Haven't seen many review / range reports here. Hope it's allowed. 
I've been lusting after an Ed Brown 1911 for some time now - and recently, Wanstallsonline.com put one on sale - the one I really wanted. The Special Forces Battle Bronze 1911 and it has the (awesome) Trijicon night sights upgrade to boot. High vis white dots surround the tritium tubes making them easy in any light. The SF3 treatment that replaces the old chainlink texture is attractive and offers firm grip with no aggressive digging into the hand as found with some checkering. Both the slide and frame are Ed Brown's proprietary Gen 4 coating. We'll have to see how they stand up, but they sure are attractive. The battle bronze colour used for the frame is ever changing. Different lighting - and even the same lighting at different times, shift the hue from browns to greens to greys - most of which defy any meaningful description. A little unsettling - and very cool. It is also old-school (that's a compliment coming from me), using a standard length guide rod and 16 1/2 pound recoil spring and plug with a well fit, snug barrel bushing.
So, maybe the point to start is "Why Ed Brown"?
I've owned S&W, Ruger, CZ, Norinco and STI, and while they all had their place, none really had this level of an emotional relationship. I should add that I also owned a full custom 1911, but it just wasn't configured the way I wanted it at all.
Has anyone ever challenged Ed Brown? Every single gun is built to the same standard of excellence - the only difference being finish and options. Wilson Combat, Les Baer and Nighthawk all awesome builds, but hard to know if you are getting their good, better or best. Ed Brown is always their best. They say each gun is capable of the best that modern quality ammunition can deliver - about 1 1/2 inches at 50 yards. I'll never know without a ransom rest.
So, Wanstallsonline.com came up with a sale on this incredible pistol and I had to get one. Several email exchanges with Gary got it done. I ordered it Thursday afternoon and it was waiting at the post office for me Monday morning. WOW! Huge Kudos to both Wanstalls and the CFO here. This level of service is not taken for granted.
Of course, we all know that we can't take a pistol to the range without the registration certificate - so there I sit - fondling my new acquisition - for days and days. In the past a reg certificate has taken 3 weeks to 6 weeks. 10 business days this time! Wow! More kudos to the CFO!
Days work done, so off to the Red Deer Shooting Center. Alpha range almost empty so easy to concentrate. Started off with the Ed Brown 7 round mags and 200 grain Black Hills lead semi wad cutters. Love the clean holes these cut. This was my first target out of the new gun. 5 shots. Offhand. 7 yards. Slow and deliberate. This was not my best target and not even close to my worst - but at this point, I was a happy camper.
Now I'd already tested the trigger on this - 3 lbs 12.x ounces - over and over - as well as a good bit of dry fire practice, but it's somehow more telling when the trigger feels this awesome in actual firing.
After 20 rounds of the LSWC, I switched to Federal Champion 230gr FMJ - the stuff the 1911 was designed for. Shot different distances and moved a silhouette target out to 25. When I did my part (not nearly as much as I wish) Mr Brown continued to impress. This one was shot at 25 yards. Ya, I pulled one.
After the first hundred or so, I switched to Wilson Combat 8 round ETM mags and threw about 80 rounds or so at a silhouette at 10 meters doing failure drills - Mozambique? Whatever you want to call them. I still suck when the pace picks up, but no shots off target. A lot of ammo went through that ragged hole in the middle. This was a huge fun part of the range trip and I found cadence and sight recovery easier than with my other 1911s. Not sure why. It occurs to me that this is amazingly comfortable. No abraison, hot spots or soreness at all. I only had a couple hours, but feel I could have shot this all day long.
By this time, she's getting pretty dirty.
One more slow fire target. Turns out to be my best group of the day. 5 rounds. 7 yards. Offhand. Slow and deliberate. Federal Champions.
So just so I don't sound like an unreserved fan-boy, I have to mention there is a fly in the ointment. Part of what make these pistols so desirable is Ed Brown's legendary service - but Canadians don't get it. Apparently sending it back to the Ed Brown facility from Canada involves nearly a $1000 of permits for the two border crossings. In the unlikely event it ever needed warranty work, it would be done by a Canadian gunsmith.
For the record, no failures at all over this first couple hundred rounds. I'd heard that Ed Browns didn't need a break-in period and this experience supports that. Am I up to this gun? Not even close, but I shoot it better than any of my other 1911s.
Hope this has been helpful to anyone facing decisions.
DVC
Rob!
I've been lusting after an Ed Brown 1911 for some time now - and recently, Wanstallsonline.com put one on sale - the one I really wanted. The Special Forces Battle Bronze 1911 and it has the (awesome) Trijicon night sights upgrade to boot. High vis white dots surround the tritium tubes making them easy in any light. The SF3 treatment that replaces the old chainlink texture is attractive and offers firm grip with no aggressive digging into the hand as found with some checkering. Both the slide and frame are Ed Brown's proprietary Gen 4 coating. We'll have to see how they stand up, but they sure are attractive. The battle bronze colour used for the frame is ever changing. Different lighting - and even the same lighting at different times, shift the hue from browns to greens to greys - most of which defy any meaningful description. A little unsettling - and very cool. It is also old-school (that's a compliment coming from me), using a standard length guide rod and 16 1/2 pound recoil spring and plug with a well fit, snug barrel bushing.
So, maybe the point to start is "Why Ed Brown"?
I've owned S&W, Ruger, CZ, Norinco and STI, and while they all had their place, none really had this level of an emotional relationship. I should add that I also owned a full custom 1911, but it just wasn't configured the way I wanted it at all.
Has anyone ever challenged Ed Brown? Every single gun is built to the same standard of excellence - the only difference being finish and options. Wilson Combat, Les Baer and Nighthawk all awesome builds, but hard to know if you are getting their good, better or best. Ed Brown is always their best. They say each gun is capable of the best that modern quality ammunition can deliver - about 1 1/2 inches at 50 yards.
I'll never know without a ransom rest.So, Wanstallsonline.com came up with a sale on this incredible pistol and I had to get one. Several email exchanges with Gary got it done. I ordered it Thursday afternoon and it was waiting at the post office for me Monday morning. WOW! Huge Kudos to both Wanstalls and the CFO here. This level of service is not taken for granted.
Of course, we all know that we can't take a pistol to the range without the registration certificate - so there I sit - fondling my new acquisition - for days and days. In the past a reg certificate has taken 3 weeks to 6 weeks. 10 business days this time! Wow! More kudos to the CFO!
Days work done, so off to the Red Deer Shooting Center. Alpha range almost empty so easy to concentrate. Started off with the Ed Brown 7 round mags and 200 grain Black Hills lead semi wad cutters. Love the clean holes these cut. This was my first target out of the new gun. 5 shots. Offhand. 7 yards. Slow and deliberate. This was not my best target and not even close to my worst - but at this point, I was a happy camper.
Now I'd already tested the trigger on this - 3 lbs 12.x ounces - over and over - as well as a good bit of dry fire practice, but it's somehow more telling when the trigger feels this awesome in actual firing.
After 20 rounds of the LSWC, I switched to Federal Champion 230gr FMJ - the stuff the 1911 was designed for. Shot different distances and moved a silhouette target out to 25. When I did my part (not nearly as much as I wish) Mr Brown continued to impress. This one was shot at 25 yards. Ya, I pulled one.
After the first hundred or so, I switched to Wilson Combat 8 round ETM mags and threw about 80 rounds or so at a silhouette at 10 meters doing failure drills - Mozambique? Whatever you want to call them. I still suck when the pace picks up, but no shots off target. A lot of ammo went through that ragged hole in the middle. This was a huge fun part of the range trip and I found cadence and sight recovery easier than with my other 1911s. Not sure why. It occurs to me that this is amazingly comfortable. No abraison, hot spots or soreness at all. I only had a couple hours, but feel I could have shot this all day long.
By this time, she's getting pretty dirty.
One more slow fire target. Turns out to be my best group of the day. 5 rounds. 7 yards. Offhand. Slow and deliberate. Federal Champions.
So just so I don't sound like an unreserved fan-boy, I have to mention there is a fly in the ointment. Part of what make these pistols so desirable is Ed Brown's legendary service - but Canadians don't get it. Apparently sending it back to the Ed Brown facility from Canada involves nearly a $1000 of permits for the two border crossings. In the unlikely event it ever needed warranty work, it would be done by a Canadian gunsmith.
For the record, no failures at all over this first couple hundred rounds. I'd heard that Ed Browns didn't need a break-in period and this experience supports that. Am I up to this gun? Not even close, but I shoot it better than any of my other 1911s.
Hope this has been helpful to anyone facing decisions.
DVC
Rob!
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