About 12 years ago I was scrolling through an issue of some gun magazine, can't remember which, and stumbled across an article on custom 1911's by this outfit called Yost Bonitz, and this sweet all business custom package called "1*". I was a young blossoming gun enthusiast preparing for a career in Law Enforcement, and up to that point, my interests were limited mostly to plastic "working guns", but that article opened my eyes, for better or worse, of the world that was custom 1911's.
Over the next 10 years, my love and appreciation of the 1911 platform continued to grow, I bought my first back in 2011, a spiffy new Les Baer, and continued to follow the scene. All the while continuing to see this "Ted Yost" guys name pop up, now over at Heirloom Precision, making the finest 1911's I had ever seen. Unfortunately, they were priced accordingly, and just weren't feasible for me at that point in my life.
Finally in 2017 I found myself in a position where commissioning a Custom was feasible, and after securing my wife's blessing, I went on the hunt for my perfect base gun. I picked up a beautiful 1954 Colt 38 Super, and made a call to Ted, now at Estate Sporting Limited.
About a year later, I now have the 1911 I have been dreaming about. It is a 38 Super with a 9mm caliber conversion with case. I should add Ted was an absolute joy to work with, and I really appreciated his enthusiasm toward the project. I also want to thank Texas Patriot Arms, without talking to him, I'm not sure if I ever would have finally gone through with this. And last but not least, my wife, I imagine the horror she must have felt when I told her what I wanted to do with our money must have been greater than when I found out how much she was paying to have her "eyelash's did", but she went along with it like a champ.
So here is a little Easter Egg for my fellow Colt enthusiasts, I had the crown of the 38 Super barrel finished in white, and the 9mm crown blued, as Colt did, and still does it
Here is one with her sister, both wearing their work boots
Over the next 10 years, my love and appreciation of the 1911 platform continued to grow, I bought my first back in 2011, a spiffy new Les Baer, and continued to follow the scene. All the while continuing to see this "Ted Yost" guys name pop up, now over at Heirloom Precision, making the finest 1911's I had ever seen. Unfortunately, they were priced accordingly, and just weren't feasible for me at that point in my life.
Finally in 2017 I found myself in a position where commissioning a Custom was feasible, and after securing my wife's blessing, I went on the hunt for my perfect base gun. I picked up a beautiful 1954 Colt 38 Super, and made a call to Ted, now at Estate Sporting Limited.
About a year later, I now have the 1911 I have been dreaming about. It is a 38 Super with a 9mm caliber conversion with case. I should add Ted was an absolute joy to work with, and I really appreciated his enthusiasm toward the project. I also want to thank Texas Patriot Arms, without talking to him, I'm not sure if I ever would have finally gone through with this. And last but not least, my wife, I imagine the horror she must have felt when I told her what I wanted to do with our money must have been greater than when I found out how much she was paying to have her "eyelash's did", but she went along with it like a champ.
So here is a little Easter Egg for my fellow Colt enthusiasts, I had the crown of the 38 Super barrel finished in white, and the 9mm crown blued, as Colt did, and still does it
Here is one with her sister, both wearing their work boots