As some of you may recall, I've mentioned this build a few times over the past year. It started out looking like things were going to go smooth and it would be done on time. Of course, you know what they say about the best laid plans...
My son is a USAF SOF TACP (Special Operations Forces Tactical Air Control Party). It's an incredibly difficult job to qualify for, there are only about 100 SOF TACPs in the entire USAF. He'd spent a number of years and multiple deployments as a conventional TACP before qualifying for AFSOC.
I had purchased a new Colt Commander in December of 2014 and when he made it through AFSOC selection I decided I'd have it customized and give it to him to commemorate his military achievements. When I left the gun at Dietrich's Gunsmithy a little over a year ago the plan was that when they'd finished the work on the slide I'd send it to be engraved with the SOF TACP crest, then Dietrich's would do the final finishing work and blue it and I'd present to him when he signed in at his new unit. Naturally, things didn't go as planned but, thanks to Robin Dietrich's work and the efforts of the guys at the Colt Custom Shop, it's finally ready and it came out terrific.
Robin and I had decided that it would be a simple build - action and reliability job, refitting the existing parts, replacing what was necessary (I trust Colt's internal pieces) rather than just gutting the gun and changing everything, new sights (10-8s), new barrel bushing, hand checkered front strap, checkered MSH, and a mild melt. The finish would be a fine matte blue. The engraving would be the 'pièce de résistance' and that is where the build went off the rails.
The engraver wanted the slide after everything but the bluing had been done. So, once all the parts were fitted, ejection port lowered and flared, dovetails cut, edges melted, etc., I sent the slide to San Antonio to the engraver. A week after he received it he emailed me and told me it was done and had come out really nice. I paid him and waited for the slide to arrive. When it got here it was bouncing a round loose in a little priority mail shipping box, no padding, no oil on it (it was still in the white), nothing. I opened the box and the slide surface was a mess of surface rust and finger prints. Even worse, the engraving wasn't centered and different parts of it were crooked and off kilter. I was furious because the slide was ruined, since you obviously can't 'un-engrave' something.
It took several weeks of fighting back and forth but the engraver finally made good on his screw up, reimbursing me for the cost of the engraving, the cost of a new slide, and the cost for all the gunsmithing work that had been done on it.
My new plan was to get another slide and have Robin redo the work on it and finish the build. Well, it turned out that new slides were nowhere to be found. I checked with Colt Customer Service and all the parts housed they suggested, ebay, gunbroker, you name it, and came up empty. Just about the time I was thinking that this project wasn't going to be salvageable I took my last shot and contacted Brent, the guy that runs the Colt Custom Shop, to see if he could get me a slide. I'd seen on other forums where he had helped people out with different issues so I was hopeful.
Well, the spirits of JMB and Sam Colt were finally smiling on me. Not only could Brent get me a slide, he offered to finish the build, fitting all the parts to the slide, the new slide assembly to the gun, and engrave and finish it for a price that I couldn't refuse. He said that most of the guys in the shop were veterans and they did lots of work for the military and were happy to help me out as a thank you to my son for his service. I checked with Robin and he was fine with letting Colt finish it. Once Brent had the frame and parts in hand he had some of his own ideas on what to do with the gun and asked if I'd let him run with it and he'd send me back a gun that I'd be proud to give my son, that my son would be proud to own and carry, and that he would be proud to say came out of his shop.
They had the gun for about 6 months, I just got it back a couple of weeks ago. I had no idea what to expect and when I opened the box and unwrapped it I was amazed at what they'd done with it. It was totally not what I had in mind, it was so much better! The work Robin had done on the frame, barrel crown and bushing, MSH, Grieder trigger, and hammer were all still there. The CCS had fitted the new slide, a beavertail grip safety, thumb safety, dovetailed the slide for the 10-8 sights I'd sent, went through the internals and set the trigger at a clean, crisp 5lbs. They polished the entire gun and finished it in a beautiful dark, almost black bluing. And they engraved the SOF TACP crest on the slide along with the TACP motto and my son's initials and filled the engraving with gold. I topped it off with a set of carved maple grips that his little brother picked out. I'd wanted a gun that would look good, shoot good, and be reliable, a 'do it all' piece that my son could use for carry, home defense, competition, whatever he wanted, and that would last his whole life so he could eventually pass it down to his child. Brent and his guys nailed the spirit of the project and really did a great job on the gun.
I wasn't able to give it to my son when I had wanted to but my father and I are planning a trip to see him in the near future and give him the gun along with an El Paso Saddlery tanker style shoulder holster that my dad ordered to go with it since my son rides his Harley pretty much all the time.
So, I want to thank to Robin Dietrich, and Brent and the guys at the Colt Custom Shop for bringing this idea to fruition and for all of their help when I really needed it.
And, finally, here's some pics!
Here's the Commander, brand new and fresh out of the box-
And, back from the Colt Custom Shop-
My son is a USAF SOF TACP (Special Operations Forces Tactical Air Control Party). It's an incredibly difficult job to qualify for, there are only about 100 SOF TACPs in the entire USAF. He'd spent a number of years and multiple deployments as a conventional TACP before qualifying for AFSOC.
I had purchased a new Colt Commander in December of 2014 and when he made it through AFSOC selection I decided I'd have it customized and give it to him to commemorate his military achievements. When I left the gun at Dietrich's Gunsmithy a little over a year ago the plan was that when they'd finished the work on the slide I'd send it to be engraved with the SOF TACP crest, then Dietrich's would do the final finishing work and blue it and I'd present to him when he signed in at his new unit. Naturally, things didn't go as planned but, thanks to Robin Dietrich's work and the efforts of the guys at the Colt Custom Shop, it's finally ready and it came out terrific.
Robin and I had decided that it would be a simple build - action and reliability job, refitting the existing parts, replacing what was necessary (I trust Colt's internal pieces) rather than just gutting the gun and changing everything, new sights (10-8s), new barrel bushing, hand checkered front strap, checkered MSH, and a mild melt. The finish would be a fine matte blue. The engraving would be the 'pièce de résistance' and that is where the build went off the rails.
The engraver wanted the slide after everything but the bluing had been done. So, once all the parts were fitted, ejection port lowered and flared, dovetails cut, edges melted, etc., I sent the slide to San Antonio to the engraver. A week after he received it he emailed me and told me it was done and had come out really nice. I paid him and waited for the slide to arrive. When it got here it was bouncing a round loose in a little priority mail shipping box, no padding, no oil on it (it was still in the white), nothing. I opened the box and the slide surface was a mess of surface rust and finger prints. Even worse, the engraving wasn't centered and different parts of it were crooked and off kilter. I was furious because the slide was ruined, since you obviously can't 'un-engrave' something.
It took several weeks of fighting back and forth but the engraver finally made good on his screw up, reimbursing me for the cost of the engraving, the cost of a new slide, and the cost for all the gunsmithing work that had been done on it.
My new plan was to get another slide and have Robin redo the work on it and finish the build. Well, it turned out that new slides were nowhere to be found. I checked with Colt Customer Service and all the parts housed they suggested, ebay, gunbroker, you name it, and came up empty. Just about the time I was thinking that this project wasn't going to be salvageable I took my last shot and contacted Brent, the guy that runs the Colt Custom Shop, to see if he could get me a slide. I'd seen on other forums where he had helped people out with different issues so I was hopeful.
Well, the spirits of JMB and Sam Colt were finally smiling on me. Not only could Brent get me a slide, he offered to finish the build, fitting all the parts to the slide, the new slide assembly to the gun, and engrave and finish it for a price that I couldn't refuse. He said that most of the guys in the shop were veterans and they did lots of work for the military and were happy to help me out as a thank you to my son for his service. I checked with Robin and he was fine with letting Colt finish it. Once Brent had the frame and parts in hand he had some of his own ideas on what to do with the gun and asked if I'd let him run with it and he'd send me back a gun that I'd be proud to give my son, that my son would be proud to own and carry, and that he would be proud to say came out of his shop.
They had the gun for about 6 months, I just got it back a couple of weeks ago. I had no idea what to expect and when I opened the box and unwrapped it I was amazed at what they'd done with it. It was totally not what I had in mind, it was so much better! The work Robin had done on the frame, barrel crown and bushing, MSH, Grieder trigger, and hammer were all still there. The CCS had fitted the new slide, a beavertail grip safety, thumb safety, dovetailed the slide for the 10-8 sights I'd sent, went through the internals and set the trigger at a clean, crisp 5lbs. They polished the entire gun and finished it in a beautiful dark, almost black bluing. And they engraved the SOF TACP crest on the slide along with the TACP motto and my son's initials and filled the engraving with gold. I topped it off with a set of carved maple grips that his little brother picked out. I'd wanted a gun that would look good, shoot good, and be reliable, a 'do it all' piece that my son could use for carry, home defense, competition, whatever he wanted, and that would last his whole life so he could eventually pass it down to his child. Brent and his guys nailed the spirit of the project and really did a great job on the gun.
I wasn't able to give it to my son when I had wanted to but my father and I are planning a trip to see him in the near future and give him the gun along with an El Paso Saddlery tanker style shoulder holster that my dad ordered to go with it since my son rides his Harley pretty much all the time.
So, I want to thank to Robin Dietrich, and Brent and the guys at the Colt Custom Shop for bringing this idea to fruition and for all of their help when I really needed it.
And, finally, here's some pics!
Here's the Commander, brand new and fresh out of the box-
And, back from the Colt Custom Shop-
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