The Bar-Sto barrel and attention to detail is obvious. This SIG looks
more like
a high-performance sports car than an autopistol.
TJ's Custom Gunworks
Duty Guns To Race Guns
Duty Guns To Race Guns
Darryl Bolke
performance handguns, and if you like to make a statement, you’ve found your man.
Although TJ has many wild inventions and designs, his real fame has come due to his exceptional action and trigger work, considered by many to be unequaled in the industry. TJ has old school values and takes great pride in his work and each job he performs. While he has a good machine shop, he still does most of his work with hand tools, like craftsman of years past. He is also a one-man shop with no apprentices or helpers — all the work is all done by TJ himself.
TJ has earned my loyalty by delivering, and not just talking about it. I’ve been using TJ Custom Gunworks for many of my pistolsmithing needs for most of my almost 20-year law enforcement career. TJ worked on most of my older duty guns, and built all of my competition guns when I was active in competitive speed shooting games. I won a lot of trophies thanks to TJ’s work, and one of his custom P220s was responsible for getting me home by winning a gunfight that could have cost a couple of officers their lives.
TJ Jimakas from TJ’s Custom Gunworks has always been known not only for his superb action and reliability work on duty-type weapons, but also for his very unconventional, wild and crazy handgun creations.
Many of his pistol creation from basic and black, to works of art. While I generally lean toward his “ugly” duty-type guns, I also appreciate his wild guns.
Since TJs stuff works in the real world, I asked him if he felt a duty-type pistol is really suitable for, or can be converted for serious competition shooting? TJ seems to think so, and just look at these two pistols here, a Sig Sauer P226 and a Beretta 92FS, for some ideas.
Once plain-Jane beat-up black duty guns, they are now fully compensated, race-competition guns. Like my old agency’s Harley Davidson Police motors, after years of police service they are resold into the private sector and turned into incredible customs. These guns are widely available as “police trade-ins” and are often carried a lot and shot a little. They make a great platform for building into “fun” guns for competitive and recreational shooting. Many professional gun carriers — me included — often forget shooting is also fun and we don’t always have to be “tactical.”
The left side is as good as the right, and Wayne Watanabe‘s
sticker gives some scale and even more color to the equation.
sticker gives some scale and even more color to the equation.
Is a compensator the same as a flash suppressor or a muzzle break? Actually no, as dictated by the function, design and performance of the part. A “flash suppressor” or “muzzle break” is designed to reduce the flash signature exiting the muzzle of a gun when fired, with the intent to help hide the shooter’s location. In vast contrast, a “compensator” is designed primarily for competition shooters with the intent to reduce muzzle rise, typically actually increasing the visible flash signature of the firearm. Ever seen that Glock advertisement with the jets of flame shooting out of the top of the slide near the muzzle?
Functionally, what a compensator actually does is trap a portion of the gases following the bullet as it exits the barrel (what you would normally see as the flash exiting the barrel when firing), venting a good portion of these gasses upward because the compensator has a closed bottom like a cup. The gases can only exit upward to escape (depending on the design), driving the bottom of the compensator down, counter-acting muzzle lift. Essentially, the gun’s muzzle doesn’t “flip” up as much, and you have more of a rearward recoil rather then an upward bounce.
TJ has been designing and prototyping various compensators for well over 20 years, and he invented his “TRI-MAG” five-port/three-chamber compensator design back in 1988 for 1911-type pistols. I’ve been shooting a TJ-compensated 1911 since the early 1990s and I can personally attest how it changes the recoil characteristics of my 1911, allowing it to be much more manageable.
TJ has also modified his TRI-MAG compensator design to fit Beretta handguns as well. Along with TJ’s two-port Sig-Comp, he has transformed these two pistol designs into fully compensated competition guns.
Not to be outdone, the Beretta’s right side offers insight into
even more handwork. Wayne’s knife continues to delight.
even more handwork. Wayne’s knife continues to delight.
The first pistol is a Sig Sauer P226 chambered in .357 Sig. TJ chose the .357 Sig because of the extra gas flash signature typical of the .357 Sig cartridge. This would challenge the compensator a great deal, offering a chance to show its full potential due to the increased gas pressure.
Sig Sauer, in partnership with Federal Cartridge Co., developed the .357 Sig cartridge in 1994, based on a .40 S&W case necked down to accept .355” bullets. The .357 Sig is a very accurate, high-velocity cartridge, prefect for long-range pistol shooting.
TJ has incorporated many atypical features on this competition gun, including his proprietary crazy marble anodized frame finish in green and navy, two tone textured/polished stainless slide, custom hand-fabricated small parts with hard chrome finish, including an extended serrated hammer spur, high-bent de-cocker, and huge slide release lever and checkered magazine release button. But the list goes on and on.
A prototype extended aluminum magazine well, Bar-Sto match stainless barrel with jeweled finish, a “TJ SIG-COMP” compensator, TJ’s own stainless steel rounded short trigger, polished hex head grip screws, a light melt job, stippled front strap, AmeriGlo tritium night sights with TJ’s yellow Day-Glo florescent highlighting and the newly design Hogue aluminum checkered grips embellished with the “TJ DeathMaster” logo from Hogue almost round itout. But last, and definitely not least, is a full action and reliability package to make the gun run “just right.”
While TJ professes “lighter is better” with his 2.5-3 pound SA trigger pull, you might prefer the trigger just a little heavier. One thing is certain though, these guns are one-of-a-kind shooters, regardless of the options or trigger pull you request.
There’s not a part on this Beretta that hasn’t seen the attentions of TJ.
Obviously not your usual duty Beretta 9mm with the TJ “tiger-striped frame anodizing” and TJ’s “TRI-MAG Beretta Comp” in satin stainless. It boasts similar features to his Sig comp gun, with a super extended slide release lever and oval 40 LPI checkered magazine release button cut all the way into the custom Hogue aluminum grips. The grips were polished, then blackened by Hogue to offset the laser etched “TJ DeathMaster” logo.
TJ’s own Black Teflon finish on the slide and small parts, brushed hard chrome on the barrel and serrated safety lever, jeweled finish on the hammer with extra deep serrations, a rounded, reshaped, and polished trigger, Wolff polished steel recoil spring guide rod, full action and reliability work package and Millett serrated target sights — with TJ’s blaze orange DayGlo florescent highlighting — both dazzle the eye and delight the shooter’s mind simultaneously.
TJ chose the Millett sights not only because of the excellent sight picture, but also because of the sight’s built-in accurizers which turn a standard Beretta barrel into a match-accurized gun.
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A close-up lets you appreciate the trigger work and extended parts on the Sig. |
No grips means seeing the polished action works. |
TJ has been pistolsmithing for more than 25 years, and has pioneered many handgun parts and designs. Among his accomplishments include the first triple-port compensator, drop-in beavertail grip safeties, 1980 to 1970 conversion shims, chopped-down Sig and 1911 pistols, Sig Sauer safeties, frame finger rings, spikes and finger grooves welded onto front straps — among many other eccentric innovations. Who says engineering innovation can’t be both fun and meet real world needs at the same time?
We need to tell you these full custom pieces will run you a pretty penny. TJ has never been known to be the cheapest guy on the block, however he probably is one of the most creative pistolsmiths around. Handguns similar to the ones featured here can easily run you $1,500-$6,000, depending on what options you select.
While not cheap or conforming at any level, if you own a TJ custom gun you can definitely admit to owning a one-of-a-kind piece of modern, machined, art-work. Love them or hate them, they definitely make a statement!
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Check out the rounded and polished trigger and extended bits. |
Sig sans-grips shows TJs magic making the Sig’s DA pull like silk. |
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The Tri-Mag comp on the Beretta tucks neatly away. Note the Millet front sight helping to lock the barrel in place, enhancing accuracy. |
The magic Sig-Comp is a |
(310) 558-4445, E-mail: tj@tjscustom
www.gunworks.com
www.tjscustomgunworks.com
www.sigsauerservice.com
Millett Sights, (714) 842-5575, www.millettsights.com;
AmeriGlo Sights, (770) 390-0554, www.ameriglo.com;
Hogue Grips, (805) 239-1440, www.hoguegrips.com;
W. C. Wolff Company, (800) 545-0077, www.gunsprings.com;
Wayne Watanabe Knives, wwknives@yahoo.com.
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© 2009 Copyright by Publishers Development Corporation. All rights reserved.
American Handgunner is a registered Trademark of Publishers Development Corporation.
© 2009 Copyright by Publishers Development Corporation. All rights reserved.
American Handgunner is a registered Trademark of Publishers Development Corporation.