Alan Tanaka is my current go-to 'smith. A great guy, and a true master. If Jim Hoag is the grand-master of fit and finish, Alan is the grand-master of function. When you hand him your 1911, it's in pieces before it even hits the workbench. The gun goes to pieces and comes back together in his hands like magic, in one continuous motion! He should be finishing my current job pretty soon, and when I go to pick it up, I'll take some pics of Alan, his dog, and his shop! Somebody else's pic of Alan, until I can get one of my own:
I had lunch with Alan today. He's been having some health problems and has a considerable backlog of work right now (he is working, just needs to stay off his feet). He very graciously explained the entire process of 1911 barrel fitting (the way he does it). I learned some very interesting stuff. I've noticed that the best smiths really enjoy sharing their techniques with an interested amateur. A really great guy, and very patient.
Yes, Alan is quite the legend in my parts, especially for the S&W wheel gun guys, in addition to the 1911 aficionados. Great choice for your gunsmithing work!
