Tried something new other than the usual 1911 stuff over the weekend and prepped my TM G18C frame before stippling.
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The initial idea behind this build was strictly "form follows function", where everything on it would serve some sort of utilitarian purpose.
Eventually that approach skewed into adding all the tactical accoutrements that I see in the airsoft & real-steel community.
The end-goal now is to have it so ridiculously Gucci'd-out that it looks like something out of a sci-fi film.
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Started by removing finger grooves. Used 120 grit sandpaper with a hard sanding block. Didn't bother going any higher than 120 since the frame will be stippled anyway. I don't have a dremel tool so taped off parts to minimize scratches from filing/sanding. The frame is a Guarder aftermarket part for a gen 3 G17.
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Thumb rests also removed
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Couldn't really take too many pics of the process as I was covered in black nylon fiber powder most of the time. Here's some of the modifications and the reasoning behind them.
Finger grooves removed and undercut triggerguard: Rolled up some 120 grit on a hammer handle and hand sanded, adding a chamfering bevel on each side afterwards. Surprised how much of a difference this makes. You can grip so much higher on the gun almost to the point where your grip angle changes. If you had to do just one mod I would recommend the undercut. Some RS shops seem to polish this part to a mirror finish but I just left it gritty as it might cause blisters if too smooth.
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Thumb rest removal and mag release scallop. I've seen these mods on some of the higher end Glocks that come out of custom shops and such. However, unlike the RS frames, airsoft frames don't seem to have enough thickness in this area create a deep enough scallop for any meaningful difference. It does make the mag release a bit easier to reach without breaking my extra-medium sized grip, but wish I could cut out a little more. Will probably add a border when stippling to make the scallop stand out a bit more visually.
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Some RS examples of "scallops". Tried to copy the round style of the ATEI G19 (leftmost photo). Note how much deeper the scallop cut is. Airsoft frames don't have much material here.
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Internals and short-stroking: The build started off with making sure everything that reciprocates is as light and frictionless as possible, while anything that doesn't is as heavy as possible.
All the lower parts and the hop up are steel/stainless, while the moving parts are more weight-conscious (7075 slide, lightweight BBU with polymer backplate, non-tilting outer barrel, etc.). While this makes the cycling speed akin to the plastic stock version, I really wanted something faster, something that would go
brrrrrrt on regular 144a gas- so I short stroked it like a madman.
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Filed back the slide stop ~14mm to allow it to lock back while short stroked. Image below shows the difference in travel compared to stock. The only concern is the slide itself slightly thinner in this area than where the notch used to be. Fingers crossed it holds up; but if it doesn't I'll just short stroke it some more?
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Some ideas I'm playing with for the next steps. I really want to go all-in with the weight reduction concept and mill out some slide windows that agree with the general design language of the gun. It'll probably only save about 5 grams but would still look pretty good. They would also serve as forward cocking serrations since the selector switch doesn't really provide a comfortable grip to rack the slide. Which one do you prefer : (A) moderate and matching with the top port or (B) full length ports all the way to the chamber ?
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By the way, does anyone have any recommendations for stippling services? Looking for some place that does laser stippling or soldering. Not really confident that I'll be able to create clean borders doing it myself.