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MAGAZINE ARTICLES |
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EXCERPT FROM STEALTH
.45ACP
CUSTOM DETAILS Tussey builds these units one at a time and they are therefore a bit expensive. But they do tame the muzzle flip to an appreciable degree. The first step is to modify the top front corner of the slide by milling away a hefty chunk of steel. This essentially notches the entire front corner, as far back as approximately three-quarters of an inch. The cut goes down from the top just about the same amount. Obviously, this leaves a huge gap in the front end of the slide. The gap gets filled up when the pistolsmith builds the body of the compensator from a steel block that’s threaded onto the muzzle end of the barrel. Where the notch is a negative, the compensator body is a positive that fills the hole. With great care, the pistolsmith makes sure the contours of the slide match those of the comp. To vent expanding powder gasses upward, thereby driving the gun downward against its natural tendency to rise, there has to be ports. Tussey cuts two of them in the top surface of comp/barrel unit. A wide oval port is on each side of the centerline of the gun. The gas therefore goes to either side, but not straight up. Unlike many other compensator systems, this one allows the pistolsmith to install a front sight at the front end of the barrel. In this case, it was a XS Sights Big Dot. There’s no problem with the hot vented gasses attacking the sighting element, because they go to the sides of the sight. To ensure maximum compensator efficiency, the interior of the unit is configured to form an expansion chamber. When the system is installed and fitted to a necessary recoil spring guide rod, it is then polished to a matching perfect fit with the slide. This final fitting is what makes the Stealth stealthy, in the sense that it’s hard to see. Look close at the accompanying pictures and you can barely see the line where the slide and comp come together. As mentioned earlier, Tussey’s Stealth Comp system adapts to Colt M1911s and many of the clones thereof. Terry has put them on guns with slides from 3 to 6 inches in length. The main gun pictured in this article is Tussey’s own regular carry pistol, which he regretfully surrendered for the time it would take me to photograph, fire and write it up. It is made from an Officer’s ACP with a 3.5 inch barrel. Another gun is shown for comparison. This one was made for the wife of a friend, using those excellent Caspian parts. He is in the process of putting one together for me, based on a Para-Ordnance LDA Carry. Obviously, there is more craftsmanship here than what went into the comp system. Many shooters like the little ACP-sized pistols with the short butt and short slide. Modern magazines for these guns hold 7 rounds and the overall size is just right for all day, everyday carry. Tussey builds plenty of pistols in this size bracket, although he can go smaller. Tussey pays much attention to the ergonomics of a custom handgun and has developed an interesting modification for the short butt versions of the old classic. If you have medium-to large-sized hands, the short butt M1911s can be a problem. Take one of them in your hand in a one-handed shooting grasp. Note where the bottom rear corner of the butt ends up in relation to your hand. In my hand, that sharp corner is right in the middle of the heel. When I fire the gun with serious defensive ammo, it has a marked tendency to dig into the meaty part of my hand. Tussey remedies this situation with a modified frame and mainspring housing. He carefully rounds that edge that reduces the sharp corner. It also allows my hand to come around the butt far enough to put a little more of my hand behind the gun. This subtle re-shaping helps considerably in controlling a small light handgun chambered for a powerful cartridge. Tussey gave his own pistol all of the best touches. It’s a lightweight, an aluminum alloy receiver, and he carefully checkered the front strap in a 30 lines-per-inch pattern. The receiver is finished in a dull matte black color. I also note that he included another efficient custom touch that I also like, a modest relief cut under the base of the triggerguard. This feature moves the hand just a little bit closer to the bore axis. On this gun, Tussey went with those increasingly popular XS Express sights, featuring a shallow “V” rear sight and tritium Big Dot front. The system is fast and right at home on a defensive gun of this sort. A final touch is a pair of slim ivory (the real stuff) grip panels. They give the gun an elegant touch. |
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