I’m embarking on a 9mm 1911 project and after much consideration, research and pricing I decided to start with a complete gun. Being on a tight budget I looked at economical 1911s. After much consulting and research I selected the Tisas 1911 Duty, It has a lot of the features I want, uses quality components, is from a well established and well-regarded company. It also saves me over $200 over buying a quality frame and and all of the internal components.

When the gun arrived at McCallen Defense I got to examine it, and I think I made the right decision. The fit and finish is very good and the trigger is outstanding. In 5-10 business days the background check will be completed and I’ll do a full review of the stock gun before I begin to interfere with it. In the meantime other components for the build are arriving from various sources. You, dear readers, will get a two-fer out of this one; a review of an impressive ‘economy’ firearm and a 9mm 1911 build. Good times!

I was in need of an N-frame to use as a model for making custom grips, and happened across a Brazilian Contract S&W model 1917 .45 ACP revolver. It’s in fair-to-good shape and is a nice shooter. I expect you’ll be seeing an article about this gun as well.

I’ve had an irrational love for big-bore snubbies ever since I stumbled across a used Astra Jovino Terminator .44 Magnum in the late 80’s. Honestly they aren’t a very sensible gun, but I adore them. When I got the 1917 I was mightily tempted to molest it to cater to my twisted desires, but I resisted manfully.

Then a buddy of mine mentioned he had gotten a 1917 that didn’t particularly do it for him. It’s a British gun that was originally chambered in .455 Eley. When it was re-imported they reamed the chambers for .45 Colt and polished the ever-loving poop out of it, completely removing the S&W logo and smearing the proofs. Zero historic value, and we made a swap that made us both happy. You’ll be reading about that one too.

Last but not least I had a major WTAF?! moment this morning. I was watching a security video of a civilian self-defense shooting. A man an his family pulled up to a store, and a suspect attempted to rob them at gun-point. The target produced his own handgun, eventually shooting the suspect twice in the course of the gun battle… which the civilian spent dodging behind the van his wife and family were still sitting in.

ARE YOU FECKIN” KIDDING ME?! The dude used his family as a meat-shield component of his van while the perp fired 15-20 shots! OK, I know he was reacting in the moment. He didn’t have a lot of time to really think his actions through. But still… seriously?

This is why you need to think things through in advance and have a plan. Having pre-decided a response he would have avoided endangering his family. Even if he’d chosen to crouch behind the front of his van behind the engine-block he could have minimized the danger to both himself and his family. But he hadn’t considered it, and the van made mighty tempting cover; dodging behind it was no doubt instinctive.

In fairness it worked out OK and no innocents were injured so I gotta’ chock this one up as a win. But I still feel a thrill of horror as I think about him dodging behind the van with his wife and children in it… *shudder.*

Try to think these things through in advance people; you cannot have a plan for every possible contingency. But seriously, you can try to do better than putting your family in the path of gunfire. Seriously.

Stay safe and take care.

Michael Tinker Pearce, 6 November 2021

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