And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
My dad was a 1911 fanatic. He also felt that except for the occasional Wilson's Gun Shop (later they became Wilson Combat) n one of the 1911s ever left the factories quite correct. A extractor would need to be tuned, polish the slide, a gritty trigger, or tweaking the springs. He had 3 or 4 but once he got one perfect he would shoot it for 3 to 6 months and then sell it to finance the purchase his next project gun.
I was exposed to almost every flavor of 1911 made in the 70's and 80's in all calibers. I have only purchased one 1911 and it is the Colt Government 9mm with the competition barrel. It was almost perfect from the factory. I had to change the blue fiber optic to something I could see.
I have owned a dozen or so 1911s. Most of them required some work to function reliably. For guidance I relied on Wilson's advice and parts when necessary. My first custom job was performed on an early SA 1911 A1 by "Al" Capone at King's Gunworks, using Wilson and King's parts. This one is a keeper. My Kimber Compact (DOM 2000) had some minor teething pains during break-in, resolved by attention to magazines. My last-production Para Elite Commander has been flawless since day one.
All respect to Bill Wilson and the other early 1911 gunsmiths- Frank Pachmayr, Armand Swenson, Jim Clark Sr et.al. and Jerry Kuhnhausen. I notice Wilson's current guns are considerably more elaborate than the simple mods he suggested in the '70s and '80s. I still prefer those clean, simple mods.
I would consider a 1911 in 9mm, but that niche is adequately filled by a S&W 3913.
My dad was a 1911 fanatic. He also felt that except for the occasional Wilson's Gun Shop (later they became Wilson Combat) n one of the 1911s ever left the factories quite correct. A extractor would need to be tuned, polish the slide, a gritty trigger, or tweaking the springs. He had 3 or 4 but once he got one perfect he would shoot it for 3 to 6 months and then sell it to finance the purchase his next project gun.
ReplyDeleteI was exposed to almost every flavor of 1911 made in the 70's and 80's in all calibers. I have only purchased one 1911 and it is the Colt Government 9mm with the competition barrel. It was almost perfect from the factory. I had to change the blue fiber optic to something I could see.
I have owned a dozen or so 1911s. Most of them required some work to function reliably. For guidance I relied on Wilson's advice and parts when necessary.
DeleteMy first custom job was performed on an early SA 1911 A1 by "Al" Capone at King's Gunworks, using Wilson and King's parts. This one is a keeper.
My Kimber Compact (DOM 2000) had some minor teething pains during break-in, resolved by attention to magazines.
My last-production Para Elite Commander has been flawless since day one.
All respect to Bill Wilson and the other early 1911 gunsmiths- Frank Pachmayr, Armand Swenson, Jim Clark Sr et.al. and Jerry Kuhnhausen.
I notice Wilson's current guns are considerably more elaborate than the simple mods he suggested in the '70s and '80s. I still prefer those clean, simple mods.
I would consider a 1911 in 9mm, but that niche is adequately filled by a S&W 3913.
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https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2011/3/1/the-evolution-of-the-custom-combat-45/