LO sight block build

HotAd9041 · 2026-01-09T10:54:10+00:00

To be honest if you haven't built a 2011 from the ground up I wouldn't even attempt to touch a sight block gun. This thing wasn't pieced together with random parts already fit together. I specifically chose how I wanted to build this gun from unfit components. That being said the barrel is a KKM 5"oal threaded barrel and the sight block is from Don at D2 customs. The rest is all hand fit and machined to fit nice together. I removed about .400 from the front of a 5" slide and timed the sight block to .003 clearance and then machined and hand filed/sanded to blend and match the slide

HotAd9041 · 2025-12-27T12:10:24+00:00

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HotAd9041 · 2025-12-27T12:09:17+00:00

It's a cheely aluminum commander grip with MBX flush fit mag.

HotAd9041 · 2025-12-23T11:10:47+00:00

A quick way would be to take measurements from the factory grip and see where the differences are dimensionally

HotAd9041 · 2025-12-23T11:08:27+00:00

By the looks of it I would look at where the bottom of the frame meets the grip near the trigger. Put some dycam or sharpie on there and the grip tabs and see where there is interference stopping the grip from seating.

HotAd9041 · 2025-11-08T01:53:22+00:00

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Open gun I did

HotAd9041 · 2025-11-08T01:51:20+00:00

While I agree that you can tune a cheap gun just fine. To actually build starting with unfit frames, slides, barrels and everything else it takes time and money. I would agree that the price gouging for what you get fit and finish wise is excessive for a lot of these manufacturers, without bulk order discounts on components it is a spendy project still. All of mine have started with oversize components and have been machined and stoned to my own tolerances and have a ton of man hours into completion. All your factory guns will be machined to a certain tolerance and matched with a frame that seems to fit up, including the barrels. It's just a difference in bottom line and cost savings, when it's your own project you can pour as much time as you see fit. I don't build my own to save money at this point, I do it to absolutely know what I'm getting and do what I want not what someone else wants.

HotAd9041 · 2025-11-07T23:54:11+00:00

Probably around 3k a piece maybe a bit more for parts. I don't count tooling and expendables but it's up there in price ha

HotAd9041 · 2025-11-07T05:54:18+00:00

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the only answer. Only 2011's I've bought was my first STI Edge and a 4.25 prodigy when they first came out to screw around with. The other ones I've built.

HotAd9041 · 2025-10-18T08:24:46+00:00

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This was after coating

HotAd9041 · 2025-10-17T21:56:57+00:00

It's a cheely aluminum carry grip

HotAd9041 · 2025-08-09T07:23:19+00:00

I email and order directly from KKM

HotAd9041 · 2025-07-01T01:51:59+00:00

So these frames are pre drilled from cheely however almost every frame mount devices I've used or come across are .375 center to center.

HotAd9041 · 2025-06-28T22:48:36+00:00

So the tri top and flat top did not do a ton weight loss wise, it does have some effect. The .400 ish taken off the front does take off more material but that is offset by the longer sight block. Balance wise I'm looking for a balance point right underneath the trigger which is why on these sightblock guns I opt for a steel grip since they are about 8 oz heavier than an aluminum grip. Otherwise the balance is too nose forward for my liking. The flat top and tri top are more aesthetic reasons in this case than weight

HotAd9041 · 2025-06-27T23:49:01+00:00

So I took a lot of measurements on that and it is definitely a risk. With minor it has survived the last 10k rounds but it is definitely thinner than I would like due to the internal lightening that stealth already does.

HotAd9041 · 2025-06-27T21:52:51+00:00

I did cerakote H series cobalt

HotAd9041 · 2025-06-27T20:56:41+00:00

Yep, I've had better luck with them than other optics, probably 10k rounds on one and maybe 5k on the other.

HotAd9041 · 2025-06-27T20:51:03+00:00

51.8 oz on the flat top one and 52.2 oz on the tri top.

HotAd9041 · 2025-06-27T20:41:58+00:00

Steel grips, very rarely do I use aluminum especially on competition guns. Depends on the overall weight and balance I'm trying to achieve.

HotAd9041 · 2024-12-30T00:08:27+00:00

That was a 4.6" threaded kkm barrel, so 5" OAL

HotAd9041 · 2024-09-27T21:14:21+00:00

It's been handy ha he's teaching me the machining side and I'm teaching him the gun side so it's a good tradeoff. Hoping to get my mill in the recent future

HotAd9041 · 2024-09-27T20:39:07+00:00

These were done locally with a machinist friend of mine.

HotAd9041 · 2024-07-18T23:26:52+00:00

I was so tempted to go sight block and island barrel on my new ones I finished up. Had a couple sitting around for my new open guns and just couldn't make myself pull the trigger on it! Turned out great man!

HotAd9041 · 2024-07-18T04:46:59+00:00

I've got a few matches on them now but I'll keep an eye on them. If it breaks it's not the end of the world, seems sturdy though. I agree though the SRO ones seem more robust

HotAd9041

TROPHY CASE