Essex .38 Super Government

This one was acquired locally. As purchased, it consisted of a Colt .38 Super Commander top end on an Essex Government frame. I'm not a big fan of Commanders, and when they are riding on an unmodified Government sized frame, I like them even less. Since an Essex frame deserves no better, I decided to buy an Essex 5" slide and sell the Colt top end (which was in excellent shape).

The theme for this build was "budget custom". I didn't see much point in putting ultra-premium parts in an Essex build. But extra labor is free, and the modest cost of the parts meant a bit of experimentation couldn't hurt much.

Parts list: