1911 utilitarian combat pistol (Steve Morrison)

[old grunt]

Hey George..that's a beautiful pistol. I have a circa 1984 Series 70 Gov't that's a "safe queen". It had a basic reliability, trigger job and Novaks installed by the GunSmithy out at Gunsite, BUT the whole THUG concept intrigued me when I read about in a magazine while in Iraq. RELIABILTY and smart selection of parts in a real KISS incarnation. I guess I need to win the Lotto!!!

[MarshallDodge]

I like it.

[Lumpy196]

Perfect

[Jim D]

I really like that kind of approach.

I'm curious though, why is it that some of these high end customs sometimes have the safety hole exposed under the thumb safety?

I noticed the same thing on the THUG, in the article. For a hard use 1911, wouldn't you want to eliminate entry of particulate matter into the FCG?

[George Mac]

Ok, Range Report.

I started out with 3 new colt mags, 4 old CMC 8 rounders, and 1 old Wilson 7 rounder.

I started with 230gr Winchester ball, one full magazine each of the 8 magazines. One of the Colts gave me problems and was S**t Canned (I had difficulty even loading that one). Other than the S-canned Colt all feed and ejected smoothly.

Then I loaded up 5 magazines (Wilson&CMC's) with 230gr Winchester HP duty ammo. All of these also fed and ejected with boring regularity.

Once this was done the fun began. I took 500 rounds of range "bucket" ammo, all 230gr, of old Black Talon, Duty Win HP, and Win ball. It was like Christmas or (Final Protective Fire) with rounds going non-stop. I had no malfunctions of any kind...ZERO. I also shot for accuracy but with me and a handgun that is not saying much. I was able to keep all rounds within the 9 ring at 25 yards. At 30 feet I was able to shoot a half dollar sized single hole. The site picture is deceptively simple and quick to acquire. The balance of the pistol brings it on target/center mass intuitively. What can I say, it is a .45 and shoots like a damm good .45 should.

All in all, I shot the snot out of it and it would not die. I am very satisfied with the function of this weapon and will not hesitate to carry it and use it for its intended purpose.

[Jason Burton]

...I'm curious though, why is it that some of these high end customs sometimes have the safety hole exposed under the thumb safety?

Quite a few variables at work there. Often times when a high sweep grip safety is used it is unavoidable due in part to the size of the lug hole in the frame, the sweep of the beavertail, and the size and shape of the thumb safety backing plate. Additionally, both the the pre-existing sweep on the back side of the frame as well as the height and position of the slide on the frame can play a part in whether or not the lug hole is exposed when the safety is engaged.

Often times a certain portion of this out of the hands of the builder, however choosing the right parts can sometimes help eliminate the hole being seen.

For a hard use 1911, wouldn't you want to eliminate entry of particulate matter into the FCG?

Truth is, unless you're pouring large amounts of dirt, mud, sand, whatever directly into the slight hole that may be present that's not much of a concern. And, I suspect most users, whether they be the average-Joe pistol packer or the working cop, would likely never subject a 1911 to enough debris for it to become a real problem.

[Lawdog-1]

George, how about a Parts list breakdown amd some closeup shots?

[George Mac]

I would like to supply you with a parts list but to be honest, I don't know too much as most of it is Steve's recipe.

http://MarsGuns.com/AxiomOverview.htm

[George Mac]

Had a holster that the thumb snap wore a mark in the slide. Steve refinished it for me. Damm, I like this pistol.





please ignore the red fuzzys from my shop towel

[David Thomas]

Yes, I sent Steve some small parts from various sources that I asked him to incorporate into the build. I asked him to use his artistic vision and start with a "THUG-lite" but develop it with Retro/MEUSOC influences. I think he knocked it out of the park with this one.

Agreed. Very nice 1911.