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Hi guys,
I saw this over on the picture thread and didn't wanna pollute a picture sticky with an off-topic reply.
There was a whole lot more to the FBI submissions. The gun was actually the brainchild of Matt Gish, who was working with Les at the time. The original HRT submission gun was a double stacker, built on a Para gunsmith frame and a PII upper with MCM sights. The problems were:
1) Les didn't want to send assembled guns off for Black-T as was required by the commission. He (as he still does) wanted to send parts and reassemble and refit them after being treated. The FBI wanted the guns to go from manufacturer, to Black-T, to them.
2) Les did not want to do free service and warranty work in perpetuity. The way the contract was written, FBI armorers would have the ability to compel Baer to provide service, or parts on demand.
3) There were accusations of back room dealing on the part of SA.
Gish left and struck out on his own. He is back on the radar and is cranking out spectacular work over at Professional Gunsmithing. The HRT guns were sold to the public. They were advertised as having Black-T, but were, infact, Bear Coat (Teflon S) from Rocky Mtn Arms in CO. Baer was forced to remove Black-T from the catalog. Once the stock of Para frames ran out, the gun became a single stacker and was (re)named, Swift Response Pistol. Only a few of the originals bore that designation on the slide. None of the submission guns, five in all, had the markings.
By the late 90's, the gun had fallen into myth and legend, resurfacing as the IPSC gun of choice, for those lucky enough to find one. Years after the originals were gone, the apprentice of Jaime del Valle, by the name of Ray Parga, built a replica of the original. It has since become known as, "The Parga" (due to the fact that he stamped his last name on the frame), whereabouts unknown. Ray's version used as many original parts as he could assemble and touted fine, hand checkering. Ray was kind enough to send me this pic:
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Ray has since purchased the shop from Jaime, who has retired, aswell as the name, del Valle Gunsmithing. He will still build the gun upon request.
Matt Gish, offers his own FBI spec pistol, based on a Colt's 1991A1 platform, featuring Black-T. He also does a Para build, with Bo-Mars, calling it the Limited. It's primarily a race gun. When last I heard, Matt was willing to build the gun again, upon commission.
Hope this helps.
I saw this over on the picture thread and didn't wanna pollute a picture sticky with an off-topic reply.
Kyle, et al,Originally Posted by Kyle E. Coyote
I sure wish Baer hadn't dropped out of the FBI trials like he did after they rejected his Premier II's Bo-Mar sights. :hairpull: Maybe if he'd have stayed the course we'd be seeing a gun like this as a standard option in the catalog.
There was a whole lot more to the FBI submissions. The gun was actually the brainchild of Matt Gish, who was working with Les at the time. The original HRT submission gun was a double stacker, built on a Para gunsmith frame and a PII upper with MCM sights. The problems were:
1) Les didn't want to send assembled guns off for Black-T as was required by the commission. He (as he still does) wanted to send parts and reassemble and refit them after being treated. The FBI wanted the guns to go from manufacturer, to Black-T, to them.
2) Les did not want to do free service and warranty work in perpetuity. The way the contract was written, FBI armorers would have the ability to compel Baer to provide service, or parts on demand.
3) There were accusations of back room dealing on the part of SA.
Gish left and struck out on his own. He is back on the radar and is cranking out spectacular work over at Professional Gunsmithing. The HRT guns were sold to the public. They were advertised as having Black-T, but were, infact, Bear Coat (Teflon S) from Rocky Mtn Arms in CO. Baer was forced to remove Black-T from the catalog. Once the stock of Para frames ran out, the gun became a single stacker and was (re)named, Swift Response Pistol. Only a few of the originals bore that designation on the slide. None of the submission guns, five in all, had the markings.
By the late 90's, the gun had fallen into myth and legend, resurfacing as the IPSC gun of choice, for those lucky enough to find one. Years after the originals were gone, the apprentice of Jaime del Valle, by the name of Ray Parga, built a replica of the original. It has since become known as, "The Parga" (due to the fact that he stamped his last name on the frame), whereabouts unknown. Ray's version used as many original parts as he could assemble and touted fine, hand checkering. Ray was kind enough to send me this pic:
Ray has since purchased the shop from Jaime, who has retired, aswell as the name, del Valle Gunsmithing. He will still build the gun upon request.
Matt Gish, offers his own FBI spec pistol, based on a Colt's 1991A1 platform, featuring Black-T. He also does a Para build, with Bo-Mars, calling it the Limited. It's primarily a race gun. When last I heard, Matt was willing to build the gun again, upon commission.
Hope this helps.
