CombatMaster Alteration
Have been enjoying the heck out of my new D-USA CombatMaster. The only difficulty I've had is that the heel of the frame is MIGHTY sharp, and it has worn a nice hole in the dead center of my palm. Was thinking about having it bobtailed, until I got a suggestion from a fellow on Yahoo's Detonics Collectors board that I just try installing an arched mainspring housing. After a bit of judicious grinding, I got a Brown housing to fit, and BOY has it helped. Looks stock too. Here are photos of a CombatMaster with the stock flat housing and mine with the arched housing installed. Turned out to be a great, and comparatively extremely inexpensive, fix!
Best,
Jon
Best,
Jon
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I love the darned thing, X9. That was my only complaint, and now it's one of the best shooting pistols I own. I'm sort of funny, in that I tend to do a better job of things out to about 20 yards with shorter 1911s than longer ones. I really enjoy shooting my CombatMaster and LTW Commander even more than my full-sized Kimbers. The little CombatMaster is just slick as a cat!
Best,
Jon
Best,
Jon
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5,133 Posts
the wife and i love hers, but its a 2nd gen original detonics she likes the flat housing fine tho
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Big improvement Jon and one I would do myself with that small of a gun and straight housing.
I know MSH profile is a very individual thing of course but I have never felt a wish to have other than arched. Probably my hand size but it feels so much better.
Certainly too as in your case - keeps a lot of abrasion stress off the contact area between frame heel and palm.
Glad you are still liking it so much. :smile:
I know MSH profile is a very individual thing of course but I have never felt a wish to have other than arched. Probably my hand size but it feels so much better.
Certainly too as in your case - keeps a lot of abrasion stress off the contact area between frame heel and palm.
Glad you are still liking it so much. :smile:
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313 Posts
It really is, Bud. I have average-sized hands, and having shot 1911s for a long, long time, I can tell you that at least for me the arched housing is a definite improvement. From what I can tell, the shorter frame causes a lot more pressure to be exerted on the palm than does a full-sized frame. Just something about the way my fist works. Grab a full-sized and a CombatMaster-framed gun, and see if you don't notice what I did. Didn't notice it as much difference between standard and officers, but with the CM, the difference is quite noticeable, even before you start sending rounds. For some reason, the little frame really bites into the palm with the pinkie tucked under the gun.
If you do this mod, you will have to do a little bit of grinding on the replacement housing. The angle on the top edge of the stock housing is more pronounced than the one that came on the full-sized unit I used for a replacement. You've just gotta get the angles the same and then keep on whittlin' it down little by little until it goes. Also, the "hooks on the front side of the housing need to be adjusted a bit, which tends to grind into the retaining pin, so when you reinstall it, make sure that the ground part of the pin is in line with the ground part of of the housing.
Best,
Jon
Best,
Jon
If you do this mod, you will have to do a little bit of grinding on the replacement housing. The angle on the top edge of the stock housing is more pronounced than the one that came on the full-sized unit I used for a replacement. You've just gotta get the angles the same and then keep on whittlin' it down little by little until it goes. Also, the "hooks on the front side of the housing need to be adjusted a bit, which tends to grind into the retaining pin, so when you reinstall it, make sure that the ground part of the pin is in line with the ground part of of the housing.
Best,
Jon
Best,
Jon
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
