check that the empty magazine hold the slide open and drops freely when released.

Be familiar with the problems and the cost to fix them.

After you go through this procedure on several guns you will be familiar with most of the common problems. Do not rule out any particular brand or manufacture, they've all made some fine guns and all have made some not so good, including Colt. Some Spanish and Brazilian guns are very good, every bit as good as Colts although not completely compatible partswise. Some of the Chinese copies are quite good and are completely compatible with Colt. There are some "Made in USA" brands that are fully compatible with Colt. This makes them easier to accurize. If you learn to recognize quality in any make you will be able to select a superior pistol at a bargain price. You will probably not find a perfect pistol and will have to compromise but know what the additional costs will be to correct the problems. Acquaint yourself beforehand with the costs to install a Match barrel and bushing, tighten the slide rails or do a good trigger job. These are major costs and must be added to the initial price if you want an good target pistol.

Above all, do not let a seller scoff at your examination. Remember that it's your money and it's portable. Don't waste your time on an ego problem. Most sellers are friendly and helpful, we are all gun enthusiasts together.

This list does not cover everything that could be wrong with a 1911 type pistol but these are the most common problems you will find. You will find many pistols less than optimum in some or even all of these checks. They may be completely adequate and reliable for just "shooting" but THESE ARE THE BASIC PROBLEMS AND IF YOU WANT REAL ACCURACY YOU MUST CONSIDER THEM. A pistol with optimum fitting on every point described here will likely be a very good shooter and capable of truly astonishing accuracy. For example, "Bullseye" competition shooters expect hits within a 3 inch circle at 50 yards. Can you imagine trying this with "just any old .45"?

Now for my disclaimer, these suggestions are developed from my very own experience and interpretation of the design and intent of John M. Browning and are not necessarily the opinions of anyone else.

Read This Before Buying a Used 1911... (Part 1)

2012-07-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

A must read for future second-hand 1911 buyers...

Testing a Used M-1911 by Jack Fuselie

The first consideration, of course, is appearance. If you are buying this gun as a collector, this is paramount. Most of the suggestions that follow will not be applicable. If you are looking for a "bullseye" or target grade pistol, here are some important things to consider. For a range or target weapon, do not rule out any of the numerous M1911 style copies of foreign and domestic manufacture.

ALL GOOD GUNS ARE NOT MADE BY COLT

Some of these are fully equal to Colt in quality and many Colt repair parts may fit, such as the sears, disconnectors and springs. Even hammers, slide latches and barrels may be interchangeable. This makes them easy and practical to both accurize and repair. There is certainly a pride in owning a genuine Colt but the Colt Mystique does not help downrange and an equally accurate pistol may be found in other makes for half the price.

STUDY ALL MAKES FOR STYLE AND FEEL

I suggest looking at Colt pistols along with others even if you have decided a genuine Colt is not necessary for you. There is a certain feel and balance to the genuine article that is not always duplicated by other manufacturers.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON A "PIG IN A POKE"

If you are ready now, let's start with the first nice looking pistol you find. Ask the seller if he will dismantle it for your inspection. If you are seriously considering spending several hundred dollars he should not mind letting you inspect the interior. If not, move on and look for another.

CHECK FOR A LOOSE BARREL

If he agrees, first pull the slide back slightly from the locked-up "in battery" position. In a 1911-A1 or Series 80 pull the slide back a very small amount, just enough to clear the barrel hood from the boltface guides. Grasp the barrel with your fingers and try to turn it. If it turns only slightly or not at all, this is good. If it is loose, and floppy, this is probably bad news. Very likely the under-barrel lug fits loosely in the slot in the frame, and there is a lot of link and pin wear. This will not help in guiding a precise and repeatable lock up into battery. This repeat- able lock-up is the very essence of accuracy in any semi-auto with a tilt- ing barrel Browning type lockup. Unless you are able to afford the cost of having a new Match barrel and bushing fitted this alone may be enough to disqualify this gun immediately. This test is not usually applicable to a Series 70 unless the barrel bushing has been replaced with one of the 1911A1/Series 80 type. The Series 70 bushing will hold the barrel too tight to allow it to be moved easily with the fingers for this test but it does not invalidate the need to check barrel and frame measurements.

CHECK BARREL AND FRAME MEASUREMENTS

Now is when you let the seller dismantle the gun. You should have a dial caliper to measure the barrel lug slot in the frame. The design width is .365 inch just over the Latch pin hole. Measure the barrel lug at the link pin. The design width is .360 inch, leaving no more than .005 inch clear- ance as desirable. This clearance plus the link and link-pin wear is what you felt in the earlier test, when you tried to rotate the barrel. The fit here is very important, as this guides the barrel into the boltface at lockup. This measurement will tell you where the problem is if the barrel was loose in the previous test. A new Match barrel can be fitted for some additional expense but a loose frame is harder and more expensive to fix.

LOOK FOR A MATCH BARREL AND BUSHING

If you are checking out a Colt Gold Cup or other "accurized" gun it may have a "National Match barrel", marked N.M. This type barrel will also be slightly smaller in diameter from a point one half to three quarters of an inch behind the muzzle back towards the breech. This barrel allows using a tightly fitted National Match bushing, marked N.M. Any Gold Cup without a N. M. barrel and fitted N. M. bushing is a "Gold Cup" in engraving only. It is possible to fit a Match barrel to a Government model, as the slides are essentially the same. There are other types and schemes for barrels and bushings or "bull" barrels, most are of doubtful merit. The standard types will serve well enough.

LOOK FOR A WELL FITTED BARREL

For the rest of your examination the gun should be reassembled WITHOUT the recoil spring and spring guides. Be sure the bushing is in and rotated correctly. Now work the action slowly and observe the barrel closely as the hood slides into the guides. It should slide in very smoothly without any rotating or clashing with either side. The tighter it fits and still goes in smoothly, the better. Any rotary or sideways movement is definitely undesirable. While holding the action shut try to estimate the wear on the barrel bushing by pushing the end of the barrel around with your thumb. Any movement there should be barely detectable. If you have not yet ruled out this particular pistol try to determine whether the barrel is being pushed up by the link when fully closed or whether it is properly cammed up by the bottom lug and the latchpin. While holding the action shut press down on the barrel in the slide opening to see if it gives any. There should be no movement. If the slide moves back, this may indicate that the barrel is being lifted and held in lockup by the link. The operating idea here is that the link should only serve to lift the barrel high enough to slide up onto the latchpin when going into battery and the link should never be under a severe strain, either while opening or locked up in battery.

CHECK THE LINK LENGTH AND BARREL STOP IN RECOIL

Move the slide to takedown position and pop the latchpin out slightly from the detent and swing it down towards the trigger. Now pull the slide all the way open, hold it in this position and see if the latchpin is free and loose while pushing hard against the muzzle. It should be loose. If it isn't, perhaps the link is too short for the rear of the underbarrel lug to come up against the stop in the frame. If the barrel does not hit the stop before the link is taken up the barrel will swing on the link and slam down on the frame. This may stretch and possibly even break the link with "hot"or +P ammo. A broken link could be a disaster on the very next round. The bottom edge of the barrel should stop just short of the loading ramp in the magazine well and not obstruct cartridges moving up the loading ramp. Move the slide back to takedown position and replace the slide latch.

BARREL LUGS TO BOLTFACE CLEARANCE IS FELT AS ENDPLAY

Now is when we test for barrel lug fit as endplay. Pull the slide back from lock-up VERY SLIGHTLY so that pressure is off the barrel to check for endplay. What we need to know about here is the slack in the locking lugs with the hood against the boltface. It may be necessary to wedge something into the muzzle to grasp, like a thick plastic pen, since the barrel will not protrude enough to grasp and move in and out. There should be no or almost no endplay in a Match barrel and a mimimum, not more than .010" in a standard barrel. This is not an easy check to learn at first, it will be necessary to try several pistols to develop a "feel" for slack and wear in the locking lugs. Excess endplay is highly undesirable since not only will it increase the headspace, it will also allow a takeup "slap" which is very hard on the locking lugs with hot or +p loads. Excess headspace might also cause erratic ignition by firing cartridges held by the extractor instead of being properly seated. "Firing on the extractor" is definitely not desirable in a target pistol. This end play test will not be easily applied to a Series 70 pistol unless the finger bushing has been replaced by the 1911-A1 type.

To be continued tomorrow...

1911 Care & Maintenance

2012-07-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

Did your 1911 come with instructions on how to take care of it when you first got it? Chances are it didn't. So here is the lowdown on how to properly maintain your prized possession. I got this from our friends from m1911.org...

Cleaning:

Field-strip, clean, oil every 500 rounds (Jacketed ammo)
Field-strip, clean, oil every 250-500 rounds (Cast lead reloads)
Detail strip,clean, examine for wear or impending parts failure every 2,500 rounds (Jacketed ammo)
Detail-strip, clean, (Might as well check the parts) every 1,000-1250 rounds for Cast lead reloads.
Recoil spring replacement...2500 runds
Firing pin spring replacement...5,000 rounds
Sear spring replacement...10,000 rounds
Mainspring replacement...20,000 rounds
Plunger spring replacement...If/When needed
Firing pin...as needed, indicated by wear or damage.
Plunger detent pins...as needed, indicated by wear or damage.

Examine:

Link and pin...Recoil guide rod head...Front frame rails and impact surface... Slide (cracks) all corners and in the ejection port...Extractor tension check... Firing pin stop (cracks) in the corners and in the firing pin hole...Firing pin, for signs of wear or deformation on both ends...Plunger tube for looseness... Perform all safety checks...Locking lugs in barrel and slide for any signs of radiusing, flanging, peening, or obvious deformation...Lower lug for cracks at the front and rear adjacent to the barrel...Lowr lug feet for signs of peening and/or deformation...Slidestop for impending failure at the junction of crosspin and arm...Barrel bushing for signs of cracking at the junction of the tube and flange, peening and/or deformation of the lug.

Lubrication:

Don't over lubricate. Oil is a dirt/girt magnet and the result is an effective lapping compound. A little is good...A lot is NOT gooder.

Two drops in each frame rail...A drop on the cocking/disconnector rail in the slide...A drop between the cocked hammer and frame for the hammer hooks and sear...A drop on the link...A light smear on the bushing OD and ID...A drop on the thumb safety lug(when removed) A drop on the slidestop crosspin...A drop on the top of the disconect...A light smear on the trigger bow(When removed) Push the mag catch button and put a small drop on the right side and work it in...Firing pin...LIGHTLY..with slightly oily fingers...Firing pin spring...LIGHTLY...with oily fingers...A light smear on the extractor with oily fingers...One drop in each locking lug in the slide...Wipe the surface down with a lightly oiled cloth, and follow with a dry cloth. Yes. Stainless pistols too. Lightly oil all pins whenever the pistol is detail-stripped. If you don't know how to detail-strip the gun...learn to. I can help.

Carry guns should be maintained each time they are fired. Though detail-stripping each time isn't necessary, do it at 500 rounds or quarterly..whichever comes first. Cheap insurance. Carrying a gun concealed exposes it to a lit of lint and dust. Lightly re-oil the frame rails weekly.

Safety/function checks:

Hold the trigger to the rear and hand-cycle the slide briskly. Release the trigger and listen for the disconnector to reset. It will be a light click. Engage the thumb safety, and pull the trigger with about double the amount of force needed to cause the hammer to fall. Hold the left side of the gun to your ear and slowly pull the hammer past full-cock. No click should be heard. A click means that the safety isn't blocking the sear correctly. With the hammer cocked, push the slide rearward an eighth of an inch and pull the trigger. The hammer should not fall. This can be done with the recoil spring out.

Point the gun straight down and perform grip safety check by pulling the trigger without depressing the safety. Hammer should not fall. If it does, the right leaf of the sear spring is allowing the safety to disengage by gravity and should be fixed. Holding the gun parallel to the floor doesn't give you a true test of the grip safety because the gun isn't carried that way.

Load one dummy round in the magazine & release the slide with the slidestop. Repeat by releasing the slide by hand. Hammer should not fall.

Lower the hammer to half-cock...empty gun please...push on the hammer fairly hard. The hammer should not slip past the half-cock notch/shelf.

After detail-strip cleaning, put a new pencil in the bore, eraser first. Point the gun straight up and pull the trigger. The pencil should be propelled from the bore approximately 1-2 feet. Repeat 3-4 times to get an average.

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Fun Facts: Independence Day 2012

2012-07-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a re-post of my blog from 2010... enjoy :)

Happy Independence Day!!!

On July the 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. Thereafter, the 13 colonies embarked on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. This most American of holidays is traditionally celebrated with parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country. As you send out your July 4th party invitations, take a minute to think about how much you really know about what we are celebrating.

Did You Know…

The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation. The colonists had no say in the decisions of English Parliament.
Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first American flag in May or June 1776, as commissioned by the Congressional Committee.
Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.
The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.
June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, looking to promote national pride and unity, adopted the national flag. “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”
The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’
The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804.
Before cars ruled the roadway, the Fourth of July was traditionally the most miserable day of the year for horses, tormented by all the noise and by the boys and girls who threw firecrackers at them.
Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on Independence Day, July 4, 1826.
The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did not sign at the same time, nor did they sign on July 4, 1776. The official event occurred on August 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it.
The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths.
Thomas McKean was the last to sign in January, 1777.
The origin of Uncle Sam probably began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who provided meat to the US Army. The meat shipments were stamped with the initials, U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam”. This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.
It was only in 1941 Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Why I love Scarface?

2012-06-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

1. Say hello to my little friend...

2. Every dog has his day...

3. The chainsaw scene...

4. The Scarface Dance Remix with Michelle Pfeiffer (when she was still kinda hot)... :)

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

DIY: Preppers' Grill... Build a Hot-Box Solar Cooker

2012-06-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Let's just say that during the zombie apocalypse, your family's hungry and that there's no power... No problem! This project lets you cook off the grid with a sun-fueled oven hot enough to raise some dough. Perfect for the SHTF scenario!

1.) Find Parts
The project makes use of scraps (or full 4 x 8 sheets) of ¾-inch and ½-inch plywood. It also requires 4d trim nails, a 6-foot length of 1½-inch-wide flat wood trim, 36 inches of ¼-inch-square molding, a half-sheet of ½-inch rigid foam insulation, a half-sheet of ½-inch drywall, two white ceramic knobs, eight 3-inch mending plates, construction adhesive, high-temperature flat black spray paint, heavy-duty aluminum foil, No. 8 bolts, washers and nuts and a piece of ¼-inch plate glass cut to 13 x 14½ inches, with the edges sanded smooth.

2.) Build the Box
Construct an open-top box using ¾-inch plywood for a 14 x 15½–inch bottom. Use ½-inch plywood to make four 7-inch-tall sides. With a vise and pliers, bend the mending plates to 135-degree angles. Fasten two plates to each box side with 1-inch No. 8 bolts, washers and nuts. Cut pieces of rigid foam insulation to line the box interior. Glue the foam to the plywood using construction adhesive. Cut and glue drywall panels to fit on top of the foam. Paint the interior black.

3.) Prep the Top, Prepper
Nail wood trim over the edges of the foam and drywall. Cut the molding into four 9-inch lengths. Center the glass pane over the opening. Put the moldings around the glass perimeter. Nail them down to steady the pane. Glue the knobs to the glass.

4.) Make Reflectors
Cut rigid foam to four 12 x 24–inch panels. Wrap the foam in aluminum foil. Bolt the panels to the plates.

5.) Bake It Up
Prep food in a black enamel pot with a lid; set the pot in the box. Replace the glass. Prop up the oven at an angle so the sun and reflectors shine directly on it. Use an oven thermometer to gauge heat. Note: This oven does not bake as quickly as a regular one (but our scones, with butter and lingonberry jam, were still delicious). Wear oven mitts to handle the ceramic knobs—they get hot!

source: Popular Mechanics (with some edits)

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

Can you see me?

2012-06-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMN
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM~~==~~~=~:ZMMMMMMMMMMMMMMD
MMMMMMMMMM$=,::~~:~:::::,,.~NMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMM=::~~~::::::::,:,,,,,.MMMMMMMMD
MMMMMMM~,~~~~,::,::::,:,,,,,:,,:MMMMMMMN
MMMMM=::~~~~~~~:~~::::::,,,,,,,..:MMMMMD
MMMM=~+==~~:::::,,,,,,,,,.,,:,,,,.:MMMMM
MMM~====~~~:::::,:,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,.:MMMM
MM$~==~~~~~:::::,,,,,,,..,.,,,,,,,,.DMMM
MM=======~~:::,:.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.MMM
MM,~~~~~::=,::::,,,,,,,........,.,,,.,MM
MM:=OM+~=:::,,.,~,,,,.....,,.,.,.,,,.:MM
MM,~7MMMM=::=::::,:,,,,.,....,...::,.:MM
MM~=7MMMMMMZ:,,,,,,,.........:~MMMMN.~MM
MM~~+MMMMMMMMN,,,.........,=MMMMMMM,.MMM
MMI?:?MMMMMMMMMMN,,...,+NMMMMMMMMMM. MMM
MMM~~=::~~=MMMMN=:.,.~+MMMMMMMMMMM..~MMM
MMMMM:~~::,,,,:.,.N,M.......,.,.....MMMM
MMM:::::::::.,,.,7M+MN.............:MMMM
MMM~~~~~::~:~,.,~M8~=M?............:MMMM
MMM:~::~~MMMN....+...8......:=~.....MMMM
MMMN=:=INNMMN,:,,,,........=MMMM.,.7MMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMM?,,,,.....:,...$MMM:,,ZMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM..C.:.K..G,..:MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM.,U...I..R..,MMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM,,S..,L,,I..=MMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM..T..,L.,P..IMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM.,O.,:E.~S..DMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM.,M..~R.=.,.NMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM..+..++.I...NMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM.:+.,?,,Z:~:MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM:.8,:O..Z..=MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMN~O::Z.~D..$MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMNDZ=.+?O8NMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMI
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMNDZI..?8DMMMMMMMMMMMMMLOVE
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNOI..=8NMMMMMMMMMMMCUSTOM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM8$=+ONMMMMMMMMMMMMKILLER
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMND8DNNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGRIPS

We are now available on amazon.
Back to 1911 Custom Killer Grips.

.

June 14: the American Flag Day

2012-06-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

Do you know what day it is? It's June 14, it must be Flag Day!

Flag Day has been a presidentially proclaimed observance since 1916. Although Flag Day is not a federal holiday, Americans are encouraged to display the flag outside their homes and businesses on this day to honor the history and heritage the American flag represents.

The Flag of the United States of America is a symbol of freedom and liberty to which Americans pledge their allegiance. It consists of 13 alternating red and white stripes and 50 white stars on a blue field, with each star representing a state.

The colors on the flag represent:

Red: valor and bravery
White: purity and innocence
Blue: vigilance, perseverance, and justice

Out of respect for the U.S. flag, never:

dip it for any person or thing, even though state flags, regimental colors and other flags may be dipped as a mark of honor.
display it with the union down, except as a signal of distress. let the flag touch anything beneath it: ground, floor, water, merchandise.
carry it horizontally, but always aloft. fasten or display it in a way that will permit it to be damaged or soiled.
place anything on the flag, including letters, insignia, or designs of any kind. use it for holding anything. use it as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery.
It should not be used on a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be attached to the uniform of patriotic organizations, military personnel, police officers and firefighters.
use the flag for advertising or promotion purposes or print it on paper napkins, boxes or anything else intended for temporary use and discard.