1911 specialised gunsmiths?

Joss

Joss

Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
7,351
Hi,

I am looking for some input on excellent gunsmiths specializing in 1911 / .45 guns. I'm completely ignorant on the subject, but I vaguely recall reading a thread on the subject a few years ago in another forum, and seeing a gun that had been given the full vintage treatment. Unfortunately, I can't remember anything more, other than it was gorgeous. I suppose that many, many gunsmiths do 1911, but I also assume that there are a few recognized masters...

Thanks,

JD
 
for what purposes? are you trying to restore a collectable? want an all out reliable carry/defense gun? A race gun? A bullseye gun? :confused:
 
JoJo's Gunworks in Connecticut has an excellent reputation for 1911, AR and other custom work. They are a licensed manufacturer and have an SOT for NFA items. Their website is www.jojosgunworks.com. Their phone number is 1.860.426.9414. Ask for Jody or John.
 
If you want a consolidated list go buy either a copy of American Handgunner
(current issue or preferably the Annual issue). Or go to the nearest bookseller
and get a copy of "The Book of the 1911". Off the top of my head,
Kent Singletary- kscustom.com
Gary Reeder- reedercustomguns.com
Larry Vickers
Ed Brown
And depending on your brand of 1911 the factory may have its own custom shop but YMMV. Bigk6

And consider a local 'smith if what you want done is basic, like:
mounting night sights
ambi-safety
trigger job
basic reliability tuneup

Check with your local shooters and find out if the local guy is reliable.
 
Yost-Bonitz and CT Brian come to mind, but there is a fellow in AZ who did me a great favor;

http://www.theactionworks.com/

I can't say that he is the best that there ever was, but he turned some piddly little work that I had for him around in about a week, and charged me more than fairly. His name is Don Williams, and I think he is all you need!

He spent an hour on the phone with me, talking about what needed to be done, and it was done PERFECTLY.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Terry Tussey does great work and is a good guy. He is the one that makes the damascus slide for a 1911
 
What do you want done? If you are looking for a true custom like a MasterSmith Bowie, that is something where you want a true custom and you will wait and pay for it.

If you are looking for a shooter in the top 1% of what's available, there are several pseudo-custom pseudo-factory 1911 shops that turn out stuff that will out shoot all but the most elite shooters on planet earth.
 
be sure ya get someone who knows WTF they are doing, i have friends who have had MAJOR problems after custom work on 1911's.

one reason i like kimbers so much the gen'ly dont need much(if any) work, unlike colts.
 
SIFU1A said:
one reason i like kimbers so much the gen'ly dont need much(if any) work, unlike colts.
Click to expand...

BLASPHEMER!;) :D I'll take my two (thus far) perfectly running Colt 1911's over a soul-less tighter than a spinster's cooch over-hyped copy of a Colt Brand K any day!;) :D :p
 
hey i speak the truth lol............really the later model colts are much better in this regard vs the earlier stuff imho.
 
Anybody who thinks "generally" that Colts require more work out of the box than Kimber has VERY limited 1911 knowledge/experience. Don't take my word for it, ask any pistolsmith.
 
Colt's manufacturing were the BEST at making guns work. that sadly has past, but a series 70 or before Colt will run till kimber is but a distant memory, If you are lucky enough to find a post war Colt's 1911 and feed it ammo it likes, it will always run. Period.









People or persons who say otherwise are believing to much Madison Ave hype and have limited experience.
 
MUD034.jpg


The work was done by Tripp Research, which included, hard chroming, Novak sights, beavertail grip safety, new thumb safety, and some other things.

I think they did a good job, and they also fixed a fairly famous pistol smiths mistakes on my Officers ACP, which could hardly get through a magazine with out a jam of some kind.

I also didn't have to wait six months, either. Patrick
 
brandon said:
Anybody who thinks "generally" that Colts require more work out of the box than Kimber has VERY limited 1911 knowledge/experience. Don't take my word for it, ask any pistolsmith.
Click to expand...


and anyone who thinks that hasnt tried to get a 1911 colt to reliably function with high performance ammo in the early '80s either, which FWIW a lot of them will not do.

in the early to mid 90's colt seemed to be doing a little better in this regard.

my kimber has always worked with all ammo.

my 1911s inability to function well with ammo unless it was hardball was the main reason in the mid 80's i quit carrying a colt 1911 and went to a SIG P220, which also functioned 100% with all ammo.

and sure all 1911s (about all anyway) will run fine on ball, but i was all into the hot ammo then (IIRC it was speer 200gr JHP, the one ayoob called the flying ashtray) and i had to have it lol, in retrospect my hot ammo probably wasnt much (if any) better than ball, but anyway i wanted a .45 that would function with most ammo, and my 1911 was lacking in that regard.

not that colts are bad mind ya,
 
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