Customized SA Micro Ugly Duckling to Swan UPDATE
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:06 pm
EDIT: Added Pics. I have changed the final pics with updated ones with the new VZ Aztec grips in Black Desert Sand with Turbo Screws. Slide lock is fixed and all running good.
Every since I was biten by the 1911 bug I have wanted to add a nice Micro Compact 3" for carry. Wanted a loaded SA or Kimber. But $$$ held me back and was looking for a good used one. I was at The Arms Room a few weeks back getting my wife a Circuit Judge and they had a few micros. SA and Kimbers plus a used SA Micro that I thought was a Standard GI model because it was an OD GREEN model and I wanted a Loaded. Turns out it was a Loaded model, PX9805L with a Crimson Trace LG304 laser grips. Don't anyone get your feelings hurt, but to me it was just plain ugly in the OD Green. I like the bitone anodized and stainless ones. Well, Elizabeth says, "our gunsmith can make it any look you want". (Thanks Elizabeth!) One of their gunsmiths, Johnny was there and I had seen his Jewel work he had done on others. turns out he does Duracoat as well. I scratched my head and thought, well, I always did want one made to my order. Johnny says "I can make it look like that Kimber Eclipse if you want". Well, I brought in some various ammo to make sure it would eat all ammo I use and it did. Shot great except for a slide lock problem. But it ate and shot nice. Loved it. It shot low but I was going to change the sights anyway, So I said "Why Not?!". Now I realized the SA does not have a stainless frame so it could not be polished like the Eclipse, only the slide could. Well, another opportunity and I asked Johnny, "can we make that area that would be polished stainless into AGGIE MAROON?" He says "SURE!"
Well, three weeks later, some fixing on the slide lock, some blasting and painting, jeweling the barrel, added a S&A magwell, Novak green fiber optic rear sights and Dawson Precision Red Front fiber optics, some trigger work with internal polishing and here are the pics of before and after. I don't really like the LG304 type grips so I will be selling those and adding some VZ Grips in Aztec style with black desert sand color to compliment the new work.
I want to say thanks to Johnny on the Maroon as he mixed it custom instead of buying and hand curved the frame edge to the black. Very nice job for me and appreciate the extra effort the folks at The Arms Room gave me from Johnny, Elizabeth and Travis.
Every since I was biten by the 1911 bug I have wanted to add a nice Micro Compact 3" for carry. Wanted a loaded SA or Kimber. But $$$ held me back and was looking for a good used one. I was at The Arms Room a few weeks back getting my wife a Circuit Judge and they had a few micros. SA and Kimbers plus a used SA Micro that I thought was a Standard GI model because it was an OD GREEN model and I wanted a Loaded. Turns out it was a Loaded model, PX9805L with a Crimson Trace LG304 laser grips. Don't anyone get your feelings hurt, but to me it was just plain ugly in the OD Green. I like the bitone anodized and stainless ones. Well, Elizabeth says, "our gunsmith can make it any look you want". (Thanks Elizabeth!) One of their gunsmiths, Johnny was there and I had seen his Jewel work he had done on others. turns out he does Duracoat as well. I scratched my head and thought, well, I always did want one made to my order. Johnny says "I can make it look like that Kimber Eclipse if you want". Well, I brought in some various ammo to make sure it would eat all ammo I use and it did. Shot great except for a slide lock problem. But it ate and shot nice. Loved it. It shot low but I was going to change the sights anyway, So I said "Why Not?!". Now I realized the SA does not have a stainless frame so it could not be polished like the Eclipse, only the slide could. Well, another opportunity and I asked Johnny, "can we make that area that would be polished stainless into AGGIE MAROON?" He says "SURE!"
Well, three weeks later, some fixing on the slide lock, some blasting and painting, jeweling the barrel, added a S&A magwell, Novak green fiber optic rear sights and Dawson Precision Red Front fiber optics, some trigger work with internal polishing and here are the pics of before and after. I don't really like the LG304 type grips so I will be selling those and adding some VZ Grips in Aztec style with black desert sand color to compliment the new work.
I want to say thanks to Johnny on the Maroon as he mixed it custom instead of buying and hand curved the frame edge to the black. Very nice job for me and appreciate the extra effort the folks at The Arms Room gave me from Johnny, Elizabeth and Travis.
