Guncrafter Industries HOSS 1911

Huntsville, AR based Guncrafter Industries recently announced a modernization of the 1911 HOSS, Heavy Operating Shooting System. Roy Huntington recently penned a review article about it for American Handgunner; Guncrafter’s Hoss. In it he explains how and why the 1911 is so hard to improve upon. It's because, he opines, it's such a great design to begin with.

Mr. Huntington says,

“We toss terms like “bulletproof” or “indestructible” around sometimes when we’re noting features and benefits in a product, especially guns. And while we don’t usually believe a product is actually bulletproof or indestructible, those terms and others like them convey a vivid mental image of Viking hammers, battleships and massive blocks of granite.”

He goes on to relay a note he received from Alex Zimmerman, head designer at Guncrafter Industries, which said,

“First of all, the 1911 pistol in its standard configuration is a tough firearm. It has stood the test of time and is still the handgun against which all others are measured.”

“That said,” [Alex Zimmerman] continued, “even the 1911 pistol can be improved upon. Being a 1911 user, gunsmith and engineer, my universe has revolved around Browning’s masterpiece for more than 35 years. I have a vast pool of experience to draw from when it comes to making meaningful improvement to the 1911.”

The article goes on to identify what the team at Guncrafters Industries deemed the most critical components to focus on.

“Ultimately, Alex and his team narrowed their attention to seven parts of the basic 1911 platform. The extractor, slide stop, plunger tube, ejector, barrel link, barrel bushing and the barrel came under close scrutiny. Each was examined, the job it did carefully analyzed, the engineering behind it studied, how it could be improved debated — and why it should or should not be changed was deliberated at length.”

There's a lot more to the review, of course — and at the end Huntington advises, “This remarkable 1911 will be very, very difficult to return to Alex’s [Guncrafter Industries] shop.” If you'd like to know how he came to that conclusion, read Huntington’s article in full right here. You can find Guncrafter Industries online right here.

*Images courtesy of Guncrafter Industries.

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