A few of my favorite guns to own (and shoot). These are each fairly special, even more so when you get to enjoy them on the range.
Novak’s Custom “Full Build” Colt’s M1903
ACW Prime, engraved by G&H’s master engraver Chris Rossiter.
Colt’s Custom Shop SAA, engraved by Colt’s master engraver John Pease.
My main carry gun, at least, until NC’s humidity rolls in…
It’s a one-off ACW Prime that has been engraved by G&H’s master engraver, Chris Rossiter.
A gun that I still can’t believe I have… a custom Colt’s SAA from the Custom Shop. It’s a fabulous gun, action tuned by Colt, regulated by Brian Pearce.
My engraved ACW is starting to show some wear from carrying. I just got it back from Griffin & Howe in December, so it’s only got a few months in the holster. The blue is G&H’s “rust blue”, similar to the bluing found in traditional fine shotguns. It’s a little tougher than traditional hot salt blue- but, not much.
It’s a great gun, runs amazing… however, as NC summer humidity rolls in, it’ll be retired to the gun wall until Fall. I don’t mind holster wear, but rust from humidity and sweat is a different story.
The Pachmayr Combat Special: after almost 7 years, I finally found my Holy Grail.
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While the “actual” numbers for the Pachmayr Combat Special are hourly debated, with collectors arguing between roughly 300 and 600 units ever made- what’s not debated is the legacy of excellence that the Combat Special represented. To myself, and many others, they are considered the envy of any real “1911 guy”, the pinnacle of an era, and a gun surrounded by as much mythology as it is fact.
The rise of practical shooting following the Columbia Conference resulted in an arms race for custom handguns, specifically 1911s, that would continue for decades. California was a hotbed of activity, feeding the Southwest Combat Pistol League shooters with some of the greatest guns that could be had. Pachmayr, a Los Angeles firm that focused on custom bullseye handguns, was not immune to the growing need for combat automatics among regional shooters. Tom Dornaus, a machinist brought on to help with Frank Pachmayr’s Signature Series, developed the Combat Special concept from his time as a combat pistol shooter. Allegedly, Pachmayr initially didn’t see the value of the Combat Special… but, all of that would change when IPSC World Champion Ray Chapman chose a PCS as his prize in 1975…
But, that’s a story for another day. Today’s story is about MY Combat Special, which was originally ordered in 1979 and delivered in 1981. The gun is decently optioned, perfect for a combat, practical automatic. Notable features include an accuracy job to the stock Colt’s barrel, oversized slide stop pin, a frame-saver guide rod, dehorned Bo-Mar, ring hammer, scalloped out grip safety, trigger job, full hard chrome… the list goes on.
It’s a fabulous example, one that I am ever so proud to own. It’ll get more posts in the near future, but for now… enjoy photos the most amazing vintage custom gun I’ve handled.