My Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special (Yeah, now with actual pics!) & Nill Grips

BenL

BenL

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I have a new to me Les Baer TRS (well it's almost brand spankin' new anyway) and the idea of getting something different for it brought me to thinking about picking up some Nill grips for it.

**Finally** some pictures of the Thunder Ranch Special.​

Thankfully I'm a better shot at the range (at least thats what I like to think) than behind the camera as there are the best I could do out of maybe 30 frames taken. One day we'll invest into a decent camera and perhaps as importantly, a stand for it!!

A few quick words after a couple hrs of ownership:

Condition: Whatever flaw you may see in the pictures are simply camera flaws because this pistol is MINT!

Is she....tight?: The slide is not as tight as I expected it to be, mind you it has had the break-in of 500 rounds through it. I'm thinking that another 500 rounds should make it feel even smoother. She'll be converted to FireClean as soon as I receive my bushing wrench...it's TIGHT. There's no way I'm finger-turning it. Never needed a wrench before, but it's all good.

Trigger: I haven't pulled it with a scale, but I suspect it to be at 3lbs or so; certainly not heavier.

Slide to Frame fit: It's about as perfect as it can get. There is basically no gap. Tried to take a close-up picture of it but the camera wouldn't focus properly (and the aforementioned fact that I don't have a stand to stabilize the camera)

Checkering: Both on the grips and the straps are excellent. I won't be counting the LPI, but suffice to say that its pretty grippy.

Range report: As soon as a) I receive my Raven Conc. owb hoslter, b) that it's not -35c outside and c) I can stop coughing every 5 mins, I'll be putting this beauty through a couple of boxes that is guaranteed.

Anyway - enough chitchat...





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Why Nill grips? Because they make some of the nicest wooden grips I've seen in person.

That and the fact that they make one specifically for the Les Baer profile, called the Master II Series:

http://www.nill-griffe.com/The_Masters_Pistol_76.html

CO10XHO8LB_pl_web.copy1.jpg


Will post actual pics of the grips when I receive them :) Has anyone else purchase Nill grips for their 1911s?
 
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BenL said:
A WTB ad in the EE turned one up in a matter of a day or two.
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Nice to know that your WTB thread gave you results in a short period of time! Mind sharing some details of the condition of the LB TRS & cost if not out of line? Is it a recent Le Claire, IA or older Hillsdale, IL manufacture? Custom options on it (1 1/5" groups)?
 
Would also like to see some pics of the "beast". You started a thread about Nill grips & your new LB TRS but the only pic you showed us is the grips from the Nill's site. C'mon, we want to see the Baer first. You'll dress it up with some new high end shoes later!
 
misanthropist said:
Interesting that that is the route you ended up going.

I'm convinced that the TRS and UTC are the best deal going in the limited-production/semi-custom game.
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In the end I didn't want to have $3000 tied-up in a used Nighthawk/Wilson when I would get a more accurate, out of the box pistol from LB, this even though they (NH and WC especially) are a tier up from LB in some aspect of their production.

Appreciate the convos we've had on them btw :)

B
 
Harry Callahan said:
Would also like to see some pics of the "beast". You started a thread about Nill grips & your new LB TRS but the only pic you showed us is the grips from the Nill's site. C'mon, we want to see the Baer first. You'll dress it up with some new high end shoes later!
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Pics will be posted as soon as it gets to me :)

(yup, I pulled a Caramel on you guys!!)
 
Harry Callahan said:
Nice to know that your WTB thread gave you results in a short period of time! Mind sharing some details of the condition of the LB TRS & cost if not out of line? Is it a recent Le Claire, IA or older Hillsdale, IL manufacture? Custom options on it (1 1/5" groups)?
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- It's a Le Clair production shop.

- Option on it was the DuPont finish ($325 option). The 1 1/5" option would outshoot me anyway!

- Condition is brand new - 500 rounds though it only, so just enough to break it in before its first cleaning (per LB's instructions).

- Cost I don't mind sharing as it was a private, non-EE advertised deal: $1,650 shipped and insured.
 
paisley70 said:
Nill grips have been on my radar for a long time but I haven't taken the plunge. I have found a substitute that are satisfactory for the time being.

http://www.grips4u.net/category/pistol-grips/

Unfortunately, they don't make target grips like Nill but the others are very comparable.
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Those are some nice looking grips.

Not a bit offering for generic 1911 gvnt grips other than the Colt-branded grips (at least from what I could see at a quick browse of their website).
 
BenL said:
- It's a Le Clair production shop.

- Option on it was the DuPont finish ($325 option). The 1 1/5" option would outshoot me anyway!

- Condition is brand new - 500 rounds though it only, so just enough to break it in before its first cleaning (per LB's instructions).

- Cost I don't mind sharing as it was a private, non-EE advertised deal: $1,650 shipped and insured.
Click to expand...

Pretty good deal there, nice score!

I should get my LB next week. Will start a thread with some pics & hopefully really dirty breakin pics after the 5-700 rounds put trough it so I can strip clean properly. I'll melt that barrel!
 
BenL said:
- It's a Le Clair production shop.

- Option on it was the DuPont finish ($325 option). The 1 1/5" option would outshoot me anyway!

- Condition is brand new - 500 rounds though it only, so just enough to break it in before its first cleaning (per LB's instructions).

- Cost I don't mind sharing as it was a private, non-EE advertised deal: $1,650 shipped and insured.
Click to expand...

Good price!
 
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