Skunkabilly

Hi

Pondering if I should get a Springfield TRP, I have got to thinking if I should just customize my own 1911 based off a Mil-Spec. I guess i have a basic set of desired features.

First and foremost I want reliability. I want it to be accurate to the point where reliability is sacrificed. I want night sights on them. I'm not sure what a bull barrel does, but I might want one. I think I may want a stainless slide and a blued or parkerized (what's the difference) frame. I like the two-tone look, but not mandatory. When shopping for a pistol, should I go for key features that I want? If so a TRP looks good (that's what I wanted before).

Then I thought about customizing. Reasons I can think of customizing, please amend if I have forgotten anything:
Pro's of customizing: 1) Pride...Your own gun. 2) Gunsmith fitting.
Downsides are: It's no longer the name-brand pistol you want, i.e. Springfield, Kimber, rather a mutt-pistol (which is fine for some folks, not fine for some people who want it to say 'Colt' all over it)., the cost, and turnaround time. Also sacrifices the warranty. Did I forget anything?

So if a TRP is just a Loaded with better fitting, am I just better off building my own, if time and money were no object? I know it's stupid searching for the holy grail of pistols, but it seems like a lot of fun. If I took the Springfield TRP specs and built my own up like that and gave it to some guy like Dane Burns to do it, what's the difference in cost, reliability and accuracy that I am looking at?

Bill Go

I would buy the TRP and shoot it. Later, after you have some rounds under your belt and have developed some ideas on what modifications and refinements that you do want/need, then I would send it off to Dane or other good smith for work. I know you said that time may not be an object, but it is no fun waiting for a pistolsmith to deliver. Buy a gun that is somewhat shootable out of the box (a mil-spec SA is marginal in this regard). The TRP is a good candidate. A less expensive, simpler alternative would be a Kimber Custom Classic. Bottom line: get something to shoot now and start improving your shooting skills.
Bill Go

SF

Well, since you are in the PRC you are limited somewhat in your options.

#1 figure the cost for buying a Kimber Custom or SA MilSpec or Loaded as a base for a customized gun. Go to Danes site (www.burnscustompistols.com) and other major smiths (EGW, Baer, Wilson, etc.) to figure what it would cost to get what you want. Then consider the time delay.

#2 shop around for new, complete guns available to you. These would most likely include Baer, Wilson, and the high-end Kimber and Springfield guns.

I can tell you with near certainty that #2 is going to be cheaper and faster than having a gun customized. If there are one or two things you don't like on a factory gun (such as MIM parts in Wilson's guns), pay the extra $$$ to get it changed. If cost and time are important to you, this may be how to go.

If you are willing to wait, and to pay a little more for exactly what you want in a full-house custom, go that route. You can save money by going with a "package" of mods, such as Dane's FED.

I don't think you can lose, either way.

SF

Sean Smith

Funny, the Delta Elite I sent to Dane still has "COLT" written on it in big-ass capital letters. :grin:

Generally, a semi-custom will be cheaper than a pistolsmith custom job... depending on the combination of features. It may very well work as well or better. Or it may not. If something goes wrong down the road you'll be stuck dealing with a customer service department that may... or may not... have a clue or care about you, instead of the person who worked on your gun.

Peter Zahn

Lets not forget resale value either. Buy a base Kimber , send it to Dane, put some bucks in it. I feel pretty safe in saying your going to get a higher resale on that gun than a Baer or Wilson if you decide to sell it. I know, we never sell our guns, but I have learned never to say never.

By the way, I'll take a mutt pistol like this over any name brand gun you can think of.

Dammit, I really like the name "mutt pistol".

I got a mutt dog and a purebred. The mutt eats anything you feed it, the purebred pukes on anything other than science diet. tells me something._________________
if it flies it dies, if it runs it's done

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Peter Zahn on 2001-10-27 14:50 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Peter Zahn on 2001-10-27 14:51 ]</font>

John B

I've heard just the opposite regarding the resale of custom guns. I say
heard because I haven't sold one. Absent anything more than opinions, I'm not sure this is a criteria even worth worrying about.

The LB TRS has an outstanding reputation.

The other factor to consider is timing, you can be shooting at TRS in a week or less. That means a heck of a lot of practice time over the waiting period for a custom. Additionally a picture of a custom doesn't do much to defend you while you're waiting. :grin:

Sam

Regarding re-sale, Unless you go for a big time nationally known smith, it's not worth much. Nothing to do with quality, just re-sale. IMHO. Sam

Peter Zahn

Well of course a nationaly known smith was a given.

Hilton Yam

Just my $.02, but browsing Gunsamerica shows that even big name guns don't bring in big dollars when well used. If it's one of those super collectibles, like an unfired Swenson, then that's different. A user grade Clark, Hoag, etc. is rather common on the resale market, and people seem to want to customize their own new gun rather than buy a well used custom.

That said, my first 1911 was a Series 80 Colt Gold Cup. I chose it over a standard Govt model b/c I thought all those "extra" features would save me time and money. As I gained experience, I found that I wanted different features than those that were already on the gun, and the gun's existing features limited my options. If you have any inclination toward getting custom work done later, then just get the least expensive quality platform, then build up from it.

SF

Ditto. Sold my GC last week for much the same reason. It was a suprisingly accurate gun for as loose as it was. It was also very reliable, with the exception of the roll pin for the Elliason sight.

SF

"That said, my first 1911 was a Series 80 Colt Gold Cup. I chose it over a standard Govt model b/c I thought all those "extra" features would save me time and money. As I gained experience, I found that I wanted different features than those that were already on the gun, and the gun's existing features limited my options."