Gun & Ammo Complete Book of .45 Fall 1998
Entréprise Widebody Article

THE GENESIS IF THE WIDEBODY DESIGN
    Back up two years and Entr6prise was already applying its design expertise to a wide-body .45 ACP frame. Working with the advice and assistance of well-known custom pistolsmith Terry Tussey of Santa Ana, California, Entréprise produced a high-capacity .45 Government Model-type frame that was as good as, if not better than, anything that Colt ever manufactured during i ts heyday. They followed this with Commander- and Officer-size frames as well. From there it was only a step into the match pistol business.
    But before we get into that, a few words about the basic design of the pistol line.
    In 1994, Lawrence Abbott of Entréprise design staff sat down with Terry Tussey and began the design work. Lawrence's priority was ease of production; Terry's, a precision-manufactured frame with all the holes drilled in the right places, measurements to one one-thousandth of an inch accuracy or greater and consistency from frame to frame. Terry's point was that no custom gunsmith wants to correct design mistakes by welding up and redrilling or recutting. Nor does he want his name associated with an inferior product.
    Not only were dimensions critical, but heat-treatment was also given high priority. If the frame should wear prematurely or crack, it is the custom gunsmith who has to repair or replace it while trying to explain why to an irate customer.
    A match pistol, Terry pointed out, fires 10, 20, 30 or more times the ammunition that runs through the standard service pistol. It is not unusual for a match shooter to fire 50 to 100 or more rounds four to six days a week, month after month, during practice.

The current line of Entréprise Widebody service, tactical and match pistols includes (counterclockwise from left) Titleist, Boxer, Tactical and Tournament pistols

    NEEDED A STRONGER .45 ACP FRAME

    In addition, those who use tactical pistols are attaching laser sighting devices. And match pistols often have optical sights of various kinds mounted. John Browning never envisioned such accessories, and the frames of many fine pistols are being stressed and ruined by screw holes in places they were never meant to be. To deal with this problem, Entréprise thickened the shroud, beefed up the front end and the frame rear to take round after round of pounding and increased the thickness of the frame walls to permit the attachment of optical sight mounts and improve the pistol's balance.
    The most extensive modifications to the frame made by a custom gun- smith involve fitting a new grip and thumb safety, reshaping the main spring housing for a more comfortable and secure grip, squaring the trigger- guard, replacing or tuning the trigger assembly and removing all projections that might snag on clothing, holsters or obstructions. Lf it is a match pistol, the custom gunsmith may also lift the triggerguard by cutting a relief at the point where the guard meets the frontstrap to provide more grip area and move the hand up toward the axis of the bore. All of these modifications are expensive and time-consuming. "Why not," Terry asked, "provide the frame with these modifications already accomplished?" The custom gunsmith can then add to or modify them as he desires.
    And decent grips. Terry was adamant on that score. High-capacity semi-automatic pistols are hard to handle if you have small to medium- size hands, particularly during com petition, when the adrenaline and perspiration are running.
    To be really useful, the grips for high-capacity semi-autos have to accomplish two things: 1) not increase the width of the grip unduly, and 2) provide a firm, nonslip texture. After much searching and testing among the grip panels available on the market, Entréprise determined that it would have to manufacture its own. The result was grip panel injection molded in high-impact zytel nylon and available in four colors: black, ivory, rosewood and walnut. The Entréprise Widebody frame is 1.165 inches wide without grip panels; when they are attached, the width only expands to 1.315 inches a 0.15-inch increase.
    The distinctive grip panels use John Browning's original design with the double diamonds surrounding the grip screws and the checkering over the rest of the surface found on tradition all Colt Model 1911 grips. The result is a surface that remains nonslip even when your hands are perspiring.

EXPANSION TO A FULL LINE IF PRECISION-BUILT PISTOLS
   Entréprise introduced the wide-body frame in both the full-size Government and mid-size Commander configurations (the Officer's Model frame followed a few months later) in 1996. Despite entry into a crowded market, their special features and obvious quality drew an instant response. Sales were brisk, and it wasn't long before customers began asking for complete Entréprise Widebody pistols. As the number of requests mounted, a marketing study was undertaken to identify market parameters. The first result of the study suggested that customers would not be happy with a pistol, or its individual components, that were less er in quality than the wide-body frame.
    A significant strength of Entréprise Arms is its manufacturing capability and the experience gained from the L1Al and M14A2 receivers, plus related manufacturing capability in previous years.
    Again, the Entréprise designers started with a list of things that a custom gunsmith would normally provide beyond the frame modifications already incorporated. The list included fitting the match barrel to the slide to improve lockup; fining and lapping the slide to the frame; installing the proper weight recoil spring; recutting and polishing the feed ramp; installing combat or other sights; providing a precision- ground, full-length barrel guide rod; and lowering and flaring the ejection port. Also included was a complete action job that set the trigger pull to specification and polished all friction surfaces for a mirror-smooth release.
   When the planning was completed, a list of some 80 parts that make up the new pistols had been formulated. Entréprise chose to manufacture all but a very few under their own trade names. Match sights are also purchased from Novak and Bo-Mar, slides for Tournament pistols are purchased from Caspian and finished at Entréprise and Wolff springs are used throughout. The result is a line of Widebody match quality pistols in five grades, with each grade having all or most of the improvements cited above. 

The Entréprise Widebody frame contains a magazine holding 10 rounds .45 ACP or .40 S&W ammunition, depending on the model.

ENTRÉPRISE WIDEBODY PISTOLS

    All pistols in this line are offered with a choice of black oxide or mane hard chrome, adjustable or fixed rear sights and adjustable triggers. Calibers avail able are .45 ACP and .40 S&W. We obtained four sample pistols: Titleist, Tactical, Boxer and Tournament. Each pistol was thoroughly inspected, disassembled, inspected again and reassembled. Each was then tested at a firing range.

INSPECTION TIME

    The first thing I do when examining a firearm whether writing about it or buying it is to perform a "walk around," starting at the front and working to the back. I look for machine marks, areas of poor finishing, misaligned parts, bulging or ill-fitting grips, burred screws, dished screw holes (evidence of poor polishing) and rounded, uneven edges (again due to poor polishing or, worse, poor machining).
   If it is a semi-automatic pistol, I examine the slide-to-frame fit. Does the slide move horizontally or vertically when in battery? If so, the slide-to-frame fit is poor because the frame rails and slide grooves are mismatched or the frame is too narrow. Whichever, accuracy and reliability will suffer.
    I next check barrel lockup by placing my thumb over the barrel muzzle and wriggling it up and down and side to side. If the muzzle moves, the fit in the barrel bushing is poor. Next, I press down on the barrel through the ejection port. If the barrel gives way more than slightly, the link is under sized and/or the locking grooves are too large. Again, accuracy will suffer because the barrel with not return to the same point of aim every time.
    Next, the pistol is disassembled and the same inspection is repeated on all inside surfaces, with special attention to those that rub against other parts barrel grooves and slide rails, for instance. Are they finished smooth or do they show machine marks? I once commented to a manufacturer of a certain brand of .45 semi-auto slide that had machine marks in the grooves and asked why they hadn't been polished out. He said that it wasn't necessary, as any good lubricant would prevent actual metal-to-metal contact.
    The trigger rails were carefully fined to the frame grooves, and the "pull weight" on our Tactical model measured 4.7 pounds. It broke crisply, with no hint of over travel. Personally, I prefer a bit of warning just before the sear trips, so I adjusted the trigger to provide just a slight bit of creep before sear disengagement. I held up each of our sample pistols to flat light falling through a north-facing window and examined the flats of the slide and frame. Those surfaces were polished to the point that I could not discern any waves. A chrome finish brings out imperfections, but there were none to be seen on the TSM I model.

Notice the higher triggerguard on the Entréprise frame than on the Colt Government Model frame

The extended grip and wider, checkered thumb safety are only two hallmarks of the Entréprise frame

MODELS:

ELITE SERIES
     This may be the basic Widebody pistol at the low end of the scale, but it contains all the features listed in the table above. It is offered in the standard Government, Commander or Officer's model sizes. In addition, it offers a Tactical2 High Profile fixed rear sight adjustable for windage. The pistol is finished in black oxide although hard chrome, polished or matte is offered as an option and trigger pull is set to 5.5 pounds. For someone who wants an entry-level service pistol that will provide superior accuracy and reliability, the Elite series is it. Any pistol from the Elite series will most likely provide accuracy equal to any of the National Match pistols built by military armorers through the 1970s, with the reliability of a standard service pistol. The Elite is finished in black oxide and is available only in .45 ACP A match pistol is supposed to be somewhat finicky until you find the ammunition it prefers, but a service pistol has to work properly right from the box every time. The Elite series was built and refined with this in mind.

TACTICAL SERIES
    The Tactical line was designed for those who want a precision service pistol but one that will function under the roughest conditions and with a variety of ammunition when necessary. Four models are available:
    Government, Commander, Officer's and Tactical. Plus, they have all the standard Entréprise Widebody features. The Tactical Plus is a new innovation. It consists of an Officer's model slide fitted to a full-size frame. This combination makes for better handling and improves concealment somewhat.
    The Tactical series are equipped with either the Novak fixed or Tactical2 Ghost Ring rear sight, and the trigger is set at 4.5 pounds. Standard features for this model also include a fitted barrel and bushing, a slide lapped to the frame, a throated barrel with a polished feed ramp, an extended ambidextrous thumb safety and a matte black oxide finish. The entire pistol is also dehorned so that there are no edges to catch on clothing or other obstructions.

TITLEIST SERIES
    This is the National Match of the Entréprise Widebody line. The slide and frame are closely fitted and hand- lapped, the barrel and extractor are both tuned and the throat and frame ramp are polished. The trigger is set at a nominal 4.5 pounds' pressure, and our sample broke sharply at 4.6 pounds. Available in either .45 ACP or .40 S&W.
    A fully-adjustable, square-notch, low-mount rear sight was paired with a square Partridge front sight. The stainless-steel barrel and bushing are fitted and lapped. Altogether, this is a pistol with a lot of potential match wins in front of it.

BOXER SERIES
    This turned out to be my favorite in the entire line of Widebody pistols. It is one tough match gun, and I doubt if you can do much better with an out- of-the-box pistol. It is fitted with a high-mass (heavy) slide and a National Match ramped bull barrel. The heavy barrel lends a heft to the pistol that is unlike that of any other Government Model type, yet is very comfortable to hold. The extra weight at the barrel makes it a very steady pistol to aim, and reduces recoil and muzzle jump appreciably.
    Available in both .45 ACP and .40 S&W, the Boxer, in addition to the standard Widebody features, has an ambidextrous safety with a wide thumb pad, a two-piece stainless- steel rod guide (makes takedown a bit easier for cleaning between matches) and, for improved visibility, a Patridge-style front sight is dovetailed into the slide for additional security. You have a choice of the Novak fixed rear sight or the adjustable Bo-Mar. The front of the slide and frame are swept back at the same angle as the front cocking serrations or grasping grooves. This feature makes it easier to holster the pistol during competition. And it also gives the pistol a racy appearance that is quite distinctive.
    The Boxer series is offered in both .45 ACP and .40 S&W, and in black oxide or hard chrome finishes.

TOURNAMENT SERIES
    A special series of Widebody custom pistols is offered for the serious match shooter. After careful examination and extensive shooting, the author is of the opinion that they will stand on line with the best of them. All three pistols in this series are hand-built one at a time in the Entréprise Pro Shop by a master gunsmith to very close tolerances. They appear to have been carefully inspected, as no flaws in fit or finish were evident. The slides and frames of all three models are lapped, and barrels and bushings are polished and fitted. Three styles are offered in both .40 S&W and .45 ACP.
    Tournament Shooter Model I: This limited class pistol is custom-built by Entréprise in-house gunsmiths. In addition to the standard design improvements of the Widebody series, features include front-strap checkering (20 lines per inch), an ambidextrous thumb safety and a flared magazine well. The outstanding features of this model, however, are the stainless-steel bull barrel and the match trigger set to an exact two pounds. The pistol is available in either black oxide or hard chrome.
    Tournament Shooter Model II: This long-slide pistol is equipped with a fully-adjustable, low-profile Bo-Mar rear sight. Barrels are throated and ramped, and the extractor is tuned. These pistols are given a deep-black matte oxide finish, but the sides of the slide are polished for an attractive effect. Alternatively, they can be furnished in matte hard chrome, as was our sample TSM II.
    Tournament Shooter Model Ill:
    There are no slide-mounted sights on this top-of-the-class tournament pistol. Instead, a Tactical2 scope base is permanently attached to the frame. It accepts all Weaver-style rings and attachments, and the shooter adds his or her favorite scope or other optical sighting device.
    The barrel is compensated and uses a cone-style lockup that eliminates the need for a bushing. The compensator has seven ports to reduce muzzle jump, particularly in rapid fire. The front strap, mainspring housing and triggerguard are all checkered 20 lines per inch, and the trigger was set to two pounds.

Field-stripping one of the Entréprise pistols quickly reveals the careful attention to manufacturing and finishing details.  All flat surfaces were "flat" and smooth, without waves, screw holes were not dished, all rubbing surfaces were polished and all edges were "broken" There are no sharp edges to snag on clothing or holsters.

SHOOTING THE WIDEBODY SERIES

Although we shot every model for feel, reliability and accuracy, we chose to concentrate on the Boxer and Tactical models.
    Four pistols were placed at our disposal for testing, and we were advised to wring them out. We borrowed a fifth, the Elite, from a friend. Testing was accomplished over a three-week period at the Evans Shooter's World in Orange, California (accuracy), the Maywood Gun Club in Riverside County, California (reliability), and in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, where we took the pistols for some "nonstructured" reliability testing in the desert grit and dust.
    Four pistols were tested at the Evan's Shooting World, a newly renovated indoor range, for accuracy: the Tactical, Boxer, Tournament I and Titleist. Three pistols were in .45 ACP and one in .40 S&W. A range of ammunition was used, including range reloads. These were all new pistols and, except for quality-control testing by Entréprise had not been fired before. So we expected a few bobbles and smokestacks as the pistols wore in. The Elite model did not arrive in time for accuracy testing, but was used in the reliability phase of our tests.
    Each of the four pistols was subject ed to 25 rounds of fire with factory ammunition Black Hills 175-grain jacketed round-nose, in both .45 ACP and .40 S&W. The Boxer pistol smoke- stacked two rounds, the others none. We disassembled both the magazine and the Boxer pistol, and checked the feed ramp. It was polished and set at the proper angle. We lubricated the pistol and reassembled it, then fired 25 more rounds without a single hesitation. We concluded that the combination of a new pistol and the heavy spring required to move the more massive slide was the culprit. Later, when testing range loads, which are somewhat reduced in power, we found that the Boxer did not like them, either. The pistol's heavy slide needs full- power ammunition.
    We next fired an additional 25 rounds through each pistol using a variety of ammunition, including Federal, Winchester and Remington, as well as Black Hills. Each pistol was also fed an additional 10 rounds of range loads. As mentioned, only the Boxer balked at the range loads. At this point, 65 rounds had been fired through each pistol.
    Accuracy firing was divided into two parts. In the first, two groups of five rounds of Black Hills ammunition were fired using a Hoppes bench rest to support both wrists. In the second phase, five series of five rounds each were fired from a two-hand hold at 25 yards. The "Accuracy Testing" table shows the results.
    Following the range testing for accuracy, function testing was conducted in the Mojave Desert at an open- shooting area where we could exercise the pistols without having to work around range rules. Plastic soft-drink bottles partly filled with sand were set up at various distances out to 75 yards. The pistols had neither been cleaned from the accuracy-shooting sessions nor, with the exception of the Boxer, re-lubricated. We selected the borrowed Elite model for the torture test with the owner's permission.
    First it was disassembled, then the parts were dropped in the sand. After a quick brush off, the pistol was reassembled without further cleaning. Despite this, the pistol functioned flawlessly as 100 rounds were fired. One hundred rounds of a wide variety of ammunition were also fired through the other pistols, except for the Boxer, without failures.
    The only negative in our testing involved the Boxer. It was finicky about its ammunition. It refused to feed U.S. Military National Match .45 ACP ammunition with its truncated, semi wadcutter bullet. It also disliked any thing but full-power ammunition. We tried some of our handloaded semi wadcutters, which we suspect were loaded a bit stronger than the National Match ammunition. They did function the slide, but failed to lock it back on an empty magazine a good indication that we were on the "power" border line. However, with standard hardball, including a box of pre-World War II .45 hardball, the pistol functioned flawlessly. This is certainly to be expected from a semi-automatic pistol with a heavy slide and barrel. In the Boxer, you are trading reduced muzzle jump for an omnivorous appetite-a good trade as far as I'm concerned.
    Over the years, it has been the author's pleasure to test and own some extremely well-built custom pistols, both match and tactical. Seldom have I encountered out-of the-box factory-built pistols that match the reliability and accuracy of those built by Entréprise.

Range testing involved firing nearly 200 in a series of accuracy and reliablili9ty test through each pistol.

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