Any Detonics Fans?

[Zilmo]

Any of you folks Detonics fans? I've been a fan since '76, but unfortunately sold my first one years ago. I got hooked when the guys from Detonics came into my machine shop asking us to make frames for them. Of course they wanted them cheaper than they could be made, so we didn't do the job. But they brought a couple early guns in with them and I was hooked.

This is a fairly recent purchase for me, an early 1976 Seattle made gun, the 516th built. These things are a gas to shoot, pretty accurate, and pretty darned small. They were one of the first small custom .45's built. They had a lot of issues with bad financial management, and were sold and closed several times. The early Seattle guns have a pretty substantial following.

Sorry for the crappy pictures. The lens makes it looked curved.

 

[NFrameFred]

I had a stainless one for years and loved it. But it became a safe queen when the values starting going berserk several years ago and I was loathe to carry it since they weren't making them at the time and I had plenty of Colts and whatnot that fit the bill almost as well. Then a lawyer of my acquaintance took a shine to it and had to have, so I priced it above what I thought he'd pay and he called my bluff . . . so, down the road it went.

I loved the way it shot but I finally learned to not pine for those gone down the road. A few I wish I still had, but they're only things. I'm getting to the age that I think I have a better perspective on that, now.

 

[s&wchad]

Just a little.

 

[Zilmo]

Just a little.

Most excellent!!!

Any chance I could pay to to copy the owners manual for me?

 

[s&wchad]

Any chance I could pay to to copy the owners manual for me?

Not a chance. I'll be glad to scan it and email it to you when I get home Saturday, but you can't pay me. Send me a PM with your email address.

 

[Zilmo]

Not a chance. I'll be glad to scan it and email it to you when I get home Saturday, but you can't pay me. Send me a PM with your email address.

Damn nice.

 

[whitecoyote]

Zilmo & s&wchad very nice looking Detonics Combat Masters!
I'm a big fan of Detonics (Combat Master). They are a great pistol, and very under-rated.

Detonics in its day was way ahead of its time. Unfortunetly Detonics never caught on.
I don't know the reason why, maybe poor marketing, price, who knows?

The Detonics Combat Master was very innovative.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was the first to use a bushingless bull barrel, guide rod, and an all stainless firearm.
From what I understand they are back in business. Detonics
I have a Combat Master that was made in Georgia. It is a very reliable pistol, and a blast to shoot.

 

[rodcraft]

If i remember the story correctly Smith & Wesson went to see Detonics with intent to purchase. They were having trouble with stainless not galling. Upon visiting the plant (with contract in hand) they asked one of the machinists how they did it & the guy told them to heat treat to different hardness. Knowing the secret for free they didn't buy them out. Would have been interesting had they merged.

 

[Herknav]

Count me in. I'm an avid fan. I haven't heard anything since they moved to IL. Peter Dunn is now part of Victory Arms, and they look enticing.

S&W Chad--Since you're already scanning and sending, is there any chance you can add one more e-mail to that list? I'd be much obliged.

 

[m657]

I became entranced with what was promoted as the "smallest production stainless steel 9mm in the world" when it came out circa 1984ish....

Pre-internet days, I laborously searched statewide and snatched one of the first available in the region.

First (and LAST) gun I'll ever buy sight unseen.

It was from the Jurassic Era of design.....clunky, heavy, LOUD, and inaccurate. And that was the good qualities.

My fascination turned rapidly to revulsion and I felt lucky to get my money back out of it.

That was my last Detonics.

 

[44forever]

Their .45's are impressive.

The 9mm pocket pistol was another story. It used some of the worst design features of early Beretta pocket pistols, had an atrocious trigger pull, virtually no sights to speak of, and practical accuacy on par with my first slingshot. I refuse to believe they came from the same company as the Combat Master, and certainly not the same engineers.

 

[tabs]

Yep I got a Seattle Combat Master... like the gun paid less for it in 2000 than the invoice shown in the picture above.

 

[7tenz]

I had several 45's in the 80's and two 451 Detonics magnums. Sold all of them when I was having some financial difficulty in the late 80's. I never fired the 451s as the only ammo was home brew. I still have a box of brass for it.

Upside, they always fed and ejected anything I put in them. Once I had a box of Federal Match ammo that must have been a bad batch. Some went pop, kaboom, bang, and one squib. I knew the bullet wasn't stuck in the barrel because I saw it leave the muzzle and land about 10 feet in front of what I was shooting at. Fully cycled the action.

Downside was the incredibly crappy casting job of the receiver and low grade metal. The fit to the slide was way off. None of them fit flush with the back of the slide/reciever. Always some overhang.