Heirloom finish 1911 from BOA

While the name Black Ops Armory is new, the shop is not. Originally started by a former Camp Perry competitor named George Forest, the shop’s original intent was to build or modify 1911s and 22s for the Camp Perry shooters.

This shop has been in continuous operation in the same city for 60 or more years.

George was a active shooter into his 50s and continued to build and customize 1911s into his 90s. The shop and it’s work continue with George’s protege, Ted. Ted now has several decades of building quality 1911s under his belt. This particular 1911 is being used as part of a benefit for the local American Legion post. This is not the utilitarian cerekote or hard chrome finish that is usually applied to a modern competition gun, this firearm has been finished in Master Blue from Ford’s Custom Gun refinishing

Photographs do not do justice to how deep and reflective this bluing is. It is simply spectacular

I have fired several of the 1911s that Black Ops Armory has produced this year and they have all been superb. Every part is hand fitted, there are no sloppy, undersized drop in parts used on these pistols. When I asked the shop owner how much labor goes into the hand fitting, I was told that it runs from 70 to 90 man hours depending on optional choices that the buyer has when ordering

The accuracy of these guns is amazing. When testing one that had just been completed a month or so ago I tossed a golf ball down range. With the first three shots I had ever fired from this pistol, I tossed the ball in the air and farther down range with every shot.

For decades these DeLand based Master Craftsman have been servicing the needs of Volusia County Florida and the surrounding areas producing several dozen of these hand fitted beauties each year while still keeping up with modification and repairs for their existing customers.

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HK45 Extra capacity magazine conversion

We have talked about it before. The first examples of this type of conversion that I was made aware of was for the Kriss firearms.

An original magazine body is used. Just discard the factory base plate and spring. A rigid tube that has equal capacity is added to the bottom of your OEM magazine. A new spring and usually a follower is included in the conversion

HKParts and other on-line vendors offer these for various firearms. The one being shown here in this thread converts a 10 round HK45 magazine to a 20 round extended capacity magazine

This will be the fifth firearm that I have utilized this style conversion on. All of the others have proven 100% reliable in 5 or 6 years of use

HK45 with Standard magazine
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Site troubles

After months of the site going on and off line the hosting company thinks the problem was found.

Recently we had to restore to an old backup due to DB corruptions that were causing the up again down again status of the site over the past year+.

Unfortunately 50 or 60 or more post (and their comments) have been lost going back several years.

These are getting added back in from whatever hard copies I can locate. The original publishing dates will be used as we restore. If you have posts that vanished get the hard copy to me and I will work to get it back in with your correct add date

The SHOT Show is only a handful of weeks away and I expect to be adding plenty of NEW 45 based content

Sorry for the troubles and I appreciate your understanding and help

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Colt Gold Cup Commander FlashBack

For this FlashBack we are going all the way to 1990.

Colt Firearms decided to manufacture the Gold Cup in a Commander size firearm. 500 Of the Gold Cup Commander Custom Edition were produced in Royal Blue with serial numbers ranging from 001GCC to 500 GCC. An additional 500 were manufactured in stainless and serial numbered GCC001 to GCC500.

This allowed a buyer to have one of each finish bearing the same number. For example 183GCC and GCC183 for a matching set

All of the Gold Cup Commander Custom Editions shipped with platypus style grip safety, traditional Gold Cup hammer and trigger along with a standard safety and slide stop. Elliason sights were naturally standard.

The Royal Blue Gold Cup Commander Custom Edition pictured above also had Custom Shop African Ivory grips installed. The stainless version pictured below has the standard walnut grips installed. The stainless version has also had the nicely contoured Safari Arms safety and slide stop installed.

Now in addition to the Custom Edition versions pictured above, Colt also produced 1500 standard Gold Cup Commanders in stainless. These left the Factory with a standard grip safety and rubber wrap around grips.

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Smith & Wesson Model 25 Heritage series

Back around 2000 Lew Horton started down the path toward the Heritage series revolvers. The end result was a handful of different models and chamberings that had some Old World styling to them while incorporating modern metallurgy and machining techniques.

Heritage Model 25s and 17s

The Heritage revolvers were all shipped in nostalgic designed gold boxes. They were manufactured by the Smith and Wesson Performance Center in the early 2000s.

Model 25s were available chambered in 45ACP or 45LC and were finished in blue or with color case hardened frames.

These fine looking revovlers had no barrel ribs so the front sight has the illusion of being very tall. By the way, the Factory chose a gold bead, McGivern style Patridge as the front sight but wisely use a modern micrometer adjustable sight for the rear . . . I approve of the choices

The Factory produced the Heritage revolvers on a new style round butt, 4 screw frame for both the K and N frame revolvers. I know the purists will tell me it is the wrong 4 screws. However it is a Modern revolver.

Accuracy on these new revolvers is above average.

While the round butt grips look nice, they are small for my hands and some target stocks would be nice, or perhaps a Tyler T-grip would be more period correct.

Modern accuracy, fit and finish with old world charm . . . What’s not to like?

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