I have a Springfield Armory 1911 (my only 1911, in fact) that I bought used many years ago….I’m talking back in the late 80’s or very early 90’s. It has a Baughman ramp front, target rear, full length recoil guide, extended beavertail, adjustable trigger, and at least another half dozen modifications. The previous owner had all this work done because when SA made this thing you couldn’t buy the gun with all those options. Back when this gun was born your only real choices were if you wanted a parkerized or blued copy of a GI 1911. Maybe there were one or two options available like different sights but that was about it. If you wanted all those other bells and whistles…well…you had a trip to the gunsmith in front of you.
Nowadays you can just pull a SKU out of SA’s catalog and get a pistol with even more and better options right off the shelf.
I mention this because I was re-reading an old blog post of Tam’s about the cost of custom guns. The things that she put into a custom .300 Blackout rifle are things that are, to a degree, now available ‘off the rack’ from several different makers. Notably, my Ruger .300 Blackout comes with a threaded barrel, an adjustable trigger, can take detachable magazines, has a good stock, a solid attachment point for optics, optics-ready bolt handle, and a few other features that, for the time period she as doing this in, were ‘custom’.( Her .300, though, is much prettier than my .300 . I wonder if she still has it.)
But what those two guns have in common is that the features we wanted, insisted on actually, eventually wound up becoming ‘standard features’. Other good examples would be pistols from the factory now coming with optic cuts already done. The sudden craze of every rifle barrel from a manufacturer being threaded. Adjustable triggers on everything. It goes on and on.
It used to be that a bespoke boomtoy was so personal and unique an item that it was practically a persons ‘signature’. Elmer Keith’s No. 5, Patton’s Ivory handled SAA, Diaz’ Winchesters, etc. And now, someone somewhere is making exact copies or at least guns that have all those features. Even my BBQ gun isn;t really unique since its a cataloged item with machine engraving…rare, yes. Custom? Absolutely not.
I have one bespoke gun and it’s story is very similar to Tam’s – I bought a bunch of clapped out Mausers from Sarco back in the late 80’s, threw away the stocks and barrels, and cleaned up the actions. I bought a brand new 29″ stepped military barrel in 7×57, put it in, added some Williams receiver sights, blued the whole mess, dropped it into an old commercial Mauser stock of ancient vintage, and made an ugly rifle that I thought was perfect. It doesn’t win any beauty contests but I love shooting it.
I’m not sure you can call anything made of drop-in parts custom, but the most recent might-be-custom gun I have is the Glock I put together a few months back. There isn’t a single thing thats ‘custom’ about it except for the combination of parts which is probably not terribly unusual. But, it’s certainly custom to me.
Custom guns never really ‘pay off’ in the long run. You’ll never get your money out of them, but you do get a higher degree of satisfaction and pleasure, I think, than you would have gotten out of the plain Jane version that was ‘off the rack’.
But it is interesting to note that what used to be considered custom years ago is now, to a degree, mainstream…or at least avaialble on a non-custom basis.
Following. Agree and concur. The pleasures of ownership is tricking it out, hot rodding it, adding on accessories or switching for upgrades and even different colors is enhancing the funability of your guns. Just as with cars, motorcycles, etc folks like to tinker and modify them to their preferences. The hot pink and purple colors on guns are too rich of a taste for me but o.d. green is always a cool kids upgrade.
Rather reminiscent of large sections of the motorcycling community.
Everyone wants to be “unique,” everyone wants better performance, and too many don’t really know what they’re doing when they change something other than peripheral doodads.
excellent observations, CZ! and more proof that MOST “old” firearms aren’t worth what most family members dream them up to be. that high dollar custom rifle from 40 years ago is today easily out-shot by a modern Bergara that sells for $1100. another reason for price drop is the guys who appreciated the “old stuff” are dying off in massive numbers today. of course there are special serial number exceptions and truly rare pieces that are the exception to the rule, but mass produced Remington 760’s that have visible wear and tear are not worth $1600 used as i see many listed at.
modern CNC machining is much more precise than the “hand fit” machined processes of the 50’s and 60’s. and most people today don’t realize the metallurgy revolution that was applied to the barrel and actions right around 1973 that completely changed the safety and strength game. i tell families selling heirlooms to keep them in the hands of family so they can be enjoyed, treasured, remembered and used.
Custom add ons can enhance the functionality, looks and reliability of a firearm but the real test is does it put the round where it’s supposed to go. I love my dressed up 10-22s and Mark II’s but still have a soft spot for the stock guns. One way to look at it is if an AR15 needs an upgraded bolt carrier group or barrel to function well was it a good rifle to begin with?
Caution: you have probably heard this story before. Way back in the early 90’s when IPSC was popular I was shooting a bone stock Ruger P90 against a large group of LEOs and others with souped up ‘race guns’ that probably had an exponent on top of the cost of my gun. A few of them had trouble hitting the 25-yard stop plate to end their run and had to shoot a few rounds before they hit it. Whether skill or dumb luck I center punched it on the first try with some oohs and ahhs coming from the crowd.
That gun is still here right beside me and a little while ago at the range still shoots good as ever. My range buddy even commented on how smooth and accurate it was, even though it is kind of plain, but a pretty girl doesn’t need make up.
Any firearm you can shoot and hit naturally and easy is a gem beyond compare. Never speak ill of it and let others talk you out of it. When your time with it is done, appreciating it for what it means to you is very enjoyable. Be sure others know its value to you as well.
I’ve spent countless hours modifying and even building 1911/2011 pistols. For me its a hobby for the winter and even the hot dog days.
I’ll never come close to getting what I have in parts and time out of them.
There are a few folks that appreciate workmanship and improved fit/accuracy of a “custom”.
One of the best deals, I ran across, in the late ’90’s was SA 1911 .45 “Loaded” series…which is their custom series for the average fellow…
The one I chose is a 5″ Matte Black with Cocobola grips, novack sights, extended beaver, beveled magazine well, heavy duty spring, match barrel, serrated slide front and rear, match trigger, beveled ejection port, and surely several other features which I’m unable to recollect off the top of the ‘ol brain…
Seems like I laid out somewhere between 5 – 600.00 for it, new, at the time…
For those of you out there who need to lay in more 1911 mags, Sarco inc has an impressive magazine they make, in house, with an equally impressive process…
I laid in about 40 of them and they’re a great value…
Nothing wrong with dressing something up. But what it all comes down to is reliability, good sights, good trigger, and accuracy.
Custom still has a place in the crowd. While back I was at a show and got to talking to an old man showing some serious hand built rifles. I ended up buying (for under a grand)a custom built Mauser take-down in .308. Beautiful gun that fits in a 24 inch brief case. He had a twin of that gun in .243 but said he was going keep that one for a while. . . But you’re right. Most of these old guys are going away and nobody’s coming up to replace them.
Custom is what determines what will become routine in a few years. Somebody had to think it up, and get it done, before others could see it and ultimately decide it should be “standard.” Somebody “customized” their matchlock with a flintlock. Then someone else customized a flintlock with a percussion cap. And we were off to the races….