Meltdown...

[BigG]

OK, guys, here's the story: I've been drooling over the meltdown version of the Commander-sized .45 made by Kimber. What would it take to produce one from a standard blue Colt .45? Can you recommend a reputable pistolsmith in the Atlanta area who would do this and refinish the pistol? What would it cost? Or am I off base, i.e., just buy Kimber? $969.00 + tax...

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Yankee Doodle

 

[Bubba]

(reaching down to pat that same little Kimber on my hip right now)....

I love the Combat Carry. The price you quoted sounds a bit high; one shop here in Austin has a new one for $889 and a 99% used one for $799.

This puppy has been flawless right out of the box. I have about 1200 rounds through it. It is the gun I carry 7x24. This one is a keeper.



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Bubba
IDPA# A04739
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It is long been a principal of ours that one is no more armed because he has possession of a firearm than he is a musician because he owns a piano. There is no point in having a gun if you are not capable of using it skillfully. - Jeff Cooper

 

[Little-e]

I can answer part of your question. Go to a guy named Rusty at David's Gun Room on Buford Hwy. He does unbelieveable work and has good prices. Unfortunately, turn around can be long due to volume. After seeing what he has done with a few of my guns, I wouldn't go anywhere else.

BTW, Ken at Classic Guns on P'tree Industrial isn't bad. Not quite Rusty, but not bad. He is a little faster and price is about the same.

 

[B Shipley]

Why not send it to Clark and get the original?

 

[Theo]

I had the Kimber compact (stainless/alum) and decided that I wanted it "melted" sent it to Kimber and for 250.00 they did a great job. Turn around time was about 5 days! Out of the box the Kimber is the most reliable and accurate pistol I have ever owned. I've put 2000+ rounds through it without ANY problems. Only firearm that I've come across that I thought was worth more than the retail price.

Theo

 

[Rob Pincus]

B Shipley hit the nail on the head.

As the proud owner of a true Meltdown (a Caspian), I can assure you that you should not refer to any otehr dehorn as a Meltdown. Only Clark does it as thoroughly and as perfecetly.
They also do a complete Carry package on any gun they work on. the "Meltdown" is much more than just a redical dehorn.

Contact them in Princeton, Louisianna. You won't be sorry.

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-Essayons

 

[Ricky T]

Dear BigG,
There is another excellent gunsmith in Atlanta that can help you. His name is John Harrison, his email can be found at the South River USPSA website. Go to www.uspsa.org and search for Georgia clubs, then go to South River. His prices are reasonable, he can perform anything from dehorn (melt-down)on carry guns to full house race guns. And he can refinish guns from parkerizing, blueing, hard chrome to black molybdenum ... (similar process as Black-T , Armor-Tuff, etc.).

 

[Rob Pincus]

BigG,

I hope you have contacted Clark. Anyone else using the term "Meltdown" should be sued!

 

[Rosco Benson]

Well, he did write "melt-down" and not "meltdown". This is kind of like the notion that Springfield Armory owns the term "racegun".

Rosco

 

[BigG]

Hey y'all!

Mebbe I was unclear...

I checked the Clark site, and, although I'm sure they do good work, no way am I paying $765 for a meltdown on a perfectly good Colt Gummint Model, which cost about $700 to begin with...

About the term meltdown, I din't know it was a registered trademark...

I thought by saying $969 for the Kimber it would ring some bells that I thought that was expensive. In fact, it seems to me it would be easier to make a meltdown from scratch because the polishing would be on the rounded frame rather than having to keep all the corners sharp. It just goes to show you how marketing works... They give you "less" and charge you more! Regards


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Yankee Doodle

 

[B Shipley]

Yeah, but you get an action job too. Hell, why not spend about a grand (list, not out the door price) for what you want from the factory and not risk a F---up by the smith, which seems all too common for my tastes. You pay more up front and bitch and pay less later. Also, everyone, almost, has heard of Clark, thus he has a rep. to protect, which, presumeably, is justified. Also, it would help resale tp have him do it, as opposed to your local yokel, who may be getting recommendations from guys who would think a Yugo was a good car, or that Ford and Dodge made good trucks.