What do you do....
 

If you can't find the part you want on the open market? You fabricate it yourself of course!

Long story short, I could not find the exact reverse plug I wanted, even after contacting several manufacturers. The answers I most often received, sure but you will need to order 500 pieces, or, I can do that for $2000. What I wanted is an officer length revers plug, collar style, with a .250 hole for a flat wire guide rod, and I want it to sit FLUSH with the muzzle of the slide.

Well I recently bought a mini lathe and have been teaching myself how to use it, great little tool BTW, within its limitations of course. :)

I purchased some 17-4PH Stainless round rod and went to work measuring and figuring out the sequence of machine steps. Here is the result ...

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...psa81cce0e.jpg

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...pse8283cf4.jpg

Now, not one to leave well enough alone I decided to go a step further...can anyone tell me the difference between the plug on the left and the plug on the right? (I'll give you a hint, the one on the left would cost about 4 times as much.) :D

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...psda49e7ef.jpg


No? how 'bout now...

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...psf8bbf17b.jpg

is it made from titanium?

great work BTW!

Nope not Titanium, thought about that though....this is way cooler.

Don't worry, I won't tell!

Good job. My brother in law is a machinist. That's why he was the crew chief on our race team, and I drove the car..I could dull a file on a marshmellow :D

I can drive real fast, though.....