Wilson? Nighthawk? what's the big deal?

[willis68]

I like the Ed Browns better,Thats why I keep buying them but my Nighthawk is nice and definately a keeper

Edited August 11, 2008 by willis68

[willis68]

Guess what, I shot my new Nighthawk today with DaveTN. Ya know, I wasn't impressed. I'm a piss poor shot and all it did was reaffirm I don't deserve a pistol like this... see it on the for-sale section shortly, I'm going back to my Jennings and Lorcin

LOL sorry to hear that, I guess you answered your own question, if you are not a good shot no matter how much money you spend on a pistol will rectify that

Edited August 11, 2008 by willis68

[Guest Phantom6]

Maybe its just me but I think I would prefer my front post to sit all the way down on my slide without the "air gap" that is shown here. Otherwise the gun appears to be finished nicely but that front post would be a deal breaker for me. I would prefer not to have to floss my front sight when I clean my pistol.

[willis68]

Maybe its just me but I think I would prefer my front post to sit all the way down on my slide without the "air gap" that is shown here. Otherwise the gun appears to be finished nicely but that front post would be a deal breaker for me. I would prefer not to have to floss my front sight when I clean my pistol.

You are right, I hadnt noticed that, you can see it is worse (the Gap) on this pistol

[Guest jwp]

I agree about the gap between the sight and the slide. We have since addressed that issue with a different sight cut on the slide.

[Magiccarpetrides]

If a C&C machine would be helpful a CNC machine would really be great.

Lol yeah you are correct

[Guest grimel]

You are right, I hadnt noticed that, you can see it is worse (the Gap) on this pistol

That's a QC issue.

[willis68]

That's a QC issue.

Yes that happens with every manufacturer from time to time, but all the same I have decided to keep my Les Baer and buy one of those maybe next year, after I pay for my Ted Yost signature grade Colt.

[I_Like_Pie]

I would have a hard time paying $2000 on a custom 1911 that still only shoots as good as a decent $300 Mark II rimfire Pistol with a $60 trigger job.

Yes it is apples and oranges, but the performance is similar and the mechanics of both are not indicative of that large of a price difference....Classic Ford vs. Ferrari analogy.

[Guest jwp]

That's a QC issue.

Yep. And we only control one end of it. The issue wasn't with our end, it was with the other end.

We have taken a new stance with this and are now cutting each sight cut for each individual sight rather than cut them for the "mule" sight (made by the same company) and then hoping that they are the same, which they never are.

[Guest grimel]

Yep. And we only control one end of it. The issue wasn't with our end, it was with the other end.

We have taken a new stance with this and are now cutting each sight cut for each individual sight rather than cut them for the "mule" sight (made by the same company) and then hoping that they are the same, which they never are.

If you are just now deciding to cut sights individually to fit each slide (how a custom shop would do it) the issue is on your side. Hoping mass produced items will fit generic cuts properly is an exercise in futility.

[DaveTN]

I’m not a gunsmith…. But just an observation from a Toolmaker. That gap needs to be there.

[willis68]

I’m not a gunsmith…. But just an observation from a Toolmaker. That gap needs to be there.

Not on a $2000.00 Custom 1911, at least all of the 1911's I own do not have that gap, the front site is set properly onto the slide, no visible gap to be seen,

Edited August 12, 2008 by willis68

[Guest Verbal Kint]

I’m not a gunsmith…. But just an observation from a Toolmaker. That gap needs to be there.

And why is that?

Not on a $2000.00 Custom 1911, at least all of the 1911's I own do not have that gap, the front site is set properly onto the frame, no visible gap to be seen,

+1

[DaveTN]

And why is that?

Metallurgy and physics. I assume that slot has tapered sides that hold the sight with a press fit. If you put the bottom of the sight on the top of the slide you would be required to hold tenths (.0001) tolerance on depth unnecessarily. If you didn’t you would have the sight binding with the top of the slide. The sight and the slide are probably dissimilar materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion…. sitting on a heat source. It could fracture the sight.

You also would have to either have dead sharp corners or clear out the corners because of the cutters. Again… unnecessarily adding to the machining time; or cost.

[DaveTN]

Not on a $2000.00 Custom 1911, at least all of the 1911's I own do not have that gap, the front site is set properly onto the slide, no visible gap to be seen,

Don’t get me wrong, it can be done. Can I do it? You bet and I would be happy to take your money. But the fact that you don’t have it, or don’t want to see it there doesn’t mean that is the way it should be. Is your high dollar 1911 that doesn’t have one flat or round on the top of the slide? If it’s round there should be a gap, if it’s flat the gap is under the bottom of the sight.

[willis68]

Don’t get me wrong, it can be done. Can I do it? You bet and I would be happy to take your money. But the fact that you don’t have it, or don’t want to see it there doesn’t mean that is the way it should be. Is your high dollar 1911 that doesn’t have one flat or round on the top of the slide? If it’s round there should be a gap, if it’s flat the gap is under the bottom of the sight.

We are talking about High end 1911's for that kind of money, I expect perfection, function, accuracy and cosmetics, the gap shown in the photos of this thread is unacceptable in a high end 1911, none of my pistols have it, did the Nighthawk Talon that you saw the other day have that visible of a gap? if so it should not have left their shop that way,

Edited August 12, 2008 by willis68

[DaveTN]

We are talking about High end 1911's for that kind of money, I expect perfection, function, accuracy and cosmetics, the gap shown in the photos of this thread is unacceptable in a high end 1911, none of my pistols have it, did the Nighthawk Talon that you saw the other day have that visible of a gap? if so it should not have left their shop that way,

As I said I’m not a gunsmith; I’m a Toolmaker. Function….I’m simply looking at it from that perspective. I would want it on mine. I could make that sight be part of that slide if it bothered you that much; and then it wouldn’t even be an issue.

I don’t know if there was an air gap on that Nighthawk I looked at or not. Glen is there?

[BimmerFreak]

I have 12-15 1911s in stock from Nighthawk, Wilson Combat, and Ed Brown.

I will try to find time to take and post photos of all of them, but I am 103% sure there is no gap.

As been stated, if you are paying 2000.00+ for a 1911, it had better not have that unsightly gap.

In defense of the CCA gun, it seems that they have addressed this issue in current/future builds.

[willis68]

As I said I’m not a gunsmith; I’m a Toolmaker. Function….I’m simply looking at it from that perspective. I would want it on mine. I could make that sight be part of that slide if it bothered you that much; and then it wouldn’t even be an issue.

I don’t know if there was an air gap on that Nighthawk I looked at or not. Glen is there?

To each their own, that is just not up to the cosmetic standards of a $2000.00 gun, I am no gunsmith either, just an overpaid Submarine pilot, but I am anal about such things as that when I spend that kind of money, look around www.m1911.org if you think that I am the only one with such high standards, I think you will be surprised by how many people besides myself expect the same when shelling out that kind of money on a 1911

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Getting back to this matter...

I guess it would be nice to know what manufacturer made the frame if you are worried about the metallurgical properties or something... but really I don't see the ultimate importance of it to the average consumer.

And this taken from this thread, from JWP...

Noting wrong with the S&W or the SIG. I would steer away from the lower end STI though. They're using RIA guns and re-badging them as STI guns.

This is the reason why -I- asked about what they use. I'm picky when it comes to which components go into my guns. That's why I spent more than $2k on a custom build AR15 that I built, myself, piece by piece... when I could have ordered 2-3 factory built rifles for the same cost.

That said... has this been answered yet? Which frames/slides does CCA use?

Edited August 12, 2008 by Verbal Kint

[TripleDigitRide]

That said... has this been answered yet? Which frames/slides does CCA use?

No, it has not.

[molonlabetn]

Based on their menu on the site, it appears that you supply your own pistol to be upgraded/finished by them...

[Guest jwp]

Based on their menu on the site, it appears that you supply your own pistol to be upgraded/finished by them...

No, no, no, no.

For our 1911s we use our own frames and slides which are produced for us, to our specs, by an American company, using American materials.

[molonlabetn]

Gotcha... I must have just found the Custom Shop, which I guess is different.