Build Specifics
Terry said, “We use Caspian frames and slides because they understand what’s needed in an ‘original’ 1911. We also use some other Caspian-sourced parts, but reach out to Clark for the barrel, Ed Brown for the sears and hammers and then various other companies as needed to assure the best quality goes where we need it.”
Terry hand fits the frame, slide and barrel just like he’d fit any match-grade 1911. Being a true custom gun, a customer can have a wide range of options but Terry prefers to honor the original gun. “The military-style hammer, thumb safety, grip safety, flat mainspring housing, lanyard loop and short trigger all contribute to the authentic look,” explained Terry. “If someone wants a custom gun, we can go in another direction, but to add adjustable sights or an ambi-safety to this style just doesn’t seem right.”
And I agree.
The barrel lock-up on my test gun is rock-solid, yet I could turn the bushing by hand to take things down. Handfitted to shoot 1.5″ at 25 yards, yet can still be field-stripped like an original. This takes talent and skill.
The trigger pull is a perfectly repeatable 3.0 lbs. give or take an ounce in either direction. Interestingly, it’s not the crisp break of a modern gun, but offers the classic feel of the military trigger, with some pre-travel, a sort of smooth, rolling break and a bit over-travel. It’s vintage military 1911 in feel, just smoother and more consistent. Very shootable too.
The thumb safety snicks nicely and a five-point safety check revealed all things operating as intended. The flat, smooth mainspring housing offers a subtle bit of authentic feel to an experienced hand and even the slight bump showing from the extractor on the rear of the slide made me smile. Lying next to my original WWI era Colt it’s hard to tell them apart at first glance.
Sights are like the originals so are hard to see, but then again, it’s part of the panache. You’ll learn them, I promise, and when you shoot it you re-live what a GI saw in the middle of a dense forest in Europe 100 years ago.