Birth and Life of a 1911 Ed Brown

[DavidCBaker]

Here's the tale of an Ed Brown. I spent a couple of months deciding between an Ed Brown and a Wilson Combat, and opted for the former. I've been a little nervous at how few mentions there are of Ed Browns in relation to Combat Wilsons, but I don't mind being in the minority, and I liked how easy it was to customize the order and get exactly what I wanted. Plus, I was very impressed with their customer service and accessibility.

So, here's an account of the birth and life of an Ed Brown. I'll update this thread from time to time.

2009/07/22--After my own research, called Ed Brown and had a long conversation about the options. They patiently answered every question. I settled on an Executive Target with a few options.

2009/07/23--Called that morning with my order, and Renea promised an email with a confirming PDF that same day. It did indeed arrive, and I signed the order and included a check, all sent to Perry, MO.

2009/07/27--Renea called explaining that there was a mistake on the order than neither of us caught. Namely, you can't combine a bobtail and a maxi-well. Duh. She asked if I wanted a refund of the difference. I said no, just throw in an extra mag or two.

2009/07/31--After three nights of inefficient perusal of VZ Grips' website, I knew what I wanted. Called Candi and she took the order. They said they'd need two-three weeks, but it didn't take that long. Anyway, at least when the gun arrives, I'll have the grips all ready.

2009/08/07--Grips arrive. They look great.

2009/08/10--Via email, I receive a "proof" of the gun. I wasn't expecting one and didn't even know they did that, but it's like seeing an ultrasound of your baby, I guess. Not really, but it's cool to see the serial number in place and see the machining artifacts.

Stay tuned....

[JeffL]

Aww how cute. It'll start kicking soon!

[BimmerFreak]

So you went direct? You didnt work with an Ed Brown Master Dealer?

(a dealer could have saved you money....)

[TGO David]

Pretty cool. What options did you go with?

[DavidCBaker]

Joe, I check on prices, and the amount I would have saved didn't seem worth the hassle of the go-between, since there were so many custom issues. Maybe I should have done some more thorough checking, like called you all. Oops.

[BimmerFreak]

Joe, I check on prices, and the amount I would have saved didn't seem worth the hassle of the go-between, since there were so many custom issues. Maybe I should have done some more thorough checking, like called you all. Oops.

Nah. Its cool, I was just curious.

Sounds like you have a great gun in the works.

We seem to be selling Browns to Nighthawk/Wilson 4 to 1 and I dont think you can go wrong with the Exec Target.

[DavidCBaker]

Thanks, Joe. Can't wait to get back to your store, too. I've only been there once, but that trip cost a lot of money, so I'm hesitant to go too often.

[Motasyco]

Darn, it's a cliffhanger. Can't wait for the next episode!

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

Too bad you don't see twins in that ultrasound...

[Guest JHatmaker]

That's an interesting serial number. Did you request that?

[DavidCBaker]

That's an interesting serial number. Did you request that?

Yes. My initials are DCB, or 432 in terms of alphabet positions. But I didn't want to put anything on it that a buyer (if I ever sold it) would make the gun not their own, so I came up with that. My initials are hidden in there, but anybody else wouldn't see that.

Plus, I liked the ring of:

five-four-three-two-one-bang

[Guest JHatmaker]

Yes. My initials are DCB, or 432 in terms of alphabet positions. But I didn't want to put anything on it that a buyer (if I ever sold it) would make the gun not their own, so I came up with that. My initials are hidden in there, but anybody else wouldn't see that.

Plus, I liked the ring of:

five-four-three-two-one-bang

Very cool

[Guest abailey362]

i thought it was photoshopped on...custom sn's ftw

[kwe45919]

That's too cool.....can't wait to see more pics!!

Custom FTW!!!

[Guest beefcakeb0]

lookin good already and if i could pick one for myself the exec target would do it

does a custom sn cost extra on a $2k pistol?

[DavidCBaker]

It does cost a little extra for the custom serial number: $150. That's a little high compared to other gun manufacturers, by the way. But I've never figured out a way to combine "smart" and "gun purchases" yet. Still working on it.

[DavidCBaker]

Update...

"Hello, Justin. This is David Baker."

"Hello, Mr. Baker. Sorry about that cryptic message on your phone. I wasn't sure if it was okay that someone knew you ordered a gun."

"Oh, no problem. She likes guns too!"

"Anyway, I see that you ordered a black trigger, and it's the only thing on the gun that's black. My boss asked me to call you to make sure that it wasn't a mistake."

"No mistake. I'm doing something a little experimental. On the other hand, if I don't like it, what are my options?"

"You can send it back, and it's just $20 for the new trigger and $20 for labor."

"Let's go for it then."

[DavidCBaker]

Not sure what grips I'll go with. Below are the Rosewood grips that came with it and an alternate. I think I'll go with the deep black, as shown above:

[willis68]

Congrats!

I have owned several Ed Brown pistols and they are definitely some of the finest handguns made!

[DavidCBaker]

The workmanship is nothing short of outstanding. I hope it shoots as good as it looks.

[TripleDigitRide]

Congrats! She's a beauty, for sure.

[eddyb45]

Nice ET. I have two SF EB's and best pistols I've ever owned. Black Trigger is different, but contrast very cool on the stainless.

[DavidCBaker]

Yeah, I wasn't sure on the black trigger. We'll have to see how well it holds up. I'm guessing the finish will wear after a 1,000 rounds or whatever.

[Motasyco]

Wow! I want one. Or two.

[THE COOP]

WOW, I LIKEY!!!!! And I want one BAD!!!!! VERY NICE.... COOP