USFA as a shooter.....

[yahoody]

No question they are nice guns.  Some say even better than Colt.  I like them for shooting and field carry.  This one could easily enough be good house gun I think.


factory gun

Part 1:
Along those lines here is a fun shooter and easy enough to carry.   First thing I did  a few years back was buy a  spare USFA trigger guard and back strap.  Cut the grip frame up to fit my large sized hand.  Then bought a pair of unfinished elephant ivory slabs from Boone Trading.  Proceeded to cut up the ivory and fit it to the grip frame and back strap properly.   Re-polished, then reblued the back strap and trigger guard.   I've used that particular combo on several USFA guns with good results.

Part 2:  Had a butchered USFA hammer (pair of them actually) that some knuckle head cut up for, "fast thumb cocking", he tells me.  I bought his unfired pair of guns with these chopped up hammers.  Cheap too, as no one else wanted to buy new hammers and new guns I suspect.  Luckily I had a spare pair of new hammers, so not big deal.

FFinally got around to buying a Uberti Bisley hammer from VTI as the donor for this project .  Chopped off the new Bisley hammer's cocking spur.  Then silver soldered the Bisley spur to the mutilated USFA hammer.  Making sure I had a full sight picture as the hammer dropped on a primer.   Getting the spur centered on the hammer stub and keeping access to the firing pin hole was the most difficult part.  Recut the checkering on the hammer spur to razor sharpness for traction for single hand cocking.  Reblued the new hammer.

Below, one piece ivory and new "Bisley" parts hammer fitted.   The 2nd bobbed/butchered hammer and a factory new SAA hammer along side the home brewed stub gun.



Part 3:
I like the little belly guns in a pocket.   This is a 3" so it is easy to do.   But not the best in a pocket with a traditional SAA hammer.  Better with a Bisley hammer unless of course ... you intentionally cut the cocking serrations "razor sharp"  :-)   So now a decent belt holster seemed to be required.  One that might protect that now "razor sharp" hammer and the wearer some would be good.   Straight drop for this one so it could be used cross draw or strong side carry.  On reflection I should have just made it a high ride cross draw.  Next time around for that I guess.

Cut out a pattern, free hand and sew it up with a Speedy Stitcher.   Laborious.  Nothing fancy for sure.  Tight as a tick on the gun and on the belt.   Those two things are important to me.   No time like the present, sooo?  A couple of hours later and I have a 2nd rig.  It's a  handy little cross draw.

[yahoody]

Thanks Will..

another version of a bobbed hammer here...which I like better than the Bisley variations.