Custom built 1911's

[Laker]

Need some opinions. Looked at a custom 1911 (on line only) that's for sale near me. Says slide and internals are mostly Colt, built on an Essex frame. I know nothing about Essex. Your opinions please.

[Zylo_X]

I have no hands on experience, but apparently, Essex is a VT based company that makes cast frames for 'kits', or other 'custom' builds. Mixed reviews on QC. Depending on the price, and build quility, you might just get a PT1911 that could be more 'custom'. Good luck with that.

[ActionExpress]

In my opinion Armscor is the best value for the money and quality. They make the Rock Island 1911s and the 14 round frame for STI. I think their frames are quite reasonably priced and don't let anyone fool you on quality...they've been in the business a long time.

[Montkun]

I love my RIA, how can you argue with a $400 1911 that runs like a champ and asks for more. I've got a new skeleton hammer and trigger coming from RIA now, and a Wilson Combat beaver tail en route from Brownell's. Hopefully i'll have them all in the pistol by Friday at the latest. Any other parts i want to swap out are relatively inexpensive, so it's a good base to turn into a custom 1911 IMO.

[TheOldRedneck]

Custom builds were the only way to get a true match quality gun years ago. It took a quality guunsmith that usually did a lot of customs and had the tools and equipment for the work. You also needed quality parts to go in the gun. A lot of would be home smiths turned out some good guns. A bunch of junk was also built. You had some brand name parts put together by 10 thumb idiots. Some looked good but did not perform on the range. I spent a chunk of change years ago on custom 1911's but paid to have them built right. I have bought guns for well under a grand in the past ten years that shot as well or almost as well out of the box. The Taurus 1911 is a good example. I would have to shoot a gun, tear it down, and it be a real deal to buy a "Custom" I knew nothing about. The list of parts in it means nothing if the builder did not do his job. Cheap and Custom are two words that do not go together without problems some where. You live in a great time for factory guns that are first class and do not break the bank.

[BigSkiff]

I had a 1911 custom built. The build included the frame slide and all parts made by the custom maker, Fusion Firearms. It's a beautiful pistol, very accurate, and special to me because it was made to my specification. Unless you're a competitive 1911 shooter, you don't buy a custom made 1911 just for it's accuracy nor do you buy one for economy. You buy it because you want one and because you can afford it. My Taurus PT1911AL does shoot just as well as the custom gun. But, to improve on that was never the point in buying the custom pistol in the first place.

If you are not familiar with the gun in question, I would suggest that you ask for the right to have it evaluated by a gunsmith of your choice. If it were me I would also want to shoot it. Price of coarse factors into that equation. If they are asking top dollar for this gun, the by all means have it checked out first. On the other hand, if the gun is being offered cheaply, then a visual inspection by you may be all that is required if you like the pistol otherwise.

[RevolverFan]

What kind of price are you looking at? Like others have said, definitely "get to know" the pistol before you buy it. By the way, I know that there are several semi custom 1911s that can be had for decent money. One that comes to mind is the Doublestar 1911. Also, I handled but did not shoot Magnum Research's new Desert Eagle 1911, and it seems like a lot of pistol for the money. However, if money were not really an object, I would buy an Ed Brown 1911 without even batting an eye....

[Laker]

Ok, this guy is asking for offers. Since I haven't seen it in person, I offered $350. We'll se if he responds.

[RevolverFan]

Thought you might find this video interesting. It seems that Brownells is okay with Essex products. If the pistol in question is tight and seems to be in good shape, you just might have yourself a deal if it's a decent pistol. By the way, did the seller set a price before you made an offer?

[olfarhors]

well to me its not the parts and who made them as much as the artist that put the parts together!
I mean had you rather have a 427 Chevy engine that a race mechanic a tthe track put together or a 427 chevy that i built in my garage?
my gun range sales a few custom 1911's Baer, Christenson arms, Wilson Comabt, and they start at about 3 grand and go up to about 5 grand, so a cheap custom would have my curosity up. as they say if its to good to be true, it usually is.