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I like the new name! Full house S&W 1911 PD

3K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Colin 
#1 ·
Here is one that I have been working on for a while. It is a 5 inch 1911 PD with quite a few changes.
Front strap serrations were removed, the front strap re-profiled and then hand stippled. The grip safety and main spring housing were replaced with Caspian Titanium pieces. Then the MSH was stippled to match the front strap. EGW iginition parts, titanium hammer trut, 18 lb hammer spring, 18.5 variable Wolff recoil spring. Storm Lake gumsmith fit match barrel. EGW match bushing. Scandium bottom half was refinished in Combat Black Duracoat. Added a set of Heinie Straight Eight Slant Pro night sights. Trigger pull is about 3.75 lbs and of course glass rod crisp. Very different look and pretty classy I think. Owner is happy anyway and for a 5 inch gun with a rail, it does not weigh very much.
Jess:comeandgetsome:







 
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#7 ·
Thanks guys! First range report by the new owner is in and he is pleased. There was a friend of his there with some very high dollar customs and his friend was able to shoot better with this pistol than with some of the other "unamed" but very high profile customs. I have a hard time deciding when building a pistol if you should make it look as pretty as it shoots or if it is better to have a "sleeper" like this one that will shoot the dickens out of something with all the scrolls, arrows, borders and engraving. There is NOTHING wrong with a very nice looking 1911, as I have built them very plain and very functional and also very fancy and very functional, but for what you pay for what you get, a person can really spend a LOT of money on work on a 1911 that does nothing for the function of the gun.

I am thinking of starting a line of medium range guns with options pre-selected that would compete with some of the other so called "semi-customs" out there but these would be full on customs as they would be built one at a time by yours truley. Basically 3 models
The "Doughboy" would be a 1911 or 1911A1 spec pistol with all of the good stuff inside and a gunsmith fit barrel, but pure GI on the outside in either blue or park finish. Price would be in the 1200-1400 range.
The "medium" (no name picked yet) would be the same as above but with a flared and lowered ejection port, enhanced dove tail sights and flared magazine well. Maybe a few other options depending on price. This one would run 1500-1700.
Then the "top end" would run $2000+. Full beavertail, gunsmith fot barrel, checkering or stippling, your choice of sights, your choice of some of the hardware like the slide stop, thumb safety and so on. Also your choice of finish. None of the top end guns would run more than $2500. I just don't see how they can. I have done full house Caspian builds and they have all been less than $2500 out the door.

The idea here is to have several guns nearly completed, like about 80% done that I could finish and deliver in less than 90 days. And for a very good price. How do you all think something like this would stack up against a Ed Brown, Nighthawk, Rock River and so on? The only real difference would be they would be a true hand built one at a time custom to your specifications and for a few hundred to several hundred less than you would pay for something like an Ed Brown or a Nighthawk. Not they they aren't great pistols, they are. But I am just trying to get another "angle" on the market and make a few pistols available for those that want to step up and upgrade to a better 1911 without having to wait 3 years and pay $5000 or get an off the shelf semi-custom take what you get. What do you all think? Perhaps I should move this to another thread????

Jess
 
#8 ·
Has anyone told you that that is a nice gun?:hand10:

Wow...lots of work...well done!

ret
 
#11 ·
Jess, I start by saying that is one very nice pistol. I also think your idea will fly. A lot of people are noticing your work. The power of the web showing off your work, plus the members of this and other forums would love to get a quality hand tuned 1911 and other pistols from a very reputable smith. Now tell me how you go about taking off checkering and doing a stipple job on it without loosing too much material.
 
#12 ·
Beautiful pistol. One question, as a gunsmith intimately familiar with the operation of these guns, what do you think of the firing pin safety system Smith is using on their 1911s? Just out of curiosity.

Also, I really like your idea for range guns. I like more basic 1911s without front slide serrations and baked on finishes, but I also like very accurate and finely fitted guns too. It's hard to get simplicity and exceptional quality anymore, most of the high dollar guns are loaded with crap I don't need or want. It would be great to have the quality of a Wilson or Baer in a gun made exactly to my specs for a reasonable price.
 
#15 ·
Well guys,

Thanks! And that is the idea. A basic .45 without all of the eye candy for a good price that will shoot the gonads off of a fly at 25 yards. The fanciest it might get would be a nice beavertail, checkering or stippling. The stippling is cheaper to do. And then either blue, park or Duracoat finishes all out the door for somewhere between $1000 and $2000. Very easy to do. I have made up a couple of test quotes for all of the 3 levels and it would be very easy to do for the price quoted. Now all I need is a couple of "guinea pigs" :)

Jess
 
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