Posted: Sep 10th 2010, 01:12 PM
A few months ago, I purchased a used Kimber Custom II from another member here on 1911.com. I've enjoyed buying, selling, and trading with this individual for over a year now, and this particular purchase ranks up there with one of my favorite projects.
I immediately took the Custom II out to the range and found it to be very accurate. It will probably end up getting used as an
IDPA pistol in the near future. The finish was slightly worn, as would be expected, from riding in a Kydex S.E.R.P.A. holster. Being as I tend to carry a lot in the outdoors and subject my firearms to water frequently, I decided to send this pistol off to W.E. Birdsong & Associates for their Black-T Green-T two-tone finish. I decided to go with the two-tone as it matches the 1911's of some of the guys I work with.
The Birdsong -T finish is very nice and isn't really a paint. The entire gun is disassembled and all metal parts are bathed, degreased, and prepped for the process. The multi-stage process chemically bonds to the metal and protects it even if the color is worn in the future in high wear areas. The finish is guaranteed for life, and based on the long list of distinguished clients that Birdsong has, it comes highly recommended by operators of walks. Plan on not getting your firearm back for several months, but if you are tough on your guns, this finish is a step up from painted on coatings.
Pricing is reasonable, and if you are MIL or
LEO, then you get some break on the cost. It was actually only slightly higher than most Duracoat jobs, and that includes all the internals and 2 magazines. The website is
http://www.black-t.com and I'll keep you updated on wear and tear.
I changed from a Hogue grip that came on this CII to VZGrips Operator II's.
Here she is:
