High End 1911's

I have been thinking about buying a high end 1911 and I'm pretty serious about a Nighthawk. So, what do you have? I'm open to other suggestions.

 

there is a Dan Wesson listed on this site on the "for sale" section.

 

Dan Wesson are a great value,
Les Baer another great gun.
Ed Brown should be great for how much they cost.
Colt National match holds their value better than the rest and depending on what year actually increase in value.

 

Is there a local guy available. I have a very high end smith nearby that likes Colt's and Dan Wessons. Minimum order is $1000 though.

I like Guncrafter Industries, Cheely, and Atlas, for custom 1911/2011's.

 

Make sure your gunsmith of choice will work on those pistols. Not all gunsmiths will work on all 1911-ish guns.

For instance, Heirloom Precision https://www.heirloomprecision.com says the following

 

Nighthawk, Wilson, Alchemy, Cabot. All good options

 

Thanks for the replys everyone!

 

This was my stable a year ago….Wilson…Colt Custom…Alchemy…Dan Wesson…Nighthawk Colt…. Today, I only have the Nighthawk Colt and the VBOB. There’s something about that simple Government look of the Nighthawk that pushed me to keep it. Don’t get me wrong, I’d absolutely tell a friend to get an ACW as one of the best guns out there today, but I just didn’t love mine….probably the mag well. I don’t like Magwells.

 

I own multiple examples of Alchemy, Baer, Colt, Nighthawk, Springfield Armory, STI, and Wilson. My first choice of all these is Nighthawk. Their TRS is a work-of-art.

 

^ same as these guys I own guns from NHC, WC, GI, EB, ACW, CCS, plain Colts, etc.

I like my Nighthawk Falcon the most. Even though some others in the stable have better looks.

 

You mentioned high end and nighthawk in your first post. My mind kind of stayed in that specific space, but I also see Colt and DW mentioned

Perhaps not high end or custom, but I really do have a ton of respect for DW and Colt. Maybe even something like an SA TRP or Professional would be comparable to these as well.

Not trying to muddy waters. There’s just so many respectable makes near and at the level you’re considering.

Keep us posted with your selection! Interested to see how this shakes out

 

I have a Dan Wesson and a Nighthawk, both in 10mm. They are amazing.

 

Agree with DW. I put my money where my mouth is with that one. It made the keep-list as one of my best shooting, most well-made guns. It’s circa 2016.

 

Utility, art, and craftsmanship combined and the end result was that pistol.

 

So there are "High End" and then there are "high end" 1911s. IMHO I currently own 1911s from Colt, Dan Wesson, ACW, Les Baer, Nighthawk, Guncrafter, A Don Williams Custom Colt, WWG custom CCO and a Ted Yost Custom Colt.

None of my factory Colts are what I would consider a high end gun. They are 100% production guns. Some of them have some custom touches or features but they not "high end". I am a Colt fan boy and I love my Colts but they are what they are.

The next step us is Dan Wesson which is a nicer production gun. These are still assembled in a production environment with very little hand fitting. The production line is smaller and does less volume with higher quality parts but it is still a production gun. I consider them the gateway drug to high end 1911s. Here you are paying in the $1500-$2000 range and it is 90% of what a true "High End" 1911 can be.

The next level are the semi-custom shops like Wilson, Nighthawk, GI, ACW, Ed Brown, Les Baer etc.... These guys are building guns with some customization within their universe and their built philosophy. Some places on one gun one smith types of shops. Other like Les Baer are small format production where one individual does one part of the build and some else does the rest. Most of the time you cannot call these guys up and ask for something outside their "normal" builds. You can also buy them off the shelf through dealer networks. Here you are in the $2500-$5,000 range depending on the builder.

The next step is large custom houses like Novak, Cogan and C&S. They are in the parts business and they build guns on your base gun or a frame of your choosing. Generally the guy or woman whose name is on the sign is not working on your gun. They have a team of smiths doing the work but that does not mean you are getting a lesser product. These shops have build their rep on knowing how to build a gun.

The final level is bespoke custom work with a one man custom shop of your choice. This IMHO is the Pinnacle of 1911s. Custom builders like Jason Burton, Ted Yost, Don Williams, Chen, Hilton Yam, Chuck Rodgers, John Harrison etc.... These guys are taking your base gun or a bare frame and building you a one of a kind functional piece of art. When done right they are next level. They will cost you $5,000 to whatever is in your wallet.

Now when this stuff comes up I always bring up the law of diminishing returns. Is a Yost 1911 10X better than a factory Colt Competition? In practical terms not really. I am not more accurate with a Yost then I an with a stock Colt. I might shooter a little better because the trigger the sight and the ergos are better for me but not 10X better. I am always the limiting factor. In the end my advice is to pick a price point you are willing to spend. Then look at all the builders who work in that space.

When you are moving out of production guns like DW it really becomes more about aesthetics and intended use more than one gun being better than another. I personally like ACW and GI aesthetic better than Nighthawk but they all make a great gun. Find a builder who suits your look and your purpose. There is no one right answer for everyone. That IMHO is the whole point of "High End" custom 1911s. Oh and because threads like this are worthless without pics here is my current favorite 1911.

 

Don’t forget Troy Harp, he’s on a whole different level.

 

Great write up! And thats a nice looking 1911.

 

Not that they don't look good, and I'm sure they shoot great, but I always considered such guns to be "eye candy" on the covers of gun magazines- kind of like super models on the cover of Maxim, or the playmate of the month. The main difference being that if one were to save enough $, the pistol would actually be attainable and require much less maintenance than the cover girl. I remain committed to my "good enough" harem of 1911's from Kimber and SA. Fortunately, they don't get jealous if I look at the eye candy in a magazine- or even occasionally shoot someone else's.

 

Has been done. I have seen some fine shooting USGI 1911s from when they were Army Surplus and not Significant Historical Artifacts and Valuable Collectors' Items; and there were some Norincos fixed up with all mod cons while they were cheap.

I have not yet seen a highly refined gunsmith project on a Filipino or Turkish copy, but I bet there are some around.

 

Save your money and look for one of these: https://classic.gunauction.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=13186600. It has sold for 2,297 so I have no dog in the fight. It was made by Armond Swenson.
This gun was a Colt Combat Commander in it's first life. Swenson would shorten a standard 1911 or 1911A1 to commander length, but stopped when Colt started to make the Commander.
A very good friend of mine sent Swenson a prewar 1911A1 for a full custom job back before of the Commander's introduction. I think it took about 4 years to get it back. It was a piece of art as well as a great shooter.
I think the full list was:
Shortened to commander length, S&W J frame adjustable rear sight, squared and checkered trigger guard, checkered front strap, stippled top of slide. Ambidextrous safety. Checkered mainspring housing, trigger job and satin hard chrome finish.
I don't know what it cost then.

 

Lots of folks will use SA Mil Specs or Colt Government models for exactly that. A base gun for mods.

I’ve got a Mil Spec. Honestly, it’s been fantastic and the more I shoot it the less I think it needs.

At this point all I’ve done is add grip tape, more aggressive grips, and I may have a trigger job done. That’s probably all I’ll do.

It already shoots better than I am capable of, and it’s already proving to be reliable. It’s not at all high end, but it’s fun, reliable, and does the things I need for it to do.

Like you, I find the idea of a solid “GI’esque” setup to be very appealing.

 

I love my accuracy x. Steve was an absolute pleasure to work with.