Grail Day!

Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
2,929
Location
MN
Pistolsmith: Karl Beining, KGB Custom
Base: 80-series stainless Colt 1911 Government
Features: Fitted Kart NM barrel; EGW barrel link; Wilson Combat ignition parts, firing pin stop, beavertail grip safety, mag catch, ejector, magazine, and 30 LPI checkered mainspring housing; Harrison slide stop, thumb safety, ledge rear sight, and plunger tube; Novak gold bead front sight; Bunker Arms radial bore barrel bushing; walnut half-checkered grips by Sean's Ugly Grips.

Work: All parts fitted, lines straightened, hand-beveled sharp edges, polished flats, satin rounds, 30 LPI front strap checkering, front and rear sight machining and installation, weld and refit frame and slide, hand-beveled magwell, slide ball cuts and French border, round top slide serrated with arrow pattern, lowered and flared ejection port, rear of slide serrated to match the rear sight, and slide rollmarks reworked by Bertram Edmonston IV ("Bertram the Engraver").

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KGB-Colt-Logo.jpg
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This was an extremely lucky charity raffle win, and it's a privilege to own such a grail pistol from one of the newest APG members, whose membership was sponsored by Ted Yost. I honestly would never have been able to afford a gun like this or been willing to put up the money even if I'd had it. It's the finest gun I will likely ever own.

And it's a shame that it overshadows this other fine gun that just happened to finally get completed around the same time - Langdon Tactical Beretta 92G Compact full option build - action tune, NP3 small parts, Spartan sights, full carry bevel, and cut and crowned barrel. This one is a fine shooter!

LTT-Beretta-92-G-Compact.jpg
 
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Pistolsmith: Karl Beining, KGB Custom
Base: 80-series stainless Colt 1911 Government
Features: Fitted Kart NM barrel; EGW barrel link; Wilson Combat ignition parts, firing pin stop, beavertail grip safety, mag catch, ejector, magazine, and 30 LPI checkered mainspring housing; Harrison slide stop, thumb safety, ledge rear sight, and plunger tube; Novak gold bead front sight; Bunker Arms radial bore barrel bushing; walnut half-checkered grips by Sean's Ugly Grips.

Work: All parts fitted, lines straightened, hand-beveled sharp edges, polished flats, satin rounds, 30 LPI front strap checkering, front and rear sight machining and installation, weld and refit frame and slide, hand-beveled magwell, slide ball cuts and French border, round top slide serrated with arrow pattern, lowered and flared ejection port, rear of slide serrated to match the rear sight, and slide rollmarks reworked by Bertram Edmonston IV ("Bertram the Engraver").

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This was an extremely lucky charity raffle win, and it's a privilege to own such a grail pistol from one of the newest APG members, whose membership was sponsored by Ted Yost. I honestly would never have been able to afford a gun like this or been willing to put up the money even if I'd had it. It's the finest gun I will likely ever own.

And it's a shame that it overshadows this other fine gun that just happened to finally get completed around the same time - Langdon Tactical Beretta 92G Compact full option build - action tune, NP3 small parts, Spartan sights, full carry bevel, and cut and crowned barrel. This one is a fine shooter!

View attachment 1138503
you won that! Some people have all the luck!
 
Nice piece!My good friend had sent off one the last 1911's to be shortened by Armond Swenson in the late 70's. It took almost two years to get back.
Armond would not shorten any full size once the commander size came out.
It had the checkered front strap, grooved rear of the slide, S&W j Frame adjustable rear sight. Ambidextrous safety and satin chrome plated.
 
what’s the market price on that gun?
Build price would be $8,000-9,000, from what the maker told me, but I don't know the specific option prices. Secondary market is soft, but for something like this used from KGB or a comparable pistol smith, probably $4,500-6,500.
 
Gorgeous. Simply splendid. Nothing like a custom 1911 (especially on a Colt pistol) to get the blood racing...

Please tell us you have no plans to ever sell it!

And the Beretta is a sweet little piece as well.

Oh gosh no, it's irreplaceable. I couldn't afford to get anything like it even if Karl's books were open. I have some high-gloss desert ironwood burl grips with inlayed Colt medallions coming from Wood Caliber for it, and it will be the barbeque gun once I can figure out the right leather.
 
I have some high-gloss desert ironwood burl grips with inlayed Colt medallions coming from Wood Caliber for it, and it will be the barbeque gun once I can figure out the right leather.
Funny, but on the pistol about the only thing I'd change would be the grips -- not a fan of the colors on a stainless pistol. Ironwood burl can be awesome.

Please remember to update with pics (of the new rig too, whenever you get it).
 
Funny, but on the pistol about the only thing I'd change would be the grips -- not a fan of the colors on a stainless pistol. Ironwood burl can be awesome.

Please remember to update with pics (of the new rig too, whenever you get it).

Well, I really think these are the nicest walnut grips I've ever seen, and the checkering is just perfect. Not sharp, but you grip them, and immediately your hand locks in. But. While they are the nicest walnut grips I've ever seen, walnut is not my favorite grip wood. With a polished stainless gun, I'd prefer slightly yellow or clear walrus or mammoth ivory, but it's so fragile and expensive. SK grips had some gorgeous walrus ivory grips recently, but I'd already bought the desert ironwood burl grips, and those were expensive enough I couldn't afford a pair of $400 ivory grips to go with it.
 
From one who has seen a lot of high end custom 1911s... that pistol is as good as I have ever seen. I can find no flaw in it. It is a masterpiece...
what do you know about custom 1911’s? lol
 
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