Custom Fusion 1911, Price to be Negotiated, but Quite Expensive

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
I'm going to start with a letter I sent to Fusion requesting evaluation before a potential sale. This included the build details. After that is included their response in current cost to construct an identical firearm. Pictures are no longer entirely unedited, as I blurred the serial numbers for public posting:

Okay, here goes. I’m giving you as much information as I can think of at the moment. I’m more than happy to ship it over to you for personal inspection if you’d like.

I’ve included a lot of pictures, and it took a few hours to get them out because I wanted to get the parts dry for photography in relation to condition. There may be a spot of oil here and there, and you can see it in the assembled shots, but I wasn’t putting it back together without grease and oil. I tried to keep it out of shot, but I still ended up with a few reflections.

These photographs are straight out of the camera, with no editing whatsoever.

Condition:

About 500 or so rounds fired (I don't recall at this point exactly how many, but it was around that), with no more than 50 at a time, if I recall correctly. Pathetic, I know. It’s a shame, really. Initial 50 included maintenance every mag for break-in. Not too long after that, I was injured severely, and unable to travel. The weapon was never used as intended. I only punched a few holes in paper, and then stored it in a climate-controlled safe, removing for monthly inspections and oiling when required.

Trigger has one place where the Yukon coating didn’t quite take, but I wasn’t going to bother you about it, given the intended use. I figured it would get scratched up anyway. In the end it never went, and neither did I. Injuries finally grounded me completely, and I’m still recovering.

Cosmetic condition aside from that little corner on the trigger is mint. It’s immaculate, with absolutely no corrosion of any kind. No external scratches, either. The finish is only faded a touch under the release lever, but there are no scratches from manipulation. It’s invisible when assembled. I was incredibly careful removing and installing that, and used a nylon shim to depress the spring detent for smooth assembly every time.

I’m paranoid about firearm maintenance. I white glove test my own stuff every time. If I shoot something for ten minutes, I’ll spend an hour carefully inspecting and cleaning.

Barrel still sparkles inside, and the only marks on the barrel and small parts are those that simply happen when firing. Likewise, frame and slide wear are not even to the point of being fully broken in. It’s sad, but I never really had a chance to take it out and give it a good workout. It showed up, I shot it a few times, and since then I just stored and maintained it.

Any marks you may see are reflections from poor lighting, minus that coating chip on the corner of the trigger. It just hiccupped when it was coated. It would have looked perfect upon shipment, but there must have been a touch of contaminant under the coat. I never worried about it.

Here are the details:

Fusion Full Custom 1911

1:
Pro Series Tactical 1911 custom frame with undercut trigger guard and chain-link front strap with beveled and chamfered magazine well and .250 radius cut for high ride safety.

2: 5 inch slide with rear Sure Grip serrations and Novak sight cuts including 10-8 U notch Combat rear sight and white dot XS front sight.

3: Custom trigger group tuned between 4 and 5 pounds with clean let-off.

4: Pro Series Hi-Force Hammer in T-11 Gray Yukon

5: Pro Series 3 hole adjustable Combat Trigger in T-11 Gray Yukon

6: 416 Stainless Match 45ACP ramped barrel with fitted link and bushing, flush cut with target crown and stainless barrel bushing.

7: Steel small parts:

A: High Ride beaver tail grip safety

B: Chain-link mainspring housing

C: Extended combat thumb safety

D: Sure Lock combat slide stop

E: GI Guide rod recoil system

F: Extended combat magazine release

8: Counter-sunk frame and flush-cut slide stop pin

9: Black rubber checkered grips

10: Satin matte Ion Bond DLC finish on frame and slide, with T-11 Yukon gray finish on small accent parts.

11: Basic case that was included, and a number of quality, spare magazines. May also include Surefire X-300.

When I initially ordered it, I was after a practical, hard-wearing, reliable pistol meant for bush carry and potential use during bandit attacks. You built precisely what I requested. I am in no way dissatisfied with the firearm. I figured I’d explore the value of this and see if I was willing to let it go if the price would be right.


Following is the response:

Hello Kennith,

Yes for a build like this today it would be 3595.00 brand new

Thanks again let me know if you need anything else


So, there's what it would cost to build today. You will find numerous pictures included in the thread showing the condition of various parts disassembled and assembled. I don't know if anyone here is interested in a firearm in this price echelon, but obviously it's not going to be selling at MSRP. It'll still be expensive as fuck, though.

This is a luxury purchase, make no mistake. It'll be rock-solid, and it's backed by a responsive, polite, and helpful manufacturer. Great guys, in my experience.

Is this any better than the 1911 you may already have? Well, objectively it may well be, but in practical use, of course you don't need something this nice.

Pictures to follow shortly, as I don't know how many I can put in one post.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
More:

56418

56419

56420

56425

Before delivery, and different lighting, obviously. The firearm is black. I was still fucking with lighting when I took those, but this is what Fusion sent me:

56422

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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ukoffroad

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2010
2,125
168
Lynchburg, Va
A 3k pistol for bandits. How did you like it compared to a Glock or similar? I know you can spend any amount of $$$ on toys, just wondering if it felt like a 3k pistol when shooting it.
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
A 3k pistol for bandits. How did you like it compared to a Glock or similar? I know you can spend any amount of $$$ on toys, just wondering if it felt like a 3k pistol when shooting it.

Well, I didn't pay $3,500 for it, but new it would certainly cost that much today, so let's roll with that to have some fun.

I believe I can honestly say you can feel every penny. If I had to describe what it's like next to my Glock 17...

It's like the whole thing is machined from one piece of metal, and it only looks like it moves... Until it does; then it's slick as snot on a doorknob. It's that snake you were convinced was a stick until it twitched. It's not as if a grain of sand would lock it up; it's got all the room it needs, but you can't feel it.

You know the impression you got about a Discovery the first time you saw one crawling through a jungle in the Camel Trophy? That feeling that it's an absolute brick of a car ready to tackle everything; a car that comes with a free set of abs, an STD, half a foreign language, and a pack of cigarettes with every adventure?

That's this 1911.

Now go get in your Discovery.

That's a Glock 17. :ROFLMAO:

Now, to be completely honest, I wouldn't normally pay that much for a single pistol. This isn't a piece of art, to me, it's a piece of function that just happens to be priced like art. I had a big deposit that was just sitting around waiting for a Vltor Bren Ten that will clearly never be built, and over time, the void in my wallet found new residents. It didn't feel like a big expense, as a result.

This would have done the job, though. It's a damned fine weapon from every perspective. There is really no point at which you can't feel the quality.

Now, does that matter? Not really, but that doesn't stop it from being fun.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
I've got an X300 that goes with it. The photographs needed to show the rail condition, so I removed it.

Sig has one that matches my Legion P226 that I'd rather have up there, so this one stays with the 1911.

I'll probably end up selling this through Rock island, where it will pull quite a bit more.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
I was just kidding with you (RE: The Glock vs Sig thread). That's a beautiful piece.

Yeah, I know, but I figured I'd mention it anyway. Someone might actually want the package deal.

I don't expect to sell it here, but given I'll drop the price, it was worth a shot.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
I'll price it at $2,000 for Discoweb. Save me the headache of mailing it to Rock Island if you're after a nice 1911 for the Holidays.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
Interesting....let me research Fusion a bit and get back to you.
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
Interesting....let me research Fusion a bit and get back to you.

I'd just call them up and have a conversation to get a feel for the company. Serva will make you feel right at home, and will likely be happy to go over that list with you.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to firearms that are presented as premium options, as I'm thoroughly spoiled by dealing in this stuff:

57424

That question you have in your head right now? The answer is yes... It's functional, and so is the drum. It kind of sets an unrealistic benchmark when I'm looking at firearms, which is why I was personally hesitant with Fusion at first. I'd never heard of them before. Now I'll be going back if I ever want another 1911.

I see this level of gunsmithing skill every single day, and that 1911 does not show it's ass in the herd. It's slick as snot on a doorknob.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

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kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
pew pew pew...

They're actually pretty loud. I don't remember if it was that one, but one of the builders actually shot himself in the thumb with a miniature. :ROFLMAO:

It takes a lot of work, because the ammunition is hard to make. The springs in the firearm are all there and made properly, but they're weak simply due to their size. You've got to make the tiniest primer you've ever seen, and somehow ignite it with a pin you need a fucking microscope to make. Then physics get in the way, because that reaction needs to be extremely carefully scaled to work at all.

You'd better enjoy that trigger pull, because that round may as well be made of platinum and diamonds.

So, they're fully functional and cycle just fine manually, but to actually make one fire is obscene; and the odds of doing it are slim. They'll take the abuse, because it's all to scale, but some of those will buy a damned decent car, and they take a VERY long time to make. Actually firing one isn't exactly first on the to-do list. Most are simply impossible to fire, even if everything is present.

It's different with stuff that doesn't use cartridges, obviously. It's kind of like a miniature V8. Sooner or later, it just gets too small to work; regardless of how carefully you built that carburetor.

57444

The people who build these things are some of the coolest guys you've ever met; they've all got amazing stories. I suppose life has to go a certain way for someone to slave over a task like that.

If you want to approach the limits of logic and sensibility; and perchance the border of insanity, know this: There is a man who starved a black widow spider to make a correctly scaled reticle for a scope. He put a spider on a fucking diet, and tailored that diet until the silk was to scale!

Edit: Oops. Didn't realize this was attached already. Well, it's bigger now. I'm still getting used to the new forum.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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