Contact Reminder

Just a quick note to remind everyone who uses email to contact us that we do receive a large number of emails on a daily basis. Many of these emails are spam and they go directly to a spam folder. Sometimes a legitimate business related mail ends up in our spam and we may not catch this. If for some reason you do not get a response to an email, please try again or make a followup call. We are very diligent about returning phone calls and emails. We appreciate each and every inquiry we receive, even in those rare instance when we may not be able to help you.

BullsEye Guns

You may have noticed that since our 2008 web site update Bullseye guns no longer have their own link even though the spec sheet is still available as a .PDF. At the end of last year we made a decision to limit our production of Bullseye guns by placing them in a ‘Project Gun’ status. We will no longer be accepting individual orders for these guns. Depending on our workload we will continue to build Bullseye guns on occasions and offer them for sale once they are complete and in the white. We will be posting these guns on the ‘Project Gun’ page as they become available. Bullseye guns require a ‘slip fit no shake’ level of build with pre-tested barrels and this is extremely time consuming and costly. It’s also very difficult to maintain a schedule on the guns. We have no specific plan to build any Bullseye guns in 2008. We apologize to anyone we may have dissapointed with this decision.

Happy New Year!

Pistol Dynamics would like to extend our best wishes for the New Year to all our customers, friends and supporters. We are looking forward to another exciting year as we continue to expand our line of custom handguns based on our new proprietary Pistol Dynamics 1911 receiver.

Inventory

Due to an inventory and machine maintenance schedule Pistol Dynamics will be closed to walk-in business until January 7 2008. We will continue to be available to our customers by phone. However, if you are greeted with voicemail when you call please leave a message. We may not be able to take all calls on demand but we will get back to you.

We will also not be shipping or receiving handguns until this process is complete. Shipping and receiving will resume on January 7.

Thanks

Pistol Dynamics Gift Certificates

Info on how to order Pistol Dynamics gift certificates for the holiday season is now available here. We wish all our friends and customers a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season

Nyle Leathem

Our thoughts and condolences go out to Robbie Leathem and his entire family at the passing of his dad Nyle. Marie and I will remember him with great affection.

Old Farts....

It was really good to see my pal 'Tommy Gun' Campbell at the recent SWAT Round-Up in Orlando FL. We've been close friends since the early days of IPSC and rumour has it that we might be competing again in an 'Old Farts' reunion match which will be a real hoot if it happens. (I'm going to make a fortune with my on-site geriatric equipment rental) . I was going to dig up all my old shooting gear so that I could roll up in 'costume', as it were, but I dropped that idea as soon as I realized that none of it would fit. (By the way, that's NOT a Safariland holster that I'm lifting off the table as my photo guy blitzes Campbell with a high intensity strobe). To prove that we were actually young once, here's a picture of Tom, Marie and I at the Bianchi Cup in 1984. Yup, that's him wearing her hat.....solid evidence that even in those days the man wasn't all there. However, Tom is one of the finest handgunners of all time and an icon in the world of practical shooting.

Carry Gun FAQ

We are sometimes asked what we might suggest for an effective carry gun. We have a number of potential solutions but one of the more practical is a 4" XO based 1911 on an 'Officers' size frame similar to that shown here. Even though it's compact, the unit is manageable because most people can get a full grip on the pistol thanks to our high-hold ergonomics. The slide and barrel length is long enough to afford a usable sight radius and there is ample room for a proper recoil system. The ARP mechanism retards the timing and tames recoil impulse. Very often people are drawn to ultra-compact 1911s that are easier to carry but teater on the edge of not functioning reliably because there is very little room for an effective recoil system, the slide cycle is short and the slide velocities are elevated to a point of causing magazine related malfunctions. We believe that a compact XO is the most practical package a shooter can confidently rely on. The gun is small enough to be concealable and has plenty of manageability and performance to warrant being used in IDPA to practice shooting skills. The other advantage to the XO concept is that there are no tools required to field strip the pistol and basic maintenance is simple.

More from the Steel Challenge

A quick thanks to Jim O'young for flying the PD flag at the Steel Challenge. As usual, Jim put up some solid numbers with his Pistol Dynamics stock gun and can always be counted on to be there when we can't. Thanks for the image Jim.

Steel Challenge Time!

If you happen to be in the So Cal area during this week stop by the World Speed Shooting Championship at the ISI range near Lake Piru. Get Directions here. The Steel Challenge, run By Mike Dalton and Mike Fichman, has been the premier pro pistol tournament for many years. I had a lot of fun shooting the Steel Steel Challenge in the 80's and have a tremendous respect for both Mikes. We are a proud sponsor of the match and if you do have the opportunity to drop by you could enter to win this specially prepared Pistol Dynamics Scout.

Electronic Mailing List

If you would like to be added to our e-list to receive emails on New Product Announcements, available Project Guns and Press Releases please click here and key in the word ADD in the subject line. Please note that it is our policy NOT to distribute or sell your personal information under any circumstances or to use it for any reason other than stated here. The information you provide will be for the sole purpose of informing you of developments in our business and other information that might be of interest or benefit to you as an existing or potential customer.

Congtratulations Kaelin!

We're proud to report that Kaelin Liebenberg has been awarded her Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do. She's worked tirelessly over the last five years to attain this goal while maintaining a ‘Straight A’ average at school. A special thanks goes out to ‘uncle’ Al Tong (Black Belt in his own right) for his encouragement, support and for laying the foundation to Kaelin’s winning attitude in martial arts. We're also looking forward to her competing in the US Open Martial Arts Tournament in Orlando next week and wish her continued success as she moves to this next level of competition.

Radial Bushings

This is a quick look at one of our new Radial bushings for the 1911. Starting with the introduction of our new Pistol Dynamics 1911 (July 2007) we will offer two variations of the system; one that is flush mount to the slide and requires a wrench, and another that is designed to facilitate a totally toolless field strip. Both Systems utilize a flush mount reverse recoil spring plug.

New Trituim Rear Sights

Our tritium rear sights have been reconfigured to blend a little better with the latest fads in tactical training. This design is available with or without tritium tubes. The sight is compatible with the 'Novak' dovetail. Price and availability can be had here

Barbara Stone

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Barbara Stone, wife of the late Irving O. Stone Jr. and namesake of Bar-Sto Precision. Marie and I are honored to have known the Stone family for over 25 years. Barbara and Irving treated us like their own and we miss them. We extend our sincere condolences to Irv Stone III and the entire family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Irv.

Paul Liebenberg

Performance Shooting HQ

Performance Shooting HQ is a new source for Pistol Dynamics parts and accessories. You can access the site here or through a link on our parts page. Some special order items are only available directly from us but PSHQ has a comprehensive listing of stock items.

Contact Reminder

Please be aware that our phone and email systems are protected from solicitation and spam. Any call that is received from a number of an 'Unknown' or 'Private' source automatically goes to voice mail. If you have an ID block on your phone it is important to leave a message so that we can return your call. All calls from unblocked numbers will be answered unless our lines are busy. In either case your call will be returned promptly if you leave a message. Emails should have a subject related notation in the subject line otherwise the message may be automatically transferred to a spam folder and be deleted.

New 'Features' Page

Please visit our new 'Features' page on our web site. It was uploaded to help explain the features of our pistols and the terminology we use. We hope this will assist you in making the best decisions when ordering.

We Don’t Install Shok-Buffs in 1911s

If you send a 1911 to us for any kind of service that requires a barrel installation, recoil system upgrade or timing adjustment please make sure to remove the little blue thing on your guide rod (if you have one) before shipping it to us. We discard these devices in order to properly tune the pistol and will not return them.
Shok-Buffs reduce the slide travel on 1911s significantly enough to potentially interfere with how we do things. They reduce the dwell time at the end of the slide stroke and sometimes affect the ability of the magazine to deliver and settle a round to the lips of the mag in time to feed the next round effectively. This is particularly relevant to "Commander" length pistols where the slide stroke is already shortened by 080”-100” over a full size pistol. We have found that In some cases Shok-Buffs reduce the slide travel to such an extent that the slide either fails to lock back on the last round or damage occurs to the slide stop notch over time and the slide stop loses its ability to engage.
A 1911 with a correctly fitted barrel, that is well timed, and matched to the recoil system does not benefit at all from these devices in our opinion. PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL A SHOK-BUFF IN ANY PISTOL DYNAMICS HANDGUN. Our guns are precisely timed and tuned for function and the materials of the slide, frame, and guide rod have been carefully chosen to absorb impact that is not enhanced by the installation of a Shock-Buff.

Liebenberg Built Pachmayrs

We've received a number of questions on how to identify a Liebenberg built Pachmayr Combat Special. Other than number ID, a Combat Special built by Paul differs slightly in certain areas from the typical Pachmayr specification. The most noticeable deviation is the ejection port dimple and the bevel treatment on the slide, bushing and safeties. Some Combat Specials were fitted with wide-links and all of those examples were Liebenberg built. The front strap checkering is bordered differently and many pistols had pocket Bomar rear sight installations. The picture above depicts a typical Liebenberg Combat Special of the early 80's. The image on the right is a modern Pistol Dynamics tribute pistol to Frank Pachmayr and the Combat Special. 'Combat Special' is a registered trademark of Pistol Dynamics through SuperFormance Inc.

New Briley / Pistol Dynamics Project

Claudio Salassa of Briley MFG. and Paul Liebenberg have collaborated on the introduction of a new 1911 pistol; the first 40 of which will be offered through Briley in Texas and hand built by Paul and team in the Pistol Dynamics model shop. The handguns will utilize Briley’s new forged and machined 1911 frame, slide and barrel. The project will showcase a blend of Briley and Pistol Dynamics 1911 components and innovations. Features will include a match grade barrel, custom sights, machined beavertail grip safety, hand checkering, PD ignition system and many other traditional custom nuances. A custom mag well and various finish options will be available to produce an extremely logical and desirable handgun. The guns will include a hand fired test target and authenticity document signed by both Claudio Salassa and Paul Liebenberg. Keep checking here and our web site for more information.

Happy Holidays!

We would like to wish all our friends, customers and supporters a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and the very best for 2007. We appreciate everything you have done to make 2006 our most successful year to date. Thank you.

Safety/Tech Note

Before removing or replacing a two-piece guide rod in your 1911, be sure to remove the magazine, unload the pistol and lock the slide back by engaging the slide stop in the slide stop notch. Attempting to loosen or tighten the guide rod when the slide is in battery can cause the rear of the guide rod to rotate under pressure and wedge itself under the barrel. This could prevent the barrel from dropping out of the locking lugs when the slide is manipulated; effectively rendering the pistol inoperative. One of the arguments against a two-piece guide rod is that they sometimes work loose during the extended use of the firearm. This issue can be alleviated if the slide is locked back when the guide rod is being secured with the wrench because more pressure can be applied to the threads without fear of system lock-up. Implementing this procedure as part of your habit for disassembly also ensures your safety because a slide that is locked back with the magazine removed is indicative of a safe weapon.

Why We Do This.....

Over the years it’s become customary to line or checker the rear of the slide and sight face of custom 1911s, but the true reason for the treatment has somehow been lost over time. While most people order it on their guns for cosmetic reasons nowadays, the origin lies with Bullseye and target shooters who lined their slides and iron sights to knock down glare and to hold sight-black. I started checkering my slides and rear sight blades in the late 70’s when we discovered that this method was even more effective at holding site-black and dealing with the varying light angles experienced in practical pistol shooting. Today it’s become one of our trademark features on custom built guns and we are one of the few shops that offer it. Checkering the rear of a slide to match the sight is a time-consuming hand operation that cannot successfully be duplicated by machine because of the compound curvature of the slide. If it’s done well it looks great, if not, it looks like hell. You can see more here.

Good Luck Kaelin!

We wish Kaelin Liebenberg all the best as she begins a grueling test for her Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do today. Her preparation for the six month period ahead started five years ago at the age of nine and she'll soon qualify as a true student of the martial arts. She's an accomplished competitor having won many trophies and medals at TaeKwon-Do and Karate tournaments and trains in full-contact kickboxing with one of the finest teachers of the discipline. Kaelin is one of the leading practitioners of traditional weapons in her rank, and if that isn't enough to deter would-be vermin, she's also showing impressive skills with the practical handgun.

SHOT Show 2007

We will have a presence at the SHOT Show in 2007. Look for a huge 6'x3' poster with this image on it and you should find at least a few Pistol Dynamics handguns to view. We'll post the booth number when we can. We already have a number of commitments as far as meetings are concerned. However, should you want to see us, feel free to call and it will be our pleasure to link up with you. Click here or on the image to read the article

Custom Mag Wells

Our slide-on mag well design is now fully developed and is available as an option on most of our custom guns or as a retro fit on many production 1911 pistols. The package is available as a fixed seamless installation or as a removable option ideal for aluminum-framed pistols. The installation does not add length to the grip of the frame but does require precision machining and a set of dedicated Pistol Dynamics grips which are included in the package. The mag well is available in both aluminum and carbon steel. The steel unit can be finished in blue, hard chrome and parkerized while the aluminum part is availble in any color offered on the anodizing color wheel.

Our First Posting

We've often been asked about the origins of our logo. Many are inquisitive as to its significance, some think it's just another bird and others more endeared to it have contacted us, quite agitated at times, believing that we pilfered the emblem of the Selous Scouts. My close friend and colleague Col. Robert E. Hunt once wrote a short piece on this from his perspective, which you can read here. I adopted the image of the Selous Scout Osprey in deference to those who fought so tirelessly for what they always knew was a lost cause and because it was an image in limbo that deserved resurrection. In my time in Southern Africa I was honored to know a number of individuals of this ilk and became close friends with two; both of whom were killed. One was a Rhodesian Selous Scout, the other a South African Recce. In Zimbabwe today (Rhodesia to those who care and remember) it's a 'felony' to display this emblem. But we use it in deference to those who battled the communist insurgency in that country (as well as my own) and we display it in the most respectful way we can by including it on products that we hope will some day rise to the quality of the individuals who wore the badge.

Pamwe Chete