Gunsmithing: Colt 1991 Compact

[drillsgt]

Here's a 1991 Compact I've been messing with. I installed an S&A beavertail (looks as seamless in person as in the pics) I had in my parts bin, installed a set of night sights (thanks to CCF for cutting the front dovetail in record time), did what I could with the stock hammer and sear for a decent trigger pull, hand beveled the mag well, serrated the rear of the slide, flaired the ejection port, dehorned the entire pistol, readjusted the ambi-safety, polished the extractor, and a few other odds and ends. Thanks to Hoosier Gun Coat for the graphite black cerakote. Sorry for the bad pics, pistol looks 10x better in person.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Looks damn nice to me. I'd be proud to carry such a weapon.

 

[Double T]

That is AWESOME! good looking pistola

 

[rhino]

You do good work! How does it shoot?

 

[drillsgt]

You do good work! How does it shoot?

I just got it together, i'll try it out in a day or two and break it in.

 

[SERparacord]

Fantastic looking weapon, congrats.

 

[Josh Ward]

Very Nice !

 

[lon]

Nice work. What kind of grips are those?

 

[rhino]

I just got it together, i'll try it out in a day or two and break it in.

Keep us posted!

Another question ... is the grip safety pinned, or do you have it depressed some other way to show us how nicely it is contoured to the frame?

This gun reminds me of my 1991 Commander.

 

[drillsgt]

Keep us posted!

Another question ... is the grip safety pinned, or do you have it depressed some other way to show us how nicely it is contoured to the frame?

This gun reminds me of my 1991 Commander.

GS's not pinned it's just an older very low profile S&A, it looks more depressed in the pictures than it really is. I actually took some off the top of the mainspring housing and the bottom notch of the GS to make it "stick out" more because it just didn't look right to me either. Everything works as it should.

 

[drillsgt]

Nice work. What kind of grips are those?

Those ar Ahrends grips, wood is goncalo alves.

 

[downzero]

Checker the front strap now!

 

[drillsgt]

Checker the front strap now!

I would have loved to but the front strap is too thin on this one.

 

[CCF]

Looks really good!!!!

 

[rhino]

GS's not pinned it's just an older very low profile S&A, it looks more depressed in the pictures than it really is. I actually took some off the top of the mainspring housing and the bottom notch of the GS to make it "stick out" more because it just didn't look right to me either. Everything works as it should.

Okay, that makes sense. My Commander has an older Ed Brown grip safety on it, and it's similar (no memory groove/bump).

 

[younggunny]

Very Nice.

 

[lon]

Those ar Ahrends grips, wood is goncalo alves.

Thanks

 

[drillsgt]

You do good work! How does it shoot?

Shoots pretty good, this is about 10yds slow fire with just cheap 230 ball. Groups about 1.75"

 

[rhino]

Cool! Does it go "bang!" each time?

 

[drillsgt]

Cool! Does it go "bang!" each time?

Yes it does. The first time I fired it it had a few failure to extracts and the tension wasn't too bad but I tweaked it a little bit tighter. The bigger problem was the recoil spring. The spring in it was about 2/3rds the length of a standard spring, very worn out. The slide was probably cycling way too fast. Quick extractor tension adjustment plus new stout spring and no more issues.