[norman74]

I'm thinking you could just grind them off and blend the dip into the frame. Might look kind of interesting even. Anybody ever done this? I'm sure someone has to have. Got pics if you have?

 

[eerw]

Can't remember where I saw this..but here is one

 

[mvician]

Here is a pic of John Forsyth's Colt Commander......it looks good !

Mike

 

[north]

These do look nice, But why go to the trouble?

 

[Zenmeister]

Looks similar to the slide on a Ruger P85/89......

Let's not give Sturm Ruger corp. any funny ideas on a clone 1911 guys, lol!

 

[Ricky T]

The stainless Commander in both of the pictures in the above posts belongs to John Forsyth. He had John Harrison of Precision Gun Works milled off the ugly cocking serrations.

 

[norman74]

These do look nice, But why go to the trouble?

Holster wear for one, looks for another. I'm betting it would be cheaper to buy a Springfield loaded or a used Kimber Series 1 and have them milled off than it would be to add all the features of either gun to a milspec.

 

[Jeeps]

Personally. I can't stand those front cocking serrations, and it has cost some of the guns mentioned above my business.

I wish the gun makers would offer those damn serrations on certain models, or as an option.

Currently, out of the 5 1911's I have, only two have the front serrations. Those are my least carried and used guns.

 

[John Forsyth]

These do look nice, But why go to the trouble?

Yep, I did it. And as Norman pointed out, the main reason was holster wear. The serrations as it came from Colt were sharp, as were the edges of the slide. I had John Harrison, mill off the front serrations, bevel the edges of the slide, and replace the factory sights with Novaks front and rear.

I wanted a light weight carry gun and the only alloy frame Commander Colt puts out is the XSE. The XSE line has front slide serrations.

Now I am not knocking front slide serrations. They have a purpose. All my game guns have them and I like them. I just do not see a need for them on a carry gun.

 

[rayjay]

I took a Roto-Zip and very carefully beveled the edges on my Springer. Took me a couple of hours but it looks good. You can hardly see the difference but you can sure feel the difference. I usually carry it in a leather pancake and I got tired of it grating the leather out of the inside of the holster.

 

[ktmhk53]

http://www.classichandguns.com/fighters1.html

 

[norman74]

http://www.classichandguns.com/fighters1.html

thanks, I knew I had seen that pic somewhere before, I just couldn't remember where. that's exactly what I was originally thinking, but I really like the look of John's way of taking it all the way out to the end now that I've seen it.

 

[ktmhk53]

 

[Byrd]

Man am I glad you guys brought this subject up! I have a Series I Kimber classic with an Ed Brown bbl. that is drop dead reliable and accurate, but I can't stand those ugly front serrations on it!

I have been contemplating for some time on wether to have them milled off and you have helped me make up my mind!

The gun has been in need of a refinish anyway, so I was thinking of changes/upgrades, so I will add this to my list

Thanks!

Byrd

 

[Konza]

A question came to mind when reading through this tread. Some of you expressed a dislike for the front grasping grooves on the 1911 slide and you are certianly entitled to your preferences. But I have to ask the somewhat obvious question here. If you prefer no front grasping groves, why in the world would you buy a pistol equipped with them in the first place?

 

[jimbo]

I too realize that there are two camps out there:

1. Those who like the Front Grasping Grooves.

2. Those who don't.

While I belong in camp 1 for the moment, I also like the look of those guns manufactured without grasping grooves (like the Springfield Armory). They have a look about them. My next full house will be based on a Springfield Armory as a base gun and it will not have front grasping grooves.

What I don't like is the ones that have been machined out. Makes the slide look kind of empty or lacking (and yes, obviously the grasping grooves aren't there anymore)...but compared to one that never had them to begin with, it's like night and day.

With that, I echo Konza's question: If you prefer no front grasping groves, why in the world would you buy a pistol equipped with them in the first place?

Just my two cents...

 

[CraigC]

To me, the front cocking serrations wouldn't be the thing that makes me decide whether or not to buy a particular model. Granted, my way of doing a press check is helped by them, but I managed to do press checks with my Mil-Spec, which doesn't have the serrations.

 

[VaughnT]

A lot of times, the weapon is bought because of the other features it has, like Novak sights or a beavertail safety. You're literally looking at the lesser of two evils when making the choice.

Personally, I dislike the look of them and how they tear up a leather holster. I can see how they might help a press check, but I can press check without them and don't really see the need to muss up the lines of the weapon.

www.pistoldynamics.com is now offering a Commander with the front milled down like the serrations had been removed. Looks good to my eye.

I'd have to say that I do kinda like the look of that front "plateau" where there used to be serrations. It's a new look, but it's still clean. You have a lip to grip when press-checking, but you don't have an obvious break in the clean lines of the slide.

Could be my next thing....

 

[marvl]

Several thoughts...

(1) What are front cocking serations good for? Grabbing a loaded gun near the muzzle does not strike me as a good thing to do.

(2) What is this strange aversion to them? While they are functionally useless, they don't cause any diseases, or cancer in rats.

(3) Instead of milling them off, why not fill them in? Some nice wood with maybe inlaid gold with a few jewels and you'd have one heck of a pimp-o-matic.

 

[John Forsyth]

Several thoughts...

(1) What are front cocking serations good for? Grabbing a loaded gun near the muzzle does not strike me as a good thing to do.

(2) What is this strange aversion to them? While they are functionally useless, they don't cause any diseases, or cancer in rats.

(3) Instead of milling them off, why not fill them in? Some nice wood with maybe inlaid gold with a few jewels and you'd have one heck of a pimp-o-matic.

1. On a competition gun, it is necessary to hold the slide back while the SO or RO witnesses that the weapon is indeed empty. The easiest thing to do is to place your hand under the dust cover, grab the slide, at the forward serrations, with your thumb and index finger of your weak hand. Roll your wrist. Really easy to do and I can hold the slide for as long as it takes the SO or RO to tell me it's clear.

2. I do not have an aversion to them. I like them. All my competition guns have them, note I said competition. On a weapon that is intended for carry, see no need for them.

3. Right. :mummy: