We're way beyond Dremel now, Melted & Melonited 4516-1

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 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

uhhhhhhh...i'm at a loss

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.

MichiganScott said:

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.

Click to expand...

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!!!

Some inspiration...

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.

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

P239 SAS Gen 2

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)

-db- said:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge...-blue-colt-1991a1-compact-clark-meltdown.html

Click to expand...

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.

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

-db- said:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge...-blue-colt-1991a1-compact-clark-meltdown.html

Click to expand...

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.

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