Just A Touch of Nitre...Pics

[Joe C]

Hello,

Just shipped this one out. As it gets close to Camp Perry I'm working on a bunch of wad and ball guns. This is just one such example of a ball gun built here. Shot very well, as the target provided with it shows.

This particular gun is going to a gent who is a great friend as well as a client. I asked him if he minded if I took a little liberty and did something a bit special for him during the finishing process since he wanted the gun matte blasted instead of buffed. (You know I can't leave well enough alone). He said sure...and so I did the small pins Nitre Blue. I didn't do the grip screws as this gun will be shot a lot and it would wear rather quickly, but just a touch of Nitre goes a long way, in my opinion.

Thanks for looking!







KFS Target rear sight installed tight and blended.


Custom made and blended dovetail front sight.


Stan Chen is still making GREAT ammo!

[navman]

Very nice Joe! Your front dovetail blends always amaze me.

[Brainchild]

I've always liked the look nitre blue pins and screws on a stainless gun. Looks subtle on black. Great work.

[Greg Derr]

Those grip screws are not CMP legal, only slotted allowed.

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by Greg Derr

Those grip screws are not CMP legal, only slotted allowed.

According to the CMP Competition Rules 16th Edition-2012 on Page 37:

Rule 6.6, Table 4, Line 4, Replacement Grips: Grips, right and left, must be mirror image grips, with no thumb rest. Any type of grip screw (slotted, Phillips, hex, etc.) is permitted."

[ExMachina]

Wow! And please do tell on that front sight--that blend is flawless! Did you peen the edges before blending? Was the sight finished in place??

[Harnasb]

Very nice work as always Joe, and what a shooter. Nitre blue is very cool.

[Chop1980]

She's a beauty for sure!

[hooks]

very nice work Joe...

[7east]

Joe, this might be one of my favorites of your yet. Great job.

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by ExMachina

Wow! And please do tell on that front sight--that blend is flawless! Did you peen the edges before blending? Was the sight finished in place??

Thanks all for your very kind comments. I'm glad you still enjoy seeing what I do here each day.

Ex, no I don't peen anything before blending on these guns. I just cut the dovetail in the slide very carefully and then make the sight blocks here from scratch. After installing the block it is then machined down to the desired size and shape. Then, after getting the dovetail blending close with the mill it is carefully finished with files, breakaway stones and paper before being blasted.

Great question, and thanks for asking!

Respectfully,

[aauwen]

Very clean looking...

[deadguy]

looks great Joe.

[Dangerous]

Real nice as usual.

[lunchboxjonez]

Nice!

[hxer]

Very good work, looks amazing

[woodwrkr]

Originally Posted by Joe C

Ex, no I don't peen anything before blending on these guns. I just cut the dovetail in the slide very carefully and then make the sight blocks here from scratch. After installing the block it is then machined down to the desired size and shape. Then, after getting the dovetail blending close with the mill it is carefully finished with files, breakaway stones and paper before being blasted.

Wow! Great job! That's a lot of work blending the dovetail sight. Is a blended dovetail sight so much better than a staked on front sight (properly done of course so it won't shoot loose) to make the blending worth the effort?

Just lookin' for some edjumakation!

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by woodwrkr

Wow! Great job! That's a lot of work blending the dovetail sight. Is a blended dovetail sight so much better than a staked on front sight (properly done of course so it won't shoot loose) to make the blending worth the effort?

Just lookin' for some edjumakation!

woodwrkr,

Thank you for the kind words.

My opinion is that yes, a properly installed dovetail front sight is better (read: stronger, straighter, more consistent) than a staked on front sight and is well worth the extra work.

It also, in my opinion, shows what kind of craftsman has built the gun. It is easy to install a standard dovetail sight into a cut with some loc-tite, a roll pin and call it good. But to take the time to make it from scratch and blend it as seamlessly and smoothly as possible from the blade to the edge of the cut on the radius (while not messing up your sight blade) hopefully shows, in just some small way, how much care and attention goes into the small details of a project. And if a smith takes the time to pay attention to the small details such as that, imagine what things like the slide to frame and barrel fit are like.

But that is just how I choose to do things and my $.02 regarding craftsmanship and pride of workmanship...which unfortunately seems to be missing in a lot of places these days.

Respectfully,

[Aussie D]

Originally Posted by Joe C

woodwrkr,

Thank you for the kind words.

My opinion is that yes, a properly installed dovetail front sight is better (read: stronger, straighter, more consistent) than a staked on front sight and is well worth the extra work.

It also, in my opinion, shows what kind of craftsman has built the gun. It is easy to install a standard dovetail sight into a cut with some loc-tite, a roll pin and call it good. But to take the time to make it from scratch and blend it as seamlessly and smoothly as possible from the blade to the edge of the cut on the radius (while not messing up your sight blade) hopefully shows, in just some small way, how much care and attention goes into the small details of a project. And if a smith takes the time to pay attention to the small details such as that, imagine what things like the slide to frame and barrel fit are like.

But that is just how I choose to do things and my $.02 regarding craftsmanship and pride of workmanship...which unfortunately seems to be missing in a lot of places these days.

Respectfully,

Joe,
Well said!! I noticed that you have your own branded frames now, another nice touch. I also like the undercut of the front sight, nice, just how I like it for comp shooting. However, one tiny point, I noticed you miled the front sight a lttle thinner at the front to reduce the effect of "glare" from the sides, have you thought about also doing a cut parallel with rearward undercut? For my eye, in competition shooting, that would be then perfect.

Outstanding product again as well.

Cheers,

Aussie D

[ExMachina]

Originally Posted by Joe C

Ex, no I don't peen anything before blending on these guns. I just cut the dovetail in the slide very carefully and then make the sight blocks here from scratch. After installing the block it is then machined down to the desired size and shape. Then, after getting the dovetail blending close with the mill it is carefully finished with files, breakaway stones and paper before being blasted.

Great question, and thanks for asking!

Respectfully,

Shucks. Now that's just showing off

Thanks for the enlightenment.