“The Mountain State Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Mar 3 2009, 07:49 PM
As if being a master machinist isn’t a large enough feather to sport in one’s cap, Joe Hayes of Hayes Pistolsmithing is also one heck of a gunsmith. (He can make Col. Colt’s warhorse purr like a kitten). But as much as he loves the 1911, Joe really loves truly unique challenges.
For the past several years he’s been my go-to guy for barrel threading. During that time I’ve given him some pretty challenging specimens including a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 and Walter G22. Nonetheless, Joe’s tackled anything I’ve ever thrown his way with considerable enthusiasm. His reaction was much the same concerning my U.N.C.L.E. Special project. Given that, I recently sent him my pistol (and a copy of my approved ATF Form 1) along with an assortment of parts including samples of Brad’s plastic handguard and suppressor, Steve’s stock parts and my carbine barrel. In turn, Joe’s going to make an aluminum hand guard and dummy suppressor for my carbine. He’ll also complete the stock kits.
As a final component to the project, I’m having a removable single-shot chamber conversion made in .22 in order to mimic the sound of sleep-inducing darts firing either .22 LR or .22 shorts through the pistol.
Photos of the completed carbine will soon follow.
Contact Hayes Pistolsmithing: (304) 645-1887
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“The Waiting Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Feb 12 2009, 01:55 PM
I received an e-mail earlier this week from the U.N.C.L.E. Gun guru (my term of endearment for Brad) informing me the flat, aluminum grips had arrived from the machinist (he also offers rounded grips) for inspection and was pleased with how they turned out. Brad’s will have his hands full for the next several weeks with various forms of polishing and work involved in preparing them for finishing.
Such occasional updates from www.theunclegun.com have served as an extremely welcome distraction throughout the course of this past year. Yes, the waiting game has been a long one, but I’m used to it. My dealings with the all but lethargic NFA Branch of the BATF have taught me the value of patience. Still, it’s comforting to know things are progressing nicely and that the end is near.
On a slightly different note, the same can be said on my end. I’m close to obtaining aluminum duplicates of the final three parts needed to complete the carbine phase of my functional U.N.C.L.E. Special: the barrel handguard, suppressor and stock (Brad graciously supplied me with plastic loaners, which I’ll soon be sending off to my gunsmith).
The handguard is the fluted, semi-cylindrical piece that slips over the barrel and is held in place by a pair of Allen-head set screws. It’s typically placed about an inch or so in front of the barrel block. And even though the piece serves primarily as decoration, the fact remains it does add a peculiar aesthetic the carbine’s overall dynamic (that’s editorial jargon for looking bad ###)! Besides requiring a larger inner diameter to slide over the barrel, I suspect the barrel will need to have two shallow divots, or flats milled to for use with the set screws in order to keep the handguard from shifting under recoil.
Regarding the suppressor, my gunsmith plans on machining it with the same threaded skirt arrangement he made for the flash hider. The end result will function like a run-of-the-mill dummy suppressor.
Finally, Steve L’Italien recently clued me in on some incomplete stock kits he recently unearthed and offered to send them to me—including a completed one for my gunsmith to use as a pattern with regard to duplicating the missing components. The offer was too good to pass up. I get a stock spare out of the deal (spare parts are always a good thing) and, Steve gets some cash along with an estimate to complete the remaining kits. It’s a winning deal all the way around.
Hmm…now if I can only find out the origin of the stock’s Remington-marked butt plate.
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“The Potential Problem Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Feb 3 2009, 03:12 PM
A picture is worth 1000 words, but it’s also the source of at least one potential problem—or is it? Perhaps so, on the other hand perhaps not. Allow me to explain.
Whether this makes me an optimist, or a pessimist I’m not certain, but my good friend John Rhoda has used the term “stock reinforcement modification” a few times now in the
blog comments section. He believes the dovetail in the grip provides an inefficient platform for mounting the stock, which creates the potential for the grips to possibly crack under stress. I’ve included a photo of one of the show props where the grips are significantly cracked. Could it have occurred as a result of significant stress on the dovetail from weight against the stock, who knows? However, John claims a different method is needed to mount the stock—one where it connects directly to the frame in order to withstand the added stress caused by both shooter and by recoil.
John’s solution is to machine a dovetailed bracket (the same external shape as the one on the original grip) which can mount directly to the frame by means of tapered pins. A corresponding slot could then be milled into the rear of the grip, large enough for the new frame-mounted bracket to pass through. Being able to attach the stock directly to the P38’s frame eliminates the risk of stress damaging the grips while transferring the stress to the pistol’s frame. In theory, the alterations could be done without altering the grip’s aesthetics or profile.
The other images are of a similar mounting bracket (of unknown manufacture), which for some reason was machined in a reverse dovetail fashion. Regardless, there’s no reason such a piece couldn’t be machined to duplicate the original grip mount.
Is it really required for such a minimal recoiling round as the 9 mm? Having just the ATF-approved Form 1 but no stock yet, I can truthfully say I don’t know. At this stage of the game however, I’d be a fool for not keeping both my mind and options open.
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“The High-capacity Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Feb 2 2009, 03:44 PM
(Someone once said, “An editor’s job is never done.” While I’m not certain who coined the statement, I can certainly attest to its accuracy. Regardless, preparation for the upcoming issue of Shooting Illustrated has left me remiss in my “Man From U.N.C.L.E”. blog duties and I apologize).
By now it should come as no surprise, Brad Ferguson of www.theunclegun.com has just about everything one needs to successfully build an U.N.C.L.E. Special. Needless to say, when I leaned of his functional 15-round P38 magazines, I knew they were worthy of consideration, so I bought one. Although expensive—compared to the cost of some magazines—keep in mind they’re custom made for Brad by a major U.S. manufacturer and are accurate steel replicas of the carbine magazines used on the TV show. From their one piece construction, to their dual rows of witness holes and sleek matte-black finish, they are without a doubt the most accurate and highest quality “Man From U.N.C.L.E.” magazines I’ve seen to date. As with many things, a cheaper alternative is available. Triple K produces a 15-round P38 magazine for a fraction of the price. However, concerning matters of accuracy and overall quality, Brad’s product wins hands down and should be considered a must for anyone contemplating a functional carbine.
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Phoenix: Resurrecting The Colonel's Raven
Posted by robertboyd2, Jan 23 2009, 04:50 PM
(Apologies to all for the hiatus of my U.N.C.L.E. Special blog—rest assured it shall continue soon. Having recently returned and recouped from covering the SHOT Show—I couldn’t continue in good conscience without sharing some of the cool things that caught my eye while on assignment).
Ahh, Vltor’s Fortis Project... Actually the topic isn’t too far afield from discussing my previous blog topic given Fortis is a contemporary attempt to resurrect Dornaus & Dixon’s ill-fated Bren Ten—a pistol originally developed by the late Colonel Jeff Cooper and subsequently featured in the ’80s hit TV show, “Miami Vice” for a brief time. I can vividly recall reading Bren Ten articles in the various gun magazines as well as seeing the pistol used in the show. Given that, I suppose it’s no wonder I became an admirer of the Bren Ten, a “Miami Vice” fan and eventually a Bren Ten collector.
Unfortunately, the semi-auto fell victim to poor management, which resulted in the pistol never fully making it into production.
Enter Vltor—a well known company responsible for producing quality AR-15/M16 accessories. Being part of a leading aerospace manufacturer, Vltor has access to the necessary state-of-the-art computer simulation equipment required for design testing, stress analysis, geometric dimension and tolerance testing of Fortis.
At present, the only calibers being considered for the project’s first production run are 10 mm Auto and .45 ACP. However—while I was offered no specifics—I’m told other choices will be available in the future. In addition, while it may appear similar to the Bren Ten in appearance (right down to its cross-bolt safety, tell tale castle-turret-shaped barrel bushing and of course the Colonel’s raven) a Vltor rep explained there will be very little in the way of parts interchangeability between Fortis and the Bren Ten due to design modification. Fortis guns are also being designed to accept EAA Witness magazines.
While some may consider this a downer, I however, take comfort in knowing Vltor’s engineers are dragging out all the stops in an effort to produce the safest, strongest and most-reliable pistol possible—the fact it will be the only Bren Ten clone on the market is a major bonus. Pre-production prototypes displayed at the SHOT Show included full-size examples, reminiscent of the Standard Model Bren Ten—both in two-tone, matte silver (what I assume to be either stainless or either a subdued chrome a’ la “Miami Vice”) and all black, along with shorter compact versions similar to the Special Forces Model Bren Ten.
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“The Metamorphose Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Jan 12 2009, 01:50 PM
(A gracious tip of the U.N.C.L.E. communicator pen to Ellen, Webmistress of the Yahoo Group “Open Channel D” and its members for sharing my enthusiasm and interest of the current blog topic).
Completing of the pistol portion of my U.N.C.L.E. Special brought with it a sense of having reached the half-way point of a long journey—a year-long one—but then again time does fly when you’re having fun, especially when both the research and results are so rewarding. But, celebration was premature since there was more work to be done.
Accomplishment aside, I proceeded to the second phase of my project: compiling the necessary specs and materials to build the carbine variant. About this time lady luck smiled on me: my friend Brad began taking orders for replica carbine kits. Getting one would provide not only the opportunity to obtain a carbine stock; the included barrel extension would also give me the necessary measurements needed to produce a functional barrel. (Yeah, when all was said and done I’d have enough replica components for an attractive non-functional display for my office along with a shooter (I doubt my co-workers at NRA would object)—so, what’s not to like? When ordering my kit, I asked Brad if he knew the overall length (OAL) of the carbine barrel. He responded by telling me the extension piece that screwed into the pistol measured 6 ½ inches—minus its threaded stem, which suggested both prop pieces (pistol barrel and carbine extension screwed together) totaled 9 ½ inches OAL. Eureka! But that raised another issue. Any firearm containing a barrel less than 16 inches and a stock requires registering it with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) as a short-barreled rifle (SBR) along with paying a $200 stamp tax (what fellow co-worker Ed Friedman here at Shooting Illustrated refers to as “The ATF compliance fund”).
The carbine barrel could be made couple ways. While the sectional attachment looked cool for television, overall practicality and machining costs ruled it out. The remaining options included making one out of a section of rifled 9mm barrel blank (but replicating the portion that sets inside the frame—otherwise known as the barrel block—would prove to be another machinist’s cash cow). Another (also involving use of 9 mm barrel blank,) was to cut an original barrel at end-most portion of the chamber, just before the rifling begins and to thread them together and permanently bond the pieces with Red Loc-tite. (But again, that left the high labor cost of replicating the barrel block). The most economical option involved cutting and threading an original pistol barrel—similar to how the pistol barrel was prepped for the flash hider, and then permanently attaching an unrifled extension to it. After purchasing a spare P38 barrel from Earl Sheehan, I sent it to my gunsmith (along with a 9 mm Olympic Arms AR upper receiver—part of another SBR project) and asked him to use the excess from the Olympic barrel to produce a 9 ½ inch P38 barrel (with the end threaded for either the flash hider, or my suppressor). Later, I bought a plastic carbine hand guard for Larry Green and prayed the added weight wouldn’t cause cycling problem. The new barrel functioned fine with the flash hider, but the added inertial mass of my suppressor caused problems. In addition, the handguard would also slide during recoil despite the use of its built-in set screws.
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“The Bob Or Not To Bob Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Jan 7 2009, 04:08 PM
With the cycling problems resolved, I focused on the last modification required to have a pistol variant of a U.N.C.L.E. Special: the bobbed hammer—a feature never clearly shown in photos—at least none adequate enough to use as a pattern. Yeah, it looked cool, but did I really need it? It was the one feature I had the hardest time convincing myself to add primarily because of the hellacious double-action trigger pull that would remain once the smoke cleared. As a result, I tried to talk myself into leaving the hammer untouched, but the fact remained doing so took away from pistols’ aesthetic appeal—which left only one alternative. I had to find a way to do a trigger job on the pistol. To accomplish such a feat, I had to find a sufficient P38 tech manual. The task took several weeks and God only knows how many hours of searching online, but the effort paid off. Sandwiched between the pistol’s hammer strut and magazine release, the hammer spring serves a dual purpose by providing tension for both the hammer and its European-style magazine release. The discovery suggested a trigger job would prove difficult (removing too many coils could not only cause misfires but possibly release magazines prematurely) but not impossible. Still, there had to be a way. In search of an answer, I decided to research other post-war P38 variants (one with a reputation for double-action to rival even a vintage Colt Python—the P5). The secret to its silky-smooth, double-action stemmed from two things: a shortened/re-contoured hammer strut and a—you guessed it—a shorter hammer spring. Besides fewer coils, the P5 hammer spring also appeared to be constructed from smaller-gauge wire. Be warned: many gun part/spring sources market P38 and P5 hammer and recoil springs as interchangeable—but their dimensions are different. (To help, I’m in the process of having the both springs measured and plan on posting the specs later). Unfortunately, the P5’s hammer strut was not interchangeable with my P38 due to its different shape—but the hammer spring was. Although not as smooth as the P5, replacing the spring significantly reduced the trigger pull as my swapping springs proved! (One possible source for P5 springs is Earl Sheehan’s website). Making the discovery, Steve L'Italien assisted me further by providing me a profile image of the hammer from one of the original show props to use as a pattern. However, since then, I successfully managed to trim a P38 spring down to respectable pull weight of 8-pounds without any indications of light primer strikes or misfires
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“The Finicky Spring Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Jan 5 2009, 06:05 PM
The sense of victory I experienced having successfully modified the flash hider to accept an externally-threaded barrel was short lived. The modifications to the pistol portion of my U.N.C.L.E. Special were virtually complete (bobbing the hammer would come after function testing.) I headed to the range where it displayed two types of malfunctions. Shooting two brands (USA and WWII-era Western Cartridge, M1 Ball) 115-grain FMJ, the pistol would either fail to fully cycle a new cartridge, sending the slide into partial battery. Or, the slide would fail to strip a cartridge from the magazine entirely, allowing the firing pin to fall on an empty chamber when the trigger was pulled.
The pistol didn’t exhibit such behavior prior to conversion, the short-cycling had to be the result of modifying the barrel. Since shorter barrels have less room for powder to burn when ignited, less gas pressure is created to cycle the action, which alters the slide’s travel and cycling behavior due to less resistance—AKA inertial mass. In search of a solution, I decided to research other post-war P38 variants for an answer. A partiular one with a similar barrel length—the Walther P5—came instantly to mind. Luckily, I had to venture only as far as my gun safe to have a peak inside one (It would also come in handy later). I suspected the P5's recoil springs had been modified in order to accomodate the difference in and pressure resulting from the reduced barrel. In so, comparing the springs might offer a clue of perhaps a pattern. Sadly, the P5 springs were virtually identical in length and coils appeared to constucted of a different gauge steel—leaving no other alternative than to alter the existing P38 springs.
I trimmed the recoil springs to lessen the effects of the slide’s inertial mass, allowing it to compensate for the reduced pressure impulse created by the newly shortened barrel, thereby enabling the slide to cycle fully. The process proved quite time-consuming, but in the end the pistol ran hassle free. However, fixing it created another problem. Given the significant back-pressure created when using a suppressor on a firearm, using one with the trimmed springs would likely cause excessive wear by battering the pistol—doubly so when using the suppressor and carbine barrel together—the solution? Either switch to a second set of heavier recoil springs for use with carbine/suppressed shooting, or purchase a second pistol—a dedicated U.N.C.L.E. carbine. Considering the arduous nature of swapping P38 recoil springs—along with the lack of alternatives—I began to see a braced pair of “S” and “K” designated U.N.C.L.E. Specials in my future. (Oddly enough, the second didn’t short-cycle after its barrel was shortened). Who says firearms aren’t finicky?
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“The Cage And Threaded Skirt Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Dec 31 2008, 03:44 PM
While it’s easy to understand why some perceive the cage-shaped flash hider on the U.N.C.L.E. Special to be one of those cosmetic add-ons used to give the gun a certain degree of state-of-the art flare, the fact is it was included to serve as a blank adapter. Prop masters cut the standard P38 barrels just short of where they tapered then internally threaded them to except either the flash hider or carbine extension—which explains why the flash hiders weren’t a permanent fixture.
Larry Green’s are made similarly in that they require the P38 barrel be cut down and interior of the muzzle slightly counter-bored prior to being internally threaded for the cage. Having been designed for use with live ammo, its dimensions are different, but only slightly: the threaded stem is shorter with a finely threaded exterior, while the hole inside is wide enough to allow access of a 9 mm bullet (which is why it appealed to me so much). Lengthwise, it’s slightly longer than Brad’s, although this is virtually unnoticeable without measuring.
However, I wanted the versatility of being able to run one of my suppressors on the gun, which required a different thread configuration on both cage and barrel—plus, knowing how suppressors tend to loosen during extended periods of fire, I suspected the cage would follow suit. As a result, I viewed the potential change more as a slight alternation with an added ounce of prevention—if for no other reason than for piece of mind. In an effort to find a solution, my friend John referred me to Steve L'Italien, who in addition to selling U.N.C.L.E. memorabilia, also sells gun parts on his website. Despite never having the pleasure of speaking to him, the few enthusiastic e-mails we swapped included the necessary drawings and most specs necessary to custom build my own cage. Much like coveted single malt, Steve occasionally proves as hard to get a hold of—but the results are worth it and equally enjoyable.
Still, in the back of my mind I couldn’t help wondering if Larry Green’s flash hiders—or what his website refers to as flash arrestors—could be modified to meet my needs. My gunsmith responded telling me he’d have no problem doing so. The end result included a brazed skirt mated to the cage—the interior of which was threaded ½ inch to attach to both the modified barrel as well as my suppressor—duplicating the overall length of an originally-configured prop barrel both with (4") and without (3") the cage attachment (A similar approach was used when making the carbine barrel (more on that later). Despite the change, the addition of the threaded skirt doesn't change the overall aesthetics of the original design.
For the moment however, I viewed the solution as the first successful leap over one of many hurdles yet to be discovered. Little did I know the next would occur when I took it to the range.
(Images courtesy of Brad Ferguson and Larry Green)
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“The Parts, Parts Who’s Got The Parts Affair”
Posted by robertboyd2, Dec 30 2008, 12:39 PM
My friend John sent me to Brad Ferguson’s website. Other P38 forum members recommended it as well, but since he dealt primarily with Airsoft, blank-firing and non-firing variants of the U.N.C.L.E. Special I dismissed it during my initial visit. However, I soon discovered Brad’s reputation for producing the most detailed and highest quality replicas of the U.N.C.L.E. Special currently available—a byproduct undoubtedly due to his other profession as a jeweler. I also learned of a few instances where he was responsible for organizing a small production of carbine kits with metal parts—including grips. Sadly I was too late to purchase a set of aluminum grips; however during one of several phone conversations he told me his plastic grips were durable enough to withstand live ammo. I decided to give them a try and yes, they held up for several hundred rounds (the same can be said for Brad's plastic scope mounts). Despite being plastic, they should provide a suitable platform for someone wanting a live-ammo capable pistol variant of the U.N.C.L.E. Special—provided patrons follow the instructions and don’t over tighten the grip screw during installation. The plastic would undoubtedly crack if used in conjunction with a stock on a National Firearms Act (NFA) approved, short barreled rifle (SBR). Originally I intended to have my gunsmith make a pair out of aluminum using them as a pattern. However, they’re also available from Larry Green Productions. (But plan to have them anodized, because the paint doesn’t hold up to constant handling).
As with John, Brad is more than just a source for parts—more than a friend—he’s a kindred spirit, fueled by the same desire for a functional variant of the U.N.C.L.E. Special. Our friendship is symbiotic: we both have something the other needs: he has parts/specs cast from the original props from the show, while I offer knowledge regarding gunsmithing and the NFA registration process (having successfully registered several SBRs). Thanks to a common goal I now had a source for both vital parts and specs from Brad’s U.N.C.L.E. Specials, and was one step closer to accomplishing my—correction—our goal.
(Images courtesy of Brad Ferguson and Larry Green)
[imghttp://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs128.ash2/39733_424271069241_251616284241_4682465_7864707_n.jpg[/img]
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on "The Fun Function Test Affair"