The Roadster arrived yesterday afternoon!! As soon as I got it home I looked it all over, dry fired it, changed the grips a couple of times, wiped it down, dry fired it some more, added a little oil, fed the animals, took some pics, checked the trigger pull weight, went out back and shot 30 rounds of ball through it using 8rd Colt mags, took a few more pics, wiped it down, edited pics, racked the slide a few times, watered the pumpkin patch, looked it over, wiped it down, compared it to some of my other 1911s, etc, etc, etc.. So, for several hours I was all over this gun, the only thing I haven't done is break it down.
The verdict is.... I love the gun. Love the look, the flames, the feel, the way it shoots, and it's totally bad ass. David's gunsmithing, and engraving and polishing, are top notch with terrific attention to detail. The bluing on the slide is excellent and Mahovsky's did a great job hard chroming the aluminum frame and small parts. Honestly, I couldn't find anything wrong with the gun and I couldn't be more pleased, I liked it when it was a new and I like it even more now, it's better in every way. Oh, there is one thing, the grips David made are beautiful, and just too nice for carrying. Daily carry is rough on grips and I'd feel horrible if these got scratched and beat up so I took them off and put them away with some other nice sets I have. I tried the pinstriped ones that I had gotten for it but once they were on the gun the look just didn't work. The ones in the pics below are maple, I had gotten them for my son's Commander but ended up putting something different on his gun. They feel good and I think they look good, though, like the flames, they probably won't appeal to everyone.
Like I said, I only had time to run 30rds through it but it functioned perfectly and the trigger is outstanding, right at 3 3/4lbs by my scale. The guns works exactly as it should, it's smooth and comfortable to shoot. It shoots straight and to POA, David's gold bead really picks up the light and is fast to acquire. The bobbed grip safety is comfortable and even though it's short by beavertail standards, it prevents biting and pinching well. I shot it at about 12 yards, 17rds kind of slow fire and then 13 a little faster and the gun handled great, there were no surprises, it was a pleasure to shoot. I'm planning to run it this coming Sunday in a local action pistol match, can't wait to shoot it some more.
Yes, it took two years but I can honestly say that the gun is worth the wait. David has been a great guy to deal with and the quality of his work is excellent. If you are looking at getting work done on a 1911 he should be at the top of your list of gunsmiths to talk to, his engraving and artistic abilities combined with his gunsmithing talents combine to create a skill set that is rarely possessed by a single individual. I can see him becoming very busy in the future, as more people seek him out.
https://www.facebook.com/clevingercustoms/
Here are some pics-
The obligatory "dirty" pics:grin:-
The first 17rds. The one a 6 o'clock was me, not the gun.:shy:
:thumbs: :usa: :cheers: