A true masterpiece: Volkmann Custom 1911

Guns Magazine, Jan, 2009 by Clint Smith

The statement "one masterpiece at a time" sounds somewhat like a flashy marketing gig especially in today's world of "we make a million but they're all special and so are you!" kind of attitude. Every once in a while, though, I come across the saying used to describe a process of making a gun and it turns out to be just a simple truth.

Based in Colorado, Luke Volkmann got his start in the industry working for others, like many have. And as is the case, sometimes conditions change and these changes require us to move on, often in the same vein or even in a completely different direction. Moving on in his direction, Volkmann Custom was formed with George Home's help and Volkmann guns are in fact outstanding 1911s. I personally think they might even be special.

In Volkmann's own words, "I want the public to know we are giving them a pistol built one at a time, hand built for the same price as a production-built gun, built on an assembly line. I left a place for that reason alone. I managed a team of gunsmiths for a number of years before deciding to manufacture and build my own pistols. I always thought the customer wasn't getting a pistol built for him or her, just a pistol built for anyone who wanted one.

"We want the customer to have more choices and yet not break their bankbook. Our pistols only range a few hundred dollars between all of the models. Whether they want a durable reliable working pistol or a flashy polished safe queen, the prices won't make their decision for them if they are consistent on cost. We can get away with this because all of our pistols are built one at a time and the intensive labor is the same all of the time. Having said this, we can only make a fraction of the guns our assembly line competitors can."

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The Volkmann 1911 is based on a carbon steel-forging, machine cut to the dimension of Luke's personal specs. This non-gulling carbon steel frame is fitted with machined stainless steel pins to prevent corrosion and reduce impact wear on the pistol. All the machined parts are hand fit by file and emery, which is the old fashion, but really a good way. The match-grade barrels are fit the same way and all beveling--whether mag well or barrel throat and feed ramp--is done the same old-fashioned way. Truly a pistol hand built and hand fitted.

No sense beating around the bush, the Combatant Custom was my favorite Volkmann pistol--my pistol is a full-size 5" done on in a two-tone Rockote finish of black and green. The pistol has fixed sights with night sight inserts, Commander style hammer, a beavertail, a small tab thumb safety and not one dang extended thing on the pistol. It has a subtle flare on the standard magazine well.

Heard of the "glass rod" trigger? This is one of the very few--and I mean very few--pistols I have ever shot where the trigger fits the glass rod description. The parts not only fit together they flow together and if you don't know what I mean by that, it isn't something I can explain in the space of a story. It simply has to be experienced.

Volkmann's version of the Commander size 1911 is his Combatant Carry model. The one I tested had a hard chrome finish with the bob job done on the rear of the pistol frame. The bobbed frame thing is always intriguing and I have met many people who either swear at it and by it over the years. For me personally, it is a take it or leave it gig, and if I bought a gun built from scratch I would pass on the modification.

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The premise is the "bobtail" mainspring reduces the "print" of the pistol while being carried concealed. I guess on some people yes and maybe no on others. I also think it might have a bit of the "cool" factor going for it, truth be told. That said, the Combatant version is a very smooth running smaller stature pistol if you want one, and at the same time it is a large bore, rock-solid defense pistol.

A lot of people are building 1911s today, but 191 l s are few and far between that combine good looks, "feel" correct and function and shoot when all is said and done. These two Volkmann pistols meet the good feel, correct function and shoot criteria.

The guns as they leave Volkmann's shop are Ransom rested at 15 yards and rapid fire tested with high-end defense ammo. To confirm the gun, a less expensive load is used to assure even with this type of ammo the guns still function and are accurate.

There was no "testing" these guns by me in the classical gun writer sense ... there was only shooting them and that end of the deal went very well. Without any effort with 230-grain FMJ ball I worked over an 8" plate rack at 15 yards and as well as modest steel targets out to 60 yards without any problems at all. It was just sort of hold on, press and clank came the response. The function was flawless in the 1,500 rounds or so I fired through the pistol in five days.

When all was said and done and the last round had gone down the tube. the thought Luke Volkmann builds "one masterpiece at a time" stopped being a point of discussion. For me. if the Volkmann pistols are not "'one masterpiece at a time" ... they are as close to it as I have seen in a long, long time.