Can you guys help me and tell me about your experiences with Severns Custom.

[AFTII]

I sent him an e-mail 6-9 months ago asking for a quote on my LB TRS. He responded that because of the blind pinned front sight it would be $425 plus $70 shipping.

[redcliff]

What is the extension on the Colt's slide? I want to eventually send my DW Valor to Severns to hard fit a barrel.

Assuming you are referring to the top picture of the two Colt Series 70 Combat Commanders I posted, it's what was referred to as a "compensated pin gun" from the early 80's which Dave rebuilt/improved for me. The extra weight and muzzle porting helped reduce muzzle flip for shooting full power loads at targets that took some power to take down like clearing bowling pins off tables. The extra sight radius was beneficial too for some of the other compettions I used to shoot in. The compensators are permanently attached to the barrel to comply with CA law.

It's similar (but much nicer) than this other one I have:

[_TomT_]

That finish looks great and reviews on the quality and durability are solid. I visited Severns website and it looks like you can email them for a price quote and current lead time . I ran across this post on the 1911 forum where someone posted Severns response to his pricing inquiry in June 2013. I don't know the current fees or lead times.

"The Hard Hat treatment applied to a stainless steel or carbon steel (sorry, we cannot treat aluminum or titanium) 1911 pistol costs $350 + the cost of return shipping and insurance ($35 to an FFL or $70 to a non-FFL), and includes treating the slide, frame, and all external small parts. The price also includes treating the barrel inside and out if you wish, and also up to two magazine bodies, if you choose. The benefits in treating the barrel are largely aesthetic, though the treatment does increase rifling longevity to some extent. Turn-around time for HH treatment alone is approximately 7-8 weeks at present. You can ship to us via an FFL, or ship yourself via UPS or Fedex. We require a minimum 50% deposit accompany the pistol, payable by cashiers check or money order, made out to Severns Custom."

Thanks, I think I am going to go with Severns. As much as I love how Black-T look Birdsong seems to not be focusing only on guns. I rather send my stuff to a gunsmith.

[L84CABO]

I don't have direct experience with him but I did a fair amount of research when I was thinking of having a pistol done. Ended up going hard chrome though. But he's got an outstanding reputation. I couldn't find anything bad about him. This was a few years ago though.

[redcliff]

As I have a Springfield Professional as well as customs finished in Hard-Hat here is my take:
Black-T is glossier and smoother than Hard Hat but not as durable. Black-T is a coating; Hard-Hat is a metal treatment. Black-T is less expensive.

If you like Glock type slide finishes you'll probably like Hard-Hat. If you like Cerakote/paint finishes you'll probably like Black-T.