April 29, 2011
By Joseph von Benedikt
It boasts design achievements that have, one small step at a time, brought the 1911 to the brink of carry-pistol-perfection, such as a rounded butt that, like Ed Brown's famous Bobtail design, minimizes printing under a light shirt; "Carry Melt" rounded edges to avoid fraying your Calvin Kleins; and the proprietary KimPro II self-lubricating, highly durable finish.
Shooting Times had one of the full-size models in house on loan for a couple months, and I had the opportunity to shoot it fairly extensively. One early Saturday morning I had the chance to take it to a bowling pin match, and almost didn't, reasoning that its light weight would diminish recoil control and slow down follow-up shots. I surprised myself by winning the match with it. The pistol pointed naturally, had an excellent trigger, and never malfunctioned once during all my shooting, even with fast, light hollowpoints for those bowling pins.
Unfortunately, I was unable to properly accuracy test it, but it hit exactly at or just slightly above point of aim, depending on the load, and consistently enough to easily hit various small targets while plinking. And while my home state of Illinois doesn't allow concealed carry of any sort, I did pack it around in my own home enough to know it carries well. It's a lightweight, reliable, and accurate full-size 1911. What more could you want?
Joseph von Benedikt
Raised in a tiny Rocky Mountain town 100 miles from a stoplight or supermarket, Joseph von Benedikt began shooting competitively at age 14, gunsmithing at age 21, and guiding big game hunters professionally at age 23. While studying creative writing at the university he began publishing articles about firearms and hunting in nationally distributed magazines, as well as works of short fiction about ranch life. An editorial job offer presented an open door into the industry, along with an eye-opening two years stationed in the Petersen Publishing building in Los Angeles.
A position serving as Editor in Chief of Shooting Times magazine took von Benedikt and his young family to Illinois for four years. Homesick for the great Rocky Mountains, von Benedikt swapped his editorial seat for a position as a full-time writer and moved home to the West, where he's been writing full-time ever since, along with hosting the Backcountry Hunting Podcast.
Favorite pursuits include high-country elk and mule deer hunting, safaris in Africa, deep wilderness hunts in Alaska, and wandering old-growth forest in Europe for stag, roebuck, and wild boar.
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