ltwguns.com

I'm looking at buying an Officers model and sending it out to get customized. Can it be made reliable as a backup/CCW gun or should I forget it.

YES IT CAN!!!

I bought a COM from my good friend Matt Delfatti - sent it to John Harrison and it is 100% reliable with all kinds of ammo - repeat I have had no jams with it at all.

Anyone who says a COM is not reliable is wrong. You buy it - send it to John for a reliablity package, buy a holster from Matt and don't look back.

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http://www.landsharkleather.com/
Building Hand Crafted Leather for the 1911 Platform

I hope so. This one is about done.

Caspian OACP SS frame and slide 38 super. KKM 355 W/N ramped bull barrel. Let you know in a couple of weeks.

(sorry for the sorry pictures)

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Gary Eastridge
http://www.randgfirearms.com

Interesting hammer and grip safety treatment. I can't say it warms the cockles of my heart, but it is very interesting.

Looks good to me, Gary. I can see the reasoning for the abbreviated grip safety...... you could grind 'er out a little higher under where the beavertail used to be and I think you'd find it worthwhile in terms of ergos.

I don't know about an OACP in Super..... never tried it. I feel they can be made reliable but there's no bending the laws of physics or the time/space continuum, the window of function is smaller. They are less tolerant of certain things like weak mag springs and +P loads. But with reasonable "supervision" they are fine.

Sorry Patrick. I told Jr. we needed to keep your cockles in mind but he is hard headed at times! The grip safety hammer selection were mine. I wanted a carry gun with a minimum size and snag factor. I purchased several of the bobbed hammers from George at EGW. With the possibility of hammer bite eliminated by the spurless hammer I didnt see a need for the extra inch or so of the Beavertail. We radiused at .250 in case I change my mind. Now if it will just run (fingers crossed).

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Gary Eastridge
http://www.randgfirearms.com

In a word - completely.

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CT Brian Custom
'Blending Art With Firepower'

That pretty much says it all!

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Brian

Glad to know that other's are confident in reliability of a COM...

BTW, nicely done, Gary! Any further updates on some of the other BEast Customs?

Gary, sharp looking pistol. Which magazines will you be using?

Metalform is the only factory mags I could find. Not cheap though. I have 3 on the way.

Didnt mean to hijack Kevs thread. I will post a range report when this one is finished.

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Gary Eastridge
http://www.randgfirearms.com

Looks good Gary! Let me know if you need more mags, I have a stash.

On the OACP thing, the answer is yes for CCW, when you have the gun built by a smith who is experienced with them. I might not recommend them for an operator fast roping out of little birds on a daily basis, but for the discreet armed citizen they are an extremely viable choice. In spite of all the tough guy talk out there, there ain't no way my wife is going to pack around a 40 oz. 5" steel G model everywhere she goes. She may not mean much to the rest of the gun expert universe, but she's everything to ME. Blanket dismissals due to a lack of thorough undertanding and experience with the short guns do not help. There are talented smiths who build 1911's shorter than 5" that run 100% with only reasonable, rudimentary care and maintenance. Some of us cut our pistolsmithing teeth on the short guns. Does it require more skill, knowledge, and experience than a 5" gun? Yes. Is it possible? Absolutely (what CT said). (OK, mini rant off now)

If you are starting from scratch, i.e. don't have the pistol yet, I would suggest you take a look at the Colt Defender as an alternative to the Officers. Some very key reliability issues were resolved with the Defenders, and I consider them a significantly better starting point. I plan on sending my each of my daughters to college with one that I build. OK, so they're only 5 and 3 yrs. old, but ya can't blame a guy for planning ahead, right?

I often carry an Officers frame/Commander slide config. 1911, and find it a very efficient package. In realistic defensive scenarios, I find no meaningful performance difference between it and a 5" steel gun. I've been doing a good bit of realistic testing in this regard, and will share my results in the near future....

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

I carry a Colt Enhanced Officers Model ACP every day.... which has been extensively up-dated and dressed up.

It was blessed by Wilson Combat with a reverse recoil plug, guide rod and single spring and I never experienced any form of failure in over 1,000 rounds of hot factory JHPs... and probably twice that many 230 grain reloads.

You just have to keep fresh springs in the gun and magazines.

BTW-- I have used only 7 round Wilson mags....... and they have been perfect.

Anybody have any experience with the IMSI OACP spring setup? I read on someones website they were getting high mileage out their springs in Officers models.

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Gary Eastridge
http://www.randgfirearms.com

Brilliantly stated, Stan. There's hardly a week that goes by that someone doesn't send an email saying something like "I read on supertactical.com that only 5" guns are worthy of consideration - why in the world would anyone want a shorter gun, and why do you build them?"

I find it tedious, and maybe even a little insulting that we have to convince potential clients whose impression of which guns they should buy or modify are colored early on by the empirical internet postings of neophyte "builders".

I suppose I should take comfort in the clients who aren't misled initially. Commanders, Officer's, 4" Kimbers & SA's, and even the 3" guns can be made reliable. There are some on that list that don't fall within my own ideas of a perfect "small" gun, but having seen the work of guys like Stan, Tim, and a few others I can easily conclude that small guns are not a problem for the right smith.

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Heirloom Precision, LLC.
480-804-1911

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

TR

As usual I have to add my experience and what clients who are not "Mossy Oak" keyboard commando's have to say.

98% of gun problems are operator issues from folks with a small bit of application and additional shooting skill find out they are the issue, not the object.

But that same 98% will never admit it.

My issue with the smaller guns is changing guns. I have "limp wristed' as 3 inch when handed to me after shooting about 200 rounds out of the Wilson Tactical Elite. First impression the gun do not work. Second impression is boy am I a @$$ as I limp wristed. Now who is . The rest of the box was without an issue.

Just something learned the hard way.

The shooter who pointed out the error of my ways favorite saying is, "Experience is the best education but the tuition can be very expensive"

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Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

Do your research but you get what you pay for front end or back end
http://www.pt-partners.com
@ptpartners_tx