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The picture above shows the drill bits used for relocating the MSH
pin hole. The instructions that came with the bobtail jig say to use a #2 center drill and a 5/32 bit. I bought
new ones for this job. The center drill was a little harder to find, but is available at Grainger under part number
3P281. The basic idea here is that it has a very thick shank, and is therefore, less likely to wander when you are drilling
a small pilot hole before the real hole.
A bit of a distance shot of my drill press. It
is an el cheapo, homeowner grade $39 special. I believe that the vise pictured is also from the same import tool house. Basically,
you just put the jig into the vise so that the pistol frame will slide up onto it. You want the 5/32 drill bit to go
down through the hole in the jig that you see in the picture.
This is what you are trying to achieve. When the chuck is
lowered towards the work, the bit needs to smoothly go right through this hole. You can see that my drill press table
is turned so that the drill bit will drop right out the bottom once I have this all lined up. This makes the job
a little easier, YMMV. Make sure that when you get to this point that everything is exactly like you want it, and all
of the adjustments are tightened down. You don't want anything moving around once you get this all set up.
No cracks about my rusty drill press. I'll get after
it with some sand paper...some day when I have nothing else to do...You should now have the drill press centered properly
over the spot where the hole needs to be. Chuck the "center drill" into the drill press.
Slide the frame up onto the jig, using the MSH pin (it goes into the original hole) to hold the frame in the jig. Use
a length of tape to keep the pin from falling out of the hole. It took me a minute to get this concept when I read it
on the instruction sheet. This is due to me pounding so many of these pins out with a punch and a hammer when dissassembling
guns. With no MSH installed, there is no resistance on the pin, therefore it falls right out the bottom without the
tape. I used a few drops of oil to get the hole started. Go slow and easy.
OK, go slow and easy just a little more. Just get a small
hole. That's it, ride is over, please exit to the left. Now take the frame out, clean, and debur any nasty
shards of metal. Install the 5/32 drill bit in the drill press (here is where it is handy to be able to install the bit up
through the jig). Re-install the frame onto the jig. Use a new piece of tape. Put down a
new drop of oil.
Now hold your breath, count to three, you are about to drill a non-JMB
authorized hole in a very expensive piece of metal. Just go easy, if anything "feels" funny, stop and see what is going
on down below. Mine went through like butter. Stop when you get through the first side of the frame. Now
remove, clean, debur and see that the pin goes into the new hole like is should.
Here is the pin put through the hole drilled through the first side
of the frame.
OK, you know the ...er...drill. Re-install, new tape, new
drop of oil. Drill all the way through baby!!
Remove, clean up and see if the pin looks this good installed.
I am proud of my cheap drill press!
Now we take a steel ruler and a scribe and make a mark where we
will cut. I made the mark well beyond where the line to file down to would be. It runs right near the top
of the original MSH hole.
I put the frame back onto the jig to score the line with my
Mark-1 hacksaw. I held the frame with my other hand to keep it as steady as possible. Be careful not
to score the jig or any other innocent bystanding tools or equipment.
Here I took the frame over to the work bench due to better lighting
there. I put tape on the frame to protect it from my crazy hacksaw job. Seriously, here I once again offer the
advise of going slow ....Avoid the temptation to go to town on it.
Oh crap, I think that I changed my mine. Dope! No going
back now!
I see alot of filing in your future there, Carnac. You
can see that the original MSH pin hole is going to be in the way. I have to file enough to get rid of
it, without taking too much material off.
This is where you have to start using your metal working skills.
Again, my dad taught me long ago to just take your time and don't try to spray too much too fast and up too close.
Wait a minute, that was when spraying paint. Anyway, you get the picture. If you try to you go too fast, you will
probably ruin it. Again, I used a metal ruler and a scribe to mark a line. What-a-ya know, the rust on my ruler
matches the rust on my drill press. This line was little further out than were I thought the line would actually be.
Sort of a built-in safety factor. You can see the MSH, so you know about where you need to file to.
This is looking down on the mag well. I am filing down
the MSH to match the mag well. This picture is to show how I put the frame into the vice. This was the same method that
I used to file away the area where the bobtail cut was made. Different part of frame, same basic method.
I start with a large file, then a smaller one, then sand paper wrapepd around a block of wood. The files that I
have are MSC part numbers: 80766520,80755317,60234309, and 60234325. Keep it parallel, go slow.
I cut strips of 240 grit sandpaper to smooth out the file marks. Back and forth.
I kept filing the "hump" down to try and get it closer to a flat profile. File, sand, file, sand,
file, sand.....
Because the whole idea is to make it a concealable as possible, I am trying to get the profile flat.
You can see that it is about there. Just need to clean it up more and bead blast to get a uniform finish.
Starting to look the part.
Here is the only kind of trigger time I get in the garage.... I have gotten to the point where
the sharp serrated triggers are no longer desirable to me. If I was running through the jungle, shooting over my
left shoulder, sliding down revines, they may be very useful. However, most of my shooting is done on a range.
I like to shoot my own homebrew 200 round "bonus packs". After 50 rounds with the sharp serrated triggers,
I get aggravated. I have one gun with the C&S smooth face trigger. I love it. So from now on, all
of the triggers on my "custom" 1911's will have modified serrations, or have a smooth face. For the
serrated ones, I'll flatten them about half way down and smooth them out with sand paper. They will still offer
some traction, but no finger irritating sharpness.
This a medium Greider trigger. After a little TLC. Basically, I wrapped a piece of 240
grit wet-or-dry paper around a knurled punch that was about 3/8 diameter. To and fro for a few minutes was
all it took. This trigger is chucked up in a vise with a shop towel double wrapped around the bow. Don't
squeeze and deform the bow. Notice the direction that it is positioned in. Move the sanding tool
in an arch to follow the contour of the trigger face.
On the left is my thumb safety as it started out. On the right, you can see the same model on another
gun (Essex SS frame). You can see on the unmodified one that there is a casting line and weird looking dimples around
the corners. This requires quite a bit of filing and sanding to get out. I use the same methods on most of these
parts. Files, then sand paper wrapped around a flat block. **Edited for correction** This is a Chip
McCormick safety.
This is after the safety has been filed, sanded down, and bead blasted. No more weird looking dimples.
Here we have the infamous drop in grip safety from Wilsons.
This is the Commander model. It really was a drop in except there was some filing required on the little arm inside
the gun. It is not really difficult to accomplish, however, you should have a very good understanding of what you
are doing. Remember, this is a gun, not an RC car, or bathroom door knob. If you don't feel comfortable doing
this, don't! You can also see a "hump" that is on the gun. I have not made any attempt to remove this hump.
Three reasons, #1. I do not feel that my skill level is high enough to try and remove this and get it
symmetrical and I have no machines to do it with. #2. I may want to return this part of the gun to stock (doubt
it though). #3. It really doesn't bother me like it bothers some folks. I am just going to shoot it
once in a while and carry it on road trips. No magazine covers.
Here she is,
the bottom end mostly done. I used a Wilson hammer and sear. I was going to use a C&S, but they are not stainless.
Since this is a stainless gun, I needed a stainless hammer. I bought the grips used off the 1911 forum.
I think they are Ed Brown. They have a tinge of variation in the color of the stain. One is more red than
the other. Anyone ever beadblast grips? Don't tempt me.
My bobtail has a slight ridge, unlike the machine cut jobs that
I have seen. What can I say, I ain't no machine! The little ridge adds to the grippiness of the frame. That's
my story and I'm sticking to it. Now I will get to working on the top end. I am dreaming of getting the slide
cut for dovetail sights. We'll see!!
I am still working on this gun right now......
SUPPORTING FREEDOM..........SHARING KNOWLEDGE
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