Tag Archives: 1911

Ogre Edition 1911?

I’ve been thinking about what a Crusader Ogre Edition 1911 would be.  I don’t have any photoshop skills, so I can’t do up a picture to show you.  But let me paint the picture for you in the mind. A stainless Dan Wesson V-Bob, a Commander length… with a blued carbon steel slide, and a muzzle treatment like a Nighthawk T3, and Straight 8 night sights.  Done.  Simple.  Oh, and it would be a 10mm.

 

Are you ready for a Crusader 1911?

Joe has surprised me, yet again.  When it comes to making things happen, Joe is the man.  Check this out:

… a good friend of mine just happens to be a master smith that apprenticed at Wilson Combat. The man knows everything there is to know about building a fine 1911. If there’s anyone that can build a Crusader worthy 1911 it is my friend Paul.

So that leaves us with a little problem. Paul is in Virginia….yeah, that’s why we haven’t done anything about this. Well that may not be as much of a problem as previously thought. Paul approached me with a proposal last night. To start out with he is building up a pistol for us to shoot, photograph, and do a write up. From there we will leave it to you. We have the best 1911′s on planet earth to offer you. We will work out pricing with Paul and he will build them there in Virginia (we’ll add our logo here) until such a time when we can bring Paul out here to build for us full time.

One thing we are also able to offer is the ability to convert your stock pistol into a full custom, perfectly tuned 1911 that your friends will drool over and covet until they have one of their own.  Stay tuned and we’ll have more info for you.

Government Models, Commanders, Officers, in .45ACP and 10mm.  Hell Yeah!

Crimson Decision

We got in a demo display from Crimson Trace.  Dummy guns with the laser grip on them.  Just to see if they fit, I pulled the 1911 grips of the dummy gun and put them on my ATI Commander.  They fit perfectly and the all black grips certainly looked a lot better than the strange wood grips.  We came to the decision that they are made of Peckerwood.  But we can’t confirm that.    The all black look worked.  I had been thinking of going with a nice redish colored wood, but now I’m thinking of doing the blackout routine with this gun.  Plain, simple, all black… I like it.

But do I want to do the Crimson Trace grips?  I know Crimson Trace laser grips have some distinct advantages.  Anything that can help you get on target – advantage.  Anything that could keep you from having to drop the hammer in a stress situation – advantage.  $250 tariff, not such an advantage.  That’s a heavy price tag.  I don’t know if I want to spend that much on this gun.  This is not my defensive gun… it’s a project gun.  A tinker gun.  I might just do those cheap Ergo Grips plastic things.  After all, I have a set of those on my SIG TacOps, and it actually does very well.   The Sig deserves better, but still… the grips work.

ATI GI 1911 Commander, an observation

As readers will know, last week I picked up a 1911 Commander from ATI.  “American Tactical Imports“.

I remain impressed with the overall quality of the gun.  It’s so far proven to be a great buy.  At the time of purchase, and even since I had first seen them, I had only one complaint.  The wood grips look like they are cheap plastic.  Now I have another complaint.

Continue reading ATI GI 1911 Commander, an observation

ATI 1911, I had no choice.

ATI is bringing in some really well made 1911’s.  I’ve been eyeballing this Commander for almost 5 months now.  Had to do it… I… can’t… help… myself.

A Commander 1911 .45... My biggest weakness.

I’m an addict… I know.  I have a problem.  I admit it.  I LOVE guns.

Crusader Weaponry list of soon to be done upgrades:  Full ST-1 Treatment.  Trigger Job, Action Job, and an OD Green Duracoat on the grip frame.  Then those nasty wood grips are getting replaced with something else… I don’t care what.

Top 5 1911’s

One of The Horde has asked for a Top 5 1911 list.  This is difficult, because saying 1911 is like saying Pickup Truck.  There are different types, classes of truck.  Class wasn’t specified.  So this is going to be an overall pick, cross classes.

1.  Springfield TRP
2.  SIG 1911 TacOps
3.  Dan Wesson V-Bob
4.  STI Ranger II
5.  Springfield 1911 GI

Three of the five selections are full sized, 5” guns.  The other two are Commander length guns.  There are no three inch guns on my list for a reason.   The smaller sized guns get more finicky in terms of reliability and for me, that’s a huge disqualification.  The full size and the Commander length guns are where it’s at.
If I was going to pick a few more, the other guns on my list would be the guns in the Colt CCO type configuration with a Commander length barrel and slide on an Officer’s length frame.  Such as the SIG C3 and RCS.  Both would make the list for sure.  Also, if I had another spot, I’d have to put an STI Tactical 4.15, which would also be the only double stacked 1911 on this list, and the only one in 9mm.
If I was going to pick something on the more Budge Minded level, the options are fewer, but some stand out.  The pistols from ATI have a strong showing with tolerances on par with guns that cost 3 times as much.  The newish Remington R1 is a nice pistol, if you can find one.  The Para GI Expert is a very similar gun at a similar price point, and it’s a good one.  Then there are the guns from Taurus which are solid values and surprisingly good shooters.
Notice I am not talking about the Semi-Custom Production guns from makers such as Wilson Combat, Les Baer, and Ed Brown.  They are certainly good, but the cost level is puts them far and away above the reach of a lot of shooters, without a drastic or tangible increase in returns for the money.

Letter to Springfield Armory

Dear Springfield.  How are you doing?  I missed you at SHOT SHOW, but I ran into your man Robby L at the Media Range Day.  Great guy.  He still does the bulk of his shooting with a 1911… Wouldn’t it be a good idea to transition him to an XDM full time and maybe make a Signature Edition XDM based on his customizations?  I think it would be a great idea.  Didn’t see it in the Catalog I just downloaded, so, you know… Just sayin… Think it would be a great idea.

Continue reading Letter to Springfield Armory

More on the 1911

ToddG from Pistol-Training.com knocked it out of the park. This is well said.
I look at the 1911 much like Muscle Car. You can buy faster modern cars, but they just don’t have the class and style that a classic muscle car has.
As much as I love my G23RTF2, it doesn’t evoke the romance and the passion that my 1911’s inspire.
The 1911 is for the Aficionado and the Professional. It’s not for the rank and file foot-soldier. Yes, there is an Elitist aspect to it.