Build Your Own

Robert at Backroad Blog just finished building his own AKM rifle and is starting a new one already. I tried my hand at building my own 1911 .45 once, inspired by a friend's work on his own. I bought the frame on Maryland's Impulse Buy Day (the end of the waiting period for another gun). The other gun was a Colt Enhanced Model 80 1911...go figure. I just bought a top-of-the-line pistol and I wanted to build one better. I bought the rest of the parts through the now-defunct Denny's Shooter Supply. Darn, I've sent them thousands of bucks over the years....

All parts were match quality and the clockwork was titanium. Although I got the clockwork working, I soon realized that I needed stuff done beyond what I could do with a Dremel Moto-Tool. Into a box it went and there it remained for a decade. My best friend would ask me about it once in a while and finally last year he pointed out that Ed Cameron, a fellow match league member, was a skilled gunsmith...and his neighbor! Well, I gave him the box of parts and told him I was in no big hurry to get a finished product. I gave him the go-ahead to replace things I may have screwed up or are obsolete technology (bought it in early 90s!!). Ed gave me occasional progress reports as we met at matches over the year...it's almost done! He's had to slow down a bit due to a hand injury, but, hey, I've waited a decade already! I'll post a pic and a range report when I get it back!