New TM MEU on the way :D Need some help/tips.

[Degenetron]

Ok, so i just ordered a shiny new meu As opposed to my hicapa, this is mainly meant to look nice (although i did pick up some upgraded internals.).

As for looks the only thing i've ordered as of now are some "ivory" grips with the intention of making the gun look somewhere in between mark parchezzi IIIs from hitman blood money and the WA stallone cobra one. Basically a black metal 1911 with ivory grips and adjustable sights. Still undecided on the barrel and controls.

I have stumbled into a few issues though and was hoping some of you guys could offer some help and/or tips.

Issue #1: The "ivory" grips i ordered are too white. i'd like them to take on a more aged look.. as in a slightly more yellow hue and ideally with some visible cracks/veins that were even more yellow. You know.. like old ivory. What they look like (product code at Den Trinity: GLR132) :


My idea: I thought i could just submerge them in something like coffee over night (or however long it takes) to try to color them. Hopefully there will be some mold creases in the plastic that will add a nice touch. Thoughts or experiences?

Issue #2: Fitting hicapa 5.1 rear sights.

My idea: Bit stuck here. I suppose the easiest way to do this would be to simply fit a 5.1 slide. Would one fit on a meu? know the outer barrel and recoil rod are not compatible.. i also read you could file out a bit on the inside of a hicapa slide to make it accept the barrel bushing from a 1911.. How hard is this and what exactly do you have to do?

I do intend to get a metal slide, barrel and frame though.. seems most shops sell only sets of frames + slides for the 1911 type pistols. While for the hicapas, slides are sold separate. Don't really wanna cough up for an extra slide i dont need.. Anyone know of a set that will accomodate a 5.1 rear?

Also, I rather like the long flat look of the MEU's front sights.. would the hicapa slide be able to accept the standard front post from the meu?

So yeah.. a lot of questions here. I'd appreciate any help i could get. I'm sure i can sort soem of this myself (gotta love that dremel ) and i can compromise on other things.. but yeah, i'll draw on your experiences

An inspirational pic to end the post.

I rather like this WE, The slide and sights are spot on. Exactly what im looking for.. suppose i could live with the squared trigger guard too. The fake buckhorn grips are horrible though and while i do intend for this to be a looker.. i will never be able to live with myself if it doesn't shoot well. Perhaps i could buy one and try to transplant the metal onto the TM parts, but it just feels wrong. But look away from the squared trigger guard, imagine a slightly aged, smooth offwhite, ivory grip and this is it

[juicy]

I can help address your questions about sights... No, to all three of them. If you want a Hi-Capa slide or sights, you have to do a full conversion to the slide/sights in order to make them compatible with the MEU's bits.

As to a slide... not quite. It'll need a slide spacer, as the MEU/1911 slide rails are thinner than those on a Hi-Capa. Unfortunately, the Tanio Koba slide spacer seems to have disappeared from most stores. I don't know of any others, though if you look at pics, it would probably be easy enough to have a friend with a milling machine to make one for you. You could probably modify a Hi-Capa slide to accept the MEU slide spacer without many problems though... but then that just leaves the problem of the sights.

Oh, and I've already contacted ILLusion about the TK slide spacer he's got in his store - it's mine, don't even consider trying to take it lol. (Wait, I just noticed you're from Denmark, I shouldn't have to worry about that then...)

Hint for questions about this type of stuff: ILLusion has started a Hi-Capa/1911/MEU thread in which you could have found most of this information by looking through the many, many posts. It's somewhere in the technical section of ASC or something like that. Not sure where and I'm a little too tired to look it up for you, sorry.

[Boyso]

As for the grips, what I'd do, start by distressing them a bit with a screwdriver or something like that until you like it.

Then, get some quality acrylic paint and mix some yellow with white and transparant gel (Forgot how it's called, ask at your hobby store, it's used to do Sfumato Ã* la Da Vinci). Brush it until you like and clear coat it after it's dried to seal it.

[Thenooblord]

a hicappa slide fits just fine on 1911 frame, it will only contact 3 of the 4 main areas of the frame rail however, but it never caused any issues when I did it otther than slightly increased play between slide and frame

[Degenetron]

Thanks guys.

The grips arrived today and are actually quite a bit more yellowish than the ones in the picture. They still look rather white on the gun, but not sure if want to risk ruining them just yet as they are almost acceptable They did actually have what looks like those lil cracks you see on ivory, but im not sure if those are actual cracks or just coloring in the plastic.. gonna have to have a closer look at them later.

As for the sight/slide issue.. yeah..more play in the slide would bother me a bit.. this started off as a just for looks gun, but i dunno.. if the choice is a wobbly slide with bomars vs. a tight one with novaks, i'll have to go with novak. Nice to know they are interchangeable in a pinch though. Currently trawling the sites as i know i saw one one of those spacers in stock somewhere..

[Boyso]

These cracks and crannnies could be in the plastic but filled with a protective clear coat

[defasturias]

Search for "wash" techinque used in scale models making (cars, airplanes, etc.). Basically you put a lot of thinner in black paint, apply it on the surface, and wipe it off. The thinned black paint will stay in all cracks and make them more visible. It should be a nice touch.

[Degenetron]

indeed spartan
And yeah defasturias basically what i want is for the crakcs to take on a more brownish color. Guess i should use a dark brown instead of black, but good idea.
The grips have a highly polished surface though.. thinner would make them matte, no?

EDIT: Shitty spelling

[Boyso]

Take some fine grid sandpaper (the black ones, for wetsanding) and lightly sand them.

For the paint, use dark brown and black.

Use water based paints, if you exagerated, wash it and start over.

When you like it
4-5 light coats of flat clear coat.

[Degenetron]

btw.. Regarding the metal upgrade.. I sent Illusion a pm, but he seems to be unresponsive. I did however find a PGC metal set for it on redwolf. Any experiences with these sets? They dont require too much work, no? I can deal with some filing and minor fitting. Just well.. i can not deal with too large cleareance. .. Too tight is ok.. Too sloppy isn't.

Linky: Kit in question

[Boyso]

Give him a few days, he was in the middle of a move and he's been catching up on PMs for the last days.

[Degenetron]

yeah.. it's been 2 weeks now though.. im growing impatient

[Boyso]

Just make sure what you are looking to import is not restricted in your country.

[Degenetron]

Thats ok.. im norwegian.. doesn't matter much what iget as long a it doesn't exceed a given kinetic energy value. and with a .2g bullet.. that wont happen. I'd have to mod the shit outta a .22 caliber lead pellet airgun to reach the levels that are restricted for a semi. Full auto has tighter restrictions, i can't import a drozd for example.. but any gun that shoots .2g plastic bbs is ok so far. the laws only look at the impact energy.

EDIT: changed the word 'illegal' to 'restricted' in the sentence "to reach the levels that are restricted for a semi" casue well,. they aren't illegal.. only restricted to people with the proper licensing.

[Boyso]

I meant, here, importing that pistol frame is prohibited IIRC. Slides/Grips are fine. Frame isn't. Here.