[h8dirt]

I have a Combat Classic in 45 ACP. It's magnificent -- I don't know how else to describe it.

[Alpha1Victor]

Originally Posted by BenLuby

Hey Alpha! Did you take that picture standing on your head?

Haha, mid backflip. idk why it turned out upside down.

[Durangokid]

I have a Wilson Colt. Great gun. That said, far more 1911 Colts right out of the box have seen more combat then all the cutom jobs. Old John M. Browning did a Damn good job from the git go.

[smoooth308]

What about nighthawk custom?

[Alpha1Victor]

Nighthawk custom is just as good as Wilson. The old workers from Wilson went to work for nighthawk. Apples to apples.

[bartwatkins]

Originally Posted by smoooth308

What about nighthawk custom?

Yes, Nighthawk should be added/discussed here. That company was orginally started with a couple of Bill Wilson's gunsmiths.

To me - Wilson, Baer, Brown & Nighthawk should all be discussed on equal footing as the premier semi-custom manufacturers. You can get Wilson to add more custom features than Brown will on a build gun and if someone personally prefers one over the others that is great but the whole comparison analogies to cars made earlier is stretching it a bit, I'd say.

[Overkill0084]

Originally Posted by bartwatkins

Yes, Nighthawk should be added/discussed here. That company was orginally started with a couple of Bill Wilson's gunsmiths.

To me - Wilson, Baer, Brown & Nighthawk should all be discussed on equal footing as the premier semi-custom manufacturers. You can get Wilson to add more custom features than Brown will on a build gun and if someone personally prefers one over the others that is great but the whole comparison analogies to cars made earlier is stretching it a bit, I'd say.

+1
These guys are in business because the build a heck of a product. If they didn't, they would be unknown footnotes on a list of failed gun manufacturers. Once you start playing in this price range, it boils down to personal taste.
If things haven't changed too much in recent months, Baer was the "value leader" of the group with prices that start around $1800 for the entry level models. Worth noting, once you get noticeably north of $3000, you get to the point when a "True Custom" is worth looking into. If nothing else, the waiting period might be shorter

[nickel1911]

Originally Posted by Alpha1Victor

I have a Wilson cqb compact. I can honestly say this is THE best hand gun I have ever owned. I beat this thing to a pulp and it keeps comming back for more. This is my ccw gun and I trust it not only with my life but my families also.

@ alpha1victor. Thanks for posting the pics. That's a beauty you got there. Is the frame an od green? Bull barrel?

[nickel1911]

Originally Posted by smoooth308

What about nighthawk custom?

I've definitely heard of nighthawk custom mentioned as one of the top tier 1911s but I've never really given them the attention they obviously deserve. Time for me to do some research on them. I ran across their website a couple years ago and seen the way they looked while field stripped, and never looked back. Lol. They were too unorthodox for me. I let my ignorance get the better of me. Thanks for mentioning them. I'll be giving them another look. I've never seen one in person though..

[nickel1911]

Originally Posted by Overkill0084

+1
These guys are in business because the build a heck of a product. If they didn't, they would be unknown footnotes on a list of failed gun manufacturers. Once you start playing in this price range, it boils down to personal taste.
If things haven't changed too much in recent months, Baer was the "value leader" of the group with prices that start around $1800 for the entry level models. Worth noting, once you get noticeably north of $3000, you get to the point when a "True Custom" is worth looking into. If nothing else, the waiting period might be shorter

Excellent point on approaching the "true custom" range