Thanks Dwayne. This is #1 of 2 guns for the 2009 American Pistolsmith's Guild "Guns of the Year".
The pattern is a "grey scale" version of my Colt Gold Cup project....The Gold Cup is being done in multi-color inlay.
Christopher.... another trick you might want to try, if you haven't already, turn the (SPM) speed right down, below recommended on all the handpieces. Seems to give a heavier longer stroke..??? Seems to shift more metal with a lot of control but it doesn't seem to slow the cutting down. Maybe the spring is getting more time to recover between blows, don't know but it works for me on bike parts.
Speaking of stroke speeds, my preference for all my handpieces (901, Monarch, and Magnum) is for 2,300 strokes per minute or less.
Degs is correct in that slower speeds do provide more handpiece power. I like the slower speeds because they feel better to me. I'm not looking for more power, but it's nice to have it if I need it. / ~Sam
An added comment about the magnum............. I use it for everything.................. From force to finnesse. I have found that if you need the power, it is capable of doing the style that I taught at GRS last year that I call flared cut sculpting. In this case you need every bit of power you can get. I bottom the tool out and use every bit of the power it is capable of, depending on the metals I am cutting on. It hasn't failed me yet, and it is a definate asset if you want to try this style or any other heavy style.
Ron S