[gopguy]

This is another gun show find. The Seecamp family famous for their little .32 autos that came out in 1985, got their start many years before. In the early 1970s through the early 80s they converted nearly 2000 1911 pistols to double action. These are very much sought by collectors today. You may see a Double Action conversion of a 1911, but to be sure it is a genuine Seecamp look for the oval with LWS in it. You will find it on the trigger guard. The gun is double action for the first shot and single action after that. To lower the hammer one must be very careful as there is no hammer drop.

I got this from an older gentleman who was walking around with this in a holster at a gun show in Sharonville Ohio months back. You could not see it was a conversion in the holster and his asking price was a bit high for a run of the mill 70s vintage satin nickel Colt Commander. However I asked to look, as one never knows, and it turned out to be so much more. The guy actually commented that he probably hurt the value by having it worked on thirty some odd years ago. We negotiated a bit and I think we both walked away very happy.

The pull is surprisingly smooth and not too heavy. The pistol dead on accurate with 230 grain ball at 20 yards.

http://www.seecamp.com/companyhistory.htm

http://www.m1911.org/seecamp.htm

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265651

I saw one sell for nearly $3K at OGCA, this one went pretty cheap on auction last year.

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=9475135

 

[farscott]

Interesting pistol. The plate that covers the right side of the frame for the DA lockwork is a good idea. Better than what SIG, Beretta, and Colt did for the trigger bars on their DA service pistols even though I am a fan of the Double Eagle.

Have you ever removed the sideplate to examine the underlying lockwork?

 

[dakota1911]

A friend of mine had one of these and they are interesting. I would probably buy one if I stumbled across it and the price was good.

Thanks for the several interesting links on it also.

 

[AreB]

Very nice. Back in the '80s, I owned an ODI Viking-the production version of the Seecamp conversion-and have handled several (well, maybe 3) of the Seecamp builds. The Seecamps had better triggers.

I still want a Seecamp .380. The late Louis Seecamp was a pretty clever guy. His design work on recoil spring systems for short-barrel 1911s was pioneering.

 

[farscott]

What I find interesting, beyond the clever engineering, is that the DA conversion causes the serial number and manufacturer information to be eliminated from the pistol. I wonder how Seecamp avoided BATF issues.

 

[AreB]

IIRC, the data was moved to the underside of the dust cover. Seecamp must have gotten authorization from the feds to relocate.

 

[farscott]

AreB,

Thanks for that piece of information. The relocation with BATF approval makes sense to me.

 

[AreB]

If you squint at the second picture that gopguy posted of his gun show find, I believe that you can see the relocated serial #.

I have a Para LDA now and that takes care of my "DA 1911" jones. I still love the Seecamp engineering.

 

[farscott]

Yup, I see the serial number. Very cool pistola.

I have the Double Eagle to take care of my SA/DA needs, and it is similar to the Seecamp conversion with a decocker in place of the safety lock.

 

[wc145]

Very nice. Back in the '80s, I owned an ODI Viking-the production version of the Seecamp conversion-and have handled several (well, maybe 3) of the Seecamp builds. The Seecamps had better triggers.

I had a Viking for a while back around '84. Neat guns, another one I should have kept, you don't see too many of them. There's been a few on gunbroker that have tempted me for old times sake but there's always something else I need more.

 

[QCMGR]

http://www.google.com/patents?id=jvwuAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=3722358&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q=3722358&f=false

 

[AreB]

Well, that's fun to look at. I never had the nerve to take the sideplate off my ODI. I also wish I had kept mine-and the Milt Sparks Summer Special I bought to fit it-but I sold the pair to finance a set of locally designed-and-built loudspeakers that I still have. Fortunately, cash management has gotten better since the '80s and I no longer have to utilize the "one in, one out" approach to purchasing-at least not as often.

 

[mark794]

Great Post. I just learned something. I've Always been interested in Seacamps. Never heard of the 1911 modifications before. Thanks for sharing..

 

[baldeagle378]

Combat Commander/Seecamp conversion

I had a satin nickel Combat Commander converted by Mr. Seecamp in the mid 70's. It was the first satin nickel that he had done and it took him quite awhile to get it just right to his standards. I carried it for several years as an off duty and in cold weather, as my back up. I loved it. I know there are lots of choices these days for a DA .45 but back then, this was it. It works very well. I had to qualify with it on the 50 yard PPC and always shot possibles. The mechanism is simplicity itself. The new DA trigger just cocks the hammer. Then the rear surface of the DA trigger contacts the stub of the original SA trigger, depresses it and the gun fires...every time.

 

[DubfromGa]

I've got a Seecamp .32acp around here somewhere. I'd almost forgotten about it until this thread.

Wild hybrid idea.

 

[Johnny handgun]

Thank you for the interesting information. :^)

 

[silversport]

the first commercially available double action .45ACP that was displaced by the then up and coming SiG P220...they are very nice...nothing in common with Colt's Double Eagle and much better than the unauthorized Viking version (according to Seecamp)...

many of us with these on Seecamp's Forum...

Bill

 

[Chiller95]

Brand new on here but by grandpa has 6 of the original kits and I am in the process of clean and preparing to build them any one have pictures of blueprints or will to open theirs up and send me a pic or two any help at all would be extremely helpful