We left off part IV with the second acetal barrel shroud loosely mounted and the steel front cap in place.
It was now time to improve the shroud's attachment to the Kimber DASA and add the Hoptic .357 Mag quiver. Let's tackle 'em in that order.
Securing the Shroud
The shroud fits snuggly against the revolver's barrel and I've added a roll pin that goes through the shroud and the front sight mount in on top of the barrel. Together, these two features prevent the shroud from falling off the barrel. They don't however, keep it perfectly locked in place. I need to add some more tension to eliminate all the remaining wiggle.
I'll add that tension via two set screws mounted in the bottom of the shroud that push up against the bottom of the underlug. The set screws and the nuts that hold them in place will also serve as the main steel that holds the revolver tightly against the magnets in the holster.
First I measured and marked...
P.S. if you don't have a set of digital calipers, get one. They're critical for this kind of work.
Then, I drilled the countersink holes for the steel nuts that'll hold the set screws. It's much easier to drill the countersink first and the through-hole second as the tip of the countersink drill bit will guide your through-hole bit to center. I did the countersink with the new Forstner bit set I picked up for the project and the through holes with my regular Dewalt drill bit set. I used the drill guide for both, you can see it ready to rock in the picture below.
The next two pictures show the drilling done, with and without the nuts and screws. In the first, you can see where the set screws will press up against the underlug.
In each of these silly gun builds, there comes a moment when I need a super-specific and super expensive fastener. This was that moment.
I needed the set screws to press tightly against the underlug so that shroud would be locked in place while not scratching the gun. I found the nylon-tipped 3/8 screws on McMaster Carr pictured below and although they cost $2.00 each (plus shipping), they are perfect for the job.
Here's the view from into the shroud from the rear. You can see how the nylon tips extend into the opening and will press against the underlug.
Finally step was to glue the nuts in place. I'll sand down the excess once it's dry.
Adding the Quiver
A special thanks to Hoptic USA for sending me a free mount for this build. I've used their mounts before and have always purchased them. When they got wind I was making another space gat and intended to use another quiver, they offered to donate it. I really appreciate their support. These projects frequently take 4-6 months and I pay for them all out of pocket. I'm always grateful when a manufacturer offers to pitch in.
I wanted the quiver on the righthand side of the shroud so that it doesn't interfere with the magnetic holster which will be designed to be worn OWB on the right hip.
The Hoptic Quiver comes with a couple mounting options. I of course, am not going to use any of them... I'm going to drill a hole in the side of the shroud and place a barrel nut in it to anchor the 2-round quiver.
Below are the in-progress pics. What the pics don't clearly show is that I sanded the base of the barrel nut down so that it's as thin as can be while still serving as a solid anchor. There isn't much room between the barrel and the inside of the shroud (intentionally), so if the base of the barrel nut sticks out even 1/8", the shroud won't fit on the barrel.
Mark it.....
Drill it...
Mount it....
Not too bad, huh?
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