A few months ago, I purchased a lightly used Kimber Custom II from a friend. 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 Blackhawk 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.
Many of you are familiar with W.E. Birdsong and Associates, but for those that aren't, the Birdsong -T finish is very durable 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 technicians of all 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'll 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:
*** Update ***
I'm happy to say that the Birdsong finish is holding up well to daily carry in both plastic SERPA and leather holsters. It's been in and out of the Kydex close to one hundred times now with no signs of holster wear. It's also seen wet weather and only been cleaned a few times since with absolutely no surface corrosion in between. I've only wiped it down with a gun cloth occasionally in between the couple of cleanings. I'll keep putting the finish through the ringer, but I'm sold on the finish vs others I've used.
Many of you are familiar with W.E. Birdsong and Associates, but for those that aren't, the Birdsong -T finish is very durable 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 technicians of all 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'll 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:
*** Update ***
I'm happy to say that the Birdsong finish is holding up well to daily carry in both plastic SERPA and leather holsters. It's been in and out of the Kydex close to one hundred times now with no signs of holster wear. It's also seen wet weather and only been cleaned a few times since with absolutely no surface corrosion in between. I've only wiped it down with a gun cloth occasionally in between the couple of cleanings. I'll keep putting the finish through the ringer, but I'm sold on the finish vs others I've used.
