I'm one of those guys who likes to tinker with stuff, you know, always thinking of ways I can make this or that thing better. I do have my limits though, for example, I wouldn't take a PC gun and jam it into a bench grinder just for the pretty shower of sparks. However, I think a plane jane 4516 is more than fair game for experimentation. With that in mind, the other day I was looking over my 4516 with an eye towards... "how can I make this better".
I'd get a bit of trigger finger pinch when shooting with either hand so I'd need to do something about the sharp edges at the rear of the trigger guard. Didn't like how the frame rails were proud of the slide at the rear. The barrel crown looked like ****. Too many sharp edges all over the place that dig into my feedbag when carrying. And while comparing to a Shorty 45, I thought why not do a carry bevel while I'm at it using the Shorty as a model. So I broke out the files and the stones and got busy.


Even went so far as to break the bottom of the dust cover back at 15 degrees like the Shorty.



However, turns out the more I worked on the gun the less pleased I was with how this was turning out. For the most part, by beveling I was taking one sharp angle and turning it into two sharp angles. I needed to re-think this whole project and come up with a revised plan. What I needed here was a drastic course change.
After considerable thought and not a little synapse lubricant IMG_6285.jpg I put away the files and stones and broke out what became my new favorite tool.

The Foredom Belt Sander Attachment.

This thing is just awesome. Platen on one side and slack belt on the other. Now I'm going for the full carry melt job, no more beveling BS.

Rear of slide & frame blended & radiused while locked in battery.


Trigger guard smoothed & rounded. Since I shoot with either hand I did both sides.


The business end so far.


Oh ya, and I did see to that scuzzy barrel crown.


I still have more to do. Fine tuning the curves and shaping of the muzzle end and the trigger guard area but overall I'm very happy with how this is turning out. I'm kind of imagining a well used bar of Lava soap. Nice and smooth but still a little grip, not slimy. Once I get her all finished and bead blasted I'm thinking a molten salt bath spa treatment is in order, aka Isonite coating.

Updates to follow

Cheers
Bill

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uhhhhhhh...i'm at a loss

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I think it's very neat, and I definitely look forward to pictures of progress and your final result.

Just when I think that I've seen every conceivable way for Bubba to ruin a firearm, someone always finds another. I think the grinder over runs give it a whole new look.

Was the Buffalo Trace bottle full at the beginning?

Your gun, your call. I simply prefer customization that does not diminish resale value.

If you can finish to look nice I guess I'm on board. Rounded edges are good for carry.

I don't mess with barrel crowns though. Doesn't that have a huge impact on accuracy?

If it aint broke, don't try to fix it.

Wow-you guys are brutal, don’t hold back tell us what you really think!
DMCM,
I too like to tinker. And one day I’m going to buy a beat up firearm and try some of the things your doing. You have to break an egg to make an omelet. GOOD LUCK! I’m looking forward to your progress and pics, and maybe you can save me some hassles when I attempt it. And remember it’s your firearm do whatever you want to make it your personal firearm. But keep it safe!

I don't understand the nay-saying. It's not as if customizing run of the mill handguns is unheard of or controversial. Of course it doesn't look so good now, in the middle of the job, but it might look great when refinished and completed. The only concern I have is I hope that barrel crown wasn't modified with the belt sanding tool.

Here's a Beretta Cougar I mildly "melted", along with rounding the trigger guard and a few other tweaks. Makes for a much better carry gun.

Wow. Some of you guys must have never seen a quality melt job and what an improvement it can be if done right. I'm not sure of the OP's skills in that regard, but it kind of looks like he might be on the right track.Why not let him finish his work and post some photos and see how it turns out?

I'm also encouraged that he is looking to do an Isonite finish treatment, which is probably one of the best there is. He could be one of those guys that wants to spray it with DuraCoat or Krylon, but it sounds like he is looking to do a quality job.
I'll be looking forward to seeing the finished product.

There was thread on here a while back of a guy that melted a CS9 I believe. It turned out awesome. (It may have been on THR - I can't remember). OP - you might want to do a serach on 'melt" and "melted" or something and see if you can find that one).

Good luck!

Well my position is a naive one for sure... I see a guy take a grinder to his gun and I wonder what the heck he was smoking....

But if you guys know how to finish them back again, well wowser! Let's do it!! Now it's way cool and I really like it!

I really want to see the finished product!!!

Don't know if you've seen these 2 pics, but they were found through google image search. Perhaps some inspiration.

At this point, I'd have also installed a 6906 hammer to complete the look.

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"Shut up and take my money!"

If you want to see a nice factory melt job, check out the new P239® SAS Gen 2

P239 SAS Gen 2

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/...-meltdown.html

If you've got the tools, knowledge, and time, I think it's great go for it. Not everyone is worried about resale. People are going to modify things. I think that's part of the human experience. To make things "mine". Modifying my guns though, that's not part of my repertoire.

BMCM,
I will not rush to judgement. It's your gun, go for it. I look forward to seeing the finished product. I like where you're headed with it. Guns are like cars and a personal thing (some like it stock and some want to customize)

YES! I was looking for this thread, as I saw it a little while ago. I love how that one turned out. Reminds me of some 40's or early 50's hot rod.

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"Shut up and take my money!"

Barrel crown was poorly machined and had a few burrs. I re-cut it with a 79 degree crowning cutter held concentric to the bore with a 45 caliber brass pilot and liberally lubed with Brownells Do-Drill oil cutting oil then polished with rouge and a depressed center felt wheel.

Profiled the the Ambi levers today.


Cheers
Bill

Detractors might consider for a moment what that 1911 looked like halfway done and disassembled, scattered across a bench over at Clark's.

Cheers
Bill

Hey BMCM I'm all for ya! Some folks think the same thing about me for the way I've treated some custom varmint rifles. Camo paint jobs and such but they're my tools and I'll do any darn thing I want to them. My daughter saw a rifle painted up in a giraffe pattern and now she wants that on her custom deer rifle. Well last summer she killed a big old giraffe in Namibia so I figure it will fit in right well with her taxidermy giraffe. So I'm gonna paint up her rifle!



I would love to have that melted Colt, it looks liquid now.

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KSCowboy

I like it. Nothing wrong with making practical changes to carry / working guns, particularly fairly modern ones.

IMHO, any kind of customization will diminish resale value simply because everyone's taste is different. Same with a car. You mod it and you take the chance of eliminating a huge pool of potential buyers and limit yourself to a very small number of people that would do the same mods to the same car. That said, I am sure there is a potential buyer out there, if the gun is ever put up for sale. However, a huge number of potential buyers will be turned off. LIke mentioned by another poster, his gun, his call.

I think these melt jobs as they are called are awesome. If the owner has the skills... go for it. It is a lot like customizing a car.
Sure it's resale value is changed. For example... say a stock '71 Chevy Nova to a hopped up hot Rod. The probable buying population goes way down. But those who will buy will pay and pay well. So it doesn't really diminish the resale value. It diminishes the # of possible buyers, assuming the job is done well. Besides.. he isn't doing this for resale. He is doing it as a project to enjoy and make a more functional firearm for himself.
But my opinion on these matters is pretty strong. The ops gun..he gets to do with as he chooses.
Mike

__________________
John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

That's pretty cool. There are few guns in my safe that I kind of want to de-horn as well.

[QUOTE=BMCM;136573315]Barrel crown was poorly machined and had a few burrs. I re-cut it with a 79 degree crowning cutter held concentric to the bore with a 45 caliber brass pilot and liberally lubed with Brownells Do-Drill oil cutting oil then polished with rouge and a depressed center felt wheel.

Profiled the the Ambi levers today.


I've been thinking of doing this to my safety levers on my CS45.

Did some more work today. Firstly, finished up the coarse work on the dust cover. Still need to do a little fine finishing by hand on the radii.

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/...6/IMG_6292.jpg

Profiled the slide stop.


Stoned smooth the cratering on all the factory stampings & rollmarks. Broadened the contour at the rear of the trigger guard, I'm not quite done in this area yet.


This machine cut checkering is hideous. Lots of flash & burrs that need cleaning up and I'm thinking while I'm messing with checkering I'll lay down some 25lpi on the front strap. That vertical grooving is less than useless IMO.


That's all for now

Cheers
Bill

Wonderful begining sir, nothing like making a gun your own, with your own two hands n the sweat of your brow! Bravo. Mike

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45.acp-why shoot twice.

I love the direction you are taking this!
I wish I could do something like this but I am one of those people who can break an anvil.

Keep up the good work!

when i was a kid i painted my remington nylon 77 with burgundy automotive paint, and if thats not bad enough i also cut the trigger guard off my hi-hunter six shooter .i dont modify my guns any more lol , but you seem to be having fun ,hope you achieve the results you want .i look forward to any updates in the future.

BMCM, I applaud you efforts...If there was one thing that S&W could have done to the 3rd gen, they could have taken of the hard edges! Then these would have been smoother and sexier!

Me like! Keep us updated on your progress.

All I know is that I wish I had the knowledge, equipment, and skill to confidently to do work like this on a few pieces.

I like the step-by-step reports and look forward to the finished product.

It's weird, if one has a fistful of money and pays to have something modified it's "Professional Customization."
Do-it-yourself and even if you know what you're doing and achieve professional results you're a "Bubba".

And what's the point of owning something if all you're concerned with is how much money it'll be worth when you get rid of it???

Don't mind the elitist snobs, forge onward!

not looking to steal any thunder and I did not go into the effort that the OP is doing. I like this thread and in my opinion SW autos are too sharp for quick handling defensive pistols and need some attention here and there.

Just like a Master Chief - never happy with things that work! Just kidding - I think it will look good once it is blasted and coated. Good luck shipmate.

pineappleshooter
YNC(SS), USN (Ret)

Maybe one day you will realize what kind of person you are killing that magnificent animal

Bunnyhugging is off topic! No Bunnyhugging in my thread!

Hey CQB, I couldn't agree more regarding the sharp pointy bits. I saw those pics a several weeks ago when I did a search for "carry melt" your CS9 planted the seed that grew into this project. Consider yourself an inspiration

Cheers
Bill

I wouldn't be surprised if most of these guy have never even had a sideplate off a S&W revolver let alone trying to modify anything! Its your firearm so do what suits you. I think after some judicious polishing it will look fine.

I was very much in shock as to why he would do that after looking at the first few pictures, until I read on and saw some of the later pics, and it appears he is going to polish the rest of the gun. It's looking better. Let's see what it's like when he is done.

Definetly wouldnt do that to my 645's or 1066. But to each his own I guess.

Personally, I don't care for the melted look, but I think you did a good job and if melted is your preference then you should be proud of the work.

I don't care for the look, but do like the functionality of it.

Then again I carry a Model 24 so what the heck do I know? Keep up the good work!

I think it looks great. I have seen some great pictures of M&P melt jobs. Keep up the great work and can't wait for further updates

Too True. The first thing I consider whenever I'm looking at having someone do some work for me is how many tools, parts & tech pubs can I buy with that $100/hour or more shop labor fee. Then I consider how much knowledge & skill I gain plus the sheer fun I have doing it myself. This philosophy has served me well building gas & diesel engines, harleys, several gas guns, 1911s, mechanical watches and lots of other stuff. Be assured this little 4516 aint my first rodeo.

Cheers
Bill

Progress update to follow, but first some commentary...

This has been and will continue to be my dedicated ccw piece. While the 4516 is very well suited to that role I feel there is much room for improvement to make it perfectly suited to that role as well as ideally suited to me. Thus these modifications. Dehorning & melting makes the weapon much more comfortable to pack as well as easier (when the need arises) to simply slip in the waistband or drop in a pocket. The final finish/surface treatment will be Isonite QPQ. End result will be a uniform satin blue/black finish that is tough in the extreme. The only shiny bits will be the flash chromed hammer & trigger. Everything else goes in the salt bath. And, the preparatory blasting will erase all the surface blemishes including all my tool marks.

So what's left to do? A little more contour work at the rear of the slide/frame. Re-cut the checkering on the front of the trigger guard and I need to do something to make the front strap more grippy. It already has verticals machine cut at what looks like 30lpi so I think I'm going to use those existing cuts and go 30lpi for the front strap checkering. I'd really prefer something coarser but I would need to remove the existing cuts and true up the front strap to do so and I'm not inclined to remove that much metal. I've had to order some more files so updates will slow while I'm waiting for my stuff from Brownells to arrive.

With that in mind I offer the following:

Port & starboard side overview.



Starboard side overview with the grip on for perspective.


Port & starboard detail of the trigger guard mods with grip on.



Muzzle detail.


That's all for now. More to follow next week once I attack the checkering.

Methinks I'll also need a fresh set of night sights too

Cheers
Bill

Looking good!

That will be a slick looking piece. Congrats on having the stones to jump in the deep end with your mods and I can't wait to see the final product. I could not do a melt on my 4505 only because I could never replace it.

Ok I found an old three square needle file with the tip broken off out in the shed so I figured "what the hell" and started pointing up the checkering on the front of the trigger guard. Bear in mind this is just the roughing in and I'll go over this again with a #2 cut and then with a #4. At least I get a little done while waiting for the brown truck to show up with my Brownells goodies.

Back in post #25 you'll see the area I'm working in original shape.

And after a bit of work.


And a bit more.


That top horizontal is going to be a bear but I think I can manage it. Sure would be easier to do this if my mk2 Mod1 eyeballs could see as well as that dang camera. Been swapping between 4x & 10x loupes and 3x glasses

Cheers
Bill

I think it looks badass.

All I can say is WOW! That is awesome, can't wait to see it finished, even though bead blasted it would still be a great piece......excellent work, keep it up and never mind the (few) negative comments......your pistol, do what you will.....

I like it, i would have mirror polished it