Quote from: 10 Round on April 24 2025 04:40:57 PM MDTHow did you keep the line so straight if I tried to do that it would look like crap

The verticals lean just a little.

The checkering file is 1/2" wide, so at 30 lpi it cuts 15 lines at a time.  I used a zip tie around the frame to set my horizontal "master" line and then used a chunk of 3/16" steel plate as a guide for cutting my "master" vertical line.  Once you have those lines set you keep one of the lines of teeth on the file in an established line and the rest line up.

And you go slow and trust the process.

There are two "options" for where the checkering stops at the top.  The "easier" route is the cut the checkering and then file down the frame above the top row and re-blend the contours into the rest of the frame/trigger guard area.  This is how my Fusion is cut, as well as my Witness.  It is the more common mass production option.

The "harder" method is to put a stop in the top horizontal line and then cut the verticals to that point. But, that leaves the last "ridge" not cut. That one gets cut with a triangle needle file at te end.  This is how Les Baer and several other of the higher "custom" shops do it.  As a glutton this is also what I did.

On glocks own website they simultaneously are listing the G29Gen5 as a new release and a discontinued model:

https://us.glock.com/en/Pistols?filter=10mmauto

https://us.glock.com/en/discontinued-models

If the discontinued page is to be believed they are dropping the G29/30 sized frames.  Too bad as it is a great gun and is a place they don't have any real competition.  I can't think of another 10mm in that size class.

It's very black.  The flash washes it out.

Of course I can't ever just leave well enough alone.

Loving my new to me Fusion Gold 9mm I couldn't help but think it would be "super" if it had the option of having a bit more "oomph".  So I ordered a Fusion 38 Super match grade barrel and a barrel bushing to I could fit a caliber conversion to the gun.

Got the barrel on Monday. I have fit one other 1911 barrel to a gun and that project is still under-way (maybe another thread on that). All the instructions I have found suggest starting by fitting the barrel hood to the slide.

It didn't start great.  The barrel only made it about 1" into the slide before it came to a stop.  Marking fluid showed it rubbing on the top of the barrel chamber about 11:00, but that seemed like the wrong place to start removing material. My google-foo didn't turn much up - either I was the remedial student or this is an uncommon problem.

While I stewed on this the first night I fit the bushing to the slide. It took minimal fitting to be nice and tight to the slide.

So, I started checking.  The barrel dropped straight into every other 1911 slide I tried:  Para, STI, Remington Rand, RIA, Ruger. It was a tiny bit tight on the STI and the Ruger passing through the muzzle end of the slide.  This made me think I had a "max" spec barrel chamber and a "min" spec slide tunnel and I was not sure which should be clearanced or where. Default thinking was clearance the barrel, but where.

I contact Fusion CS and explained my issue in detail with measurements, etc. Within 24 hours I had a response from Tyler Serva with specific directions to ignore the rubbing on the top of the barrel and to clearance the barrel foot on the opposite side of the rubbing. With that information I had the barrel passing fully into the slide in about 15 minutes.  Very impressed with the Fusion support.

Now that I had reached familiar ground I centered up the barrel using the Brownells alignment guide and clearanced the sides of the barrel hood into the slide.  I didn't count strokes but recall about 15-20 strokes on the ejection port side and about 4-5 stokes on the other side of the barrel hood. I used my jewelers file set and a wide flat jewelers file. I removed maybe .003-.004" total for a tight but smooth fit.

Clearancing the face of the barrel hood so the barrel could lock into the lugs was next. I could force the barrel into the lugs so I knew it didn't need much. I put sharpie on the face of the hood and just kissed it with the file until the sharpie was gone.  Did that three times and it was moving smoothing but tight into the lugs.  Engagement was .048" so I didn't have to fit the pads of the upper lugs at all.

I then installed the Brownells 1911 barrel holder and installed the barrel/slide to the frame to check the lower lugs.  They were perfect out of the box - The thumb safety would "just" clear and engage if I firmly closed the action.

I measured and based on the math I needed a #3 link, which is the "stock" or "spec" size.  Installed the link in the barrel, put some sharpy on the lower lugs and assembled the gun. First time in my live have had to use a bushing tool, but there was no moving it with my fingers.

The slide stop pin was similarly tight going in the first time. Cycled the slide about 30 or forty times by hand the then took the gun down.  I used the "slide off" method instead of the standard GI method to avoid rotating the bushing when it is in lockup.  The lower barrel lugs showed the perfect engagement pattern with rubbing at lock-up evenly across both lugs right on top. No contact once the action unlocks.

I then installed the barrel in the frame with the slide stop pin and examined the barrel to frame engagement.  It was textbook.

Reassembled the whole gun and checked feeding from a magazine.  It fed empty cases, dummy HP's and dummy SWC's loaded to max COAL.

This weekend I should get some range time, but all indications are I have a 1911 in 38 Super ready to go.  After confirming function with live ammo it will all come apart again for a final polish of any remaining tool marks I left behind.

Very impressed with the Fusion barrel and bushing.  Already thinking about ordering a 10mm barrel.  I have long wanted a frame ramped 10mm 1911 and this gives me that option for the cost of a barrel, plug and spring.

Never have.  For the most part I keep my G20 stock.

https://www.keltecweapons.com/firearm/rifles/sub2000-series/

Now in 10mm!

As of Friday I am no longer type 2 diabetic.  Been off the medication since January and my A1C is still "normal".  Just had to loose 60 lbs. This summer I plan to loose another 20-25 lbs to solidify things.  The doc was very clear that if I gain the weight back, I will get the diabetes back too.

Just wanted to share my good news!

My recent acquisition and subsequent range session with a Fusion Firearms 1911 with 20 LPI front strap checkering made me question my commitment of stair tread adhesive traction for grip. So I grabbed the cheapest 1911 in my safe, my Tisas GI model, and abused it with a 30 LPI checkering file.

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Overall very happy with the result. My vertical likes are ever so slightly off vertical. But the diamonds are sharp and the frame is very grippy.  It just needs a better set of grips than the plastic factory ones and it will be done.

And, I am now a bit addicted to checkering I think.  I have a 20 LPI and a 25 LPI file inbound and and making plans for my SR1911 in 10mm to get some treatment.  I also found out that there are 40 LPI files, which is probably shallow enough to use on my Para, RIA HC and Hi Power.  The thin fronstrap on those guns usually precludes checkering as it removes too much depth.

Some added pictures:

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I was afraid that might be the result with #9.  With the right bullet it can do amazing things, but it is usually too slow for 10mm.  That is clearly the case here.

I have assigned myself a task to migrate the master lists from Google Sheets where they are in the ownership of previous forum members to our planned WIKI:  wiki.10mm-auto.com.  I have already moved the pull-down master data sheet there and updated the links.

I will try to work on this over the weekend.

Top left of the browser window should be the icon for your user.  Clicking it gives a menu that includes "Unread Posts".

This leads to this URL:  https://www.10mm-auto.com/index.php?action=unread

James Reeves asking the important question:

They say there are two types of people in this world:

• Those that can extrapolate from incomplete data

With that in mind, I went looking at Underwood ammo data trying to compare traditional lead/copper JHP to monolithic solids to see how they derate from a velocity perspective.  Here is I could find

Bullet Weight (JHP/Solid)	JHP Velocity	Solid Velocity	Velocity Derate
135/140	1600	1500	6.25%
155/150	1500	1425	5.00%

Based in this trend, I would say you would be on the edge of safe around 1250 fps with this bullet with the right powder.  I would probably stop at 1200 fps or if unusual pressure signs developed.  I think BE-86 would get you to 1150, but I would not try to push it to 1200.  I would look to #9, Longshot, #7 and Blue Dot in that order if I was going for 1200 or above.

You probably can't get enough #9 in the case to cause a pressure issue.  If it gets to 1200+ it's a great choice, but it won't be economical due to higher powder volume and higher powder cost per lb.

Longshot and #7 will almost certainly get over 1200 fps, but will probably be over pressure before 1250.

Blut Dot should safely get you to 1150 fps, but 1200 fps would probably be pushing it.

BE-86 is a strange animal.  As pressure goes up it almost feels like it's burn rate profile gets slower, which is the opposite of what you normally expect. It is a very nifty powder, but I don't feel like I have a good handle on how it behaves in these situations to feel comfortable working off-book with it.

Got some range time today.  Was able to run about 100 rounds of various ammo through the gun. right up front...Some of that ammo is KNOWN to be underpowered enough that is doesn't always run guns reliably.  I got too skimpy with the Win231.  I had three stovepipes and one failure to extract with that ammo.  Hardly the guns fault.

Factory ammo from Speer, Remington and Armscor all ran perfectly, even in 10mm mags.  I only had one 9mm mag.  I ran 10mm mags from Wilson, Ruger, Brownells and Chip McCormick using 9mm ammo with zero failures.  They will all feed an empty case as well.

I shot five 5-shot groups using various amm0 at 25 yards using a table as a rest, but without any bags or other support.  The table below tabulates the "best 3 of 5" accuracy per the Mas Ayoob school of thought that the best three from your hands are usually the same as a 5 shot group from a rest.

Armscor FMJ 115 Grain (A group): 3.5"
Speer Gold Dot 124 Grain +P:  1.25"
Remington Golden Saber 124 Grain +p: 1.75"
Handload JHP 124 grain 4.0 gr W231:  3.5"
Handload SWC 128 grain 4.0 gr W231:  3.5"
Armscor FMG 115 Grain (B group): 1.5"

Overall Average:  2.5"

Overall impression: Very favorable, especially given the price I paid. At the $800 I see these for on gunbroker I would be very pleased.

Before shooting I pulled the fire control components out and gave them a quick polish on cardboard.  I think adjusted the over-travel on the trigger and found a new issue, or maybe an old issue. When the sear has cleared the hammer hooks, it did not clear fully the half-cock.  That "battering" is probably what broke the nose of the half cock.  I took a file to the hammer radius and created clearance.  I do not know if this issue is caused by the hammer being out of spec, or the relationship of the sear pin and hammer pin holes being not to spec.  Or if an oversized hammer just has to be fit for this and mine wasn't.  But it is corrected now.

I have never really understood a 9mm 1911. I now understand.  9mm will never take the place of my 10mm love, but this is a very fun to shoot package.

I ran a couple of drills at 25 yards.  Five shots in three seconds on a pink helium cannister, standing two hands;  Easy.  Five shots in three seconds right hand only; easy.  Five shots left hand (off hand for me);  I dropped one and used the full time.

The other drill was impromptu.  I was shooting at the cannister and it fell over and started rolling left to right across my range (private property range, me only).  I just keep shooting at is rolled and made 8/8 hits on a moving target two handed at 25 yards. The first two shots were the ones that knocked it over.

We managed to get a county spring cleaning dumpster the first of the week.  Filled it with both accumulated junk plus limbs and leaves.  My youngest son has been cleaning the north fenceline in preparation for expanding some of our garden to that area.

My wife also lets us know she is planning more paver pathways.  So that is now on the list.  Looks like we have enough pavers on hand from when we put in our side driveway.  But the kids are not thrilled about moving bricks around for about the 10th time in as many years.