I learned of Business End Customs via this forum several years back. I always enjoyed the aesthetic of the pistols Lou builds, and was impressed with all of the positive reviews on the fit and function of those pistols. I am not a wealthy man, but have chosen the route of owning just a few 1911's that I truly desire instead of many semi custom or production guns. Both routes have their merit, just giving you background on myself. To let you know my points of reference, in the past, I have owned Wilson, Guncrafter, Les Baer, Dan Wesson and (yes) Kimber. I currently own a Garthwaite Colt, Chambers WMG and an Alchemy, along with this BEC.
About two years ago, I contacted Lou to get on his books, and I finally took delivery of this beauty. Well worth the wait. In the interim, I purchased a BEC chopped Glock 17, which was Lou's carry gun for a period of time. Not to derail, but that Glock is a gem in itself and is pictured below. My small BEC family. Nothing but positive experiences with Lou over these past two years.
I've gotten around 750 rounds through the pistol in the past two weeks and wanted to share my initial thoughts. My plans for this pistol are EDC and home defense.
Fit and finish are second to none. I'm not a huge fan of 'permanent' pistol finishes (DLC, Nitride, Melonite, Hard Chrome) and don't mind getting some wear over time. The application of cerakote on this BEC is flawless, even and beautiful, both inside and out. Of course it is subjective, but I really like the shade of grey that Lou uses on his pistols, gives a real no nonsense feel. Everything on the pistol is tight and precisely fit, with no machine marks to be found. The bushing is just barely movable by hand, just the way I like it. All of the edges are beveled or broken, nothing sharp to be found. No perceptible movement in the slide to frame fit and the bushing appears to have perfect contact around the barrel. Manipulating the slide by hand, it is the smoothest feel of any pistol I've owned, while the lock-up is tight as can be. The feel of the thumb safety is better than any of my other pistols, very positive, just the right amount of pressure to engage and disengage. The grip safety has the best fit of any pistol I've handled, with zero movement side to side and perfect blending to the frame. The Chen max bevel MSH is blended beautifully, as well.
I opted for the Morse Code grip treatment and ball cut slide serrations, and couldn't be happier. I'd never handled a pistol with this type of grip treatment, so I was rolling the dice in a way, but I have zero complaints and it is my favorite grip treatment to date. Very grippy and not at all uncomfortable while shooting. I like the flow of the Morse Code from the front strap to the grips. Impressive machining skills, overall. To my eye, the treatment strikes a perfect balance between form and function.
Shooting the pistol is a pleasure and I have experienced no malfunctions so far (I know 750 rounds isn't all that much, but I'll add many more rounds to that over the coming months). Ejection is very positive, throwing brass about 10 feet at 4 o'clock. I'm no bullseye shooter, and I don't know that I'll ever be able to push the pistol to its limit, but nailing the bullseye at 25 yards was no issue for me. I attribute this both to mechanical accuracy of the gun, but also the comfort and feel in the hand, making it easy to get repeatable shots. The trigger is set at 4 lbs, as requested, 100% crisp break, and tends toward defensive use, which is what I wanted.
I could keep going, but I don't want to make this post a word wall.
To sum it up, if you have the opportunity to get on Lou's books, don't hesitate. If anyone has specific questions, happy to answer those. Thanks for reading.
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About two years ago, I contacted Lou to get on his books, and I finally took delivery of this beauty. Well worth the wait. In the interim, I purchased a BEC chopped Glock 17, which was Lou's carry gun for a period of time. Not to derail, but that Glock is a gem in itself and is pictured below. My small BEC family. Nothing but positive experiences with Lou over these past two years.
I've gotten around 750 rounds through the pistol in the past two weeks and wanted to share my initial thoughts. My plans for this pistol are EDC and home defense.
Fit and finish are second to none. I'm not a huge fan of 'permanent' pistol finishes (DLC, Nitride, Melonite, Hard Chrome) and don't mind getting some wear over time. The application of cerakote on this BEC is flawless, even and beautiful, both inside and out. Of course it is subjective, but I really like the shade of grey that Lou uses on his pistols, gives a real no nonsense feel. Everything on the pistol is tight and precisely fit, with no machine marks to be found. The bushing is just barely movable by hand, just the way I like it. All of the edges are beveled or broken, nothing sharp to be found. No perceptible movement in the slide to frame fit and the bushing appears to have perfect contact around the barrel. Manipulating the slide by hand, it is the smoothest feel of any pistol I've owned, while the lock-up is tight as can be. The feel of the thumb safety is better than any of my other pistols, very positive, just the right amount of pressure to engage and disengage. The grip safety has the best fit of any pistol I've handled, with zero movement side to side and perfect blending to the frame. The Chen max bevel MSH is blended beautifully, as well.
I opted for the Morse Code grip treatment and ball cut slide serrations, and couldn't be happier. I'd never handled a pistol with this type of grip treatment, so I was rolling the dice in a way, but I have zero complaints and it is my favorite grip treatment to date. Very grippy and not at all uncomfortable while shooting. I like the flow of the Morse Code from the front strap to the grips. Impressive machining skills, overall. To my eye, the treatment strikes a perfect balance between form and function.
Shooting the pistol is a pleasure and I have experienced no malfunctions so far (I know 750 rounds isn't all that much, but I'll add many more rounds to that over the coming months). Ejection is very positive, throwing brass about 10 feet at 4 o'clock. I'm no bullseye shooter, and I don't know that I'll ever be able to push the pistol to its limit, but nailing the bullseye at 25 yards was no issue for me. I attribute this both to mechanical accuracy of the gun, but also the comfort and feel in the hand, making it easy to get repeatable shots. The trigger is set at 4 lbs, as requested, 100% crisp break, and tends toward defensive use, which is what I wanted.
I could keep going, but I don't want to make this post a word wall.
To sum it up, if you have the opportunity to get on Lou's books, don't hesitate. If anyone has specific questions, happy to answer those. Thanks for reading.
