D.E. Watters

Early/Mid-1980s Widebody M1911 Frame Prototypes

In my previous article on custom competition handguns, I mentioned previous attempts to make widebody M1911 that predated the Para-Ordnance, Caspian, and STI. The following is one of Jim Boland’s modified frames for Astra A80 magazines. The Spanish pistol was a rough clone of a SIG-Sauer, available as a 15-rd .38 Super. The styling detailsContinue reading “Early/Mid-1980s Widebody M1911 Frame Prototypes”

PMC Starfire Data Dump

After yesterday’s post on the Hydra-Shok, Shawn asked if I had any information on the PMC Starfire. As a matter of fact I do. Tom Burczynski started working on the Starfire around the same time as the Hydra-Shok, but the commercial development of the latter took priority. Burczynski filed his patent application back in MayContinue reading “PMC Starfire Data Dump”

Whatever Happened to Ruger’s Semi-Automatic Shotgun Designs?

Starting in September 2013, Ruger began filing a flurry of patent applications for a pair of semi-automatic shotgun designs. Designers included Chief Design Engineer Dwight Potter, Chief Engineer Scott Warburton, Chief Engineer Bruce Rozum, Product Design Engineer Jason Pittman, Manufacturing Engineer Benjamin G. Hawkins, and Michael R. Tilton. Potter was hired from Browning, Rozum wasContinue reading “Whatever Happened to Ruger’s Semi-Automatic Shotgun Designs?”

A Brief History of Custom Competition and Carry Handguns (1945-1975)

Part Two of a Four-Part Series

Jack Weigand “Interchange-L” Conversion

Today, we are back to custom revolvers. Besides the “Executive” J-Frame conversion, Weigand also offered the “Interchange-L” interchangeable barrel conversion for Smith & Wesson l-frame revolvers. Weigand machined the shroud from a 6063 T-6 Aluminum extrusion. The barrels were turned from a Jarvis Stainless Steel match grade barrel blank, and the barrel nuts were alsoContinue reading “Jack Weigand “Interchange-L” Conversion”

What Happened to the Winchester Hybrid X?

I was questioned the other day about the various “screwdriver bit” projectiles, and remembered the patent for the Winchester Hybrid X. After a brief blitz of publicity from SHOT Show 2018, the Hybrid X quickly faded into obscurity. As the name implied, it was an odd hybrid of a screwdriver-style polymer tip fitted to aContinue reading “What Happened to the Winchester Hybrid X?”

MBA Short Stop Data Dump

We’ve covered some AP projectiles the last few days, so how about one that won’t penetrate anything? As I mentioned with the Sting RAG and Soft RAG yesterday, less lethal riot control was the topic of day in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Robert C. Mawhinney of MB Associates (MBA) came up with one of theContinue reading “MBA Short Stop Data Dump”