The line between custom and
production 1911's continues to blur as exemplified by this sample Entréprise Widebody
1911. Entréprise Arms began, from what I've noted in advertisements, selling Widebody
1911 frames that are almost mirror-images of Para-Ordnance guns. I understand the parts
are interchangeable. Entréprise Arms also sells the individual parts for the 1911 as well
as the frames. The company did, in fact, begin its business as did Para-Ordnance, selling
only frames. Para-Ordnance moved to full production guns with many custom features and
now, too, Entréprise Arms offers a line of "production" Widebody 1911s. The
quotes are because you can pick and choose from a wide assortment of options for the basic
Widebody handgun.
Entréprise offers the Elite, Titleist, Tactical and Tournament Series
of handguns, which includes compensated versions. For this test, I shot the Tactical
Series Model P500. This is the Widebody 1911 with 5-inch barrel, Novak low-mount rear
sight, a serrated and ramped front sight dovetailed into the slide and forward and
rearward slide-grasping ser rations. (The 1998 catalog doesn't show the forward serrations
as being part of this Series, though, with the forward grooves being reserved for the
Titleist and the Tournament Models. I think Entréprise Arms is still experimenting with
variations among the different groups.) A low-profile Tactical2 ghost ring rear sight can
be chosen rather than the Novak at no additional cost and the ejection port is lowered and
flared, another custom touch.
The Tactical Series pistol is also made as a Commander, Model P425, or
Officer's ACP, Model P325, both built on compact widebody frames, or you can have the
Tactical P325 Plus, which has the Officer's ACP slide on a full-sized widebody frame. All
are personal defense directed in that they have the guns' sharp edges broken for comfort
able handling and carry. Ambidextrous but narrow thumb safeties are standard. as is the
Commander-style hammer. which mates into a cutout on the high beavertail grip safety with
the now almost-obligatory bump at the bottom to aid in depressing it when firing. To
enhance accuracy, a National Match barrel and bushing are incorporated and mated to a
hand-lapped slide-to-frame fitting. (The term "National Match" originally
referred to those parts or firearms manufactured by the US military and commercial gun
companies for use in formal bulls eye match competitions. The parts were made slightly
oversized to be hand-fitted or manufactured to precise and tight tolerances. For the 1911
handgun, the widely-held opinion is that to be extremely accurate, the barrel and bushing
must be mated tightly to each other.)
On our test gun, in addition to the close-fitting parts, also included
were a full-length recoil spring with guide rod, and an extended ejector. Again, some
consider the full-length guide rod an accuracy-enhancing feature and the extended ejector
ensures that empty cases are positively ejected. I couldn't budge the bushing to
disassemble the gun until I had taken the slide off the frame to allow the guide rod some
extra rearward movement. Then I was able to move the bushing with the bushing wrench.
Reassembly was somewhat easier and the bushing seems to be getting easier to move with
repeated assembly and disassembly.
At 25 yards, the Entreprise .45
gave consistently accurate groups with many brands of quality ammo. |
The ultra-thin black wood grip panels are
nicely checkered in the original double-diamond pattern found on the first Colt 191 is,
and also feature the large diamond area around the grip screws as well. The grip screw
heads are larger than those found on other 1911s. (This might preclude adding aftermarket
grips from other vendors.) A 20-LPI-checkered flat mainspring housing is standard. Other
distinctive features of the Entréprise 1911 are the squared trigger guard, normally
reserved for custom 191 is, and the relieved area behind and beneath the trigger guard, as
well as the long, grooved-faced aluminum trigger, with three holes for lighter weight, and
an over-travel screw. The trigger pulls at 5.5 pounds.
Although I didn't have any on hand, the Entréprise frame will accept
pre-ban, high-capacity Para-Ordnance magazines, so if you're willing to spend the extra
money, you can still have a large- capacity widebody. Replacement tubes are available from
numerous vendors. One I'm familiar with is Leisure Time Marketing Sales, 649D Second
Street Pike, Dept. OH. Southampton, PA 18966; phone toll free, 888-999-9386; E mail:
LTMS@msn.com; web site www.ltms.com. Leisure Time
offers replacement magazine bodies for the Para-Ordnance in all calibers and sizes for $40
each.
At the Lower Providence Range in Oaks, PA, my associates and I shot for
groups at Birchwood-Casey Shoot-N- See self-marking target bulls at 25 yards from a seated
position using a WaIler flat-topped gun bag rest. We fired five- shot groups with the
following ammunition and results (group sizes measured from outside edge to outside edge
of bullet hole): Federal 185-gr. Hi-Shok JHP 3.5" (one flyer); Black Hills 230-gr.
JHP 3.5" (one flyer) and CCI Blazer 200-gr. JHP 2.25" (no flyers). The sights
were slightly off; the group centers impacted 2.5" high and 1.5" left from
point-of-aim, a six o'clock hold on the black bull. Since the Novak sight is windage
adjustable, the lateral aiming point can be easily corrected. The group height might
change as the gun is shot more. Most of the tightly-fitted 1911 s lye fired have shifted
points of impact after a few hundred rounds as parts settle in. We also fired Cor-Bon,
Hornady. Winchester, Remington and JRN reloaded ammo, which served to confirm the same
levels of accuracy already documented. The gun worked without malfunction. I did take the
precaution of lubricating it with Kel-Lub prior to the initial firing.
Based on this sample and others I've examined during trade shows, the
Entréprise Arms widebodies, in any of their configurations, are comfortable to shoot,
have good, clean-breaking triggers (which can be easily lightened to suit), good sights,
no sharp edges and all come with an extra 10-round mag in a lockable, hard-sided plastic
storage case. The Tactical Series Model P500 I tested retails at $979. The basic version
is less; the others slightly higher. Entréprise Arms is obviously making custom guns on a
production basis. You pick and choose your options and they probably already have built a
gun to match. For more information, contact Entréprise Arms, Inc.. 15861 Business Center
Drive. Dept. OH, Irwindale, CA 91706; telephone 626-962-8712; fax 626-962-4692; Internet:
www.1911 .com. |
