Pistol Dynamics

PD Anniversary Gun Finished in IonBond

2011-06-26T22:31:00.009-04:00

As expected the Pistol Dynamics Anniversary 1911 pilot gun finished in IonBond is spectacular. The result mirrors a very high end charcoal blue but with a resistance to surface wear second to none. Thanks to all the folks at that company for their diligence and care in handling this very important piece. We have a lot of experience with the process now and our 'Team' guns finished in Ionbond are closing in on 40,000 rounds (each) of hard holstered use. The wear resistance of the finish is impressive to say the least. While our guys seldom clean their guns (3000-5000 round intervals) they all look like new when they are clean and we're convinced that IonBond is as close to a one time finish as there is. Paul spent many hours hand polishing the Centenary pistol to a presentation finish and Ionbond reflected all that work beautifully. Unfortunately the image doesn't do justice, it has to be seen to be believed. Click on it to enlarge.

PD 1911 Anniversary Pistol - A First Look

2011-02-17T22:36:00.022-05:00

The Pistol Dynamics tribute to the 100th anniversary of the 1911 is a totally hand-built RetroMod constructed from the ground up by Paul Liebenberg. A limit of 26 units will be made available in a choice of any 1911 compatible caliber. The number range will start with an alpha controlling 1911-A-2011 and end in 'Z'. The prototype pistol shown here in the white is built in 38 caliber (click here to access a gallery with more images). The design of the gun draws from features that extend from the very earliest cross hatch trigger and hammer to the ISS system and a variation of our most recent lanyard loop main spring housing. The retro style beavertail is scratch made by hand as are the gold inlayed high profile sights. Ebony and ivory grips will be available as well as a number of different custom case options. Because of the myriad of finishes possible, the pistol will be priced out in the white as shown at $4900 with the cost of the elected finish and case determining the final price. The fit and finish, attention to detail, extensive hand checkering and overall design ensures that this gun will stand apart from all others currently offered to celebrate the occasion. This project will run independently from the rest of our routine so that we can keep tabs on the special parts required and the careful planning needed to keep us on a reasonable schedule. To further accommodate this pretty ambitious endeavor we've restructured our business to a certain extent by eliminating a few products from our line as well as limiting custom work on commercial handguns. We're accepting reservations for the pistol at this time and all relevant details will be furnishd to interested parties by direct contact or phone. Many of the choice 'alpha' characters are already taken, but a lot more are still in play as of this writing. If the 1911 Centenary is as important to you as it is to us and you would like to own one of these ultra unique weapons please feel free to call during normal working hours.

What's New for 2011?

2011-01-20T18:43:00.007-05:00

This year Pistol Dynamics II celebrates a full decade of doing business in Florida together with the 100th anniversary of the 1911. It also marks over 35 years of Paul’s personal involvement with the 1911 and variants. We’re extremely thankful to all our customers, friends and supporters who have helped us over the years to develop into the unique custom handgun manufacturer we are today. We’ve done a significant amount of product development over the years and proven concepts that have culminated in us being a leader in 1911 innovation. We’ve kept abreast of the market and the desires and expectations that go with it. We’re fortunate and proud to have earned the respect of many individuals in the armed forces and LE communities who have chosen to use our guns. Some of these people have gone out of their way to provide us with valuable input, T&E and many other things that have brought our pistols to the level they are today. Visionary collectors have allowed us to build ‘dream’ guns that under normal circumstances would be out of the realm of for a small gun business such as ours. All of the aforementioned have paved the way to our future in the business and the calculated decisions we’ve made regarding our philosophy moving forward. We need to react to changing markets and customer expectations and do what is needed to sustain through these challenging economic and political times. Our strategy for the future requires us to make targeted adjustments to our product line and the way we do business. Our revamped website for 2011 will be up-loaded shortly to outline our revised policies and offerings and our blog will be the source for up to the minute info on all matters pertaining to Pistol Dynamics on a continual basis. We thank you all for your continued support and look forward to introducing you to our next level of custom and performance based 1911’s (as well as some other things you may not have expected from us).

The Good News

New for 2011:

This year we are introducing our first controlled featured performance handgun intended specifically to the active operator, specialized LE officer and practical shooter. Code-named ‘Super Scout’, (in deference to S-Dave who has been front and center with developing the gun and providing extended test data). The gun is based on our proven custom Scout chassis but configured specifically for the varying arenas worldwide. The pistol deviates from our normal external extractor design in favor of the traditional internal part to ensure ease of service by military personal who are not equipped with the tools, parts or training to maintain 1911’s with external extractors in remote areas. Other than this, the feature set of the pistol reflects our normal quality of build and design. The uniqueness of the package is driven by a myriad of available pre-fitted and tested service packs depending on individual requirements to the extent that the user can practically service and repair the unit in the field should it become necessary and have everything at hand to do so. The gun, magazines, service packs and all required tools and instruction material is package in an indestructible ‘go-case’. More details will follow shortly but suffice to say that lead times for those who really need a fighting or practical handgun will soon be dramatically cut. The performance of the ‘Super Scout’, part integrity and finish longevity has proven impressive. Keep a look out for details here and on our web page coming soon.

Pistol Dynamics Anniversary Gun:

Yes, we are offering a very short run of hand made 100^th Anniversary 1911’s. Details on our Retro-Mod Super 38’s and 45ACP’s with special serial numbers will be released shortly. The pilot gun is due for unveiling at the end of January. The project is not a re-hash of an existing model, the pistols and all major components are to be custom made by Paul exclusively.

Signature Guns:

Paul is committed to continue hand building heirloom and one-off pistols by hand in the traditional method. He is one of, if not the only, first generation custom 1911 builder remaining in business to be actively constructing custom handguns on a personal basis. As he notes “all the others smartened up long ago”. However, many of the unique designs and features you see on our pistols today came from concept guns and we will continue to build these in limited quantities for discerning customers.

Combat Specials.

Signature Combat Special will remain a staple at Pistol Dynamics with the Combat Special Classic II and the Combat Special Evolution being offered on PD chassis only. We have added a 4” ISS compact Combat Special Evo in 45 ACP built on an Officers equivalent frame. Combat Special Classics built on select Colt 1911’s will be considered on an individual basis driven by the condition of the customer supplied Colt pistol. We will only consider building ‘Classics’ on Colts that are previously unaltered and dimensionally sound. CSC are not available on any other brand of 1911.

The ‘Other’ News

As mentioned earlier we’ve learned some things that have lead to necessary decision-making.

Because of our increasing commitment to branded scratch built pistols we are forced to limit our influx of custom work on customer supplied pistols specifically as it pertains to production based handguns. The cost in man hours to build a custom or performance pistol utilizing a production based chassis to the level of our Pistol Dynamics scratch builds has driven the price of these units to an unacceptable level both in cost and man hours in our opinion (except with regards to Combat Special Classics and certain heirloom projects). With this in mind we are going to take a hiatus from modifying existing 1911’s except with respect to the exceptions listed above. Part of this decision is driven by new offerings previously mentioned, an increase in the demand for our pistols in general and the fact that circumstances have pushed us over our schedules on certain gun builds. However, production based pistols that are currently in-house will be completed as promised.

Springfield based Pistols:

Springfield Armory based X-O and XE models have unfortunately been discontinued. The Springfield GI is our favored production chassis on which to build a performance handgun but the demand has fallen off in favor of our branded handguns. The up side is that this provides us an opportunity to get back on schedule with trailing projects.

Pistol Dynamics X-O

The Pistol Dynamics X-O pistol is now limited to a full size receiver with a 4.5” barrel only. No other slide or frame sizes will be available. The X-O bull barrel compact has been reconfigured and been replaced by the SSC which is now part of the Super Scout line.

Compensated Pistols:

The Revolution comp is sold out for both the Carry Comp and Open IPSC for 2011. Depending on build status and our ability to stay on schedule, the reservation list will open again in 2012. Reservations that were on the list as of December 31 2010 are still active and we will contact customers when chassis are available for final specifications and completion.

General Repairs:

General repairs on 1911’s will no longer be offered. Only repairs on PD pistols and those handguns having been built or modified by PD will be serviced. The exception to this is authentic Pachmayr Combat Specials and Pachmayr Signature Models which we will continue to restore and or rebuild on a case by case basis.

Serial Numbers:

Custom Serial numbers will only be available on Signature grade pistols.

In closing, while Pistol Dynamics has flourished as a business, we have also been affected by the economy as it pertains to vendor and purchased services. We have suffered some vendor attrition that has resulted in us having to search out and validate new suppliers. We have also suffered some extended hold-ups in the skilled machining department that has put our CNC operations at half speed over the last few months. As a result we have fallen back on our scheduling and some of our delivery expectations are going to be unavoidably extended. With the addition of some skilled machinists together with the changes we have instituted this year we expect our very compact operation to get back on track with regards to our project completion goals in the next few months. We thank all of our customers for their understanding and patience in this regard and look forward to being more streamlined and efficient in the near future.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All

2010-12-18T13:29:00.002-05:00

Congrats Kaelin and Adrian

2010-01-11T20:10:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Kaelin Liebenberg and her former team mate Adrian Gilliam for securing a staggering nine Florida State Martial Arts titles between them for 2009. This caps a very successful year for both of these young black belts. Kaelin had two Division 'A' Black Belt wins at the '09 US Open and another two at the Battle of Atlanta. Adrian enjoyed a number of wins on both the KICK USA and NASKA circuits. Good luck to both of these young athletes for 2010!

Last but not least... HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY KAELIN !!!

Our New Web Store is up!

2009-12-30T17:22:00.005-05:00

Our new Web Store for 2010 has been uploaded and is fully operational. We hope you enjoy browsing the store. We'll be adding product and services on a continuous basis so please check back often. Your constructive input would be appreciated as will any suggestions for parts and services that you might want to see. Please click here to take you directly there.

Seasons Greeting to All

2009-12-27T16:16:00.003-05:00

We would like to wish all of our customers, vendors and friends a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Happy New Year. We very much appreciate your support and look forward to servicing your needs more comprehensively and efficiently in 2010.

Revolution Comps

2009-09-08T08:35:00.009-04:00

After many years of threatening to do this, we have finally released our new compensator system in limited quantities (which you can review here). Because we still don't have a good handle on how to efficiently produce the unit in quantities we are building a limited number of pistols in various formats to include the barrel, compensator, recoil and ignition system etc. The rest of the pistol will be left white and unfinished for the final owner to spec out. This gives us the ability to test rolling chassis and have them on hand when an order is cut to alleviate what would certainly be a long production lead time if we were to open the order book on the system. Customers will be placed on a no-fee reservation list and orders will be filled as units become available. The final sighting system and custom feature set can then be determined and we'll complete the unit to customer specification.

We are producing a number of 5" Carry-Comp and 6.125" high capacity IPSC pistol chassis. The first run of these pistols are currently committed but reservation for the next rotation of chassis is open. Please feel free to call with any questions.

IonBond News

2009-06-22T22:13:00.003-04:00

IonBond recently closed it's custom shop and is now channeling refinishing from gunsmiths through a custom shop in Oregon. Pistol Dynamics is 'commercial' IonBond customer and is not affected by this action. We will continue to work directly with the company. There may be a short period of instability as far as turnaround is concerned until the internal revamp is in full swing. We are confident that any issues that arise will be minor and short lived, but we do ask for your understanding should your particular order be affected by this change in any way. We believe that IonBond is one of the finest handgun finishes available and we will continue to promote the process on our scratch built pistols and those in our custom gun loop.

Website Update

2009-01-06T22:46:00.003-05:00

We're in the process of uploading our 2009 Website so please be patient while we do this. Some pages may not be available for a time and there could be some errors as we go through the process. Please feel free to let us know if there are persistent problems or you find incorrect spelling, grammar or other weird South Africanisms that need to be addressed. The new 'Images' page will take some time to be uploaded and the 2008 version may be unavailable for a while. Otherwise we hope you enjoy the revamp.

Christmas Gift Certificates

2008-12-03T23:09:00.000-05:00

Pistol Dynamics gift certificates for 2008 are now available. You can access the relevant page here. We wish all our loyal customers, friends and vendors a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We thank you all very much for contributing to our success.

Note on email

2008-10-17T09:12:00.002-04:00

When emailing Pistol Dynamics for any reason, please be sure to identify yourself. We reserve the right to ignore anonymous emails and send them to a spam folder. We also reject any email that does not have something in the subject line that clearly ID's your email as PD business related. We appreciate our customers and all of you who take an interest in our business and we attempt to respond to all emails in a timely manner. Our email volume is high so please try to make it easier on us by including something in the subject line and identifying yourself in the body of the email.

Thanks

New Custom Logo Grips

2008-07-07T20:08:00.008-04:00

Custom Scout logo grips are now available as an added feature to your Scout or compact Scout. The inserts are individually machined in our shop and flush mounted into our PD micarta combat grips. You can read more and see the grips on guns here.

Contact Reminder

2008-04-16T08:32:00.002-04:00

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

2008-02-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-01-02T08:43:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-02T08:27:00.001-05:00

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

2007-12-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-26T21:03:00.001-05:00

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....

2007-11-08T21:20:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-20T18:29:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-08-14T23:13:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-26T22:46:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-06-30T15:03:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-30T14:48:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-19T09:58:00.001-04:00

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

2007-04-09T22:08:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-28T21:13:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-21T17:17:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-12-24T11:35:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

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.....

2006-11-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

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.

SHOT Show 2007

2006-11-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-05T10:50:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-04T07:47:00.000-05:00

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