Aeroknox may the best little machine and design shop you’ve probably never heard of. Corey and his Leander, Texas-based team turn out some beautiful and innovative products. The latest addition to their product line: a unique steel 1911 slide that’s sure to make your John Moses Browning pistol stand out at the range.
At $385 the AX//01 1911 slide certainly isn’t cheap, but from my examination of it, the quality appears to be well worth it. Corey is a machinist and has a fresh eye for design. Look for a review of the AX//01 slide here soon.
From Aeroknox’s web site:
Introducing the AX//01 1911 slide by Aeroknox. Our version of what a modern day 1911 slide should look like. Made out of 4340 hi-carbon steel, these slides are struck on precision dies and pre-heat treated to 37-41 RC before they ever see a cutting tool to insure dimensional stability. After which they are precision machined, adding our own style of rear serrations and front “Rack Pads” (textured frontal pads for intense grip). Simple. Modern. Functional.
Standard Novak sight cuts (sights sold separately)
For 5″ Government length .45 ACP 1911’s
Slightly undersized for proper hand lapping fitment to 1911 frame
4340 isn’t a high-carbon steel.
It’s a medium carbon steel for sure, which I assume they’re trying to get wear resistance from.
To be fair they say “hi-carbon” rather than “high carbon” which may somehow skirt AISI rules for nomenclature.
Neither scenario inspires confidence in this potential consumer.
There’s nothing wrong with using medium carbon steel to make the moving parts on guns. In fact heat treated 4340 is a prime candidate for the application.
The “hi-carbon” bit is likely just marketing because your average person assumes “high carbon” to be better steel. It may or may not be based on the application but it nearly always sounds better. No different than those overpriced AR500 targets that are laser or flojet cut. It’s just some fancy language to up the price point.
S9: I’ve no issues with 4340 itself in this application. I was referring to either the marketing, or implied lack of knowledge about their working materials. (I’ve had a long day trying to sift through marketing materials to get to technical specs for a new piece of equipment … guess it shows.)
Fair enough.
I’m afraid you’ve missed my point.
43xx steels aren’t classified as “carbon steels” in the first place. They’re alloy steels – hence the 43xx designation. 10xx steels are carbon steels, and 1070 to 1095 would be “high” (or ‘hi’ for those who can’t seem to use the English language properly) carbon steels.
If we want to be specific, 43xx steels are “nickel, chromium, moly” steels. 4340 is a widely known high tensile strength steel. It’s good stuff, used in many applications here in Wyoming in large mining equipment replacement parts. It machines wonderfully well (on par with some free-machining steels when you get the correct carbide inserts into your tooling), but it requires pre-heat/post-heat if you’re going to weld on it.
4340 is overkill in most firearms applications. It’s most “spec-bait” and it raises the price of the finished product. Maybe if someone made barrel-quality 4340 bar stock for making barrels, hey, that might be an interesting experiment to see if chamber pressures could be raised significantly from where they are limited by 4140 steel strengths.
Looking at another gun web site review, they say the Aeroknox slide as being made of “high-tensile 4340 carbon steel”. So apparently in “4340 hi-carbon steel”, the “hi” stands for “high-tensile.” For most, it’s probably a non-issue, but for those in the know, it does appear to be somewhat deceptive.
Fuggly!
I feel like the only one who thinks these are cool. That slide would great on an all black gun or dark grey gun with those really flat grips.
I like it.
Me too. Then again, I’m a big fan of the Moses Brothers Self-Defense Engine. Model B.
it aint nearly as fugly as a hi-point. Or a Glock for that matter
I saw a Hi-Point .45 at the LGS last week, I almost fell over laughing at the sight of that slide.
I’m not usually a fan of this sort of stuff, but I think it looks great. Just enough if the original shape to make it obvious what it is, but with a really neat update. Absolutely fantastic.
Will it fit on a llama??
Why not? It’s just a small hunk of metal, and llamas are relatively strong pack animals. Probably fit on an alpaca or burro, too.
Ah hahahaha
LOL
Just the sort of thing to freshen up a CMP 1911?
I actually like it. That gun looks badass.
I’m glad I’m not the only one to think this way.
I want
At least they are bringing something original to the table with the slide look. Most ‘new’ 1911s look far too familiar to warrant any excitement. This one will get you some attention at the range, if that’s what you want.
What’s the finish on it?
It’s definitely sexy.
If I’m ever in the market for a 1911 that wouldn’t look out of place on Battlestar Galactica, I know where to go. That is a neat-looking slide.
the baby shit green frame is ugly as hell. the slide its self doesn’t look too bad. Why didn’t they throw it on a few different frames for marketing? not real bright are they.
I don’t get why so many guns are made in that baby shit green or diarrhea brown color anymore…. what’s wrong with just plain black?
Kinda cool. I certainly like this take better than the serrations on Cabot’s slides. Yuck!
What will this make my 1911 do that the factory slide doesn’t already do? I don’t really have an opinion on it from an aesthetic standpoint and could see someone making a 1911 with it as the slide and selling the whole firearm but I don’t see why I would buy it to replace my existing slide.
Well, since it has the recent innovation called the Debris Entry Port cut on it, it will guarantee dirt and crud can get into your pistol and jam up the works.
Someone needs to tell the dolts cutting these ports into their slides that removing weight can be done without cutting all the way through the slide. They make the dust cover moot.