Modified or altered Firearms............

I am all about customized handguns - really customized - not just new sights, grips and an action job. Nothing wrong with that, but I like guns that have been altered to fit a particular want or need when a factory offering couldn't. I have a small collection of such customs, you guys have seen most of them but, since lawandorder asked, I'll go ahead and take this opportunity to show off a few again.

Let's start with revolvers-
This is my latest acquisition, in fact I don't actually have it in hand yet, it's due to arrive tomorrow. It's a Krebs Custom "Crowbar" 28-2 in .45ACP, round butted, 4" ported barrel, fixed sights, bobbed & serrated hammer, cut away trigger guard, custom grips with ivory inserts that have little crowbars scrimshawed into them.



Austin Behlert chopped 25-2 - 2.75" barrel, round butted, crane ball detent, smoothed and radiused trigger, recontoured hammer, incredible action, hard chromed.


Pinnacle High Performance 360J rechambered to 9mm & cut for moonclips, DAO, bobbed hammer, polished hammer & trigger, fiber optic front sight, chamfered forcing cone, cylinder refinished in Robar NP3.


Mag-na-port/Charter Arms Bulldog "BackPacker" .44spl - smoothed & shortened ported barrel, bobbed hammer, hard chromed, #128 of 250.


Here's some autos-
Austin Behlert chopped Gov't Model. Slide and barrel cut to 4", grip frame cut and rewelded to slightly shorter than Officers length. BHP slide cuts, S&W revolver sights, grips safety shortened & pinned, MSH shortened, screw in barrel bushing, recontoured trigger guard and front strap, plus several other mods. It also has two mags that have been cut and rewelded for a perfect flush fit. This one is also hard chromed.


Austin Behlert Colt Gov't "Pin" gun. Shortened slide, integral compensator, recontoured trigger guard, 2.5# trigger, among other mods. This gun is a tack driver and the fastest shooting .45 I'ver ever owned.


Clark/Dietrich Colt 1991A1 Compact "Meltdown". The entire gun has been smoothed and recontoured, rollmarks removed from the slide, 11deg crown, hand checkering, action job, barrel and gun polished to a mirror finish and the gun reblued.

You said one of them had a "crane ball detent".

Like this? That little ball just in front of the cylinder, that fits into a divot (that you can barely see)on the frame?

Alpo said:

You said one of them had a "crane ball detent".

Like this? That little ball just in front of the cylinder, that fits into a divot (that you can barely see)on the frame?

Click to expand...

Yep, though on that particular gun the original ball detent is in the barrel underlug. I had another installed in the top of the crane, like yours.

WC145 you Sir have some classy, practical iron there.


Anybody notice the pre model 22 with a short barrel, 2 something inch, fixed sights, and enclosed ejector rod in this months" Gun & Ammo Handguns " article on Peterson's guns by Bart Skelton. I like the looks of that little snubby.

I'm looking for information that can help me date and estimate value of two 1911's customized by Austin Behlert. One is a post-war 1947 Colt Commercial and the other is a 1944 Remington Rand. The slides of both are stamped "AF Behlert Cranford NJ" on the left side of the slide behind the cocking serrations. There are no markings on the disconnector rail or elsewhere on either pistol. Both have a SW rear sight, ramped front sight, pinned guide rod, custom extended slide release, hand-applied stippling, and Highpower grip panels. Barrels and bushings have been fitted and are very tight. The slides are not shortened and trigger guards are not squared. Condition is used but good, probably refinished (the RR for sure), and both guns function flawlessly. I imagine that these are of value only to a collector of early customs. Any information is much appreciated. Bad pics attached. Thanks very much!

I also have a remington rand customised many years ago by pachmyer. I belive he was about the first guru into cusomiseing them. It seems unless stuff is done by the top of the line of present day guru`s that altering guns only cheapens the value instead of increaseing it. Thats a shame! Many guns have had fine costly improvements done to them that at the time was a popular thing to do. Then when they are sold and the old pros that did them are dead and forgotten, only the new hotshots that have got praise writeups in contemperay rags read by newbys that are awed by new writers of self importance think thats cool to have will you get a part of your money out. Collectors and all prospective buyers will use it against you and/or the gun claiming it hurts the value even if they are drooling for it and would rather have it than a brand new unaltered model. Thats human nature. Here is my butchered remington rand.

My Favorite

My take on the "perfect" carry gun






The gun shown above, one of 6 identical guns in various calibers (45 Colt, 45 S&W, 44 Special and 41 Magnum) started as a S&W Model 520 customized by Hamilton Bowen in 2009, in 45 S&W (Schofield). For the 45 Colt and 41 Magnum I used Model 58s. This one has a S&W Model 1955 barrel cut to 4", with the crown and rib machined to look identical to an original Model 58 factory barrel. The front sight has an improved profile and the barrel/cylinder gap is a tight .004". The barrel's bore is .4515" and the chamber throats have been all cut to .453". The gun has a superb action job, times early and consistently and locks up solid prior to hammer release on each chamber. The front of the cylinder has Bowen's signature "Black Powder" chamfer, and he also installed an internal trigger stop, a carefully fit hardened pin set inside the rebound spring. The sights have been regulated to shoot a standard velocity 45 caliber lead RNFP load 1" above point of aim at 25 yards. During the regulation process 1.50" groups were routine (hand held from a bench). The grips are Spegel Extended Boot grips in Brazilian Rosewood custom fit to the gun. They are cut away for a Model 25 speed loader and fit the grip frame perfectly.

Below are groups from the 41 Magnum version of the gun shown above. All were shot at 25 yards hand held from a bench over a sandbag rest.



Hope you enjoyed the post.

Keith

This Springfield Armory started off in the early 80's as a plain jane parkerized GI model. It's had the frame rails peened, slide tightened, ejection port beveled, slide milled and Bomar sights installed, front sight silver soldered on, beaver-tail grip safety fit, Titanium hammer and long target trigger installed, top of slide stippled, main-spring housing milled down and stippled, front strap and front of trigger guard stippled. Frame Metaloyed, and slide blued. Colt match barrel fitted with solid bushing. Mag well fit.

I did all the work except the milling for the Bomar's and the Metaloy frame finish myself. This was a work in progress for near 3 years. All done in the late 80's and continue to use it and most recently (this week Wed.) shot my IL CCL qualification with it.

Wow, some great looking firearms here. I don't mind most modifications but never would I own or have a revolver Fitz'd.
Please don't take offense but to me they're ugly and dangerous.

Tony,

When I need jest a little more than the long rifle cartridge offers in the model 18.....

I turn to this one,


[URL="http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/pp282/keith44spl/IMG_0634_zps13015626.jpg"] [/URL]



Su Amigo,
Dave


.

I love that one Dave!

RL] i picked up this colt a while back for pocket change had no idea it was a hundred years old, and had been dedicated to an important man in saskatchewan's early 20th century history.
it was modified sometime in the 50s-60s with a micro sight &rib according to experts on this forum.
ive considered restoring the gun to 1913 condition..undecided . ive fired it and it makes cloverleaf groups, it has lost nothing in the last 100 years.

I believe that some modifications may have been done to both of these Model 19s. Sorry about the picture quality.

Mark

I've never been able to find which is correct.

Are those guns Smolts, or Smythons?

And a load of Ruger's too. This 44 Special perhaps my favorite.

I can play in this old thread...

a Bill Davis
I bought it this way dont know the history but its fun to shoot!


A home made concoction, a 4 screw M15 with bull barrel and rib sight. Awesome shooter, my favorite gun to shoot!!

WC145 said:

Austin Behlert chopped 25-2 - 2.75" barrel, round butted, crane ball detent, smoothed and radiused trigger, recontoured hammer, incredible action, hard chromed.

Click to expand...

I never get tired of looking at that gun.

RonJ said:

Wow, some great looking firearms here. I don't mind most modifications but never would I own or have a revolver Fitz'd.
Please don't take offense but to me they're ugly and dangerous.

Click to expand...

This applies to me as well. Lot's of beautiful custom
work shown on this thread but for the life of me i
cannot understand why someone would want to Fitz
a gun. To me personally it just sends shivers down
my spine thinking of what could "easily" happen.

Chuck

ladder13 said:

I never get tired of looking at that gun.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I was very lucky to get that one, bought it from a forum member through the classifieds. It needed some minor repairs and I had the charge holes chamfered, I had Mark Hartshorne do the work, he's excellent.