I'da had this on sooner but suffered about a 32 hour delay on my return trip due to Michigan weather.

FINAL TALLY, $36,020

We do have a winner! jasmap actually won #5, not #4, and for the moment I'm holding off on disclosing any info on the winner of #4 until I speak to him again. When we picked him on Tuesday, we found we did not have a phone number for him, so an Email was sent for him to call my cel, which he did very shortly. He already had a pretty good idea of what it was all about and was / is the proverbial happy camper. I've had several conversations with "Mr. #4" since then and he sounds like a great guy who really appreciates a good custom 1911.

About 400 tickets were sold at SHOT. We got a lot of traffic and positive comments about both #4 and #5, I mean the guns and the causes.

Who bought tickets to these?
--Some folks, "friends of the cause" you might call them, very well thought of in the
industry's stratosphere, bought quite a few. I'm sure they were passed out to
employees and friends.
--I am going to name one guy who bought 10 tickets-- several did, but Wayne Novak
has been doing this for a couple years now and they go to his employees. Wayne, you
hirin'?
--At least a couple of very well-known authors.
--A lot of soldiers, some deployed and some returned.
--One of my close friends bought two. I told him if he won he could not accept it due to
our friendship. He said he WOULD accept it, and then auction it off to benefit
americansnipers.org!
--Puh-lenty o' police officers.

Thanks a ton to all you who "played". The guys at americansnipers.org were thrilled. These were some great guys to work with and thanks to them it was a very smooth and productive raffle-- plus I think it was just plain an "easy sell" since people do want to help our guys over there watching the gate.

Wow.
I'm reading this at 3:07 AM, and I'm only up because I'm sick. But there is a lot of make-me-feel-good in that post.

Fantastic, congrats to Mr. #4 and American Snipers!

Gentlemen:

I never envisioned posting on this forum. I know of the qualified and professional individuals that frequent this forum, and I could not see myself posting here without embarrassing myself in some manner. Really, what could I add to the conversations of this forum? Well, I am posting this day not as a qualified member, but as the lucky recipient of LTW#4. As a result, I have had trouble sleeping for the past three nights.

As background info, I am a huge 1911 "enthusiast" (L. Vickers term). I am not in a high speed/low drag profession, as I push a pencil at work. I come from a rural background where I have had a gun in my hand from about age 6 and like to think that I know a decent gun from a bad one, while shooting a couple of IDPA matches a year and taking an occasional class here and there. The last few years I have been suffering from a mid-life crisis and have picked up a couple of semi-customs to go with the usual production pistols you see everywhere. As a result, I know a little bit about quality and the work that goes into custom builds (can you say Chen magwell and mainspring housing!), even though I don't have a full custom 1911 quite yet. That is about to change as I understand, when I take receipt of 4TC1s in a couple of days.

I thought about auctioning off 4TC1s for the money and donating a portion to AmericanSnipers.org. This build appears to be designed for someone in harms way everyday, and ideally it should be with a deployed sniper if such a scenario would be possible. To be honest, there is no way I will be able to part with this pistol. I plan on using just like my other ones unless one of you can convince me otherwise. With the finish that Ned specified on this gun, I could probably run 20,000 rounds through the pistol and it will still look brand new.

Now for a couple of funny things this week:

1. I have never talked to Ned before in my life. I sent him an email on Monday asking about purchasing a MOACKS tool. Little did I know that I would be talking to him personally on Tuesday about something altogether different, namely 4TC1s.

2. I got a strange email on Tuesday afternoon saying to call so and so ASAP with AmericanSnipers.org. The bells started going off in my head. I vaguely remembered entering the pistol raffle back in August with one ticket, and thought it may be for a LTW pistol. I had not followed the progress of this project at all. Why should I get excited about something that I knew I would never win? I was speechless when I finally realized what was in the complete package. This has to be the most epic LTW raffle yet. Although I was initially ignorant about the "whole package", I have wasted about 10 hours of work time the last couple of days researching every item.

3. Member "jasmap" caused me to have a second heart attack on Tuesday with his posting. Congratulations to him on LTW#5 - I could easily carry that one every day.

I would like to personally thank all of the participating smiths for their efforts in this project. I will try to send each one a letter expressing my profound thanks. I cannot fathom the manpower hours and cost that went into this project. I have thought constantly about the raffle prizes since I was notified. But at the same times I have thought about AmericanSnipers.org and their worthy cause. Needless to say, I am going to try to donate some of the accessories and/or monies back to them so they can keep equipment flowing to where it is needed. I will also be outspoken about my support for them and LTW.

Range report to follow! As I indicated to Stan Chen yesterday, I am in a very unique position. If this pistol has fleas, I get to trash multiple LTW smiths at the same time across internet forums!(just kidding)

Again, thanks to everyone involved.

John

I know I speak for all of the LTW Board members when I say how appreciative we all are with the tremendous job that Ned did as the lead for this project - 4TC1s. He has set a high bar for anyone who comes after him and made great strides in bringing in an unheard of amount of donors, as well as some great industry connections.

Ned, as we say in the South - Ya'll done real good & we 'preciate ya' !!

_________________
shop.HarrisonCustom.com
www.HarrisonCustom.com

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.

battlepack, congratulations! Keep it, shoot it, and let us know. You've got something there that ought to age very well so I'd say that if you ever decide to sell it, the value should be very good with a few hundred or several thousand rounds through it.

I'll be mailing out some of the accessories and things like test targets today.

As to (sand) fleas, 4TC1s was given a liberal dose of LTW flea powder prior to shipping!

Enjoy your win and keep us all posted......

Talk about "industry support".

Just got a call from Black Hills Ammo. They didn't wait to hear from me who to send the case of ammo to, they called me to find out!

battlepack, there's a big, heavy box on its way to you from South Dakota!

[quote="battlepack"]
I thought about auctioning off 4TC1s for the money and donating a portion to AmericanSnipers.org. This build appears to be designed for someone in harms way everyday, and ideally it should be with a deployed sniper if such a scenario would be possible. To be honest, there is no way I will be able to part with this pistol. I plan on using just like my other ones unless one of you can convince me otherwise. With the finish that Ned specified on this gun, I could probably run 20,000 rounds through the pistol and it will still look brand new.[/quote]

Funny, I had a similar thought. I thought if I won that gun, I should try to get it to a deployed sniper or someone in a similar position.
But that thought didn't last long, because I knew:
1- I probably couldn't part with it if I did get it, and
2- If I auctioned it off, or sent it back to be re-raffled, it could go to anyone. And if it didn't go to someone like you and I described, I'd just as soon keep it. That way, I know it would getting good use.
I'd really hate to do that only to have it sit in someone's safe not being used while they waited until the best time to sell it.

My opinion-
Take it, load it up, and shoot the living poop out of it.
Carry it to protect you and your family. Shoot it just to play with it. However you use it, just use it (I really hate custom "working" guns sitting in safes). Even if it rests in a bedside drawer for home protection, it's being honored with use.
Just my opinion.

Oh, and...
Congratulations!

LTW crew and forum members,
Having been with AmericanSnipers.org from almost the very beginning, every year has been a humbling experience at SHOT show. From the outset of nobody knowing us or what we stood for, to having people search us out at the shows, and to looking in the eyes of a sniper or DM that came by and just wanted to shake the hands of guys that sent him gear. More than one troop has caused our group of cop snipers a misty eye . . .

I knew, without a doubt, that this pistol raffle would be a whopper. I never thought we'd top $36K! There are no words to thank LTW properly, but they are the types of Americans that are holding our country together. Giving of themselves for the greater good. Thank you gentlemen.

To the raffle ticket buyers, you helped put needed gear in the hands of our snipers and designated marksmen. The shooters who are really putting a hurt on Al Queda and the insurgents.

We at AmericanSnipers.org are truly blessed to have you all on our side, helping us to help our brothers in arms.


Sincerely,

Vaughn Johnson
AmericanSnipers.org

[quote="Barry in IN"][quote="battlepack"]

My opinion-
Take it, load it up, and shoot the living poop out of it.
Carry it to protect you and your family. Shoot it just to play with it. However you use it, just use it (I really hate custom "working" guns sitting in safes). Even if it rests in a bedside drawer for home protection, it's being honored with use.
Just my opinion.

Oh, and...
Congratulations![/quote]

+1....all the LTW raffle prizes have completed their mission with distinction prior to being sent to the lucky winner.
I am hoping the next LTW raffle will eclipse $50K

That'd be great if we could break through the $50K level-- I would not be surprised. I think it's OK for me to say, we're doing americansnipers.org again in the coming year, not gonna say any more for now, but I'm sure you'll be hearing more ere long. I have the idea it's gonna be a biggie-- and everyone gets another chance to help and another chance to win.

Folks -

On behalf of the Police Officers Safety Association, I want to thank everyone at LTW for the fantastic job…and their selfless giving. We are the proud beneficiary of the proceeds, which were over $28,000 minus about $300 for legal costs and a licensed raffle professional to manage the event and pick the winner. Every penny goes directly to the POSACops4Kids fund, which is turned over entirely to the Jimmy Fund/Dana Farber Cancer Institute following each year’s SHOT Show drawing. The Dana Farber is a leader in pediatric cancer research. As many of you know, we run this fund in memory of Isabella deBethencourt, the daughter of Michael and Heather deBethencourt, who dies a few years ago at 11 months of age from cancer. Michael is a well-known trainer, who some of you undoubtedly know.

The Cops4Kids program is a way for any club or agency to have a really fun event and raise some money for this cause. If you are a member of a shooting club or a LE agency, please visit the website, http://www.posacops4kids.com to see how you can both be a hero with your friends for bringing in some innovative training and also raising money for a worthwhile cause.

Thanks so much again!

$64,000+ for the two raffles combined. Pretty good. Congrats to my fellow ticket buyers!

There. Fixed it for ya....

_________________
CT Brian Custom
'Blending Art With Firepower'

[quote="CT Brian"][quote="Barry in IN"]$[color=#FF0000]64,000[/color]+ for the two raffles combined. Pretty good. Congrats to my fellow ticket buyers![/quote]

There. Fixed it for ya.... :wink:[/quote]

Dam publik skool.

To Ned, who as stated did a teriffic job of organizing all of this - thanks pal.

To both Vaughn and Ralph - Glad we could help out. Both your organizations are deserving of all we can give.

And to the winners of #'s 4 and 5: Enjoy. We hope you have as much fun with these guns as we did putting them together.

_________________
Don Williams
http://www.theactionworks.com
http://www.ltwguns.com

Both causes are an easy sell-- who would not want to help? I'll bet most or all raffle participants would have just donated the $10 even without a chance to win the guns.

I'd like to thank our celebrity "hand", the one that drew the winning number for 4TC1s. That hand was at the end of an arm attached to none other than Major John Plaster (http://ultimatesniper.com/), a guy knows the way of the sniper like few others. I had a chance to peruse his latest book at SHOT and no library on the subject can be complete without it. http://ultimatesniper.com/catalog_page. ... ductCode=2

Not being crass and commercial here, I never mentioned to the Major that I'd plug the book, just passing on what I think is a good tip for those interested.

Well, I picked up 4TC1s from my dealer today. I was tormented in the fact that FedEx did not get it here on Saturday as promised, and then it took my dealer all day to log it in so that I could pick it up.

Wow - what can I say. The pistol is a beautiful "draft horse". It may not be as aesthetically pleasing in my mind as a high polish government model w/ ivory, but the apparent details and execution are what you would expect from the LTW smiths. In other words, superb.

I've now progressed from wondering if I should even shoot the damn thing to figuring out if I have time to slide out of work tomorrow and run a 1/2 case of ammo through it!

Good work, guys. It is a pleasure to finally hold a true custom from the best in the world. Now I'm getting more excited to get my hands on that sharkskin leather rig later this week!

You have to shoot it - that's what it was made for! Would you bet your life on anything other than a piece like that anyway?

They did do an awesome job on it, and seeing it in person is so much better than pictures. The leather that Alex did is incedible too - first class all the way.

Congrats!

John

You have to shoot it- for the rest of us.

[quote="Barry in IN"]You have to shoot it- for the rest of us.[/quote]

Shoot it and shoot it a lot. Shoot it for the snipers and designated marksmen that this pistol was made in honor of. Shoot it for the job that they do on a daily basis. Shoot it for the liberty and freedom they provide by taking care of our business overseas, so that the need to take care of business on our streets isn't necessary.

Shoot it for the ones who didn't come home. Honor them.

Vaughn Johnson
AmericanSnipers.org

Shoot it and shoot it a lot. Shoot it for the snipers and designated marksmen that this pistol was made in honor of. Shoot it for the job that they do on a daily basis. Shoot it for the liberty and freedom they provide by taking care of our business overseas, so that the need to take care of business on our streets isn't necessary.

Shoot it for the ones who didn't come home. Honor them.

Vaughn Johnson
AmericanSnipers.org

********************************

Well said....

Shoot it - you'll love it. I agree, honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

I won and shoot LTW#3; its incredible. Every time you pick it up you'll have a smile on your face.

JeffVN

Well, I had a quick Valentine's Day date with 4TC1s. I ran 100 rounds of 230 FMJ through it and it tore 2 ragged holes in a silhouette at 12 yards (one in the torso and one in the head). Functioning was flawless as expected and the pistol will outshoot me by a very large margin. There aren't even any wear marks on the barrel hood - I suspect this is a durable finish that Ned specified. While somewhat subjective, this is the best "feeling" 1911 I've ever held. The subtle frame work and beavertail fitting is outstanding - I'm also wondering if the VZ grips are the standard thickness or are slightly thinner.

There was a younger fellow on the range with me and he asked "What'cha shooting, a Springfield?" Of course I had to reply "Yep, but it's been tweaked a little."

Guys, I could have won a Cadillac in a raffle or won the lottery and I would not have been as excited as I have been over the last week. I'm looking forward to a remaining lifetime of shooting this and then passing it on.

Congratulations on winning 4TC1s. I'm not normally a jealous person. But I wanted that pistol. A lot.

Seriously, there are so many fine pistols displayed on this site that usually one is hard pressed to pick one above the others. But 4TC1s was the one I kept coming back to over and over again. I'd have given a kidney for that pistol. I hope it gives you a lifetime of good shooting.

I'm available for adoption, just in case you need someone to pass it on to.... Or if you ever need a kidney...

I want to mention just one more time, the #4 project was successful because of you, the buyers of the tickets, but also because of the generous contributors to the package, who helped make buying tickets easier!

http://www.springfield-armory.com
http://www.dakotaammo.net/products/corbon/dpx.htm
http://www.vzgrips.com
http://www.trippresearch.com
http://www.centermassinc.com
http://www.safariland.com/index2.asp
http://www.egw-guns.com/
http://www.black-hills.com
http://www.starlightcases.com
http://www.wilsoncombat.com
http://www.nossargunleather.com
http://www.barsto.com
http://www.striketactical.com
http://www.brownells.com
http://www.chrisreeve.com/greenberet.htm
http://www.leupold.com/tactical/products/binoculars/
http://www.fnhusa.com/
http://www.dawsonprecision.com
http://www.heirloomprecision.com/
http://www.nra.org/
http://www.uspsa.org/
http://idpa.com/
http://mattburkett.com/
http://www.safedirection.com/
http://www.trijicon.com
http://swatmag.com/
http://www.originalmetaloy.com
http://www.ionbond.com
_________________

Battlepack,

So glad to hear you took her out and shot her, as it was meant to be!

Enjoy it for years to come.....

Thanks again for your support!

_________________
Stan Chen Customs
http://www.chencustoms.com

Alright guys, just wanted to show you that 4TC1s is not sitting in the back of the safe collecting dust. This was at Larry Vickers Advanced Pistol/Carbine class last weekend:

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l333 ... nsteel.jpg

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l333 ... heline.jpg

The pistol is holding up great. Unfortunately, my shooting doesn't do the gun justice. I can't find any wear points at all on the exterior finish. It appears the Ion Bond over hard chrome is pretty durable.

It is a great thing that your are shooting the weapon. It is an even greater thing that your are training with it as well.

DAB

Looks like we should have included a belt and holster in the package........

Just kidding. It's great to see the gun being used!
I hear tell LV puts on a heckuva class.
Thanks for the pics!

_________________
http://www.rogersprecision.com