Historical – Page 31 – Scattered Shots

Bill Davis “Cougar” and “Rattler”

I figured we would stick to a custom revolver theme for another day or so. Today, we find out what happens when a Ruger and a Colt love each other very, very much. Bill Davis ran one of the most influential revolver gunsmithing operations on the West Coast. He was the man to see ifContinue reading “Bill Davis “Cougar” and “Rattler””

Jack Weigand Smith & Wesson 940 “Executive” 4PJ Conversion

Before Jack Weigand went all-in as the manufacturer of firearms optic mounts, he was a respected pistolsmith. He briefly ran the Springfield Armory Custom Shop after Les Baer left. Weigand even tried to give it a go as the Taurus Custom Shop manager before deciding that was a dead end. During the early 1990s, WeigandContinue reading “Jack Weigand Smith & Wesson 940 “Executive” 4PJ Conversion”

Recovered after Battle of The Bulge WW2

Jeff Wassom “Shooting Star Industries” Pistol

Since I posted the photo of Chip McCormick with his 1988 Steel Challenge pistol, I figured you might want to look at another example by Jeff Wassom from the same era. It even has the signature welded-up “rat tail” grip safety like McCormick’s own pistol. McCormick’s previous winning pistol in 1986 had been built byContinue reading “Jeff Wassom “Shooting Star Industries” Pistol”

10 Years with the Colt 901 (Part 3)

In Part 3 of the ’10 Years with the Colt 901′ series, I’m going to take us on a journey looking at the variations of the Colt SP901, LE901 and we will end with the Modular AR Carbine (M.A.R.C.) 901 variations.

Prototype Smith & Wesson XR-357 Budget Revolver

I’ve previously posted an ugly Colt prototype budget revolver, so now it is Smith & Wesson’s turn. During the late 1970s, the Director of Research and Development, Dwayne W. Charron, was tasked with examining new methods and materials. The goal was to produce parts to near finish configuration with a minimum of machining. Ideally, employeesContinue reading “Prototype Smith & Wesson XR-357 Budget Revolver”

Custom Colt Python .41 Magnum Comparison

In a previous comment, Shawn mentioned wanting a .41 Magnum Python. All of the known examples are custom aftermarket builds. Today, we are going to look at some side-by-side comparisons of a factory .357 Mag and a .41 Mag conversion. It won’t take much guessing to see why Colt never made the .41 Mag aContinue reading “Custom Colt Python .41 Magnum Comparison”

Browning Hi-Power Raceguns

Other than Dave Westerhout’s 1977 IPSC World Shoot win, the classic Browning Hi-Power hasn’t made much of a dent in the reign of the M1911 and CZ75-pattern pistols’ dominance of practical shooting competition. That said, this still hasn’t kept some gunsmiths and competitors from tilting at windmills. Today, we are going to show some classicContinue reading “Browning Hi-Power Raceguns”

Another Colt Prototype – A Pony Ready for the Glue Factory

Object Lesson for the Firearms Industry: If he didn’t start the company, don’t let your president think he can out-design the engineering staff. C. Edward Warner was Colt Industries Firearms Division’s president from August 1975 to June 1981. He had transferred over from his previous position as president of Colt Industries Elox Division, a manufacturerContinue reading “Another Colt Prototype – A Pony Ready for the Glue Factory”

Drama Llama – The Llama M87 Racegun

I always find it amusing to see firearm companies attempt to turn their basic staid service pistols into a competition-worthy configuration. Witness how Llama tried to turn the basic M82 into the M87 Comp Gun. At its heart, the M82/M87 was a Beretta 92 clone with an enclosed slide, steel frame, and configured frame tang.Continue reading “Drama Llama – The Llama M87 Racegun”