The One That Started It All

azpoolguy

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Apr 3, 2018
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625
This is the story of my journey into the world of 1911s.

8 years ago I found myself spending many hours a day rocking my third daughter in her room to try and maintain some sanity in my house. She was a difficult baby and was always fussy. We had many trips to the DR., Chiropractor and Pediatrician to try and figure things out. The only thing that seemed to work to get her to sleep for more 30 minutes or not just scream her head off was rocking.

I had been spending 8-10 hours a week riding my bikes to prep for mountain bike racing and with the growth of our business and now the added difficulty of a 3rd child I went looking for something to do to take up the hours spent rocking and a new hobby that I could get into around the house and not be gone for half the day riding my bike on Saturdays.

One day the memory of shooting my Grandfathers Gold Cup popped into my head. I had shot it only one time when I was young and had a hard time keeping the grip safety depressed while reaching the trigger. So I began to read forums and look into 1911s. I had always been interested in them but never owned one. I first started reading 1911Forums and found my self in the Kimber sub forum as I had grown up in Oregon and always wanted one . I began to read about the many issues people were encountering with them. Some one had mentioned Springfield Armory and I went to that sub forum and fell in love. I read for about a year before beginning my search for a pistol. This was during one of the shortages of firearms and ammo and all I could find was some over priced TRP or Nation Match models that were out of my price range. I began to read about guys and gals buying older NM models for the tighter slide to frame fits as base guns and building them up and that started my trip down the rabbit hole to where I'm at now.

I spent two years starting at the begenning as far back as the gunsmithing forum had post to learn all I could from the internet. I would chose one subject like trigger fitting, hammers and sears or grip safety's and spend weeks reading every post i could find on that one subject. I know. Great way to learn. Right?

I latter found this Springfield listed locally from a guy that had purchased it in '86 shot it one time and then put it in his safe. I paid $400.
8753F283-31BA-4B18-A0EF-59391FB9BB05.jpeg

I then bought a bunch of parts and tools and eventually ended up here doing all the work my self except the sight cuts which I enlisted help from Lou at Business End Customs. 6C17273D-7E21-47EC-9F38-40818F3A194B.jpeg36612D4C-26E4-4EF3-845A-EAA4176EE5B4.jpeg


Through this process I have spent many nights chatting on Addicts with Chuck from Rogers Precision and was able to go to his shop and have him recut my feed ramp and do a reliability tune on my build. I have built some great relationships with guys inside the industry. I would not be where I'm at with this build or the skills I have now had it not been for Lou and Chuck and their willingness to freely share their time and experience with me. I have made some great friends with guys like Bender, AJ, DG, and Shokdu through the forums as well all because one day I decided to build a pistol.
 

boatdoc

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Jun 9, 2018
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969
great thread. thanks for sharing nice toys too.

wish I found guns and shooting sooner. education(especially in Chicago fo ryears on end) and a sheltered life did not push the buttons needed to take the plunge. the day I shot a hand gun for the first time ..I was hooked..for life.. addicted int he best( or worst way). starte d with 9mm guns and my Mrs( a very hesitant participant.. took some coaxing to say the least) wanted to try 1911s in .45..Bought a DW Heritage and the rest is history. Today she ONLY shoots LB 45s( has 3 of them ..selected by me , of course) and I shoot whatever my heart desires.
 

ThePlumber

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Apr 8, 2018
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wish I found guns and shooting sooner.
Found guns and shooting at 21 years old. Then, like you, education and training got in the way and I didn't shoot for over a decade. Rediscovered my love for firearms, and especially the 1911, about 15 years ago when I had some money to buy them. Retirement plan is to find some land, open the door in the morning and shoot what I want, when I want. We will see how it goes.
 

azpoolguy

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Apr 3, 2018
Messages
625
Talented man this @azpoolguy. And he makes his own line of kydex holsters for non-waistline challenged individuals... Always look forward to your build posts M!!
Thanks Greg. You are another one of those people that I met all because of 1911s and the forums.
 

Bender

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Mar 30, 2018
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Location
Meh.........
Like most everything in life, I sold my 1st 1911. It was a Colt model o1911,one of the carbonic blue WWI reproductions. I was instantly hooked on the platform. I started selling the 14 Glocks I had and started out to own every 1911 I could, but just a few at a time. I've owned a lot of nice ones, from a Virgil Tripp worked over Baer, a Rogers, and a few Chambers guns.

A few years back, while living in Kansas. I was able to meet Jake and get a tour of the brewery he was the brewmaster. Some time later, he began an apprenticeship with Chambers Custom Pistols. He ended up building the Triple Crown under the watchful eye of Mr Joe Chambers. I was blessed to be able to purchase that pistol and it is a spectacular example of craftsmanship. Having met Jake and Joe, and this being Jake's 1st custom build makes the Triple Crown very special.

I do have a few more semi custom pistols and a couple that have had a bit of work as well. I recently was able to purchase an unfired Colt o1911, so blessed to have an example of the pistol that started it all for me.

Ive met a great deal of genuinely wonderful people because of that Colt.

3DB42115-075E-4594-8B6F-954E6B5D0CF8.jpeg
 
Last edited:

GROOT

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May 19, 2018
Messages
97
Great start for a thread.
Enjoyed reading it. At 21 I started with a 22 Ruger pistol Mark something, I can't remember the number. (I think it was a 2)
Then a gentleman that had lost one leg in war. Got me started shooting the Colt 45 . I've been a fan of the 1911 ever since.
Sorry my story isn't very exciting.
It is what it is.
 

WC145

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Jun 8, 2018
Messages
90
Great looking piece, congrats on doing so much of the work yourself. My dad was military and into guns and hunting so I was into guns and hunting as a kid, still have those my father gave me when I was growing up. Shot my first 1911 when I was around 8, it was a 'lunchbox' gun my father had built on an Essex frame that he bought but the rest of the parts found their way from the armory onto and into that frame. I've had untold numbers of guns of all kinds pass through my hands since I started buying my own some 37 years ago, including I don't know how many 1911s. The first 1911 I bought was an ODI Viking Combat, around 1983-84, the last one was a new Colt Competition a few weeks ago. Don't have the time, skills, or patience to do my own work but I admire those of you who do and are willing to make that investment. Instead, I happily pay others for their skills and abilities.
 

Ethanol Red

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Jun 25, 2018
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I got into shooting in the Boy Scouts earning the Golden Bullet award for marksmanship. My Father started me out with a Ruger .22 and a Colt Gold Cup. I didn't shoot for a number of years but about 10 years ago I got back into it. Now I can hardly find time to shoot. It goes in waves.
 

cwoods

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Funny how things work out. Cool story on a sweet build I've always admired. Now I know the story behind it.
 

Otofly

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Sep 7, 2018
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Started shooting at age ten with 22. All the NRA awards for that Marksmen, Sharpshooter, Bars. Trap with Rem 1100 12 gauge. Full carry in NYC 41yrs ago. Liked all the Wheel guns S&W, Colt Snakes. Got married 37yrs ago 4 kids, all educated, Same wife, sold all guns to raise money during that time. Empty nester, still same wife, started getting back into trap. Found addicts after getting into and learning about Vicker, Volkmann, Yost and Marvel. Slowly getting those Wheel guns back. Stumbled onto here and good to see familiar faces and friends.
 

Zipper046

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First shot when I was a about 12 or so...pellet/BB gun...then as a young teenager I was introduced to rifles via my Uncle's 30-06 hunting rifle (Remington 700) for deer, man that thing kicked! I grew up hunting in rural NY...deer with a Mossberg 500 12 gauge (slugs), small game with my pellet gun and a friends .22 rifle.

Wan't until my early 20's that I got into handguns. My very first was a S&W Model 66 revolver from my Uncle-in-Law. Loved shooting that thing, and taught myself alot about shooting (although what I THOUGHT I knew turned out that I didn't now JACK!, LOL). I bought a used Walther PPK/s...man that thing bit the web of my hand something fierce!

I finally found a used Colt MkIV Series 70 1911 in electroless nickel. It was all stock, including original GI sights. Those things were a devil to get used to and shoot accurately. I kicked around with that for awhile, then as life got in the way, I sold it off. I kept the Model 66 that I shot occasionally.

As I got older, kids grew, and I got into the US Navy Reserves as an Officer. Uncle Sam finally taught me the "proper" way to shoot using an issued Beretta M9 and Colt M4. I carried and used the Beretta and Colt during a few deployments.

Flash forward to about 2005, and was assigned to an NCIS unit in Newport, RI where we were issued Sig P229's when on-duty. I liked that platform, and got pretty good shooting it...although I'm a lefty and the darn things are pretty much set up for right-handed shooters...oh well..."adapt and overcome"...LOL.

The 1911 bug kicked in again, and I picked up a slightly used Kimber Classic Gold Match and joined a local shooting club in my Town (circa 2006). I got into USPSA shooting and began praticing and shooting more. I then got caught up in the whole "gaming" aspect....capacity and various platforms. Drank the Glock Kool-Aide (still have and shoot them), tried HK's, Sig's, etc. Settled on a Glock 35 that I ran for years...tweaking it, learning the trigger, and shooting numerous rounds.

Then in 2010, got into Law Enforcement (late in life aspiration I finally achieved). Was issued (and still am issued) a Glock. Since I already had good experience with Glocks, I did well. Got on our Special Response Unit, and have been a pretty decent shot with the platform.

Then to step up my competitiveness in USPSA, and after seeing all the STI 2011's out there, I bit the bullet and picked up a used STI Eagle that was customized for USPSA Limited Division. I switched on/off between that and my Glock for years.

A few years ago, I dusted off the Kimber Classic Gold Match and began shooting that again. I fell in love with the 1911 platform all over again.

Now I have: STI Trojan .45acp, Fusion Firearms Pro-Railed Gov't .45acp, Springfield Loaded 1911 .40s&w, Dan Wesson CCO .45acp, Dan Wesson 9mm ECO, Colt Delta Elite 10mm, and a few other non-1911's.

That electroless nickel Colt Series 70 MkIV started my love of the 1911 platform....and I've come back full circle...
 

azpoolguy

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Joined
Apr 3, 2018
Messages
625
First shot when I was a about 12 or so...pellet/BB gun...then as a young teenager I was introduced to rifles via my Uncle's 30-06 hunting rifle (Remington 700) for deer, man that thing kicked! I grew up hunting in rural NY...deer with a Mossberg 500 12 gauge (slugs), small game with my pellet gun and a friends .22 rifle.

Wan't until my early 20's that I got into handguns. My very first was a S&W Model 66 revolver from my Uncle-in-Law. Loved shooting that thing, and taught myself alot about shooting (although what I THOUGHT I knew turned out that I didn't now JACK!, LOL). I bought a used Walther PPK/s...man that thing bit the web of my hand something fierce!

I finally found a used Colt MkIV Series 70 1911 in electroless nickel. It was all stock, including original GI sights. Those things were a devil to get used to and shoot accurately. I kicked around with that for awhile, then as life got in the way, I sold it off. I kept the Model 66 that I shot occasionally.

As I got older, kids grew, and I got into the US Navy Reserves as an Officer. Uncle Sam finally taught me the "proper" way to shoot using an issued Beretta M9 and Colt M4. I carried and used the Beretta and Colt during a few deployments.

Flash forward to about 2005, and was assigned to an NCIS unit in Newport, RI where we were issued Sig P229's when on-duty. I liked that platform, and got pretty good shooting it...although I'm a lefty and the darn things are pretty much set up for right-handed shooters...oh well..."adapt and overcome"...LOL.

The 1911 bug kicked in again, and I picked up a slightly used Kimber Classic Gold Match and joined a local shooting club in my Town (circa 2006). I got into USPSA shooting and began praticing and shooting more. I then got caught up in the whole "gaming" aspect....capacity and various platforms. Drank the Glock Kool-Aide (still have and shoot them), tried HK's, Sig's, etc. Settled on a Glock 35 that I ran for years...tweaking it, learning the trigger, and shooting numerous rounds.

Then in 2010, got into Law Enforcement (late in life aspiration I finally achieved). Was issued (and still am issued) a Glock. Since I already had good experience with Glocks, I did well. Got on our Special Response Unit, and have been a pretty decent shot with the platform.

Then to step up my competitiveness in USPSA, and after seeing all the STI 2011's out there, I bit the bullet and picked up a used STI Eagle that was customized for USPSA Limited Division. I switched on/off between that and my Glock for years.

A few years ago, I dusted off the Kimber Classic Gold Match and began shooting that again. I fell in love with the 1911 platform all over again.

Now I have: STI Trojan .45acp, Fusion Firearms Pro-Railed Gov't .45acp, Springfield Loaded 1911 .40s&w, Dan Wesson CCO .45acp, Dan Wesson 9mm ECO, Colt Delta Elite 10mm, and a few other non-1911's.

That electroless nickel Colt Series 70 MkIV started my love of the 1911 platform....and I've come back full circle...
That's an awesome journey.

Thanks for your commitment to keeping us all safe.
 

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