Mr. Belly Gun

[Sharps40]

SS Grip. Silver front sight with black base. Nickel/silver colored ejector rod button. Black frame/barrel/cylinder. Grips will show up redbrown with black squiggles in the grain. Unsure on the ejector rod housing....I think polished aluminum will be way too much silver. Probably will paint it black and bake it for durability. I wish I was set up for home anodize but not worth all the expense to blacken one single ejector rod housing. Not sure on the pins/screws. If I an peacock purple them in molten lead.....???

 

[41mag]

SS Grip. Silver front sight. Nickel/silver colored ejector rod button. Black frame/barrel/cylinder. Not sure on the pins/screws. If I an peacock purple them in molten lead.....???

Just not GOLD ....hee hee ! If you did, ya would have to rename it...

 

[Sharps40]

Gold? Freakin pimps dentist gun with gold on it! Gold on a gun is butt ugly. Only two thins worse than gold on a gun.....painted lettering and melts!

 

[Sharps40]

Grip frame and grips are done....99%. Ready for final cleaning and I'll put them away till the entire gun is completed.

Final finish on the stainless steel is 220g satin and the finish in the wood is hand rubbed urethane, satin also.

 

[Sharps40]

First rust on the completed parts. Black is on the way.

All polished thru 120 and or 220g

Building a head of heat and humidity in the inaugural run of the rust bluing damp box.

Parts, thoroughly wetted with pilkingtons are in the cabinet for the first one hour rust cycle.

 

[Sharps40]

Iced in for a day here in Central NC with nary a snow plow in site so.....rust. To say I'm pleased with the first 18 hour run of the new damp cabinet is an understatement.

 

[Sharps40]

After carding with 0000 steel wool.....first run in the rust looks good. Great initial color and the only dark spots are the bottoms of the freckles that did not polish out of the cylinder. The worst part of any rust bluing job is actually rust bluing and carding screw heads and the through pins.

This will probably take three passes on the pins and screws. 4 to 6 passes on the cylinder.

 

[Sharps40]

Scalloped recoil shields are an expensive gunsmith job....or not. If you have practice hand filing skills, like any good gunsmith should, file them in yourself. Its a 30 minute job from rat tail to half round to final shape on the press mounted sanding drums.

Left side, laying out the first cuts with a rattail, halfway from standing breech to tail of the recoil shield and far enough down so the tops of each scallop will be at or just below the top edge of the loading gate. All eyeball, no layout lines needed. Done slowly and with care they will match up fine. The thickness of the loading gate is the limiting factor, I plan to back cut the gate for finger access. So, to prevent a knife edge on it and loss of its round countours, the scallops will be shallower than one that penetrates both the top and bottom of the loading gate side recoil shield.

Begin opening the rattail cut with the half round file. when the rattail cut (at the bottom) disappears, I'm done except for final adjustments and polish on the press mounted drum sander.

Rattail first on the loading gate side. Not cutting into the top of the recoil shield at this time.....we'll see how steady I am and if they line up (top and bottom and depth) when all is said and done.

Finish up the loading gate side with the 1/2 round file....still not into the top of the recoil shield....both tops and bottoms should be fairly well in alignment. Off to the drum sanders next to finish this side too.

Not bad. Eyeball says tops and bottoms are about perfect in alighment....depth is about the same, angles are about the same. Very close and very attractive when done.

No knife edge on the loading gate, plenty of meat to back cut it for finger access.

Time to head for the cold cold freezing workshop to finish the deal....meantime, getting close to second boil on the cylinder and screws.

 

[WC1911guy]

I would just like to say that watching this thread develope is truly awesome. You are skilled far beyond anyone I've ever seen.

 

[Sharps40]

Thanks. Its basic skills that anyone who wants to can develop. Most folks are afraid to advance beyond parts swapping and the whores of gunsmithing.....paint, filled letters and butchery by melt!

Scallops are straightened and completed on a drum on the drill press. Also, the back side of the loading gate is relieved at the same time for cold/gloved finger clearance.

About as good as it gets. And, I am quite pleased.