1911 with that Oh YA! feel

Rob!

Rob!

CGN frequent flyer
Super GunNutz
Rating - 100%
34   0   0
Location
South Central Alberta
So, a year or so back, I bought a custom 1911. When it arrived, it had a special feel - solid - heavy but balanced - and the action cycled with precision and smooth confidence - like a well built hermetically sealed vault if that means anything to you. If you've ever held a similar 1911, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I suspect not many have.

Unfortunately, the rest of the gun sucked. Checkering was poorly done. Magwell weld was ugly. Trigger not as ordered. Sights not as ordered..... but that action haunts me. I never fired it because I returned it for a refund.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Care to share what 1911 had "that feeling"?

Rob!
 
I remember custom comp guns from the 80s built by Wilson and Behlert Customs and, later, Novak. These guns had class and oozed quality.
Currently, only the high end 1911s have that solid, confidence inspiring feel, like LB, Nighthawk, Ed Brown etc.
I had a Smith and a SIG. They were good but there is a difference between them and the truly great.
 
I very much like my Ed Brown Executive Target. Shoots exceptionally well with loads it likes and is finished to near perfection. I wasn't impressed with the 1911's I'd used previously. Sometimes you've gotta pay to play, but I figure if the gun lasts decades it's a worthy purchase.
 
I've had a few over the years when I was into some more serious paper punching courses of fire. A 'few' gold cups and a couple of custom jobs. Presently, the following are what I have in 1911's and 1911 'look a likes'. Starting with a S&W 4506 that was one I picked up through the estate of an old friend and shooting buddy. This one I may end up selling. MAY.

.

And, recently acquired this Colt 1911 that was done up by and old friend and gunsmith that I shot with at a local club.It was his personal gun. I got it, just because it was 'Georges' gun.



I thought a while back, I'd like to have one REALLY nice 45 and when this Kimber Super Match II came up, after 'playing' with it, I had to have it! It's, the cream of the crop and without a doubt, the slickest I've ever had and has an unbelievable trigger.:d:d

 
Rob! said:
So, a year or so back, I bought a custom 1911. When it arrived, it had a special feel - solid - heavy but balanced - and the action cycled with precision and smooth confidence - like a well built hermetically sealed vault if that means anything to you. If you've ever held a similar 1911, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I suspect not many have.

Unfortunately, the rest of the gun sucked. Checkering was poorly done. Magwell weld was ugly. Trigger not as ordered. Sights not as ordered..... but that action haunts me. I never fired it because I returned it for a refund.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Care to share what 1911 had "that feeling"?

Rob!
Click to expand...


What make was it?


My NHC had that feeling, still has that feeling and the fit/finish, attention to detail is outstanding.

Checkering and machining are all on point too.

The "high end" 1911 game seems to start at $5k plus these days.

At that price point, I'd want perfection too.
 
Shooter1of38 said:
What make was it?


....
Click to expand...

I'm not going to answer that - and I hope you respect the decision. I said a fair number of nasty things about the build - but they were good enough to acknowledge and refund. Issue resolved so they don't deserve a public put-down. What was good was good enough to haunt me. :)
 
Rob! said:
I'm not going to answer that - and I hope you respect the decision. I said a fair number of nasty things about the build - but they were good enough to acknowledge and refund. Issue resolved so they don't deserve a public put-down. What was good was good enough to haunt me. :)
Click to expand...


So the manufacturer of the 1911 refunded you direct?

Or the shop where you purchased it refunded you?

The two are not really related.
 
Shooter1of38 said:
So the manufacturer of the 1911 refunded you direct?

Or the shop where you purchased it refunded you?

The two are not really related.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delayed answer. Somehow I missed the post. The gun was a custom - purchased directly from the maker's shop. I believe that once a resolution is agreed to - in this case return and refund - the matter is over. So, in this case, the two are indeed related.
 
As some one who's currently looking to purchase a .45 1911 this thread would have been of use to me.

Seeing it's a free market for consumers and manufactures put out products for us to buy, we will always talk good and bad. As far as im concerned it's their blunder for passing off something that wasn't right.

In all honesty without naming the pistol manufacturer atleast, you're doing your fellow shooting community an expensive injustice.

This thread was useless without a name, but to the OP thanks anyway.....
 
Last edited:
I bought a 1911 from a fellow CGN'er. Spent more that I really wanted to. But was well worth it. My first higher end pistol.
The feel and the fit of this fine piece in my hands is awesome. It cycles very smooth, shoots and feeds great.
Of course a lot of the stock parts have been replaced with better ones.

STI Trojan in 40 sw is what I got.
 
I have 3 1911's at the moment, none are higher end guns. I just posted yesterday about a Remington R1 I just picked up for wild bunch. It has to be a stock government. nothing in the way of upgrades other than trigger lightening. My others are a SIG stainless carry, and a Norc commander. And I'll be damned if the norc doesn't shoot every bit as good as the others. The trigger needs work, and I wouldn't mind some Novak sights, but it doesn't really need them. After shooting the new one yesterday I have a mad urge to get a long slide
DSC00085.jpg
.
 
I only have one 1911 and it's an Ed Brown as I figured if I was only to have one, get a good one. The feel, the fit, the overall workmanship is wonderful.
 
My $600 SAM Thunderbolt has the same smooth action bank vault buttery feel. All hand made, production line guns like SAM, Les Baer and others have the feel that only expert craftsman have.

The only difference in price in custom made 1911's is the quality of materials and accuracy guarantee. LB's are the best when it comes to lockup accuracy potential, something a $600 thunderbolt won't give you. But if you're not in it for the dead aim accuracy, getting that hand made 1911 feel is cheaper than lots of us think.
 
Growing up in the 1960s and '70s I constantly read magazine articles about the 1911 or Colt 45 Auto as it was referred to back then, you see back in the '60s and early '70s only Colt was making the 1911 pistol. Yes there was a company out there making slides and frames but only Colt made the complete gun, and yes there were a few companies that tried making the 1911 but they were hit or miss proposition. So if you wanted a new 1911 it was Colt or nobody.

So in 1977 as a 21st birthday gift to myself I went down to the local gun store and bought my 45 auto which ran me about $200USD as I recall. Now this incarnation of the 1911 came with "Coltwood" grips, short trigger (with about a 12 pound pull), arched mainspring housing, and sights so tiny that they could almost be considered an after though. But it was/is a 45 and as long as it was fed proper ammunition, read that as 230 grain FMJ Ball, it fed and fired every time. Now after a few sessions on the kitchen table, mine or a friend's, the factory grips, mainspring housing, and short trigger were replaced by Pachmyrs' for the grips and mainspring and a longer aftermarket trigger. Trips to the range had me filing down the front sight to get the gun to print close to point of aim at 25 yards. Next came the trip to a gunshow where I dropped the pistol off with a 'smith who overnight did a trigger job (5 pounds), polished and throated the barrel so that it would feed something besides Ball ammo, the crowning work was a set of higher fixed sights that were set for same 25 yard zero.

For nearly 4 decades that Colt was my sole 1911 until I inherited a Remington R-1 Enhanced 1911 45. That pistol has the "OH-YA" feel, although I might have to replace those G 10 grips.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom