I have a parkerized Springfield 1911 that I was considering selling to get a TRP or some other custom
gun. I decided against it and sent it to Coal Creek Armory (per several good folks on here).

This is basically a placeholder for pictures and a review, but here is a listing of all the stuff I'm
having them to to the psitol:

30 LPI checkering on the front strap and MSH
Complete Melonite coating (WOOT!)
Extractor upgrade
S&A one piece magwell extension, fully blended
Carry beveling to entire pistol
4.5 lbs trigger job (i don't like them too light and want it to match my M&P45 with pro sear)
Custom fitted stainless barrel bushing (using Stainless GI plug)
Recrown + bevel barrel into barrel bushing
Counter sink the slide stop button hole and shorten slide stop to match

This gun is going to be PIMP when I get it back. I have black gunner grips on it and will use stainless torx
screws for attaching the grips.Basically an all black gun with stainless screws and a stainless barrel + bushing.

It outta be sexy.

I loved my parked 1911, but wanted some features and upgrades to make it "mine". It's inspiration was an
Ed Brown special forces and a TRP.

I'll post pictures when I get it back (month or so)

-ZA

Miller Custom is doing a bunch of that to my Loaded as well.

Did they give you a timeline on when to expect it to be done?

EDIT: Nevermind, I didn't read that last part

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I cannot wait to see this to I am thinking about sending my pistol off for the Melonite treatment to my 1911 SA Loaded rebuild I did.

That is the same place I want to send mine for the refinish.  Let me know how they are to deal with.

ETA Post before pics of your pistol then when it comes back we can see after!!!

They can melonite everything now, even the small parts? When I spoke to them last year they said only the large parts can be melonited, the smaller stuff would be some kind of black oxide.

Look forward to seeing the finish when you get it back. I have John Harrison building me a hard use 1911 and I went IonBond for its durability. After the work he did on my WWI Repro retro build he is the only guy who touches my pistols. What GS is on the pistol? If its a GI you might want to think about adding one to your build! Look forward to checking it out when its done.!

Here are the "before" pictures.... back when it had cocobolo grips and a cheap ass mag well extension....


-ZA

I'm not sure...

I told them to coat everything except for the barrel and the barrel bushing.

-ZA

I'm interested too, I have a Colt XSE that needs some loving.

Same here. Well, mine is just an NRM S80 in stainless steel but still.




 

Why did you choose the SA magwell? Do you like the checkering all the way to the end of the MSH? That looks like a Kimber magwell on there now... Looks like a great project. If you haven't seen the new Dawson 1911 rear sights you should check them out. They are great! Very similar to the 10-8 U notch...

They reccommended the S&A magwell based on what I described I wanted it to look like. They are checkering the MSH themselves, not buying one
pre-checkered. I'm happy with the Novak style night sights I have on there now... won't be changing unless I was going to a straight 8 config.

I think the old mag well was a cheap Ed Brown or something I got at a gunshow. It was the kind that has hooks that
go over the grip screws, but under the grips.

-ZA

Can you call them and ask about the small parts? Whoever I spoke to last year said the small parts cannot be melonited.

SA I believe are already checkered. Here is a pic of them on a few of my SCG's...

My S&A magwell came with checkering. In fact it doesn't match the checkering on the frontstrap. The frontstrap has more of a diamond checkering where as the mag well has square checkering.

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I believe it's just aluminum parts that can't be melonited.

They can be melonited, but the small parts may become brittle from the high heat.



That's what Bob Miller told me and that's why the hammer/sear/disconnector aren't going to be melonited on my pistol.





True, but some shops like to cut them themselves. Miller Custom orders blank ones as well so he can checker them as he sees fit.

ZA206 looking forward to your pics and report. I looked at coal creek for some work but never found anyone with photos of 1911's done.
Holy crap d90king that's just "a few" of your SCG'S? that's awesome!

tag

I just ordered a Parkerized SA Loaded today so this is a tag.

The smith that's doing mine said they were checkering the MSH by hand at 30 LPI to match
the checkering they did on the front strap.

Those S&A magwells on the pistols in the one photo are EXACTLY what I'm wanting.... except
I want mine BLACK!

-ZA

Yea... that's the one. It was blued, so it looked like ass against the parkerized frame. The magwell extension also had some rust
and pitting going on with it (I took it on an elk hunt and we got rained on for 3 days straight).

The more "stuff" I got to go on the gun to make it nicer, the more I realized I wanted a custom gun. In a month or so,
I'll have my custom springer. What sold me on the Coal Creek deal was the extent of work they do and the fact that
they do meloniting. I went with Meloniting over Ion bonding (DLC) b/c it was $100 cheaper and is the same finish thats
on my M&P and my XDm. The M&P has been in rain, muck, mud and all sorts of crap and the slide looks brand new...
never one slightest speck of rust or one scratch. I like the Melonite!

-ZA

Are they going to melonite or the new treatment they have, isonite qpq? They sound the same but just curious what they said since they no longer offer melonite on the site though they say melonized in the description of the new finish.

Interesting, you are correct.



I'd like to know what the deal is myself.



 

Thanks, I am somewhat of a 1911 idiot! Wait until you see my WWI Harrison.

It's all the same thing. They had to stop calling it "Melonite" b/c they stopped using the company
that owns the "Melonite" tradename. Tennifer, Melonite.... Isonite qpq.... It's all the same thing,
ferritic nitrocaurburization.

-ZA

Excellent, thanks.