Buy, Sell & Consign
Fine Firearms

1. Manufacturer: Springfield Armory

2. Caliber: .45 ACP 

3. Model/Size: Government

4. Finish: Stainless Steel

5. Condition: Pre-Owned

6. Box/Papers: No

Steve Nastoff learned what it took to make a 1911 in the crucible of competition where he and Jerry “Burner” Barnhart regularly left gasping to keep up. Nastoff sponsored Barnhart when Jerry won the 1986 IPSC nationals. “Nasty” guns were usually full-house compensated .45s, SuperComp I, II and III, but he also built solid carry guns like this stainless steel Springfield Armory. It’s a Nastoff full-house .45 ACP with French border and fine slide serrations, Heinie Slant Pro fixed rear, Baughman ramp front, Bar Sto barrel, 20 lpi hand checkered frontstrap and arched mainspring housing, and countersunk trigger holes. The front of the trigger guard is checkered at 30 lpi and the pistol is signed NASTOFF under the slide stop and on the disconnector ramp.  A set of Swenson ambi safeties are bead blasted to match stainless gun’s finish. Ed Brown slotted hammer checkered at 20 lpi, an extended mag release, and Wilson beavertail round out the package on this fine condition “Nasty”. Ships 2nd Day FedEx with gun rug and (1) Wilson ETM mag.

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1. Manufacturer: Browning

2. Caliber: .9mm 

3. Model/Size: Hi-Power

4. Finish: Blued

5. Condition: Pre-Owned

6. Box/Papers: No

Kim Ahrends was best known for his custom grips, both revolver and automatic, but Kim was also a very good pistolsmith. He built 1911s and Browning Hi-Powers. This pistol was made in 1993 as the AHRENDS 93 marking attests. It was made on a Belgian/Portugal P35 9mm Luger with the serial number relocated to the bottom of the frame from the front strap, which has been checkered at a fine 40 lpi.  The pistol is fitted with a Bar Sto barrel, and the beaver tail tang was custom welded by Kim. A Heinie rear sight was welded to thicken it to accommodate tritium inserts, which were installed by Trijicon. (Note: tritium half-life is 10 years so this 1993 build’s sights no longer glow in the dark.) There is a tritium front sight. The front of trigger guard is checkered, along with the backstrap and rear of the slide. The top front of the trigger guard contains an interesting and unusual right angle cut. Kim fit ambi safeties, a ring hammer and of course Ahrends Coco Bolo stocks. Very few Ahrends custom Hi-Powers ever surface, so this is a rare opportunity. Ships 2nd Day FedEx with gun rug and (1) mag.

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1. Manufacturer: Colt

2. Caliber: .45 ACP 

3. Model/Size: Government w/ 6 inch Barrel

4. Finish: Blued over Hard Chrome

5. Condition: Pre-Owned

6. Box/Papers: No

Armand Swenson was one of the most influential of 1911 pistolsmiths because his guns laid the foundation for combat modifications rather than the more prosaic bullseye “accurizing” modifications that were more typical of the era. Of Swedish descent, Swenson was a former professional boxer and avid speedboat racer. He built individual pistols with no set “build sheet” or “package.” The three Swenson pistols presented here are typical examples in that they’re all different. Even consecutively numbered pairs were not identical, although there were some clearly identifying hallmarks of Swenson’s work.

As an example of his fighting pistol focus, Swenson invented and patented an ambidextrous safety, an important advantage for a defensive pistol but utterly useless for bullseye shooting. Swenson also recognized the need for low-profile sights on a gun to be carried concealed, but he wanted the practicality of adjustable sights to zero for the user’s ammunition and preferred sighting distance. His solution was the Smith & Wesson K-sight, able to be machined into the slide unobtrusively. Accuracy was still important, but rather than fitting a match barrel as tightly as a bullseye gun, Armand used a small bead of weld on the slide to bear against the barrel’s hood to tighten the fit without relying on squeezing the frame-to-slide fit, which could be unreliable in combat conditions. Swenson built pistols for servicemen headed to Vietnam.

Swenson usually chose Bar Sto match barrels, but also used stock Colt barrels. He was known to install 6-inch barrels for IPSC competition shooters to get extra velocity. He hand-checkered front straps and mainspring housings, often finishing his pistols in two-tone with hard chrome frames and blued slides. Operating first out of Gardena and then Fallbrook, Calif., late in his career Swenson invented a fixed sight he called the Swensight. While the big Swede usually worked alone, he employed shop helpers and apprentices, one of whom would go on to become a highly successful pistolsmith in his own right, Wayne Novak.

This particular Swenson features:  Extended Bar Sto barrel, Classic Swenson beavertail, hammer, squared trigger guard with front checkering, beveled magazine well, “Swensight" rear sight, 30 LPI front strap checkering, serrated arched MSH and Herrett’s stocks. 

Ships 2nd Day FedEx with gun rug and (1) Colt mag.

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