PGC MEU conversion kit

[twin_cam]

When I first received this particular gun for build up, I wasn't particularly enthused about it. It was as plain black as a gun can be. No trademarks, no govt. markings, basically a sterile black gun with wraparound Pachmayr's, which i don't particularly like either. The gun is equipped with novak style 3 dot lo pro sights, an ambi safety that drags on the right side, and a silver three hole trigger, the only non-black part of the gun. There are minor niggles, and all of them have solutions. You don't have to accept whatever the manufacturer gives you. If it bothers you, change it or improve it.

 

This sterile business is fine if you're in the real world of "high speed low drag," but in airsoft it's nice to have some eye candy, esp when the guns cost this much. As with any build, I tore this one down and started setting aside all the parts I didn't need. Then bagged it all up and waited for the MEU kit to arrive.

 

When the doorbell rang, I snatched up the package and brought it up to the workshop for inspection. I cut the packaging open with my well worn crkt m16 and began unraveling all the bubble wrap. when I finally laid eyes on the kit, It was praise the Lord time.

 

It was an MEU alright. It was the MEU that Springfield submitted for trials. The gun itself didn't fare that well with the marines because they found the fitment too tight for the conditions that they work in and malfunctions were a very real concern. This is probably the reason DET-1 adopted their very own Kimber 1911.

 

Enough bashing. The slide has all the authentic Springfield Armory markings. It also has forward slide serrations for press checking the chamber. Unfortunately, the mill runs right over the portion of the slide where you would see the script for the Springfield custom shop. Just a nit to pick, but if you want the forward serrations, that is the price you pay.

 

The frame also had all the correct rollmarks for Springfield Armory and the frontstrap checkering feels really good in the hand. You could already tell the gun was going to feel great once it was fully built.

 

I broke out all the donor parts and set about fitting them to their new home. After measuring everything, parts were trimmed and all points of excessive metal to metal contact were relieved. Most importantly was making sure hammer and sear mated properly. It's vital to square the full cock notch on the hammer to keep it from slipping and to give you positive engagement. You also have to set the sear spring tension and properly adjust the over travel to prevent everything from binding. The height of the internal grip safety tab also has to be set to clear the trigger bow. Lots of things can go wrong, but attention to detail goes a long way.

 

One of the other things you need to play close attention too is the relationship between the rear face of your slidestop switch and the plunger. WA milled off too much in this area. It functions perfectly in the stock gun, but on the conversion kit it causes one stoppage after another even though there were still BBs in the mag.

 

The recoil impulse was enough to knock the slide stop up into the lock open position after only one or two rounds. The reason: the plunger side face of the slide stop was making zero contact with the plunger. So I replaced the slide stop. I just wish WA wasn't so aggressive in milling the plunger face.

 

Once the gun was fully built and all the new performance bits in place, the last order of business was screwing in the Carbon Creations grips. These grips are the polished double diamond carbon fiber grips. While not the best choice tactically, because of the highly reflective double diamonds, the tactile sensation of the checkered panels is much more satisfying then the smelly flat rubber on the original gun.

 

How does it shoot? Quite well, thank you. This gun consistently prints into 1.5 inches or less at the 8m mark. However, you have to use a 6 oclock hold because it's point of impact is higher than it's point of aim. I always build these things to run reliably on green gas. Durability is always a concern on high pressure gases. and here is my advice to you. If you practice a great deal at home, get two guns. Practice with one and fire the other one enough to know how it behaves. On game day, you can be assured your skirmish gun will always work because you haven't beaten it to death. Hitman, however, is not squeamish with his pistols. He had them built to be used...and he uses them. A thousand rounds in one day is not uncommon for him, but he has the luxury of sending them back to me for freshening and routine maintenance.

 

Pics, I'm told, will be up within the hour. Thanks for reading.

[hitman]

Here are pictures of the Springfield MEU. Enjoy folks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CplHicks]

Nice. My commendation go to you again

[trdsupragt]

Wow, that looks very nice.

 

What was the base pistol for this one? A friend of mine is going to be doing a Springfield replica as well. So it looks like there's another place for me to refer to =)

 

So what parts are necessary for this Springfield to come out great? Are there still modifications required to get this gun together like the Kimber? Thanks again. Keep 'em coming guys, you're on a roll! haha

 

I hope to be able to join you guys soon enough, as I've placed my order for the FBI trial pistol already, so I'll just need to order the Kimber kit after that.

[twin_cam]

Wow, that looks very nice.

 

What was the base pistol for this one? A friend of mine is going to be doing a Springfield replica as well. So it looks like there's another place for me to refer to =)

 

So what parts are necessary for this Springfield to come out great? Are there still modifications required to get this gun together like the Kimber? Thanks again. Keep 'em coming guys, you're on a roll! haha

 

I hope to be able to join you guys soon enough, as I've placed my order for the FBI trial pistol already, so I'll just need to order the Kimber kit after that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The conversion was based on an MEU late version with the novak low profile sights.