Been wanting to share this Karl Sokol Hi-Power for some time now (photos taken by my friend @cinematicarms on IG – follow him. Hire him!). Very excited and pleased to have this work done. I'd like to thank @Tokarev's excellent BHP thread that brought Mr. Sokol to my attention!
I bought this 1983 used from a friend (he was probably like the 20th owner!) and sent it off for a total makeover. The gun was a not horrible, but I was hoping for something special. The trigger was pretty awful, felt like I was dragging a cinderblock with a rusty chain over gravel, so I was hoping for some improvement there beyond the aesthetic ones I was looking for.
I had an initial call with Karl which was really incredibly enjoyable – we talked for nearly an hour about what I was looking for, but then also about life in Vermont, his background… just really an excellent discussion. He drew up a spec sheet which I agreed on, and I mailed off my pistol with my deposit. Let the wait begin!
The build spec was basically a total refinish:
- Trigger work
- Recrown and throat/polish/check chamber
- Modify thumb safety
- Mag safety disconnect
- Dehorning
- Luster blue finish
- Semi-bob hammer
- Gold bead from sight, retro rear
- Replace spring set
- Devel style slide lock/stop modification
Mr. Sokol flattened the top of the slide due to previously bungled aftermarket front sight install, you can see what I mean in the below picture:
Before:
After:
One of my biggest inspirations here for this project was a wonderful Devel HP that I had come across online. Among other things (like the beautiful finish), I really liked the slim 1911-style slide stop that was featured on that build. Karl and I discussed the modification – he was fully accommodating though I think he halfheartedly tried to talk me out of it….
I also opted for bluing rather than his standard Mountain Tuff finish, and it is just such a lovely gunmetal grey in person.
Besides the really nice comms with him he did a couple other things which I thought were special. For one, Karl did a magazine test for me and marked them "OK" with a marker which I thought was a really cool detail. Finally he also included a copy of an recent American Handgunning(?) article on the Devel Hi-Power which again was my inspiration for this build. It just seemed very characteristic of the thoughtfulness he displayed throughout the process.
As @Tokarev would agree I'm sure, I would completely recommend Mr. Sokol for individuals looking for high quality smithing. He is a great person, and knowledgable and skilled gunsmith, and exceeded my expectations in bringing my project to life. Pictures below:
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Originally Posted by MDFA
