Custom 1911's

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sailor723

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I've been toying with the idea of adding a higher end 1911 to the collection but I seem to run hot and cold on the idea. I have a STI Trojan now that I like very much. If I went to something like a Les Bear or Ed Brown would I really notice any difference for punching holes in paper or making steel go "ting"?.....or is it more about being more finely finished and bragging rights?

For that matter, Les Baer's seen to be mid/high 2's while I see Brown's in the 4k+/- range. What does that extra 1,000-1,500 buy you with Ed Brown?
 
Good morning Sailor,
Unless you want the extra "glamour" of the name or plainly because you want it, my answer is "no".
I have the much touted Colt Gold Cup trophy, model 2017 and a STI Rangemaster I had the dust cover shortened and stirrups cut to comply with Classic division in IPSC.
I can tell you the STI is a real sweet piece; I'll never out shoot the pistol.
Unless a shooter started with a lower quality pistol and reached the moment he needs to upgrade, I don't see the need to shell down a couple grands unless to own a signed piece.
 
I am happy with my STI's and I really can't afford to buy one of the upscale guns that I will not do any better shooting with and be afraid to get a mark on
 
If a Norinco out shoots the user, that same user will most likely not see any measurable improvement with a higher quality 1911.
That goes for any firearm.
 
I like fancy stuff as well as any person but I just can't justify spending thousands of dollars on custom firearm "jewellery". I can afford to buy some jewellery but I settled on a Colt Competition SS .45ACP for myself. Mine is beautifully made and shoots great. I added an Ed Brown Maxiwell for a more custom look.
 
Function and accuracy is not really measurable between a good Colt and Ed Brown but fit and finish between the 2 is a different story. I had a Colt Competition, ran like a champ, good fit and finish. Ed Brown is so tight betwen the rails and hand fit pieces. Really noticable if you look at the back of the gun fame to slide fit. Its just Bling. I bought an Ed Brown special forces because I have an obsession of having things unique and custom. I like the idea of each part being CNC machined out of solid barstock and hand fit to each gun. Completely unnecessary, but all depends on what floats your boat.
 
With the Ed Brown, you’ll get nicer finishing details inside and out (eg finer polishing, maybe some different serrations, line cuts or accents depending on the model etc). The Les Baer is a more basic package with all the effort gone into the materials and fitting. You’ll see and feel the differences but both will shoot equally well once broken in.
 
I have never had a L.B., but some hi end Kimber's and colts.
My best shooter is a custom Norinco at the moment
Kind of like a Ford or dodge thing, you can never win at that either
 
To each their own, i have used and sell many 1911, one that always stayed with me is my LB, it is special and sooo accurate...
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I bought a pristine Ed Brown Centennial on the EE. I have a Kimber custom Target II. I shot them both last week. No difference in accuracy or the frame to slide fit. Big difference in the level of finishing and the grip checkering. The Ed brown is a beauty, the Kimber is a plain Jane. If I paid full retail for the Ed Brown I would have regrets. My STIs are the tightest of the lot. What does that mean? They're tight.

Like 'em all.
 
I just received my les Baer premier 2. Compare to my colt combat elite it’s very very tight. Fit and finish it is far better than the colt. No grip safety or trigger rattle. The blueing is excellent. If I knew i would have bought the les Baer first.

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Spaenaur said:
I just received my les Baer premier 2. Compare to my colt combat elite it’s very very tight. Fit and finish it is far better than the colt. No grip safety or trigger rattle. The blueing is excellent. If I knew i would have bought the les Baer first.

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I love 1911's and hope to pick up an Ed Brown this year. For some reason, the Les Baer's just look "cheap" to me. I don't doubt their performance, which by all accounts is awsome - It's totally a personal preference. But, I would pick that Colt Combat over that Les Baer all day.
 
Would you notice a difference for paper punching.....that is a very complicated question. How good of a shot are you? How much does equipment affect your mentality? How much time are you willing to spend developing loads?

You can certainly measure precision given a mechanical rest and enough time and ammo. Whether that translates into a more accurate gun in your hands only you can answer. When the top manufacturers make accuracy claims I tend to believe them for two reasons: 1) It’s their reputation on the line. 2) There is somebody somewhere waiting to disprove it and sue them.

When people talk about how well “fit” a 1911 is take it with a grain of salt; most are visually inspecting the exterior of their gun. This is finish, and one place Ed Brown excels. Browns are some of the nicest finished handguns I’ve ever handled, bar none. Fit is much more involved to determine. Using calipers and a micrometer you can measure for values, but I’ve never done it. Similarly tight does not necessarily mean well fit.

Now that all of that is out of the way, I say go for it. There really is only one way to find out and if you’re on the fence you’ll do it eventually anyways.
 
DealersAdvocate said:
I love 1911's and hope to pick up an Ed Brown this year. For some reason, the Les Baer's just look "cheap" to me. I don't doubt their performance, which by all accounts is awsome - It's totally a personal preference. But, I would pick that Colt Combat over that Les Baer all day.
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Unfortunately I have to agree. I hate the “45ACP” stamped on the slide. Really cheapens the look of an otherwise nice gun.
I have a Nighthawk Predator that is a beautiful example of a finely crafted 1911. The beauty and the $$$$ is in the details of these custom pistols!
 
I have to say I am leaning towards something at the Ed Brown level if I end up doing anything at all. I agree that while they have a fine reputation the Les Baers just don't quite look the part in terms of finish.

I was going to go and check out Wanstalls "House of 1911s" when I'm in Vancouver later this month. Now I'm not sure it would be worth the drive to Maple Ridge. In looking at their inventory it appears they might be getting away from stocking high end 1911's. The inventory for these guns has seemed to be getting less and less in the past year. They've gone from showing 20+ models from various manufacturers in stock last year to only 4-5 today, It's a shame because I'd really like to see and handle some options before deciding.
 
sailor723 said:
I have to say I am leaning towards something at the Ed Brown level if I end up doing anything at all. I agree that while they have a fine reputation the Les Baers just don't quite look the part in terms of finish.

I was going to go and check out Wanstalls "House of 1911s" when I'm in Vancouver later this month. Now I'm not sure it would be worth the drive to Maple Ridge. In looking at their inventory it appears they might be getting away from stocking high end 1911's. The inventory for these guns has seemed to be getting less and less in the past year. They've gone from showing 20+ models from various manufacturers in stock last year to only 4-5 today, It's a shame because I'd really like to see and handle some options before deciding.
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I don't think you would regret it. I have a couple LBs that I love - hard pressed to find better shooters for the money. But I also appreciate the finishing and details and think the 25-35% premium for that is not unreasonable.
 
Another option is to buy a stripped slide and frame and get a quality Smith to build from the ground up that way you get exactly what you want. Yes it won't have the fancy name on the slide but if that's a big problem for you then your probably just looking to show off your gun instead of your groups.
 
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