So let me do some explaining here. I have been on the hunt for some odd-caliber single stack 1911s for a while. 40, 38 Super, 357SIG, 10mm, 400 Corbon, 38 Special WC, 7.62 Tokarev, etc.
You get the point.
But the kicker is I want all of these guns to be semi or full custom builds. While willing to chase “some” function within reason, I am not looking for a project 1911 that needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. So only higher-tiered 1911s considered.
As for 40, the logic is simple. Firstly, 40 is not 100% dead. We still have at least one PD that shows up at our range with 40 caliber Glock 22s. And they bring ammo. So never pass up an opportunity to shoot OPA: Other People’s Ammo.
Second, when ammo gets tight it never fails that 9mm and 45 are all sold out at the retail stores. But 40 tends to hang on longer. So having options with 40 is certainly nice. Doesn’t really apply to us since I buy ammo in bulk. Sometimes by the pallet. But like the lady said, “If you got the ammo, Honey? I got the time”.
Thirdly, 40 kinda sucks. But it sucks less in an all steel, 5” 1911. So much so, it is not unrealistic to shoot 40 every so often to reinforce the need for a firm grip in the 9mm guns. Think of 40 as swinging a baseball bat with the weights on it. Makes it feel more lively when you are shooting the 9mm for real. If you get what I mean?
Fouth & final. This pistol is very unique. So unique people didn’t see it for what it was or it’s intrinsic value. It’s a SACS (Springfield Armory Custom Shop) full build, done on a Colt frame, SA 40 caliber slide, hand fit parts, fully dehorned and covered in some-kind of fancy finish. Whatever it is, I don’t believe it’s a regular shake-n-bake job. It’s something more than that. Like tennifer or melonite.
Sounds like a pretty nice gun right? Well it presents some problems. For one, it’s in the wrong caliber. Most want either a 9mm or 45. Two, the untrained appear to see it as a non-matching, mix-master 1911. As evidenced by the Colt frame and Springfield slide.
It sat and sat for a price that was a steal. And even then, the dealer took some money off just to move it! A full custom SACS 1911, on a customer supplied Colt frame. Something Springfield doesn’t offer any longer. And it went for less than some Dan Wesson guns.
Yeah.
In my opinion, we stole this thing. Flat out stole it. And it was sitting for sale on the open market for many months with zero interest.
So now we have a 40. It’s custom quality. And is historically interesting from a 1911 perspective.
Sincerely,
Marky
www.John1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
Areas of focus: Defense and National Security, Modern Light Weapons, Small Arms, Weapons Training.
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