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Ed Brown Special Forces Carry
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The Ed Brown Special Forces Carry is one of a long list of purpose driven guns from a family of dedicated 1911 manufacturers that have been defining quality for more than 40 years. Ed Brown’s reputation for quality and precision has placed them in the top tier of pistol makers. For scores of Ed Brown owners, the guns are unequivocally worth their respective prices. Buying an Ed Brown is, without any sense of irony, an investment.
Something about the Special Forces lends itself to my white-collar daydreams. It would make a stylish gun for a CEO’s desk.
Specifications
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Weight with unloaded magazine: 35 ounces
- Height: 5.5”
- Length: 7.75”
- Magazine Capacity: 7
- Recoil Spring: 20 lbs
- Texture: Chainlink III treatment on frame and housing
- Grip shape: Single stack Commander Bobtail®
- Material: Steel
- Finishes Available: Stainless or Gen4 coating
- Barrel length: 4.25”
- Barrel material: T-416 stainless steel, match grade
- Twist Rate: 1-16” left hand
- Sights: 3-dot night sights
- Grips: Black G10
- Trigger: three hole aluminum Factory setting: 3.5 – 4.0 lbs
- MSRP: $2,745
The detail work on an Ed Brown gun gets better as you get closer.
What exactly do you get for the money you’d invest in an Ed Brown 1911? The question is an important one. The decision to buy an Ed Brown wouldn’t be one that most readers of GunsAmerica would make on sheer impulse. And we live in a world that is filled with functional 1911s that come in under $1,000. So how do you justify the cost?
This is actually easier to explain than I’d thought it would be. I’ve shot my fair share of really nice guns. I’ve also shot a lot of expensive guns (not all of which were worth what they cost). The Ed Brown Special Forces is a beast. It is also oddly sophisticated and refined. Above everything is this unifying attention to detail that is exceptionally rare these days. After shooting with the gun for more than a month, I have only found one miniscule cosmetic detail that I would be inclined to change. Only one. And we’ll get into that in a moment, but first let’s look at everything that is right about this gun.
The branding on the Special Forces is very subtle, something I really appreciate. The quality says all it needs to say.
To begin with, all of the parts are solid. This may be difficult to feel in some cases, but none of the guts are made from metal injection molded parts (which have a reputation for being weaker than parts cut from bars and billets of steel). Forged steel has a very different internal make up. At a molecular level, MIM parts don’t offer tremendous structural integrity. It may never be a problem for a gun, but it might. With an Ed Brown, you are paying for quality components. And these MIM parts are often the first things you replace on a lower cost 1911 when you begin to get really serious about customization and performance.
The questions then has to do with starting with the right parts, or adding them slowly over time. All of the various pieces and parts on an Ed Brown are fit by hand. While much of the 1911 world relies on modularity, the Ed Browns don’t. The slide glides on its rails with virtually no friction, and absolutely no play. It is very precise, and one of those feelings that is hard to capture in print. I’ve spent more time cycling the slide off the range as I have on it. The fit is so precise that I keep cycling, looking for that tell-tale grit or catch that is so common. But it isn’t there. Every piece of this gun fits, perfectly, and you’re not going to be able to make that claim when you take a base model 1911 and start swapping out parts.
The Ed Brown comes with Trijicon sights that incorporate a sang free pyramid shape with tritium dots.
Once the fit is right on the Special Forces, the tool marks are all buffed out. No matter how close you get to this pistol, you won’t find those imperfections. While I find file marks endearing on a 1911-A1 from 1943, I appreciate the brilliance of this finish. Keep looking closer and closer. Even the edges of the Chain link line up perfectly.
Like many of the other nice 1911s, the Special Forces Carry has functional details that assure reliable performance. The edges of the pistol are dehorned so there is less of a chance that they’ll hang on clothes. The feed ramp has been polished and the ejection port has been lowered and flared to ensure clean ejection.
As you’d expect, the Special Forces has a match grade barrel. The bushing is precisely fit, too. The combination is precise and reliable. Accuracy is almost a given with a pistol like this. The Ed Brown team shoots the guns before they leave the factory and makes sure they’re up to the level of performance they expect. If the gun isn’t, it doesn’t leave the factory.
The trigger is amazing. There is absolutely no creep. The break is clean and very light, right at 4.4 pounds. The break is lighter than most 1911s I’ve carried, but substantial enough that it isn’t going to surprise you. It is the best trigger I’ve felt on a 1911 in a long time, and I can’t remember ever pulling the trigger on one that I’d actually call better. If you want a lighter trigger, the Ed Brown crew can do that. All aspects of these pistols are customizable.
One feature that is subtle is the “memory groove” beaver-tail grip safety. I hadn’t noticed it the first few times I handled the gun, but I did when i was shooting. The grip safety is slightly higher than normal, which allows for you to hold higher on the gun. The slot for the hammer is deep and the bump at the safety’s base is large enough to ensure deployment.
The front strap and mainspring housing both have this distinctive pattern, which is similar to the dimples on a golf ball.
The thumb safety is longer than most, and it doesn’t protrude as far off the side. The result is a safety that still allows for the mechanical advantage of a long lever, but one that isn’t going to get hung up on anything because it sticks off the side of the gun too far.
In addition to the standard cuts made on a 1911-A1, the Ed Browns have more of the trigger guard cut away. Like the grip safety and the thumb safety, this may seem miniscule and so subtle that it is almost unimportant, but it adds to the overall effectiveness of the gun. While any one of these might almost be a novelty, the combination of these features makes the Special Forces just a bit faster, more accurate, more reliable–in short, easier to use.
The logic here seems easy enough to spell out. Ed Brown makes 1911s that are more than aesthetic works of art. There are a lot of makers out there that do that. These are works of art because of their ability to perform reliably, continually. That the guns look good, and the Special Forces Carry certainly looks good, is an after thought to how the various components fit and function together with the shooter. It isn’t fancy that you’re paying for, but function. That’s why I love this gun so much. There’s no dinosaur bone. No Damascus. The stainless is meant for hard use. Some 1911s are so painfully beautiful that I’m hesitant to touch them. But you can keep the guns the are meant to look at.
Seven rounds from 25 yards.
Shooting
So I’ve just finished what feels like a huge litany in defense of the price tag. How does it shoot? If I had anything negative to say here, I wouldn’t be writing this review. At all. The Ed Brown functions exactly as advertised, so it will probably be a short section.
We rand the Special Forces Carry from three different holster positions. While the shoulder holster is the most cinematic, strong side OWB is still the fastest. This is a gun that pulls well and points well. It is still a 1911, so all of the single-action credos apply. It is meant to be carried cocked and locked. At most, you’ll have eight rounds to work with. But if you hit what you’re aiming at, you shouldn’t have any problems.
From 7 yards, the gun shoots one ragged hole. At 25 yards the group widens for me a bit. I can put 7 rounds in a nice tight group, though, so I’m not complaining. And this is not a target gun. I’m more concerned with how quickly I can put two rounds in a 12 inch circle than I am with the ability to poke one hole. And I can draw and connect in just under 1.3 seconds, so I’ve got no complaints.
Once we’d determined the hold-over, hitting a 12 inch plate at 100 yards was easy enough.
And the gun is dependable enough that I can put lead on that same 12 inch target from 100 yards. Not every time, mind you, but most shots. We shot this plate from 100 yards. At that distance, the front dot almost completely blocks out the target. But with a slight hold-over, the steel will ring. Bang-wait for it-ding. It is one of life’s subtle joys.
Problems?
We had none. We ran junk ball ammo, reloads, and some heavy carry ammo through the pistol and didn’t have any issues. There were no failures to feed or extract. There wasn’t any issue with magazines or sights. In all, it was an incredibly solid performance from a gun that promises just that.
The bobbed grip is a popular design that is catching on. It does what an arched mainspring housing does for shooters with big hands.
Earlier, I alluded to one minor cosmetic issue. This is my beef, and not something I’d hold Ed Brown responsible for, yet I’ll mention it here because I think such criticisms are warranted of guns in this price range. The grip panels are angular where the grip is angular. That is appropriate, but where the grip has been bobbed and rounded over, the G10 should really follow that line. This is clearly an aesthetic preference, and some thing that wouldn’t alter the way the gun shoots.
Philosophy of use
Now that we’re through with the nuts and bolts, I’d like to come back to the name itself. Special Forces implies something utilitarian and martial in nature. Several of the finishes and grip colors offer better camouflage than the stainless. While this one is ideally conditioned to be carried, I don’t know that I’d carry the stainless version, unless I was undercover in an urban environment. This feels more like a Secret Service pistol than a Special Forces gun, though I can’t say the same for the full sized versions. If you have read this far, I’d be willing to bet you’re open to carrying a 1911, and I’ve yet to see a 1911, anywhere, that I’d carry with as much confidence.
I’m partial to a DeSantis New York Undercover holster for carry with a sports coat.
That’s what it comes down to for me. I own some 1911s. I have one that is 101 years old and one that is 2 years old. They’re great pistols. Yet even the new one spends more time in the safe than it does on my hip. I came into the gun world with a deep reverence for the 1911’s fighting past, and thought that the gun’s venerable history was all the assurance that I needed for daily carry. Yet I’ve had too many first hand experiences with the platform’s finicky nature. And now, when I reach for a concealed carry gun, I don’t reach for a 1911. The Ed Brown could change that. If I could afford the gun, I wouldn’t hesitate to carry it.
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The slide serrations are clean and unpretentious.
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One of the defining features of a gun in this class is a well thought out and well executed trigger pull.
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The shorter overall length of the Special Forces makes carrying it in a shoulder holster more practical.
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The retaining strap on this DeSantis could be a bit tighter across the back, but still holds the gun in place.
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We had no issues related to the magazines, or the reading of round counts.
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In the dark, the sights are very easy to see.
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The tritium glows, even in fairly bright interior light.
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The G10 grips borrow from the double-diamond motif and are more round than they are flat.
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The triggers on 1911s usually get grimy after only a few magazines. This one is still spotless after all of our testing.
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The styling of the Special Forces makes it good for code switching. It goes well with a suit or with jeans and a ball cap.
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The recoil impulse is sharp, but not out of line with what I’d expect from a 1911.
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The gun comes in a convenient carry case. Practical, but not too ostentatious.
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The hammer is thin and thumbs back easily.
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The beaver-tail grip safety allows for a good high-hand grip.
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Even the sides of the sights are ribbed for extra grip.
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The magazine well is just slightly beveled, but enough to get the job done.
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The Trij front sight is drift adjustable.
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The aluminum trigger on the Special Forces is ideal, as it should be.
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The Ed Brown is costly, but not really. Your buying a tool. Only, this tool hand crafted, every edge is rounded, and the gun is meticulously tested for the utmost reliability when you get it. Everything is from billet, or barstock forgings.
There are expensive and cheap models in everything in life! If you total your Lamborghini, it will be gone to!
Not to mention, you can pick up a Brand NEW Ed Brown Alpha Carry, or Alpha Elite on Guns America for around $1,900 bucks NEW! Yep, it’s stainless too! That’s cheaper than what a fancy cerakoted Glock cost with pretty holes drilled in to it!!
I’d pick up a Ed Brown and run it to death, they are more reliable than alot of other pistols. Accurate, and just beautiful! It’s a quality crafted tool!
I always thought this gun was just beautiful
I am glad you mentioned SigSauer Firearms as quality firearms. I am a retired operator, 20 years Miliary / Law Enforcement. Firearms by definition are TOOLS (a : a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task). I wish the news and all the sheep would wake up and realize it is not the Tool it is the person using it.
In the military we used the Beretta M9 9mm or Sig P226 same cal. The Tool you got was dependent on unit or operational tier/status. After shooting the Sig, I was sold, AWESOME. Oh it might be a good time to mention the US Marine Corps contracted with Colt recently to build their new 1911 .45 cal combat pistol.
Hmmmmm no Glock? funny how no branch of our military on any level use Glock. Why? If they are supposedly the only good tool in the mud crud and blood and can fire hundreds of thousands of rounds before they need to be “rebuilt” still a bit hazy on that, internally yeah but what about the slide and frame rails w/220,000 rounds there might be a little wear there ya think?. Also if I had to choose a p-frame (Polymer frame)Tool there are better choices, SIG Pro, H & K USP, Springfield Armory XD or Smith & Wesson M&P (all mud blood and crud certified) over the Glock any day in my humble opinion.
When I entered Law Enforcement standard issue was a Glock 9mm (noob shooter). The reason so many Law Enforcement Agencies go with the Glock standard issue, is it has few moving parts, you just line up the sights and pull the trigger. It is a great Tool for new recruits or beginners who have limited experience with firearms. Actually many departments are moving away from Glock to H&K, M&Ps, and Springfield Arms XDs. I have worked undercover narcotics, was on the (SRT) tactical entry team, and was a Field Training Instructor in addition to receiving the Meritorious Service Medal for Valor. So yes I have a little trigger time.
I started LE with the Glock standard issue, and hated it, felt like a toy, accuracy just was not up to my standards, was a mediocre Tool at best (hence the less than $500 price). As soon as I was able, I purchased my own tool, the H & K USP 40. I used it on duty for years and loved it. De-cocker, mag release on the trigger guard, great Tool.
When I hit the Tactical Team, (Trained by Seattle-Tacoma SWAT) I wanted something with a little more knockdown and accuracy, so I did some research and found that Sig Sauer was getting in on the US made 1911 market with the GSR 1911 Revolution and the reviews were great. I purchased this Tool as soon as it hit production from Sig and waited the 10 weeks it took to hand build it. I got it a week earlier than the company quoted and proceeded to the range (Customer Service was great, I called several times checking on the status lol).
I attached a Streamlight TLR 1 to it, placed it in my Blade Tech tactical thigh holster (I would later attach this to the upper chest of my tactical plate carrier for faster transitions from my M4) and off to the range we went. I shot low light, full light etc. put it through it’s paces. It was everything I expected and more, accuracy was spot on. To this day I have yet to have any type of malfunction. Keep your tools clean and lubed and they will always work for you. Expect malfunctions if you have not cleaned or lubed your Tool since you took it home from the store or since you put 200 rounds through it 2 weeks ago.
Recently, post retirement, I wanted a new concealed carry tool. I was using a Para Worthog. Again I did some research and picked up a 1911 buyers guide put out by a top Weapon Magazine. I found that Sig Sauer had come out with a new 1911 scorpion. According to the magazine the Tool was astounding, shooting 1.88 inch groups. Being familiar with Sig, I was sold. I purchased the Sig 1911 Scorpion Carry and as expected at 15 yards, I was able to literally shoot the bulls eye out of the target with one mag (9+1). I have a range at my home (train like you fight , fight like you train, shooting is a perishable skill !!!). And as a bonus the G10 grips have an extended opening mag well, which the GSR Revolution did not. Happy happy happy
Quality is quality, my Sig Scorpion Carry will stand up to any 1911 carry out there. The thing that baffles me is why the ED Brown Special Forces Carry did not incorporate the extended opening mag well G10 grips facilitating faster mag changes, like the Sig Scorpion, carry did and it was less than half the price. I know the bob tail grip, but I am saying mag change speed is a bit more important tactically in my humble opinion. If this is supposed to be a “Special Forces” Tool as the name suggests, try doing a few mag changes with gloves on and a standard 1911 mag well. Lets see what you think when you get one in your hands that has the G10 extended opening magazine grips. And those who say wider mag openings do not speed up mag changes, lol then why do almost all professional competition shooters use flared mag wells?
The extra $1500 – $2000 your paying, is for ED’s name guys/gals when he hand built them that is what gave his Tools their initial value (That and initially a lack of quality .45s on the market) a brilliant gunsmith. Plenty of 1911’s out there now are hand made just as well (or better) and cost less. This one personally if I were to buy it would prob just sit in my safe so I can say, I have an “Ed Brown” Tool.
Oh!! why you ask? For all you guys/gals walking around with $2,500- $3,000 concealed carry Tools, if you get into a shooting, LE (Law Enforcement) will take your 3k Tool, put it in evidence where it will stay until your hair turns grey (or if it is already grey your next of kin might get it). Just some food for thought 🙂
FBI stats show most firearm exchanges happen discharging 5-7 rounds at distances of up to 21 feet. If you need 39 rounds (Mr. Glocks carry more) to neutralize your target from within 21 feet in a concealed carry scenario, MORE RANGE TIME IS NEEDED, or put your guns down and walk away, it’s not for you, your going to kill an innocent bystander. OH!!!! and if you CAN hit a steel plate with your Glock from 100 yards away (highly unlikely), why do you need 39 rounds? Anyone else see the broken logic here?
If you ever do want a 1911 .45 that will carry more than 30 rounds, drums please………….Para Ordinance makes several hi-cap 1911 frame Tools. The para 1911 .45 was created by two top notch gunsmiths who’s initial full size platform most competition target Tools are built off of today, I own a Warthog, it has 10 in the mag and one in the chamber, with 2 extra mags, BOOM 31 rounds of .45 and fits in the palm of my hand. Not to mention the Para Black Ops Carry is 14+1 hmmmm 2 mags OMG 43 rounds of .45 (currently just hit production). They had to postpone the release due to one of their warehouses had a fire (what I am talking about when I say do your research). how do I know, I called the company. It is NOT the number of rounds, it’s if you can put them on target and in the right spot to neutralize the threat.
Talking about Concealed Carry which is what Tool and topic this post is about. There is no mud, blood or sand, most concealed carry engagements take place in a vehicle or on flooring, pavement or blacktop, maybe even grass. We are not talking a desert or mountain combat scenario here. Most are carried under clothing or in bags out of the elements.
Oh and who ever said they were using FMJ (ball) ammo in a concealed carry Tool 🙁 bad ju ju brother……. ever heard of over-penetration and secondary collateral damage (involuntary manslaughter)? 9mm Tools are famous for their speed (1200-1400 fps with +P loads) and over penetration with ball ammo. USE Tactical Application Ammo, something like 147 grain Federal Tactical Hydra shock JHP 9mm ammo has a muzzle velocity of 935 fps fired from a Sig Sauer P226 9mm. I use the same type of ammo in my 9mm, .40 cal, and .45 calibers. Like I said Tools, I have concealed carry models of each caliber. Use any type of hollow point ammunition designed so they stay in the body, mushroom, fragment, etc, and you do not hit the person standing behind your target.
I hope I cleared up some of the Bull$#^t I have seen here and enlightened others on this topic. Buy Quality! do your research, know you terrain and tactics, Clean and lube your Tool on a regular basis, and stay proficient (shoot at least every 2 weeks).
Carry on !!!!
My 2 year old Colt Gold Cup Trophy has almost every thing you mentioned but at a price I could afford. Price was $1,280. BTW the things it does not have I don’t see the function as any different. So I am glad I got the full sized Gold Cup Trophy. Meaning I am not envious of any other 1911.
I’m Special Forces and I carry a Para High Cap, In the real world the guy with the most ammo wins, not to mention its half the price and the quality is just as good out of the box. Just my opinion, not that it counts.
There’s no doubt that the Ed Brown 1911 is a great, reliable, pretty handgun, but, in my opinion, it’s way overpriced, especially for a single stack handgun. The simple fact is that at least a thousand dollars of the price is the Ed Brown name, not extra quality that can’t be found elsewhere.
Not so long ago, very high quality 1911s were difficult to find. Then you could find them, but had to pay through the nose to get one. This is no longer true, only Ed Brown doesn’t seem to realize that you can buy a completely reliable, beautiful, accurate single stack OR double stack 1911, for considerably less that what the Ed Brown 1911 costs.
The Ed Brown 1911 is a gun to buy because you WANT one, not because it’s as good as its price tag. Other, much cheaper, 1911s are now as good in every way, and better in some ways.
You just said it your self. A extra $1,000 of the cost alone, is the Ed Brown name. That is because Ed Brown will only put his name on the highest quality products.
You can pick up Ed Brown 1911’s for $1,700-$1,950 brand new on GB, and GA.
That’s not much more than a standard 1911. Or a fancy custom painted Glock with holes cut in it.
If you handled a Ed Brown, you would under stand.
I respect Ed Brown, and his 40 year commitment to quality!
I’ll happily hand over $2,695 for a Kobra Carry anyday. This comes out easy now, after alot of research. And handling of fine firearms.
For fans of the 1911, this is probably as close to perfection as one can get. But, for a purely fighting platform, I will take my Glock any day over the 1911 and spend the remaining dollars on ammo
For those of us fortunate enough to have arrived at a point in life where we can spend this kind of money on a firearm, Ed Brown is at the top of my list. I own two Baer’s (full sized 45, commander sized 38 super), two Wilson’s (both compact 9’s) and an Ed Brown Kobra carry. I got the Brown last. The Brown is my favorite of all my 1911’s. It’s even my pick over a 1911 I built myself that turned out better than I had any right to expect for my first build. As others have said, while I carry an M&P 9, the 1911 45 owns my heart. The Kobra Carry has about 5000 rounds through it of more brands/types that I can remember – it never hiccuped in any way even once. It’s a great size and feels incredible in the hand. It’s not my regular carry, but I do don it now and then and I like its weight and balance. Now, interestingly enough, the Wilson’s and Baer’s have pretty much the same reliability profile. The Baer’s are somewhat crude in comparison to an Ed Brown, but they function flawlessly, though be warned: Baer’s are not a fully finished weapon out of the box. Baer recommends that you run 500 rounds through their pistols before they are ready for action. This is because they don’t get the slide lock pin to bottom barrel lugs fitted correctly from the factory. This area is over sized and the lock up is incredibly tight when you first get it. Basically, you have to lap them in yourself by shooting them. When you are done and you pull the slide lock out you will see a subtle wear on the pin where it contacts the bottom barrel lugs. Nothing wrong with this as you are paying $700 to $1000 less for a Baer. My Wilson’s were not perfect out of the box and I blame this on their extreme tightness. It took a couple hundred rounds of 9mm ball to smooth them out – they run perfectly now. The Ed Brown seems to have the ideal slide to frame fit. Tight but not too tight. If I had bought the Brown first I may not have bought the others. I too had to send my pistol back to Ed Brown. My grip safety wouldn’t always disengage from the rear of the trigger bow when presenting quickly from the holster. The person on the phone listened to my grip and politely asked me to pay to ship it to them and they would pay to send it back to me. It took 8 days round trip and the problem with the grip safety was fixed. I have heard other stories about rude and arrogant discussions with Ed Brown support staff, so I theorize it is probably a hit and miss thing based on what mood they are in. This is the only problem with Brown’s operation in my opinion.
i have shot many 1911’s and have never owned or shot a ed brown and if i had the money for one i would probably buy one of there’s. until that time i will stick with my glock 21, and the pro carry ll kimber as i have owned these for many many years and have never let me down.
I’m the owner of several Wilson 1911’s and thought i’d try an Ed brown, after a short time the special forces 9mm would fire out of battery. factory or reloads. ended up sending it to Wilson because ” they know how to build a 1911″. The barrel needed to be replaced because of poor fitting. now it runs flawlessly.
i would never buy another .
tim
Hi,
I have a problem and I sure hop you can help. I bought an Ed Brown gun many years ago ( around 25 to 30 years) and no one I call will take credit for building it. I read an article like yours many, many years ago about Ed Brown…I called him…and he built an Officers Model Colt MK IV series 80 for me. The gun is stamped “Browns’s Guncraft”. I would appreciate it if you would contact me at [email protected] and give me some advice.
Thanks in advance for your time and effort.
Scott
Dave, Thanks for your review convincing us that this Ed Brown is another proof of their high skills, but for a price tag $2700 it also should be “a hell of a .45. Don’t you think so? Therefore I also agree with the comments as given by Warner and Vanns because this gun is far out of reach for most of us and lucky us, that there are many other fine shooting high quality 45. pistols on the market for less.
BUYER BEWARE!! In my humble opinion, there are two thrills about owning a very good firearm. The first is the thrill is paying a lot of money for the gun of your dreams, taking it home and realizing that it is finally yours. What a rush! The second thrill is taking it to the range in the hopes that it will perform to your expectations. The vast majority of the time, I have found this to be the case. In the unfortunate situation that there is something not right with the firearm, my expectation is that I can send it back to the manufacturer, and they will correct the problem. I found this not to be the case with an Ed Brown semi-automatic pistol. The person I spoke with, Mr. Brown’s son, was rude, curt, and argumentative. The worst part was that after sending it to them twice, at my expense both times, the designer and manufacturer of the gun did not fix it. When I called again, they would not call me back. What a disappointment and so unnecessary!! I know the company makes makes very good firearms. However, on the chance that you need to send your dream firearm back to the manufacturer, you may get the same that I got; the feeling that I had made an expensive mistake. And to be honest, why go through that frustration? As for shooting and hitting a 12″ plate at 100 yards, you certainly don’t need an Ed Brown pistol to do that!
A work of art to be sure, and meant to provide the fortunate few with pride of ownership. MY problem, after a career in SF as a tabbed guy, is that no active duty SF operator will be able to afford it w/o great hardship. I think any company cashing in on the SF name should make their product affordable to the namesake operators, at least.
Warner what does a Acog cost? The Special Forces get the best of the best. Price has never been an object.
Just a point and a couple of questions. I’ve carried a firearm for self defense for more than 35 years. Will this gun still fire after being subjected to mud, dirt, blood etc.? Mine has. Will this gun fire more than 220 thousand rounds before it needs to be rebuilt? Mine did. Mine also also cost less than $600, will shoot groups on a steel plate at 100 yds and, oh by the way, holds 13 rounds not 7.
Of course we all shoot what we all shoot what we like but for $2700 I could like a few Glocks!
It seems to me that if you sent 220,000 rounds through your (presumably) Glock 21 or 23 (the two off the top of my head that have 13 round magazines) then you spent approximately $88,000 (220,000 x $0.40) on ammunition. Could be less/more but that is not my point. The point is that the $2,100 difference between your chosen firearm and the Ed Brown is not that big of a deal when you shoot that much.
Now most people do not shoot anywhere near that amount and so the price difference is a significant barrier but for someone like you that did/does, not so much.
My point is/was, will the Brown 1911 hold up for 220,000 rounds before being rebuilt? I can and have rebuilt my Glock 23 in less than 25 min. The cost of ammo has absolutely nothing to do with what I was saying. I carry two spare 13 round magazines plus the one in the gun for a of total 39 rounds. Having been in critical situations before I’d much rather have those 39 than 21. If all you’re doing is going to the range then it really doesn’t make any difference.
That said, as I said earlier, we all shoot what we like, fire away.
Really? How do you rebuild the frame rails that are molded into the Glocks frame? I carry a G19 myself but would love to have an Ed Brown or Nighthawk for bullseye matches but when it comes to a blood and mud gun, I’d have to say I’ll stick to my Glocks. I built a 1911 on a caspian frame with a lot of Ed brown, wilson, powers parts and I don’t claim to be a gunsmith, far from it but when it comes to tight tolerances and not so ideal conditions, I’d rather have a gun that was a bit loose. That why those 45’s in WWII that guys brought home ran so well.
Great review though thanks a million.
I’ve got an Ed Brown Kobra Carry. An amazing pistol that, so far, has happily eaten every crap quality .45 shell I’ve put in it. Just amazing! As with any pistol like this quality piece (e.g. Sig P210), it sure makes a lot of other guns seem sadly lacking.
Hey, just to let you know I enjoy your E mails.This is a real compliment with all the hooks and trash coming at me. I own about 60 guns and have been hobbying with them 50 plus years.I would love to see a real test from you on a CZ 75. I own 6 S&W revolvers and 5 Colt 1911s and this was my first purchase of a Foriegn made gun. I Bought a new Cz 75 and a new Cz Rimfire Mannlicher Rifle together. Totally Happy and Impressed. The CZ 75 feels like a true strong confidence builder.For the money,a Serious pistol.Would love to see a test and review from you. You do them well. Thanks,Richard Davenport Jax Fl.