For awhile now Auto-Ordnance, the people who make semi-auto Tommyguns, have been selling bargain-basement 1911s for cheap.  Auto-Ordnance is owned by Kahr arms.  Dealer price on these parkerized, mil-spec looking 1911s is cheap, below $400, but I haven't heard alot of good things about them.  They look kind of rough.

New for 2004, the company has come out with a "Thompson Custom" 1911 in stainless.  It has the Thompson name on it instead of the Auto-Ordnance name on it, and it looks like a totally different 1911.  The other 1911s say "Auto-Ordnance" on them but never "Thompson", now this one says "Thompson" but not "Auto-Ordnance".  I wonder what the relationship of these trademarked names to each other really is.  Obviously someone is making these things and Thompson is putting their name on the slide, but who is actually making the gun?  A little bird landed on my shoulder and suggested that the gun looks like a Dan Wesson.  This makes sense since Dan Wesson has been doing alot of work with investment cast frames, and this particular gun has such a frame.  Plus the trigger, sights, grips, and slide serrations all look like DW's work to me.  

Can anyone confirm or deny this?  Has anyone seen one of these things in the flesh yet?  Anyone know what dealer price is for this 1911?



www.tommygun.com/ao_1911tc_f.html

Just to point out the similarities, here is a DW "Pointman" on gunbroker:

www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=22655471

Buddy of mine bought a Kahr Auto ord milspec last year. He has not had a single problem with it & he shoots primarlily wolf "performance" ammo through it.

I know Auto Ord was junk in pat history, but I'm very tempted to buy one. Would rather have one of those than one of the many Philipino makes out there.

Any figure on price on that new one?

I've read several threads that state that the quality of Auto Ord went way up after Kahr purchased them.  The ones I've handled at shows seem to be on par with the Springfeilds.

I have one of the mil spec parkeized AO's that is one of the later ones made since Kahr bought the name back in 99 or 98.  It is an absolutly great shooter.  Might be the most accurate 1911 that I have ever seen; not kidding; one hole groups, literally; at seven to ten yards.  They are nicely made, and I expect that the new stainless Thompson Custom will be even better.

Quoted: I have one of the mil spec parkeized AO's that is one of the later ones made since Kahr bought the name back in 99 or 98.  It is an absolutly great shooter.  Might be the most accurate 1911 that I have ever seen; not kidding; one hole groups, literally; at seven to ten yards.  They are nicely made, and I expect that the new stainless Thompson Custom will be even better.

Care-less, can you give us a ballpark figure on what you gave for your example?  Got any pics, or anything you want to tell us about it?

Quoted: I have one of the mil spec parkeized AO's that is one of the later ones made since Kahr bought the name back in 99 or 98.  It is an absolutly great shooter.  Might be the most accurate 1911 that I have ever seen; not kidding; one hole groups, literally; at seven to ten yards.  They are nicely made, and I expect that the new stainless Thompson Custom will be even better.

Tom is that you?

Dan