Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing A Little Bit of Bobcat to My Compact Tactical 1911

Now that I've ground the butt round and polished it up, what is the easiest way to add texture to the polished surfaces? Stippling? I tested the mainspring housing with a punch and it's HARD!

Ideas?

I would checker it if you can cut it with a file. A bud of mine who's an engraver does a really neat crosshatch pattern with burrs shaped like rasp teeth inside the diamonds that is really cool. I'm not a fan of the way stippling looks generally but it is effective. Of course if it's super hard none of this is going to work anyway.

If it was me, I'd just run a chunk of skateboard tape from the grip safety down and around the "bob"

About 5/16" width should work.

Virgil B.

I like a nicely stippled texture. I've done a few. It is all in the technique. Sharpen a punch, and make sure you hold the punch off the surface a little as you strike it with the hammer. The "bounce" contributes to the dimples. You'll likely have to sharpen the punch a few times.