ltwguns.com

I have always wondered why the High Power was the red headed stepchild of the custom gun business. It has a great design, plenty of history, and in capable hands can become a custom masterpiece that can rival the mighty 1911 for sex appeal and shootability. However, despite these traits, there are very few smiths turning out top shelf High Powers and there is just nowhere near the amount of innovation in terms of modifications and parts when compared to 1911’s. However, in the hands of Ted Yost the potential of the High Power can be unleashed and be turned into a masterpiece. After Ted worked his magic, this high power is truly a pleasure to shoot. This is my second from Ted as the first was unable to be checkered. I was floored when I got to pick this up a couple weeks ago and promptly went to the range and gave it a work out. Guns like these deserve to be shot.

Gun started as a MkIII practical. All I really told Ted was to go nuts and do it up. I think the pictures speak for themselves. If Ted reads this I am sure he is groaning now that I took pictures of one of his guns on a piece of nylon. Sorry Ted, it's all I had, you know how tactical I am



Front and rear hand checkered at 40LPI.


Trigger polished to a mirror finish. There are many good smiths, but I have never felt a High Power trigger as nice as Ted's with his trigger travel reduction. Crisp break, cleaner reset, it is damn near as nice as a 1911 trigger. In fact, Larry Vickers shot one of my Yost High Powers at a training session and said something like: "Holy S$#T bro, that is a damn nice trigger on a High Power"


One of the biggest complaints about the HP is the safety. Ted takes care of that by hand fabricating a new one with extended lever. With a positive detent, it is a breeze to sweep on and off a la 1911.




I am not a huge fan of beaver tails even on 1911's, but there is no doubt they are nice to have for high round count sessions. Ted's looks like it was meant to be there and is also hand fabricated. Do you see the seam from where is was silver soldiered? Nope, of course you don't cause it looks like it was there from day one.



Rear of slide is serrated to match the Professional Grade rear sight.


Slide top is flattened and serrated with the Heirloom Precision curved arrow pattern. Sorry bout the lint. I ain't no photographer.


And for the obligatory "throw a bunch of wanna be cool guy crap in the picture" shot. Ted is truly a master at the top of his game and I feel lucky that a punk kid like me could talk him into building me a gun.

_________________
Best regards,
Brady Miller
www.monkeyedge.com
The Finest in Custom Knives and Gear

Wow!! I love the Hi Power, but that is a beaut!!

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Show 'em where you live....

You made me anxious. I am hoping to get my Signature Grade Hard Chromed High Power back end of next month from Ted. When he was going over how I wanted it done I agreed to the bordered slide then chickened out overnight but I was too late, I have never seen one in person. With seeing yours it is needed with the polished slide flats which I got also. I think you have a great HP there and love the polished accents. I love lots of detail on hard chrome guns.

now that is a hi power. what a great pistol.enjoy

SatisfiedPig,

What a gorgeous Hi Power. I have seen customs out of many shops but the Heirloom crew just seems to have the talent for turning, in my opinion, one of the most attractive guns ever made, into a real show stopper. I have a Mark 3 that is factory hard chromed that I planned to send to them last year when an unexpected death and subsequent medical bills put the quiatus on that. I started again this year assembling the funds before I put my name back on the list, then I ended up in the hospital in March.....I am a persistient guy but it just seems that every time I start this process, something major forces me to change my plans. I am starting again to assemble the funds and once I get them set aside, I will call and have them add my name to the list again. Hopefully one day soon I can post pics of my custom from Heirloom.

tex45acp

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"In Texas, if you kill someone, were gonna kill ya right back"

Ron White-Blue Collar Comedy Tour

Wow, that is a beauty indeed!!!!!!!!!!

tex45acp :
Sorry to hear about your misfortune
It took selling my krieghoff/DWM luger and HK P7 M13 to get the funds as I didn't have a base gun to start. I miss the HK a little but the High Power when finished will fill that hole.

Very nice !!! Ted does awesome work and it will turn out to be your favorite handgun. I own the 2007 hard chrome, Hi Power example on Teds site on i love that gun . Iam proud to own one of Teds masterpieces and you will be too. Enjoy it and shoot the hell out of it !

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GO-FOR-IT

rebello jr :
I have checked out your gun many times on the website. The only difference I see on SatisfiedPig gun is I asked for dark grips and the parts of the controls done in satin hard chrome. I sure do like SatisfiedPig gun and this is the first Yost HP I have seen with a polished or satin(I think it is satin) hard chrome slide flats. His gun has a nice balance of special touches.
When I sent my HP to Yost I just wanted a blue SRT and disliked the look of a beavertail, checkering, Bordered slide and the serrations on the back of the slide, but boy did my taste changed over the months with just the Bordered slide my last holdout.

that is a beauty

That is just smokin' hot. I have never seen a BHP hammer like that. Can you tell us about that part?

Very nice indeed!

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"Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready."
T. Roosevelt - San Francisco, CA, May 13, 1903

Only a 1911 :
I am guessing that is a C&S hammer with the center enlarged and radius, that Yost fellow is pretty creative.

Amazing!

My next custom will be a full-zoot HP

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Joe Lundberg
Battle Mug
Winchester TN 37398
http://www.battlemug.com

The hammer was made smaller on the outside radius. In order to get the beaver tail that small and not have the hammer contact it, the outside of the hammer was made smaller and then re serrated. Cause Ted's a bad mofo.

_________________
Best regards,
Brady Miller
www.monkeyedge.com
The Finest in Custom Knives and Gear

I have alway had a spot in the heart for the BHP. I am fortunate to have one very, very, soon in Signature grade due in. The wait is long but worth it.

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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

Yost Hi Power and Mayo Knives !

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GO-FOR-IT

All of my Yost Hi Powers are blue. This one makes me think that one of the next ones needs a little hard chrome treatment. That's an outstanding example you have there. Enjoy it!

--md

With little aftermarket support I think the possibilities are up to the skills and creativity of the Smith.

I wish I could have a blue gun. I have like freakish alien sweat that rusts about anything. I have another HP from Ted that was DLC by Ion Bond which I could not be happier with the finish. However, recent events at Ion Bond have the HP fellas a little scared of sending big dollar custom guns there, so the only thing left is hard chrome for me.
Unfortunately, that is true. Fortunately, Ted knows his way around these things and can get them up to speed. It would seem that there would be more of an aftermarket if there was more demand, but for some reason the HP has not reached even a small fraction of the popularity of the mighty 1911. I bet there are more S&W Sigma aftermarket parts (well that might be an exaggeration, but you get the point). It still boggles my mind though as there is a ton of history with the HP in military and LE use and people just don't have that sentimental fondness for it.

_________________
Best regards,
Brady Miller
www.monkeyedge.com
The Finest in Custom Knives and Gear

Real gunsmiths in possession of not only creativity, but proper tools and experience have always done just fine for themselves. No one made aftermarket parts for Mausers and Springfields until long, long after Rigby, Holland & Holland, Griffin & Howe and Sedgely had been building custom magazine rifles. Take a look at a Brownell's catalog from thirty years ago - what isn't there will shock you

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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

I wish we had more smiths like Ted Yost doing custom HI Powers. That beavertail and hammer are just amazing. In mentioning the aftermarket I was thinking of all the frames and slides available for the 1911A1 in different materials such as Stainless whereas I have only found one company producing anything for the HI Power Florida Arms.

What backpack is that?

Blue Force Gear DAP Pack
http://www.blueforcegear.com/product.cf ... rod_id=157

_________________
Best regards,
Brady Miller
www.monkeyedge.com
The Finest in Custom Knives and Gear

This is the most stunning Hi-Power I’ve seen yet and another example of what makes this forum so great! It is just perfect in every way!

You are a very lucky man as is Mr. Yost for possessing the skill and vision to create such functional art. A quick walk around the internet and anyone can see lots of “custom” guns floating about, some are from skilled hands, some from not so skilled hands, and others from hacks or amateurs/wannabes but this gun is a good example of professional level skill at its best!