Colorado gun maker and Vietnam vet Karl Lippard had a look at comments made by TTAG’s Armed Intelligentsia re: his NCO 1911 A2. Here’s his email:
A loose fitting gun can accept sand and water; a close tolerance gun lubrication must be displaced to get in. To function a pistol has traditionally been loose and therefore inaccurate. A Match gun as we know must me tight to shoot straight. Since 1910 we have come a long way in material, lubrication and design; firearms have not . . .
Most 1911’s cannot hold a tolerance because the material used will not hold it. Having worked on taking vehicles to Space and Aircraft to the fastest speeds recorded my R&D spans 40 years or so. I have developed the use of S7 Tool Steel in firearms while the same material is being used as in 1910 and some as late as 1939.
But since I developed Nickel Anti-Seize for the Gatlin gun for high speed, heat and close tolerance friction it is now used in all things close to prevent seizing such as all jet engines, milling machines and of course a Mil spec for use on our machine guns as well. The Combat NCO uses that lubrication to allow the gun to function under extreme conditions and patented recesses provide areas to collect any debris that can get into the weapon such as sand, mud and rain, also heat and extreme cold.
The Combat NCO has been in service since 1988. We have never had one returned or supplied a part. With a lifetime warranty to even the military then, one would have to assume the arms are still in service and are fine. Free parts and service are hard to pass up especially when the problem might have been caused by a enemy tank.
So either I am very wrong about firearms and a poor consultant to more than 30 firearms companies around the world over the last 35 years, the Marine Corps not included, or those companies would not consult with me still such a Grulla yesterday of Spain and Perazzi last week, Winchester, Merwin Hulbert, Ruger and Colt to mention a few.
Most engineers understand me very well. These comments are elementary. Marines understand me better. When he carries my gun in combat he knows who made it and shot it before he did, and killed more enemy danger close with a pistol than he likely will ever see. Name me a gunmaker who has done both. I know of none.
Regards,
Karl Lippard