Who is the Greatest 1911 Gunsmith??

Caspian recommendations

Actually many smiths would recommend the Caspian product over any Colt product out there...EGW being one of them..

They build probably one of the best barstock slides out there today..their barstock frames and cast frames are probably most duarable also..

The holes are always in the correct position, rail always straight and dimensionally correct. The customer service has always been first rate..

Do a check over on 1911forum about Caspian..

The colts are nice when finally built...but you'll find a lot more work has to go into one on a ground up custom gun..
 
I've examined .45's built by some of the "names" already mentioned. Each has been nice. Very nice, in fact. Sometimes the features weren't to my taste, but workmanship was uniformly good. But all were 'way too expensive for what was produced.

Once you get very much above, say, the $1500 or so you'd pay for a Les Baer Premier II or TRS, IMHO you're paying increasing amounts for the BNP factor. (BNP - that's Big Name Pistolsmith.) And you're seriously into the area of diminishing returns for a street gun once you're over 2 grand.

And some would argue for lower price points.

Now, if you have a parts gun built up with "X" frame and "Y" slide and "Z" internals by any competent 'smith, you'll probably end up with a nice pistol for $1000-$2000. But if the guy who builds it isn't a BNP, others will regard it as a "Frankenpistol," and just a little bit suspect.

BTW, if you go to a BNP, make sure he's going to do the work PERSONALLY. A dirty little secret is that many BNP's only lend their name to their business, and have a cadre of flunkies doing their work for them.

Just my advice, and worth every cent you paid for it.

FWIW, I've heard rumors - no substantiation, just rumors - that Damascus slides don't hold up very well. I'd check into this VERY carefully before getting one.
 
A dirty little secret is that many BNP's only lend their name to their business, and have a cadre of flunkies doing their work for them.
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Do you have any examples of this? I ask because I also know of online fruit loops that have made some claims that vary from plausible-sounding to downright loony.
 
Garthwaite

My vote goes to Jim Garthwaite. Excellent work, reasonable prices. Knows how to retain the classic lines of a 1911 or BHP. I have never been disappointed.
 
CastleBravo:
Do you have any examples of this?
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Bill Wilson started out doing all his custom .45's himself. Now he has a staff to do it. During the transition, as he grew, I don't recall him saying that others in his shop might be working on your gun. But, he never said that he, personally, would do all the work on your gun, either. If at the time you ASSUMED he was, well, that was your fault. And if the pistol worked well, no problem. But maybe the only connection of this BNP to your pistol was his name on the slide.

Now he's a manufacturer, and from what I've seen, his company is putting out a very good product. But today, people know he isn't doing all the work himself. I don't think that was the case early on.

If you're going the "full custom" route, ask the 'smith "Sir, are you, personally, going to do every bit of the work on my gun?" See if he gives you a straight "yes" answer.

(CastleBravo - check your private messages.)
 
Machine work

Another issue is "Do you do your own machine work". There are a few guys that call themselves Custom Pistolsmiths that do not even do their own machine work. I feel that is a large part of being a Custom Pistolsmith and one of the biggest components of being a Master Pistolsmith.
I know a few of the Pistolsmiths at Wilson's and I would by no means consider them flunkies.
This has been an interesting thread to watch. I am always impressed when someone feels that their Pistolsmith is the best. I honestly don't believe any of us could pick the ultimate 1911 smith, there are just so many talented guys in this profession.
God Bless
Jack Weigand
 
Jack, while we have never met, nor have you done any work for me, I agree with you 100 percent. There are assemblers and there are smiths. I have had work done by a BNP, and by NSBNP (not so big name smith) as well. All the work I had done, was done by those men. They are just not the type to claim as theirs, the work done by others.

The man's name I would submit is no longer with us.
 
Mr. WEIGAND

Thank you for posting here; yours is the most-valued opinion I read.

True: many great 1911 artists around.
 
If you were into high end shotguns, and purchased a custom gun from Purdey's, would you expect it to have been built by Mr. Purdey himself? Of course not. He is long dead. Your gun will be built by a barrel maker, stock maker, action maker, and engraver. Is it any less of a custom gun? I don't know. Depends on how you define the word custom.
 
Mr. Weigand,

Thank you for the kind replies. It is a privilege to have your experienced opinions on this thread.

I have an old book written by Bill Wilson back in 1991 entitled "The Combat Auto." In it he names you as a very capable 1911 gunsmith. The photos of your work in the book are most impressive.

Are you still doing such work on 1911s or are you "retired" from such work?

On an unrelated subject, does the finish on your interchangeable barrel system for Smith & Wesson L-frame revolvers match the factory finish? If not, can it be matched?

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences with the rest of us.

God bless.

- Anthony
 
Ah 1911's

Anthony,
Thanks for the questions. I also had some nice 1911's on the cover of Guns magazine in July 1991 and American Handgunner in March/April 1992. I had been doing 1911 work since 1983 and loving it. Even in those days it was very difficult to make a living doing 1911's but it was fun. I stopped taking 1911 work about a year ago due to the fierce competition in the 1911 market. Kimber has taken a great deal of the market from the Custom Builder. Gun writers have built them up as just as good as custom and the general public has swallowed it hook line and sinker. There are also a proliferation of 1911 builders coming up the ranks, just as we all saw with the growth of IPSC. Some of the new builders are willing to work considerably cheaper than I am, LOL! what I did in light of all of this is I went back to building strictly revolvers. I have always built on both revolver and 1911 platforms since I have been in business but now I am concentrating on revolvers. I have given some thought to building a limited number of 1911's in 2002 but I am not sure if I am or not. I do still teach my 1911 class for the NRA every summer, I do love that.

The Interchange "L" barrel. The finish on the barrel does not match the S&W stock finish, the Glass Bead finish does match pretty good. If your gun was Glass Beaded then the finishes are sort of compatible. If you are a real fuss pot about aesthetics then you most likely won't be happy. I hope that answers your questions. Thanks again for the interest.
God Bless
Jack Weigand
 
Mr. Teddy Jacobson in Sugarland, Texas gets my vote. He has done 4 trigger jobs for me and now I'm spoiled rotten by his work. Too bad that his health isn't so good. He'll not be with us much longer. Better use him while he is still here.

Peter Gunn
 
re
Any of you guys have experience/knowledge of D.R. Middlebrooks?

D.R. Middlebrooks built me an STI 9x19 "Eagle" a couple of years ago. It has the smoothest slide I have ever "stroked"! He is building me an STI VIP in .45 for carry now. The attention to detail and pride he puts into his work is very obvious.

I just got back from a shooting class with him and his wife Barbara this weekend in Memphis and shot his personal carry gun. He is very fond of the EAA/Tanfoglio Witness. He is building a 9x19 steel framed witness for my 9 year old son.

P.S. The shooting method he teaches is very interesting. He also has a forum at www.TacticalShooting.com
Regards,
Howard
 
Mark IV Series 80:
For me, the greatest is Terry Tussey. Work was completed in good time (3 or 4 weeks) and done perfectly
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Wow! I thought the average turn time for some of the well known names mentioned here was measured in years. That's great. Mark IV if you don't mind my asking what did you have done?
 
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