My custom 1911 that I bought off Gunbroker one night in Dubai on my way back stateside. It was an Ed Brown Special Forces model. Since then, me and my colleagues have made it into MY 1911.

Had a contractor buddy mill the slide for front serrations and to remove the engravings, I like a blank slide. Had a paratrooper buddy do the battleworn cerakote job. After about 200 rounds of breaking in the cerakote, she started running well. That was about 3000 rounds ago and she hasn’t had a malfunction since.

The 1911 isn’t for everyone. If you want to shoot your guns and never have to worry about maintenance, don’t carry a 1911. If you dont want to carry a spare mag, don’t carry a 1911. If you worry about your ability to get the job done in 7 rounds, don’t carry a 1911. But, if you appreciate craftsmanship, hand fitting, regular maintenance and upkeep, training, and John Moses Browning… then the 1911 might just be right for you.

Author – Seth joined the Army in 2006 and went to Iraq a couple times doing LRRP work for the 82nd Airborne. After that, he played the Private Military Contractor game for a while until he decided to pursue a degree in economics. He now works as a data analyst and firearms instructor.