Pricing a 38 spl 1911

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Gentlemen,
I have a .38 conversion Jon built me that I am on the fence about selling, but it is a bit of a frankengun so I really don't know how to price it. I have found I really don't care for the 'chug' of .38 spl recoil and prefer the snap of .45. Hoping to get some unbiased opinion here about value, that will probably determine whether I sell the gun (and use the money to buy guitars/amps!) or hold on to it.

Here's the details:
Colt S70 commercial frame
Colt 38 super auto slide (60's era)
Clark custom fast twist 1:10 barrel
KC customs roll trigger set, tuned by Jon for short/medium roll. Sides of hammer shaved to look more period-correct.
Accu-rails installed by Doug Jones
Extended front sight post. Front blade was micro-welded and recut by Jon for proper alignment.
New Kensight bo-mar rear sight
Safeties blended/ no ugly overhang or mismatch (big pet peeve of mine with commercial colts)
Old-school herett's full checker/target grips (brand new)

2 new tuned magazines.

This thing is a shooter. The trigger is absolutely incredible. Cosmetically, it looks good but it certainly not an heirloom or safe gun. The rear sight and slide stop (parkerized) don't match the period aesthetic, but those are pretty easy fixes if you were trying to make it a show-piece. The gun could use a flat polish and reblue, there is cold blue touchup where the safeties have been blended, and the slide had one of those old school positioning tabs inside the dust cover port that was ground off. 

Basically you have the (mechanically) best possible .38 special gun available, with some very expensive parts and work done. 

Thoughts? Again, this is not a for sale thread, I still haven't decided, just trying to figure out a fair market value with the crazy stuff that has been going on.

I stripped down a Aimpoint Pro Patrol and mount with a single Weaver 48255 Tactical 6 hole Tactical ring. It seems to have the exact same dot, view and settings as my favorite dot, the 9000SC just shorter and one large ring but saves a couple ounces. We're thinking it will run ok wirh it. Can't wait to give it a shot.

It's on my MG2 now, will need to buy another if it works out.

That looks good, very modern. I saw someone on the forum, forgot who running a 9000sc on their .38 so hopefully the lighter dot will run with no issues.

I think my problem with my .38 is that I never bonded with it. Every gun I get I either bond with right away and love, or am ambivalent about and eventually sell. Jon built my ball gun, my marvel 22 and my slide mount. All three, I absolutely love and will never sell, they fit me perfect, I shoot them well and feel comfortable with. I just don't feel that with this gun and I think the problem is the caliber. 

This will be my 5th .38 special pistol that I just didn't connect with, have had 3 model 52-2's, they all shot great but didn't do it for me. Assumed the problem was the format, got myself an old school Giles conversion. Great little gun, beautiful but I just didn't care for shooting it. Decided the problem was the poor barrel fit and twist rate, put a 1:10 Kkm in it. Still didn't like it, sold it. Then Jon got done with this one, same thing. Shoots on call, trigger is fantastic, long sight radius is a huge help, it runs reliably, looks cool (to my eyes, I really like period-style iron sight guns) but I just don't feel any connection to it. Maybe its because the barrel says clark on it and I dislike that (modern day) company so much. Just kidding.

I think its safe to say at this point that I don't like 38 special wadcutter autoloaders. I also don't like heavy slide mounts like 9000sc or long slides on 45 for the same reason. I don't care for that soft, slow chug recoil feel. Prefer the light snap of a frame mount, iron sight gun or very light slide mount. No more .38's for me, except revolvers. Love it in revolvers.

What parts are recommended for a .38 special 1911 build?

I think that's a question for Jon, but KKM fast twist barrel for sure, EGW small parts are stellar. Frame/slide or donor gun, I will let him answer that one.

Barrel fit is most important factor to the build.

Im putting this gun on commercial row looking for trades. Take a look if interested.

Jon Eulette wrote:

I've built/rebuilt using Colt .38 Super/Clark sleeved barrels (10 twist Douglas), S&W MTU, Colt 38 Spl Kit barrel, newer Clark, older Clark 1 piece 6" long slide barrel, Kart 16 twist and KKM 10 twist barrels.

On new builds I use KKM 10 twist. Their dimensions are spot on and I can cut my own chamber. Clark's dimensions are all over the place and Chamber is precut. Kart chambers are hit and miss.

They all perform well but when you're building high end pistols it's nice to get what you want instead of having a marginal chamber.

Frame/slide doesn't matter, good gunsmith can make any of them work.

Factory Colt magazines are the best, but Triple K can be made to run reliably.

Small parts are not important: personal choice.

Barrel fit is most important factor to the build.

Jon

Thanks jon, very interesting information.