Caspian or Colt, or both?

Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Messages
9,662
Likes
7,563
Location
The Gate City
Feedback: 49 / 0 / 0
Picked up this neglected 1911 today for a great price. Giving it a quick once over look see, I've found that the receiver is a Caspian receiver. Looking to find a date of manufacture on it, and any other details, such as, did Colt farm out to Caspian for the Gold Cups, or is this a franken1911?

20211218_175531.jpg20211218_175547.jpg20211218_175819.jpg20211218_175856.jpg20211218_180310.jpg
 
I am not a Colt expert but I am pretty sure this was not done by Colt. Caspian frames are sold with the rails oversize and are individually fitted to a slide.
 
Franken1911. This combination is not uncommon however. Colts are known for a sloppier slide to frame fit. If you google “colt caspian 1911” and do images you’ll find many other like it. The original owner probably figured it was cheaper to buy the Caspian frame and have it fit, rather than make the grip/trigger guard modifications.
 
Looks like an early IPSC / USPSA gun. When it started there were no divisions like today, a compensated 45 was the most common gun used until the hi-caps came into the game. It has all the go fast options like adjustable sights, magwell, oversized mag release and slide release, wide thumb safety. Today its would be more at home at a bowling pin match.
 
Oh my god!
Sean has the best insight on it, even though he was barely out of diapers when that gun was put together. The comp is a MBTS Budget Comp that was done by Practical Pistol Services of Methuen, Ma. I know, since I was Practical Pistol Services way back when. The rear sight was a Millet, the front sight that was installed on the slide, and missing, was a Millet Dual Crimp. I never installed those front sights as they were a POS. The beavertail is a Wilson/Clark. Magwell is a Smith and Alexander. The oversize mag button was one of mine. My Single Stack gun still wears one.
People got parts from gun shows, buddies at matches and Shotgun News in that time frame. Colt and Caspian had nothing to do with that build
Was it purchased at a shop, or from an individual?
 
Oh my god!
Sean has the best insight on it, even though he was barely out of diapers when that gun was put together. The comp is a MBTS Budget Comp that was done by Practical Pistol Services of Methuen, Ma. I know, since I was Practical Pistol Services way back when. The rear sight was a Millet, the front sight that was installed on the slide, and missing, was a Millet Dual Crimp. I never installed those front sights as they were a POS. The beavertail is a Wilson/Clark. Magwell is a Smith and Alexander. The oversize mag button was one of mine. My Single Stack gun still wears one.
People got parts from gun shows, buddies at matches and Shotgun News in that time frame. Colt and Caspian had nothing to do with that build
Was it purchased at a shop, or from an individual?
I purchased it private sale (NH). I think he probably bought it off someone as well private sale.
 
Well, now I'm not sure what to do with this pistol. I don't know whether or not to just clean it and beat it or give it a complete work up. I'm not really a fan of the compensator or front site. I'm going to keep this one - it's really the first "real" 1911 I have - my other one is a 9mm.

I'm open to suggestions.
 
It's a very nice gun and a small piece of history. I like those frames with the finger groove and would have jumped on buying that. I'd clean/lube and run it. Find the ammo it likes and bring it to pin matches.
 
What @whatluck said. If you’re stuck between leaving it alone and doing a full custom build, opt for the middle. Send it for a day at the spa and then shoot the hell out of it. It’ll be a great gun either way. There are a lot of great smiths and you could just do sights, barrel/bushing, and other internals.
 
Well, now I'm not sure what to do with this pistol. I don't know whether or not to just clean it and beat it or give it a complete work up. I'm not really a fan of the compensator or front site. I'm going to keep this one - it's really the first "real" 1911 I have - my other one is a 9mm.

I'm open to suggestions.

It looks similar to my old Springfield Factory Comp from the early 90s I bought new. It needed a new life as a carry pistol. I took it to @Greg Derr, he fitted a second slide/barrel with sights and beaver tail, along with lots of small details. It lives its life that way now, but I can switch between them if I want.

I'd give him a call after the holidays. Best of luck. [cheers]


Non mine; "Factory Comp"

1640020025306.png
 
It looks similar to my old Springfield Factory Comp from the early 90s I bought new. It needed a new life as a carry pistol. I took it to @Greg Derr, he fitted a second slide/barrel with sights and beaver tail, along with lots of small details. It lives its life that way now, but I can switch between them if I want.

I'd give him a call after the holidays. Best of luck. [cheers]


Non mine; "Factory Comp"

View attachment 554287
i am just curious - does that ugly muzzle break really help anything at all? who and why even placed it there?
 
i am just curious - does that ugly muzzle break really help anything at all? who and why even placed it there?

Yes, it helps. The better you are the better it helps. Are 'you' good enough to notice the difference? I was not. [laugh]

Who? Springfield Factory Comp 1911-A1

Why? It was for shooting competitors from the factory to fit a niche in the early 1990s. It was to stop people from having to bastardize their own guns.
 
Oh my god!
Sean has the best insight on it, even though he was barely out of diapers when that gun was put together. The comp is a MBTS Budget Comp that was done by Practical Pistol Services of Methuen, Ma. I know, since I was Practical Pistol Services way back when. The rear sight was a Millet, the front sight that was installed on the slide, and missing, was a Millet Dual Crimp. I never installed those front sights as they were a POS. The beavertail is a Wilson/Clark. Magwell is a Smith and Alexander. The oversize mag button was one of mine. My Single Stack gun still wears one.
People got parts from gun shows, buddies at matches and Shotgun News in that time frame. Colt and Caspian had nothing to do with that build
Was it purchased at a shop, or from an individual?
PPS was one of the few "go to" places way back when. In those days a nice comp gun would run you about $1500 or so and this gun would have been capable of winning the USPSA nationals.
 
i am just curious - does that ugly muzzle break really help anything at all? who and why even placed it there?

If you have a 45 with something like that on it, it actually does help, if you're not shooting fluff loads. My bowling pin gun has almost exactly the same comp on it. It makes rapid fire a lot easier.
 
Had a nice conversation with @Greg Derr today, and will be ringing him up after the new year. Really pleasing to talk to!

I have some thinking on what to do with this - I'm into it for really cheap money, and I really think I'd like to have him do this pistol up right. He had a lot of great suggestions....

Emailed Caspian to get a date of manufacture of the lower, and Walt had this to say:

Ron, That’s an old one, where did you get it. We have to go into the old books to get info on this. It might take a day or 2. Walt

All the info I have on this pistol is the person that sold it to me acquired it from a friend. It was the friend's son's - he was KIA in Afghanistan. I don't know when or where it was acquired before that.

Thanks for all of the information folks!
 
Well, now I'm not sure what to do with this pistol. I don't know whether or not to just clean it and beat it or give it a complete work up. I'm not really a fan of the compensator or front site. I'm going to keep this one - it's really the first "real" 1911 I have - my other one is a 9mm.

I'm open to suggestions.

I would change the sights to something you prefer, but frankly clean it up, have the action and trigger checked and set how you want, leave the comp alone, better off just enjoying it mostly how it is vs doing a full on money pit on it and only getting part of what you want out of what is clearly a mixmaster special.
 
I would change the sights to something you prefer, but frankly clean it up, have the action and trigger checked and set how you want, leave the comp alone, better off just enjoying it mostly how it is vs doing a full on money pit on it and only getting part of what you want out of what is clearly a mixmaster special.
I like this idea as well.
 
Cool thread. Nice to stumble on an interesting gun thread. Sometimes with all the politics, econ, Covid threads, I forget why I came here way back.
 
I would shoot that gun a fair bit just as it is before spending money on it. Finger grooved pistol grips are always a very individual thing.

I am not against finger grooves, but they need to fit, or the gun just won't feel right. I personally like the rubber Hogue grips with finger grooves on my K-frame revolvers. They fit my hands very naturally, and I never think about my hand position when I am using them. But I know many people hate them, and can't get a comfortable, consistent, or repeatable grip.

I have tried other guns with finger grooves where the grooves were not quite right, and it took me a while to figure it out. The gun felt OK, but my groups were not great, and I eventually figured out that the finger grooves were making my grip inconsistent. Changing the grips resolved the issue.

On the 1911 in this thread, the finger grooves are unchangeable. And based on other posts, I suspect they are well designed and will work for lots of people. But I would still shoot the gun a bit before making a significant investment.
 
Well, now I'm not sure what to do with this pistol. I don't know whether or not to just clean it and beat it or give it a complete work up. I'm not really a fan of the compensator or front site. I'm going to keep this one - it's really the first "real" 1911 I have - my other one is a 9mm.

I'm open to suggestions.
I second what Grant said. Change out the sights if you want, and do the fire control group if the trigger feels funky. Then run it hard. It would like that. Old 1911 have feelings you know.

But, I may be a little partial. That gun reminds me of one my uncle had way back when. I loved shooting that thing.
 
Back
Top Bottom