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Post by ToddSig on May 21, 2023 12:41:34 GMT -5
I recently spotted an interesting 1984 BAC HP with Smith and Wesson sights from a regular commercial auction house. It appeared to be in good condition, but the images of the HP were taken on a light board, and sometimes if colors not adjusted, a dark images can come out looking dull and gray, and that was the case for this HP lot. As a sucker for HPs with SW sights, I tracked it and won it at a good and fair price. I had been looking for a good donor HP for a project gun. My plan was to replace most internals including trigger, firing pin plate, sear, new safety, hammer, springs, grips, and perhaps try stippling the grip strap. I was correct on the finish, when I received it the bluing was in very good condition, a polished dark blue, with the top of the slide in matte blue. The clean type of bluing which attracts a lot of fingerprints. I figure the cost of the S&W sights and installation alone would be around $300 from a reputable HP smith, so I figure I am already ahead. The S&W sights were excellently installed, and the front sight was set way forward and actually cut into the hog nosed muzzle bushing (see last image below). I had never seen that before, but very well executed (if anyone has seen this type of front sight HP install please let me know). I will post more on the project, here are some images from the auction house, followed by how I received it before cleaning, and some detail images of the sight installation.       |
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Post by CXM on May 22, 2023 5:12:39 GMT -5
I just love the S&W micrometer sights on a HP (or 1911 for that matter.) Not to mention they work really and make for a lot of good shooting.
That is a nice catch indeed...
Over the years I often wished S&W had acquired the rights to manufacture the HP in the U.S. Back in the 50s thru about 1980 S&W made REALLY high quality guns...
FWIW
Chuck
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Post by ToddSig on May 22, 2023 8:39:01 GMT -5
For the internals I decided to go mostly with Cylinder and Slide parts along with an EGW hard sear. This included the C&S Wide Combat trigger (which I straightened), the C&S wide extended safety, C&S firing pin retaining plate, C&S firing pin spring, C&S CNC extractor & spring, the C&S trigger pull reduction spring kit and a C&S 18.5 lbs recoil spring, along with a new sear spring (bent per Behlert recommendation) and new recoil spring guide rod. Polished the barrel and added Jon Aho's High Figure Grips, checkered cocobolo. I passed on the C&S lightweight hammer and decided to bob and undercut the OEM spur hammer per Stephen Camp, in the manner of Ted Yost's SRT and the Novak custom hammer. Parts  Bobbed and undercut hammer  Comparison of bobbed and undercut hammer to stock hammer. Note how the lower portion of the hammer now sits within the slide and frame opening.  Firing pin retaining plate, removed some material from backside to fit with S&W rear sight  C&S wide combat trigger, straightened  Polished barrel and feed ramp  |
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Post by ToddSig on May 22, 2023 8:45:16 GMT -5
While I still have a little clean up to work on for some of the parts I altered, here is the finished product with the Jon Aho checkered cocobolo grips. Trigger is running between 4.25 and 4.5 lbs on the Lyman digital. It turned out so well I decided not to experiment with stippling the grip straps on this particular project. Finished product was just too nice and I was afraid I might mess it up, so chickened out. So far very happy with the results. Now I need to get to the range and try it out. The finished build     |
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Post by Bob Reed on May 22, 2023 14:40:10 GMT -5
Good Job, Todd - you took the Bull by the horns and now she's lookin' good.
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Post by ToddSig on May 23, 2023 16:27:04 GMT -5
After doing some web image searches I came across one Hi Power with a similar front sight installation. It was on a Jim Hoag (slide signed) Hi Power on Guns International. It also appears the top of the slide is also matte blue like as is my Hi Power. Even if Jim Hoag did the sight installations, of course that does not make it a Jim Hoag custom, just a slide with custom sights. So perhaps, maybe, possibly it was Jim Hoag who installed the sights, but that possibility is pure speculation/conjecture. But, it is the closest I found. Link to the Hoag on Guns International www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/pistols/browning-belgium-pistols/old-school-jim-hoag-custom-hi-power.cfm?gun_id=101058717View of the front sight Hoag installation  |
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Post by CXM on May 25, 2023 3:42:26 GMT -5
I sure wish I had your gunsmithing talents...  FWIW Chuck For the internals I decided to go mostly with Cylinder and Slide parts along with an EGW hard sear. This included the C&S Wide Combat trigger (which I straightened), the C&S wide extended safety, C&S firing pin retaining plate, C&S firing pin spring, C&S CNC extractor & spring, the C&S trigger pull reduction spring kit and a C&S 18.5 lbs recoil spring, along with a new sear spring (bent per Behlert recommendation) and new recoil spring guide rod. Polished the barrel and added Jon Aho's High Figure Grips, checkered cocobolo. I passed on the C&S lightweight hammer and decided to bob and undercut the OEM spur hammer per Stephen Camp, in the manner of Ted Yost's SRT and the Novak custom hammer. Parts Bobbed and undercut hammer Comparison of bobbed and undercut hammer to stock hammer. Note how the lower portion of the hammer now sits within the slide and frame opening. Firing pin retaining plate, removed some material from backside to fit with S&W rear sight C&S wide combat trigger, straightened Polished barrel and feed ramp |
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Post by ToddSig on May 25, 2023 7:24:29 GMT -5
I sure wish I had your gunsmithing talents... FWIW Chuck For the internals I decided to go mostly with Cylinder and Slide parts along with an EGW hard sear. This included the C&S Wide Combat trigger (which I straightened), the C&S wide extended safety, C&S firing pin retaining plate, C&S firing pin spring, C&S CNC extractor & spring, the C&S trigger pull reduction spring kit and a C&S 18.5 lbs recoil spring, along with a new sear spring (bent per Behlert recommendation) and new recoil spring guide rod. Polished the barrel and added Jon Aho's High Figure Grips, checkered cocobolo. I passed on the C&S lightweight hammer and decided to bob and undercut the OEM spur hammer per Stephen Camp, in the manner of Ted Yost's SRT and the Novak custom hammer. Thanks Chuck. Now I just need to find time and get to the range and try it out and see how it functions. |
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Post by CXM on May 28, 2023 3:39:09 GMT -5
I sure wish I had your gunsmithing talents... FWIW Chuck Thanks Chuck. Now I just need to find time and get to the range and try it out and see how it functions. Always good if it works...  |
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