I recently had the pleasure of working with Kurt Wickmann http://www.kwgw.com on a 9mm Hi-Power project of mine. I had purchased a used MK III earlier this year, that was in good mechanical condition but had a few dings along with some finish wear. In other words, a good project gun.
I had discussed my project with several other Hi-Power 'smiths... All were helpful and patient with my many questions and I had many, as this was my 1st Hi-Power. Something intangible about Kurt led me to choose him over the others... good vibes, gut instinct, whatever...
We talked several times about exactly what modifications I wanted, the merits of each... Kurt took time out of his busy schedule to answer every question I had (on the phone and email) and also made several good suggestions. We finally decided on the exact work to be done and the fee. Off my HP went to his shop in Ohio.
I chose Kurt's HP package as the base for the work to be done. Most of the modifications I wanted were included in his well thought out package. The changes we made to the packge were:
1. Deleted tritium inserts and added gold dot insert in front sight
2. Had the mag safety removed (signed waiver required)
3. Stippled rear of slide
4. Stippled top of slide with milled borders
5. Removal of metal below the trigger guard
6. Added Spegel Kingwood checkered wood grips
7. Tuned my mags for reliability
8. Installed Wolff springs
The quality and attention to detail are very evident on this pistol. Kurt polished out several small but nasty looking gouges around the rear sight where some wannabe gunsmith attempted to drift the factory sight with all the finesee of a gorilla
The stippling was very well executed and I could find no flaws when examining it with a magnifying glass. The borders cut around the serial # on the fronstrap and along the top of the slide are especially attractive.
One modification I queried Kurt about was removing some metal at the point where the fronstrap meets the triggerguard (a common feature on 1911s). This was no major problem but this area of the pistol did rub on my middle finger and any metal removal there could only improve the comfort and shootability of my pistol. While removing no more than 1/8" of metal, Kurt's expertise with his files made this troublesome area disappear - upon close examination, no file marks are present, this area looks just like it was built this way.
Probably the most significant improvement Kurt made was the trigger job he did. Outstanding is the best word I can think of to describe the quality of the trigger pull. The trigger breaks at a crisp 5 lbs, but its so smooth it feels more like 3 lbs! This trigger, other than the necessary take-up inherent in the Hi-Power design, is superior to many "premier" 1911s I have experienced.
In its stock configuration my Hi-Power proved to be plenty accurate for a combat pistol. Groups ranged from 2.2" to 3.5" using several brands of ammo. Now that my pistol has been tuned, accuracy improved dramatically! Using the same ammo, groups shrank to 1.3" to 2.6", about a 1" reduction! Crowning the barrel, improved trigger and ergonomics along with better sights are what I attribute to the increased accuracy.
Side Note: I sent Kurt a box of Cor-Bon's 125gr loading for sighting in purposes. Using this ammo, from an unsupported standing position, his first 3 shots went into 1 hole and the final 2 shots "opened" the group to 1/2"! No need for a Bar-Sto here!
This is my first experience with an all black Novak rear/gold dot front sight set-up. The Novak rear sight needs no introduction. One aspect about Kurt's front sight design, dovetailed btw, is that the gold dots diameter is a little smaller than most white dots, allowing for a more precise sight picture. After running about a thousand rounds through my "new Hi-Power", I am very impressed with the sight picture this combo presents. It is ideal for target shooting and competitive shooting like IDPA. Works well for HD when used in conjunction with a Surefire 6Z light.
My experience with Kurt on this project was 100% positive! His working philosophy is old school - give the customer their money's worth plus a little extra! I found Kurt to be very serious about giving me exactly what I wanted and I also learned that he willingly goes the extra mile to produce a pistol that not only meets but exceeds his customers expectations!
After examining his workmanship closely now for several weeks, I can honestly state that Kurt Wickmann is a true master of his craft!
If you're looking for someone to do some modifications to your Hi-Power, 1911, Sig or S&W, I suggest giving Kurt a call to discuss your project. His prices are reasonable and his turn-around time is excellent (my pistol was back in my hands 56 days after I shipped it!). Would I choose Kurt's services again, well lets just say that I purchased a new Hi-Power a couple of weeks ago and the trigger could use a little...
my entire review and a couple of pics at http://members.tripod.com/BK_GLOCK_1911_PAGE/hipower.html
[This message has been edited by bk40 (edited December 21, 1999).]
I had discussed my project with several other Hi-Power 'smiths... All were helpful and patient with my many questions and I had many, as this was my 1st Hi-Power. Something intangible about Kurt led me to choose him over the others... good vibes, gut instinct, whatever...
We talked several times about exactly what modifications I wanted, the merits of each... Kurt took time out of his busy schedule to answer every question I had (on the phone and email) and also made several good suggestions. We finally decided on the exact work to be done and the fee. Off my HP went to his shop in Ohio.
I chose Kurt's HP package as the base for the work to be done. Most of the modifications I wanted were included in his well thought out package. The changes we made to the packge were:
1. Deleted tritium inserts and added gold dot insert in front sight
2. Had the mag safety removed (signed waiver required)
3. Stippled rear of slide
4. Stippled top of slide with milled borders
5. Removal of metal below the trigger guard
6. Added Spegel Kingwood checkered wood grips
7. Tuned my mags for reliability
8. Installed Wolff springs
The quality and attention to detail are very evident on this pistol. Kurt polished out several small but nasty looking gouges around the rear sight where some wannabe gunsmith attempted to drift the factory sight with all the finesee of a gorilla
The stippling was very well executed and I could find no flaws when examining it with a magnifying glass. The borders cut around the serial # on the fronstrap and along the top of the slide are especially attractive.
One modification I queried Kurt about was removing some metal at the point where the fronstrap meets the triggerguard (a common feature on 1911s). This was no major problem but this area of the pistol did rub on my middle finger and any metal removal there could only improve the comfort and shootability of my pistol. While removing no more than 1/8" of metal, Kurt's expertise with his files made this troublesome area disappear - upon close examination, no file marks are present, this area looks just like it was built this way.
Probably the most significant improvement Kurt made was the trigger job he did. Outstanding is the best word I can think of to describe the quality of the trigger pull. The trigger breaks at a crisp 5 lbs, but its so smooth it feels more like 3 lbs! This trigger, other than the necessary take-up inherent in the Hi-Power design, is superior to many "premier" 1911s I have experienced.
In its stock configuration my Hi-Power proved to be plenty accurate for a combat pistol. Groups ranged from 2.2" to 3.5" using several brands of ammo. Now that my pistol has been tuned, accuracy improved dramatically! Using the same ammo, groups shrank to 1.3" to 2.6", about a 1" reduction! Crowning the barrel, improved trigger and ergonomics along with better sights are what I attribute to the increased accuracy.
Side Note: I sent Kurt a box of Cor-Bon's 125gr loading for sighting in purposes. Using this ammo, from an unsupported standing position, his first 3 shots went into 1 hole and the final 2 shots "opened" the group to 1/2"! No need for a Bar-Sto here!
This is my first experience with an all black Novak rear/gold dot front sight set-up. The Novak rear sight needs no introduction. One aspect about Kurt's front sight design, dovetailed btw, is that the gold dots diameter is a little smaller than most white dots, allowing for a more precise sight picture. After running about a thousand rounds through my "new Hi-Power", I am very impressed with the sight picture this combo presents. It is ideal for target shooting and competitive shooting like IDPA. Works well for HD when used in conjunction with a Surefire 6Z light.
My experience with Kurt on this project was 100% positive! His working philosophy is old school - give the customer their money's worth plus a little extra! I found Kurt to be very serious about giving me exactly what I wanted and I also learned that he willingly goes the extra mile to produce a pistol that not only meets but exceeds his customers expectations!
After examining his workmanship closely now for several weeks, I can honestly state that Kurt Wickmann is a true master of his craft!
If you're looking for someone to do some modifications to your Hi-Power, 1911, Sig or S&W, I suggest giving Kurt a call to discuss your project. His prices are reasonable and his turn-around time is excellent (my pistol was back in my hands 56 days after I shipped it!). Would I choose Kurt's services again, well lets just say that I purchased a new Hi-Power a couple of weeks ago and the trigger could use a little...
my entire review and a couple of pics at http://members.tripod.com/BK_GLOCK_1911_PAGE/hipower.html
[This message has been edited by bk40 (edited December 21, 1999).]