45acp01

When it comes down to it, real men carry "cocked & locked" single action .45acp's. Since 1911 all other pistols have aspired to be as good as John Browning's turn of the century design. Whether a box stock working mans model to a fully customized race gun you just can't argue with nearly a half inch of lead. Many folks ask me what kind of ammo is best for their .45, my stock answer is whatever feeds, fires and extracts with 100% reliability. When your lobbing bullets that are almost as big around as your thumb it doesn't really matter who made it. For the moment here is the dirty dozen of first 1911s to be featured.

About time to start back working with church security teams that need help (pro bono) & catching up on some unfinished firearms builds. Over the years church sanctuaries have gotten much bigger so rather than a full size duty pistol (compact pocket guns are not for securing a panicking crowd from a motivated threat) pulled one of my retired IPSC Race Guns & did a full refresh & conversion to a church security pistol.

Chose a compensated 1911 with match barrel, single chamber compensator in 1911 & reworked it. First removed the pinned grip safety replacing with a functioning beaver tail with some palm swell, totally reworked all the internals including fire control tuning trigger to my preferred 3.25 pound defensive weight. Replaced the recoil springs with set that functions beautifully with Hornady Critical Duty ammo, smaller carry size ambidextrous thumb safety then drilled the front site for a tritium insert to allow getting a good front sight picture in a dimly lit sanctuary.

Some churches worked & trained teams can be 50 to 75 yards across the sanctuary or entrance foyer & small to mid frame pistol is not getting it done. Carried the teams for more than one church to Georgia LEO Qualification course to have 50% to 75% of the team fail. If your team members can't pass their states LEO qualification with the pistol they carry in church they should be restricted from carrying a firearm till they can. I regularly practice at 100 yards on a 10'x10' steel plate with 5" duty guns but in the mayhem of grandmothers & kids running all directions while someone is gone loopy & possibly armed with a rifle want the most I can easily hide under a sport coat. Instead of a 5" duty with Commander backup it will be the compensated re-tuned race gun for a primary with a 5" duty pistol as a backup.

Unfortunally back in the day when WW2 issue Government Models were plentiful I used this for a custom carry build. The up side is it is still a stunning custom carry pistol but due to me checkering the front of the grip it can never be truely returned to an original appearance gun. It sports a lightened hammer, name brand top line fire control parts for the time frame I built it (mid 1980s) Quadralock bushingless barrel with dual spring set, factory safety and extended slide release. I opened up the notch width on rear sight to allow quicker sight picture by allowing the front blade to jump out loud and proud. This pistol has served me well for over 35 years and cant ever remember it having a failure to feed, fire or extract.