Sunday, December 24, 2006

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.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

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.

Monday, November 13, 2006

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.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

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.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

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