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Recently this column featured my best 1911, a custom by Richard Heinie. I mentioned that Heinie has long since stopped taking new orders. Not many full-house Heinie pistols were ever made, and very few owners will ever sell. The pistols tend to be family heirlooms.

All is not lost, though. Nighthawk Custom consulted with Richard, building two new models using his design input. Richard is a man of extremely high standards, and sparing in his praise. So when he says Nighthawk Custom currently provides the best value in custom work, it's worth noting.

The Heinie Tactical Carry Model is virtually identical in design to the pistol I had built by Richard, with all the little custom details. Workmanship appears excellent, no surprise as every Nighthawk pistol I've shot or handled has been high quality. Suggested retail of the Heinie Tactical model is $3,895--not cheap--but commensurate with the features and quality. The PDP (Personal Defense Package) retails at $2,895.

Springfield's little alloy-framed EMP in 9mm has been tremendously successful. I was so impressed with the example tested for Handgunner (also on video at www.americanhandgunner.com Web Blast) I purchased it. It has become my favorite carry gun, most often in a Sparks inside-waistband holster.

The EMP is now being built in .40 S&W, using a steel frame rather than the alloy frame of the 9mm. version. Dave Williams advised they have been getting the same superb accuracy from the .40 S&W as from the

9mm.

FINE .50

For some shooters even a cartridge starting with "4" isn't enough. Guncrafter Industries designed the .50 GI. It uses a case similar in length to the .45 ACP, with a rebated rim the same size as a .45 but the body expanded to accept .50 cal. bullets. Loads available include 300 gr. bullets at 725 fps and 275 gr. bullets at 875 fps.

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Guncrafter makes high grade 1911 s to accept the .50 GI round, as well as conversion kits for 1911 pistols. Alex Zimmerman from Guncrafter has done it again, with a .50 GI conversion kit to fit Glock 20/21 frames. It includes slide, barrel, recoil spring and magazine and can be installed as quickly as you can field strip and reassemble a Glock. Price is reported to be in the $500 range.

In the early days of IPSC shooting we used to have a constant battle looking for reliable 1911 magazines. Around 1985 I bought six Wilson/Rogers magazines for .45 ACP cartridges. Those magazines are still working fine over 20 years later.

Currently we're fortunate to have many fine choices, such as Mec-Gar, Metalform, McCormick, Novak, Brown, Baer and others. People want to know which is "best". Frankly I don't know, nor do I know anyone who does. I do know what's worked for me.

Wilson Combat recently introduced Elite Tactical 8-shot magazines. Those I tried on the range functioned perfectly, as expected. I've ordered a half-dozen; if they perform as well in all my .45s I may finally retire my old ones.

Wilson also showed a fully machined 1911. Quality parts can be made by investment casting, by metal injection molding (MIM) and other modern techniques. However some still feel machining is the best way. Wilson Combat says every component on the new model, even non-stressed parts like the grip safety, is machined from solid steel.

CIVILITY

Old friend Brian Enos has been marketing a product called Slide Glide, sold in tubs big enough to keep all your pistols properly lubricated for decades.

He is now marketing the product in tubes, handier to toss in your gun bag and for applying the product. Brian says it is unlike other lubes that dry up or run off surfaces. It is relatively thick, "stringy" in his words. Once applied it stays in place instead of mining your clothes and keeps lubing a long time. Brian says he now reapplies lube every 5,000 rounds. I've been using it on my Springfield EMR It does indeed stay where it is placed and provides good lubrication.

Incidentally if you are fed up with the lack of civility on so many Internet forums, check out Brian's site, www.brianenos.com. Here you'll find shooters eager to learn and others happy to share knowledge, engaging in civil, informative discussion. It is an outstanding site, an example of how useful the Internet can be. Others should learn from it.

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning