JP,
Ed Brown makes classic 1911s in a sort of updated old-school aesthetic. They are true to the original 1911 look in many ways, by omitting forward slide serrations, keeping understated lines, minimizing reshaping, not recessing the slide stop, and so on. The Ed Brown line is truly timeless, classic, and beautiful... even their tactical models like the Special Forces. They can certainly do the little extra machining bits that Nighthawk and Wilson do, and we have had a few custom order guns with all the bells and whistles that you never see on a normal Ed Brown, but they charge extra for it and it is not their primary goal. They strive to build beautiful, classic 1911s. They are also far and away the smoothest 1911s in the entire industry, so far without equal. They focus their master smith's work there. The slide to frame fit on an Ed Brown is exceptional even in a class of master grade pistols. They have more man-hours on that fit than anyone else, and it shows. They feel like they are gliding on ball bearings; there is no metal-on-metal resistance.
They are very accurate, very reliable guns, but they intentionally target a simpler, more original aesthetic with their guns. They do not shy away from modern technology and knowledge, they just make sure that they incorporate it in an understated, elegant way. Because they don't usually have forward slide serrations or flush cut barrels or beveled slide stops, they have fewer man hours on the mill in these areas and so their final prices usually come in under a Nighthawk or Wilson because of this. If you add all those options to a custom Ed Brown, you will find that it adds up to as much, or sometimes more. Ed Brown Custom tries to make a modern "gentleman's gun" and it is clear that they succeed there as their wait list timeline grows all the time. They shoot very well.
Maximus Arms' goal was to build a hand-made all-American combat pistol. They're a company full of as many engineers as smiths. They looked at the 1911 schematic and picked over eighty areas to improve, much as Diemaco did to the US M16 design when designing the Colt Canada C7 for the Canadian military and international export market. And much as Diemaco's improvements to materials and processes produced what is now the gold standard for military AR15s with serious improvements over the American model, Maximus went from the ground up starting right at the metal used to make the gun. They reinforced areas, relieved areas for better lubricity and clearance and better flushing of external dust and sand and water, and even made the ejector a singular integral piece of the frame. They made their magazine well integral to the frame as well, to avoid flexing or bending or damage and minimize drag on magazines catching any lips inside on the way in or out. Their biggest material change was to use one of the industry's toughest steels, 17-4PH, for the frame and slide. Their steel is the same steel used to construct the M1 Abrams tank and the barrels and major part assemblies of automatic cannons such as the 20mm M61 Vulcan and is many times stronger than the steel used in other small arms. This is largely overkill for the range, but their design was meant to be a hard-use gun suitable for extremely rough conditions. They stand up exceptionally well to abuse and poor climates and dirty areas and keep on trucking, so I'd say their 80+ list of changes was a solid game plan for their goal.
Cheers,
Daniel
Thanks so much for these write ups; as someone with an interest in the subject, but zero experience, I really appreciate the history and information you've provided.
Gary, it was a pleasure speaking to you about Nighthawk order the other day. You have a lot of knowledge and I feel good about making a jump into custom 1911.
Cheers.
Updated stock for 11 Dec 2014
The House's work is never done -- a shipment of SIG Sauer pistols just landed, including the STX, Scorpion, Stainless Target, and Traditional Reverse Two-Tone models. Check them out on our site!
Double post on my mobile sorry...
Is there any way of knowing how the 80 Maximus design changes affected the ability to use standard 1911 parts? Is there any sort of spec sheet available that can detail this? Or perhaps they are still the same specs. Thanks in advance...
Norinco 1911A1 Fullsize .45ACP
Norinco 1911A1C Commander .45ACP
S&W SW1911 Pro Series 9mm
S&W SW1911Sc Scandium Black .45ACP
S&W SW1911Sc Scandium Two-Tone .45ACP
A bunch of cool S&Ws and ever-popular Norinco 1911s have arrived today to replenish our stockpile!
As for Maximus Arms -- I'll see about getting a parts guide etc from our friends down south!