The Man from UNCLE

Ok, I'm calling this grip finished!!! Here is a before & after comparison.

Looks Amazing! You should try to make molds out of them so you can cast your owns!

Originally, I thought of making a mold of the grips from my U.N.C.L.E. pistol but, what's the fun in that?

Seriously, with the high cost of silicone & resin these days, the time and cost to do that would not have made sense because these grips are made to fit the MGC U.N.C.L.E. pistol only. They cannot be used on any other P-38 because of the cutout on the right hand side put there to fit around the portion of the pistol that holds the scope mount.

I thought it best to repair and restore the original grips but, if I wasn't able to, I would cast mine to use as a replacement.  

Besides, I have CNC machined anodized aluminum grips that I use for my U.N.C.L.E. replicas.
--Ed

Little off topic but thought you might enjoy seeing these photos. I was commissioned to take one of the anodized aluminum part sets and remove the finish and polish them to a chrome-like finish. Eventually, he hopes to add these parts to a chromed Walther P-38.  --Ed

Wow! that is stunning work, some skill there.

How did you fix the cracked takedown lever?

The takedown lever was badly damaged and broken into halves. Once in place it needs to be rotated to lock in the barrel.
Because of that, there really wasn't anything I could do to piece it back together as it was so small.

I did however use Milliput to cover the cracks on the surface. Once dry, I carved back in the serrated detail. Mr. Surfacer was then applied and sanded smooth.

I actually had to do that a few times. Finally, I coated the surface with super glue and let it dry then painted it.

I was able to fit it into the two halves into the hole so it would lock the barrel in place and glued it in place.

It is sturdy enough now that it won't fall out as the frame and barrel are holding it in place.

Here is the finished Takedown Lever before / after photo --Ed

The 'Birdcage' Flash hider on the left has been 'metalized' by applying graphite powder and clear coated. The one on the right is just painted flat black. --Ed

Photo of the two pistols with restored pistols / grips prior to having the graphite powder applied. --Ed

Bottom pistol has been 'metalized' with the graphite powder then given a couple coats of clear coat. Top pistol is just painted black...for now. --Ed

First pistol finished and set up as the U.N.C.L.E. Carbine Special. --Ed

PROJECT: FINISHED

Complete restoration of the MGC / RMI 'Man from U.N.C.L.E. Pistol / Carbine Special.

I hope you guys enjoyed following the progress that took it from a very abused replica model to a newly restored like-new condition model of the firearms used by our favorite agents, Napoleon & Illya.

Should anyone need to have their replica models restored or have any questions, please drop me a line.
'Channel D, out'
Ed

Thanks to all that followed my restoration. I hope you enjoyed it and influenced you to do any restoration to your own models. Patience and perseverance pays off.

Recently added a custom Plexiglas display stand to my collection that beautifully shows off the UNCLE pistol. (The one in the photo is my rubber stunt Pistol from the show)

A final note is that a few of you contacted me regarding getting copies of the 233 page CD book I put together. If you are still interested, please contact me again at: thefudds@aol.com

I'll have a short restoration on another replica...The 1910 Browning pistol as used by James Bond in 'Dr. No"
All the best, guys!!!
Ed

Fantastic work, congratulations, that is one hell of a job you have done. Please post the 1910 restoration its very interesting and informative.

Thanks, Claymore. Just posted it:

https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/t5576-1910-browning-restoration-as-used-by-james-bond-in-dr-no

I was recently contacted by a fellow fan of the show to purchase some parts for his Maruzen Detachable P-38. He also mentioned that he was lucky to find an MGC UNCLE Walther P-38 replica for $10.00!!!!

It was, I thought, in pretty good shape and agreed to restore it.

Upon receiving it, I saw there were plenty of problems that needed to be addressed.

The slide and trigger were locked in place, the barrel was split, the magazine just falls out, the safety lever would not lock in place.

The left-hand grip had, at one time, developed a crack from side-to-side and repaired with super glue.
Both grips had surface scratches and the grip retaining bolt was super glued in place on the grip.

After grinding out the original bolt, I saw that all the springs needed were missing!

Using my wire brush attachment on my bench grinder, I stripped off all of the original finish and used hand files to sharpen the edges and remove blemishes.

I was lucky enough to find springs in my parts box that were able to be used as substitutes.

As you look through the photos you'll see what I did in the restoration process.

All in all, I felt pretty good that I was able to bring this replica "back to life". I know he'll now proudly display it alongside his collectibles.

Hope you enjoy the post. ---Ed

Once again a fantastic job! Looking great!

Thank you, Sommarkatze!!! Much appreciated. --Ed

I second that on the grips, I too would have probably tried real grips and modified them to fit. Amazing work, really nice to see and looking forward to seeing how they are coming along. That was such a good buy though, really lucky there.