The photography is less elegant than some, but here's my trusty old Colt Army model, made in 1943:
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Grips have been replaced with Pachmayer with a front strap, and adjustable sights have been added. I know, I know. The gun will never, ever, under any circumstances be sold so adding a few creature comforts was worth it.
She may not print 1" at 25 yards like some of the modern tricked out 1911s, but she WILL go bang when you need her to, even 65+ years later.
I hate to sell the old girl, but since I finally got around to typing up what all she had done to her, I guess I owe it to her to post it here.
This is a Thompson Custom 1911 (stainless) with quite a bit of gunsmithing from the good Dr. Barry Greyson on this board (arguably one of the best 1911 gunsmiths in this state).
The fit and finish of this gun are amazing and the slide/frame feels like glass. It is accurate, has one of the nicest triggers I've ever felt on a 1911 (and its a series 80 firing pin safety model - a fact that no one I've asked to pull the trigger can seem to guess). The sear spring in it now is super-light, but it comes with another sear spring that makes for a more carry-friendly trigger should you want to use it for self defense.
This gun is a friggin shooter. I've got about 800rds through it and it was broken in properly and has always been well maintained. I've got every piece of paperwork from anything ever done to it (except for the brownells receipt from the parts). I bought this one new and have been its only owner.
I've got a full write-up of what he did.
Here's directly from the write-up:
1. Adjusted and lowered feet of barrel / and side of hood; and clearanced barrel hood .003" to breech face.
2. Crown barrel, eliminate barrel spring at bushing; adjusted timing.
3. Check headspace and ream and polish chamber
4. Throated barrel and frame and set barrel/frame offset.
5. Replaced / tuned and advanced timing on upper firing pin safety lever with a Colt series 80 lever and adjusted to fit / timed. Also polished firing pin safety
6. New recessed lanyard loop (Guncrafter) mainspring housing - polished internal spring channel and setup with new MS Cap, lower spring base and MS pin (EGW).
7. Adjusted hammer strut and clearanced to eliminate msh interference and sear spring rubbing
8. Fit Thumb safety and bevel & smooth edges
9. Adjust and install new series 80 (blue) Ed Brown Extractor
10. Adjust the "Swelled" Kimber mag to .538 to drop free.
11. Install and adjust new Ed Brown National Match Trigger
12. Install and adjust Ed Brown Series 80 Firing Pin stop (stainless)
13. Polish internals of Mag Release.
14. Replaced hammer and sear pins with EGW Hardened pins
15. Adjusted grip safety to release properly with new mainspring housing.
16. Adjusted and belveled most of the sharp edges inside of the slide and on rails.
17. Beveled barrel bushing and polished edges.
18. Installed new Firing Pin spring and recoil spring (I.S.M.I) 16Lbs (also bevel FP hole on breech face).
9. Trigger (Ed Brown National Match), Extractor (Ed Brown), firing pin stop (EGW).
10. Wilson Combat stainless grip screws / bushings and some wood grips I got off of another member here (there is a small nick in the top of the wooden grips, by the thumb safety, its barely noticable and has never bothered me, so I never replaced them).