Some Very Poor Photos of my most Unsatisfactory Colt CCO

[Hill]

It's true that my crummy little camera must have their ISO setting at the max when indoors without the flash, and that destroys image quality and makes things appear much different than they really appear. I would photo outside, but it's SNOWING OUTSIDE (snow at the end of March in southern Washinton at 1100 ft - four days now with almost no letup. First time it's done this since 1951. And I wanted to move to New Mexico, but SHE said "but..there's no trees there" GRRRRR!!!)

Anyway, rant over.......http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/afterCCOa.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/afterCCO.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/afterCCOb.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/afterCCOc.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/afterCCOd.jpg

This is much different than when I got it. I changed out the grip safety and the MSH, rounded the MSH, thinned both thunb safeties (pistol is 1.200" at it's widest point), added Alumigrips, changed out the recoil spring rod for a normal setup, milled down the slide to flatten the rollmarks, put in bar stock trigger parts from eGR, all pins changed too, and beadblasted the whole thing when I thought it was finished.

I like it better now, and I'll photo it outside if I ever get a chance again. But even though I like it more it still is too easy to mark up - my IWB holster really makes it bad and I can't beadblast it everyday. so I'm thinking it needs to go to the IONBOND man to be turned black.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/guns/cco.jpg :wl:

[clughog]

Well,it sure looks good, Hill. Nice photography, too. And at lest you have your Colts to "toy" with while you're waiting for the Spring thaw! :D

[Joni Lynn]

I like what you did to it.

[Hill]

I think it's the last aluminum framed pistol I'll ever buy Joni, and I'm getting serious about picking out one of the Kahr polymer framed models in .40 S&W to use as a carry gun instead of a Colt. At least I won't care much what it looks like as long as it runs. I like Colts too much, I think.

[Hunter]

Very nice Colt CCO.

[Ric4509]

What's unsatisfactory about your Colt CCO?

[K9american]

SHE said "but..there's no trees there" GRRRRR!!!)


Hill,

Beg to differ. Lived there for 10 years. Lotsa trees if you know where to look. Just ask Eli. They don't call it Tierra Encantada for nuthin'. :appld:

Can't imagine what you don't like about that pistol. I'd be happy to check it out for you - you know, test fire it for a few months, clean it, store it - all that.

[elijdub]

Hill, the CCO looks great! I like the modifications, especially the rounded MSH.


No doubt about it, K9!!!!
Last month, on one single "installation", we planted 180 trees :D.
Seriously, it's a common misconception (our lack of greenery).... NM is characterized as being the high desert; Albuquerque is actually at 5000 ft above sea level. The northern part of the State has numerous scattered forests, along with major water-systems. ~~~Now, having lived in OR for a few years, and knowing what the Mt. Hood National Forest's old-growth looks like, etc., we can't really compete.....but we do certainly have our share ;).

[d90king]

Nice CCO Hill, I love my Gunsite CCO it is one of my favorite pistols. Sounds like you are having great Land Cruiser weather. ;)

[Bud White]

Very nice looks Great

[Hawkmoon]

Lotsa trees in the mountains just north of Taos. It's beautiful country. Following the old US highway (64?) west out of Taos across the mountains to the Apache reservation at Lumberton is a fantastically beautiful drive.

Water is scarce, though. My friend who retired near Taos has a well 500 feet deep, and then added a huge underground cistern as a backup.

[Hill]

You guys know that Cactus isn't a tree, right? :)

I KNOW there's a lot of pretty country in both Arizona and New Mexico. I spent three years wandering between Alaska and Mexico after I got home from the war, and liked it down there a lot. Taos was one of my favorite stops, as was Prescott. Both in the high country. That was before either one had become meccas for the wannabe artsy rich folks, and before there was such a heavy influx from the south.

I TRIED to convince her, even flew down and househunted both places.

Truth to tell, though, I like it here fine.

And yeah, I'm liking this CCO a lot too. It's a fine shooting pistol - made one hole groups the first time I shot it and if anything it shoots better now. Looks better too.

It IS a hard pistol to keep looking good. I bought it to be the perfect carry gun, but it gets so messed up by holstering that I really think it'll need hardcoating to stay nice.

Thanks for the compliments. It looks better than these photos make it look and I'll see if I can redo the photos when it's better outside. The only way these little P&S cameras will do well on reflective things is in high bright overcast natural light.

[elijdub]

Lotsa trees in the mountains just north of Taos. It's beautiful country. Following the old US highway (64?) west out of Taos across the mountains to the Apache reservation at Lumberton is a fantastically beautiful drive.

Water is scarce, though. My friend who retired near Taos has a well 500 feet deep, and then added a huge underground cistern as a backup.
Yes sir...US64 through Tierra Amarill and Chama...beautiful country. Elk country!
My previous home had a 500ft. deep well, and 800 footers are not uncommon out on the Taos mesa. On the other hand, anywhere within the Rio Grande Bosque (river valley) has a 10 foot deep water table. There are other pockets of the State that have water as well.

You guys know that Cactus isn't a tree, right? :)
:lm:

I KNOW there's a lot of pretty country in both Arizona and New Mexico. I spent three years wandering between Alaska and Mexico after I got home from the war, and liked it down there a lot. Taos was one of my favorite stops, as was Prescott. Both in the high country. That was before either one had become meccas for the wannabe artsy rich folks, and before there was such a heavy influx from the south.

I TRIED to convince her, even flew down and househunted both places.

Truth to tell, though, I like it here fine.
It's become kinda' unaffordable to live in either of these two places anymore (meccas..which we universally agree on as being the case). They rely on tourism for the bulk of their economy. Both incredibly nice places though! I have many good friends living around Taos and spend a few weekends per year up/around there.

Tangent over :o

And yeah, I'm liking this CCO a lot too. It's a fine shooting pistol - made one hole groups the first time I shot it and if anything it shoots better now. Looks better too.

It IS a hard pistol to keep looking good. I bought it to be the perfect carry gun, but it gets so messed up by holstering that I really think it'll need hardcoating to stay nice.
I think it looks great...but it sounds like it some kind of hardcoat might finish it off. I'm curious, what about holstering is marking it up? SS has always held up well for me, though i've owned many more "blue" guns (less experience with stainless).

[Hill]

It's more the aluminum frame than it's the slide. It takes on a dingy grey color that isn't even and looks like ground in dirt, or something.

But stainless doesn't hold up very good anyway. It's surprisingly delicate stuff as far as looks go and scratches if you look at it funny when it's got a high polish and gets rub marks if you set it on anything even slightly abrasive like a picnic table.

I like the idea of this pistol with a black hard coating, like 65-75 rockwell hard, which is what Ionbond apparently gives. It's like the Mellenite that some makers put on - SA on the XD's for example. I think Sig uses it too. those finishes are tough.