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Posted: 9/13/2023 10:26:51 AM EST
Hot off the press. Rob is moving on to building customs again. It's interesting to note that Nick said on another forum that Rob hasn't completely built ACW 1911s since prior to Cabot's purchase of ACW.
 ACW History & News with Nick & RCSJR |
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Posted: 9/13/2023 10:40:53 AM EST
[#1]
Interesting. So he is going back to doing what he did before he sold to Cabot?
Rob is a good guy with my few dealings with him. He fixed a 9mm Baer that Uncle Les' monkeys didn't build right. |
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Posted: 9/13/2023 10:47:31 AM EST
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By bad2006z71: Interesting. So he is going back to doing what he did before he sold to Cabot? Rob is a good guy with my few dealings with him. He fixed a 9mm Baer that Uncle Les' monkeys didn't build right. As I understand, Rob will be doing custom builds again. |
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WV, USA
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Posted: 9/13/2023 10:48:59 AM EST
[#3]
He is one of best 1911 smiths in the world
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Posted: 9/13/2023 2:31:18 PM EST
[#4]
As I recall, Rob also became Cabot's shop manager as part of the deal in which Cabot bought ACW. In that time, he's really built the ACW brand up, especially in the last couple of years, and put together a good team of smiths at ACW. That's an achievement in and of itself. So, if Rob's desire is to get back to building guns himself, it seems like he hit a natural decision point and more power to him.
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OH, USA
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Posted: 9/13/2023 2:34:47 PM EST
[#5]
Why not just going back to building at his own ACW brand?
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LA, USA
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Posted: 9/13/2023 2:54:55 PM EST
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Millennial: Why not just going back to building at his own ACW brand? I'm pretty confident Cabot Bought ACW and I'd imagine there was a clause preventing him from restarting under the Alchemy name. I'm sure Cabot wouldn't like it and I'm sure the ACW side and RCSJR himself wouldn't want to deal with that headache/confusion. |
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Posted: 9/13/2023 9:39:13 PM EST
[#7]
I cannot afford an Alchemy, so I won’t be able to afford one of his customs.
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VA, USA
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Posted: 9/14/2023 12:00:37 AM EST
[Last Edit: freeride1]
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Prod1911: I'm pretty confident Cabot Bought ACW and I'd imagine there was a clause preventing him from restarting under the Alchemy name. I'm sure Cabot wouldn't like it and I'm sure the ACW side and RCSJR himself wouldn't want to deal with that headache/confusion. That being said, I still love my ACW semi-custom . Phenomenal gun and I don't doubt they will still be putting out a great product. |
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Posted: 9/14/2023 10:33:04 AM EST
[#9]
well shit... I haven't bought an alchemy but they were high on my list. If he starts doing work on existing guns I might finally get my spare Baer up to him. Pretty sure he had a hand with it in Hillsdale but I don't know.
signed up for the email list... |
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MI, USA
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Posted: 9/14/2023 1:00:30 PM EST
[#10]
Count me in if he decides to start offering a hard-fit option again.
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Posted: 9/16/2023 2:31:43 PM EST
[#11]
TBH it seems that 1911s are more popular now than they have been at any point since I started shooting about 20 years ago. The Turkish and Philippine guns are everywhere at ranges and stores, Springfield has introduced quite a few models lately, and in general it seems there are more people posting about buying, shooting, and carrying them on non-1911 specific sites.
It's good to see that's happening at the upper end of the market too, to the point there will be another custom builder. ACW already released 3 new models this year too. |
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MO, USA
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Posted: 9/17/2023 6:52:45 PM EST
[#12]
I was just looking at ACW's site, starting at over $3k is out of my budget though.
It's pretty surprising to me that there's enough buyers to support all these premium priced options. |
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Posted: 9/18/2023 9:53:18 AM EST
[#13]
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Posted: 9/18/2023 12:23:49 PM EST
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By m6z: I was just looking at ACW's site, starting at over $3k is out of my budget though. It's pretty surprising to me that there's enough buyers to support all these premium priced options. @m6z Considering that run of the mill 1911s from Springfield are a grand and shit put out by kimber is 2 grand, 3 is not a crazy amount of money to spend on a hand crafted, heirloom piece. Plus us 1911 guys are weird. I'm wearing a watch that costs about 2,500 times more than a walmart watch, not because it's objectively better at keeping time (it's probably worse) but I appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it. |
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Posted: 9/18/2023 12:51:07 PM EST
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By steviesterno16: @m6z Considering that run of the mill 1911s from Springfield are a grand and shit put out by kimber is 2 grand, 3 is not a crazy amount of money to spend on a hand crafted, heirloom piece. Plus us 1911 guys are weird. I'm wearing a watch that costs about 2,500 times more than a walmart watch, not because it's objectively better at keeping time (it's probably worse) but I appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By steviesterno16: Originally Posted By m6z: I was just looking at ACW's site, starting at over $3k is out of my budget though. It's pretty surprising to me that there's enough buyers to support all these premium priced options. @m6z Considering that run of the mill 1911s from Springfield are a grand and shit put out by kimber is 2 grand, 3 is not a crazy amount of money to spend on a hand crafted, heirloom piece. Plus us 1911 guys are weird. I'm wearing a watch that costs about 2,500 times more than a walmart watch, not because it's objectively better at keeping time (it's probably worse) but I appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it. Yea. Baer's ruined me on production guns. Production guns can be just fine, but it is nice to have the better fitment/parts/trigger pull of the more expensive guns. |
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Posted: 9/18/2023 1:22:19 PM EST
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By bad2006z71: Yea. Baer's ruined me on production guns. Production guns can be just fine, but it is nice to have the better fitment/parts/trigger pull of the more expensive guns. doesn't always have to be more expensive, or at least not crazy. I paid ~$700 for my first baer and ~$1500 for my most recent TRS. I just priced Kimbers and I'm seeing a whole lot of them over $1500 |
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FM, USA
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Posted: 9/18/2023 7:55:21 PM EST
[#17]
Acw are fit really well and are classic/old school 1911. I would like to see some rear and top slide serrations for that money, or a more durable finish like nitride or dlc, for 3k.
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FM, USA
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Posted: 9/18/2023 7:56:29 PM EST
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By bad2006z71: Yea. Baer's ruined me on production guns. Production guns can be just fine, but it is nice to have the better fitment/parts/trigger pull of the more expensive guns. Meh, ill take a dw production gun over a baer. |
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Posted: 9/18/2023 8:05:58 PM EST
[#19]
ACW offers DLC.
I have no interest in top serrations, but Baer will serrate the rear of your slide |
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FM, USA
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Posted: 9/19/2023 9:04:46 AM EST
[Last Edit: DH243]
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AK-12: ACW offers DLC. I have no interest in top serrations, but Baer will serrate the rear of your slide Dlc on their 3k pistol? I wouldn't own a baer. Edit: looked it up on acw site, yep they do dlc. Adds 500.00 to base pistol price of 3200, so 3700. Rob does build a very solid gun, no question, it's just alot of coin for an otherwise exquisite, but plain pistol. |
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Posted: 9/19/2023 10:12:27 AM EST
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: Meh, ill take a dw production gun over a baer. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: Originally Posted By bad2006z71: Yea. Baer's ruined me on production guns. Production guns can be just fine, but it is nice to have the better fitment/parts/trigger pull of the more expensive guns. Meh, ill take a dw production gun over a baer. All 4 of my OG Valors I've owned had slightly better triggers than all my baer's. That said, in my hands, the Baer's were better in accuracy. |
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Posted: 9/19/2023 12:04:02 PM EST
[#22]
Rob was vehemently opposed to 10mm, but I'd be pretty happy if they brought .38 Super back. I'd definitely be in for one at some point-hard chrome of course. Macassar ebony grips would be perfect.
 Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: Dlc on their 3k pistol? I wouldn't own a baer. Edit: looked it up on acw site, yep they do dlc. Adds 500.00 to base pistol price of 3200, so 3700. Rob does build a very solid gun, no question, it's just alot of coin for an otherwise exquisite, but plain pistol. Aside from the case hardened or charcoal blued pistols they offer hot salt bluing, bead blast bluing, hard chrome, and DLC on all of their pistols as options-most have added cost associated. $3200 starting price is a lot of money to have added costs associated, but Nighthawks cost even more and mostly have spray coating finishes. A hand fitted pistol with all machined parts is going to be expensive these days now that mavhinery is cheap and labor is expensive in contrast to 100 years ago. Even Baer uses some cast parts. |
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Posted: 9/19/2023 4:03:12 PM EST
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AK-12: Rob was vehemently opposed to 10mm, but I'd be pretty happy if they brought .38 Super back. I'd definitely be in for one at some point-hard chrome of course. Macassar ebony grips would be perfect. Aside from the case hardened or charcoal blued pistols they offer hot salt bluing, bead blast bluing, hard chrome, and DLC on all of their pistols as options-most have added cost associated. $3200 starting price is a lot of money to have added costs associated, but Nighthawks cost even more and mostly have spray coating finishes. A hand fitted pistol with all machined parts is going to be expensive these days now that mavhinery is cheap and labor is expensive in contrast to 100 years ago. Even Baer uses some cast parts. Two tone with a hard chrome frame, man 
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Posted: 9/19/2023 5:08:31 PM EST
[#24]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Geralt55: Two tone with a hard chrome frame, man I'm really not a 2 tone guy. That, the square trigger guard, and the adjustable sights are the big 3 turnoffs for me on the Combat Limited. |
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Posted: 9/19/2023 5:55:06 PM EST
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: Acw are fit really well and are classic/old school 1911. I would like to see some rear and top slide serrations for that money, or a more durable finish like nitride or dlc, for 3k. The fact that Rob envisioned building 1911s which are true to JMB’s original designs are a plus to me. I like traditional. |
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FM, USA
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Posted: 9/19/2023 5:59:05 PM EST
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AK-12: Rob was vehemently opposed to 10mm, but I'd be pretty happy if they brought .38 Super back. I'd definitely be in for one at some point-hard chrome of course. Macassar ebony grips would be perfect. Aside from the case hardened or charcoal blued pistols they offer hot salt bluing, bead blast bluing, hard chrome, and DLC on all of their pistols as options-most have added cost associated. $3200 starting price is a lot of money to have added costs associated, but Nighthawks cost even more and mostly have spray coating finishes. A hand fitted pistol with all machined parts is going to be expensive these days now that mavhinery is cheap and labor is expensive in contrast to 100 years ago. Even Baer uses some cast parts. Uhm, no. Nighthawk starts around 3700 with nitride or dlc, they don't use any spray finishes. Guncrafter makes a hell of a commander in 45 or 38super, no name commander, for about 3300ish. It's nitrided. Neither of those companies, or dw, use cast parts, all forged. Idk, I love 38s but alot of shops are moving away from it. I bought the last wilson made and sold 38s commander barrel. It's fit dead tight in my jem build. I did all the work on it with forged parts from egw, wc, nhc, and jem. I had a friend run a EA serrater down the flat top and had EA DLC the slide and slide small parts. I did the rest of work including carry bevels, rear serrations, bead blast, bigger undercut, frame smoothing, stoning and lapping slide to to frame, and all blending. I've got 2400ish in, not counting the high figure desert ironwood burl thin grips. |
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FM, USA
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Posted: 9/19/2023 6:01:10 PM EST
[#27]
It's 2 tone with a square triggerguard, cause that's badass, lol.
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FM, USA
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Posted: 9/19/2023 6:09:41 PM EST
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GreyBeardBiker: The fact that Rob envisioned building 1911s which are true to JMB’s original designs are a plus to me. I like traditional. How so? I mean he builds double stacks, ball end cuts, railed models, some with arched some with flat msh, some with ambi safeties, recessed slide stop pin. Quite a few of those features aren't true to original JMB 1911s. I don't want anyone to think I'm dogging rob, his pistols are very nice and run, shot 4 or 5 examples of his. There seems to be cult like obsession with some 1911 builders. After owning a couple wilson, a couple nhc, a couple GI, and several dw, and I've shot and checked out several acw and baers, there's good in all of them and I've yet to just been so blown away by any of them that I take to the internet. I've never handled a heirloom precision or Yost or CTB, but pics of them look unreal. |
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Posted: 9/19/2023 6:26:36 PM EST
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: Meh, ill take a dw production gun over a baer. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: Originally Posted By bad2006z71: Yea. Baer's ruined me on production guns. Production guns can be just fine, but it is nice to have the better fitment/parts/trigger pull of the more expensive guns. Meh, ill take a dw production gun over a baer.  Attached File |
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Posted: 9/19/2023 6:28:38 PM EST
[#30]
Rob touched up my Baer a couple years ago.
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Posted: 9/19/2023 6:54:20 PM EST
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: It's 2 tone with a square triggerguard, cause that's badass, lol. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: It's 2 tone with a square triggerguard, cause that's badass, lol. No, it's gross. Originally Posted By DH243: Uhm, no. Nighthawk starts around 3700 with nitride or dlc, they don't use any spray finishes. Guncrafter makes a hell of a commander in 45 or 38super, no name commander, for about 3300ish. It's nitrided. Neither of those companies, or dw, use cast parts, all forged. Idk, I love 38s but alot of shops are moving away from it. I bought the last wilson made and sold 38s commander barrel. It's fit dead tight in my jem build. I did all the work on it with forged parts from egw, wc, nhc, and jem. I had a friend run a EA serrater down the flat top and had EA DLC the slide and slide small parts. I did the rest of work including carry bevels, rear serrations, bead blast, bigger undercut, frame smoothing, stoning and lapping slide to to frame, and all blending. I've got 2400ish in, not counting the high figure desert ironwood burl thin grips. I'll meet you halfway, they mostly don't use them, but this is straight from their website: Pistols that are colors other than black are still finished in our Perma Kote ceramic based finish |
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Posted: 9/20/2023 5:51:07 AM EST
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DH243: How so? I mean he builds double stacks, ball end cuts, railed models, some with arched some with flat msh, some with ambi safeties, recessed slide stop pin. Quite a few of those features aren't true to original JMB 1911s. I don't want anyone to think I'm dogging rob, his pistols are very nice and run, shot 4 or 5 examples of his. There seems to be cult like obsession with some 1911 builders. After owning a couple wilson, a couple nhc, a couple GI, and several dw, and I've shot and checked out several acw and baers, there's good in all of them and I've yet to just been so blown away by any of them that I take to the internet. I've never handled a heirloom precision or Yost or CTB, but pics of them look unreal. Yes, I do know ACW makes double stacks and railed 1911s. I’m referring to his Prime line and should have been more specific. I don’t care about the recessed slide stop. That’s purely cosmetic. I have ambi safety 1911s and don’t want any more of them. The Prime series - especially blued - screams traditional to me. |
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Posted: 9/20/2023 7:47:37 AM EST
[Last Edit: AK-12]
[#33]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GreyBeardBiker: Yes, I do know ACW makes double stacks and railed 1911s. I’m referring to his Prime line and should have been more specific. I don’t care about the recessed slide stop. That’s purely cosmetic. I have ambi safety 1911s and don’t want any more of them. The Prime series - especially blued - screams traditional to me. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GreyBeardBiker: Originally Posted By DH243: How so? I mean he builds double stacks, ball end cuts, railed models, some with arched some with flat msh, some with ambi safeties, recessed slide stop pin. Quite a few of those features aren't true to original JMB 1911s. I don't want anyone to think I'm dogging rob, his pistols are very nice and run, shot 4 or 5 examples of his. There seems to be cult like obsession with some 1911 builders. After owning a couple wilson, a couple nhc, a couple GI, and several dw, and I've shot and checked out several acw and baers, there's good in all of them and I've yet to just been so blown away by any of them that I take to the internet. I've never handled a heirloom precision or Yost or CTB, but pics of them look unreal. Yes, I do know ACW makes double stacks and railed 1911s. I’m referring to his Prime line and should have been more specific. I don’t care about the recessed slide stop. That’s purely cosmetic. I have ambi safety 1911s and don’t want any more of them. The Prime series - especially blued - screams traditional to me. Even his double stacks have a double diamond grip module and bushing barrel with GI recoil assembly, so as far as 2011s are concerned they are absolutely some of the most traditional vs a 1911. If you look at the very first 1911s, the lightening cuts were much sharper than those typical on most 1911s, but not as sharp as a ball cut. I'm not really a fan of them, but to call them out as non-traditional is kind of inaccurate. Same with flat vs arched mainspring housings, both are considered traditional, though magwells may not be. You could say that front strap checkering is non traditional. Most of what ACW offers are things that have been getting added to customers' guns by gunsmiths for several decades; it's a custom/semicustom shop, so this should be obvious. The vast majority of their finishes are traditional, and they aren't doing the more atypical stuff like tricut slides with serrations, comps, etc... |
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FM, USA
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Posted: 9/21/2023 7:49:31 AM EST
[#34]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AK-12: No, it's gross. I'll meet you halfway, they mostly don't use them, but this is straight from their website: Ok, so 98% of nighthawk guns are ss, nitride or dlc and the other 2%(probably less) are a cerakote type. Those would be the fde colored ones and I only see a few pics of those on here or 1911addicts. 2 tones and square triggerguards go back on 1911s for over a half century, I'd say that's not standard but pretty well regarded. Safari arms and sti/staccato had/have square triggerguards along with a pile of custom 1911s from the 70s/80s/90s. It's one of those subjective things I guess. I think ak's are overrated shitboxes that arent very reliable, but they had a good publicist, ar's are better in every way conceivable. |
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