Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns UTC Decision

I consider most any 1911s as diamonds in the rough. They are going to need to be cut and polished to shine. The amount depends on what you start with, and Colts are the baseline I tend to prefer, though I own other brands. High end guns like Baer, Wilson and Brown usually need very little if anything and often it is simply a matter of refining them to suit personal tastes. Reliability and accuracy, (more often than not) are already there.

I agree with the observation/opinion that Baer tends to be one of the better values when it comes to guns that are not mass production types. Their accuracy takes a back seat to no one, they tend to run well (for guys who run guns a lot, vs the guy who puts 150 rounds a year through his). The only ding I would give Baers over others, is that their blued finish in the past has been thin, and my own is no exception. That however is not big deal for me, as I tend to wear the bluing off guns anyway through use, but for some people who are more into ownership, fondling/collecting etc it may be a valid concern.

Mackay: Agreed. I read that Baer has changed his blueing chemistry to combat both the thin blueing and the pluming common on his slides, but I have not been able to confirm this yet.

The UTC, 1.5," NFCS has arrived and it's outstanding:









Planning to shoot it this wknd.

Now THAT is a proper 1911.

CrimsonTide: Thanks for chiming in. I was a bit disappointed no one has commented about such a stellar pistol, until now, so again; many thanks.

That is heirloom quality right there, in the age of cheaper and cheaper plastic guns.

Super nice!

Is that a NIB gun? Every Baer I’ve shot has been a shooter for sure.

Mackay_Sagebrush: Yessir and thanks. I have no love at all for plastic guns.

K1500: Yes, NIB. I'll take it to the range next week and report back when I get a chance.

I don't believe you'll ever regret bending the budget for something like the Baer custom.

Extreme functionality through detailed execution. Baer certainly has that down...

johnw: Yessir. At some point after break in, I'll send it in to have the lower lugs properly hard fit, a new EGW or Wilson slide stop, mag release and grip safety installed by a competent smith like Rob at Alchemy Custom.

If I had a legit 1.5” gun I would be scared as hell to let anyone change the fit LOL. Awhile back I bought a 1911 costing twice as much as my Baer. In the end I spent more money upgrading it to have a Kart barrel too. It now shoots equal to my Baer. There is not another 1911 on the market (or even close) that offers the same value for price and performance in my opinion.

Congrats on your pistol!

Hawkeye_Reloader: Thanks. I agree that Baer pistols are one of the best values in the industry right now. You'd have to spend significantly more to get the same quality and accuracy. The Dan Wesson Valor was close, but they've been discontinued. Unfortunately, CZ has a history of discontinuing firearms that are expensive and labor intensive to produce, like the 550 American and the 452.

Baer makes a good pistol for the price, but that 1.5" guarantee bullshit detracts from what's otherwise a good piece.

Especially since it appears there's an extra charge for it.

Fubarski: Not sure what you mean by that comment. Baer pistols are guaranteed to shoot 3" groups at 50 yards. Among the pistols he builds are a few that are exceptional & shoot ~ 50% better. I don't believe that's BS, I think it's a fact that certain pistols shoot better than others. If an individual wants one of those pistols, he pays a bit of a premium for it. Do you believe the Alchemy Prime 1" guarantee is BS as well? Granted, most people can't shoot that well anyway, but it sure is nice having a pistol that's capable of doing so - especially if the individual in question is a comeptent and experienced pistolero.

You said you'd been on 1911 forum.

Don't want ta cross forums, but that was the forum that first outed the BS.

Might even been alchemy himself, though it's been so long I can't remember.

Baer has a good product, been around a long time.

Seems like he had a good business goin.

Dunno why he hadda start the 1.5 bullshit.

Give me the skinny.

You can start with this:

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=961434&highlight=baer+1.5

And there's more if you're still interested after that.

I'm not here ta bag on anything, especially your new rig.

Baer has thousands of satisfied customers, which speaks for itself with regard to his pistols.

Go shoot it, and have fun.

Thanks. Looks like it could go either way, but there is no proof one way or another - other than hearsay - and some from former Baer employees. I do realize that Baer's 1.5" claim is not actually verified at a legitimate 50 yards (as is the Alchemy Prime - but then, the Alchemy Prime is a significantly more expensive pistol), rather that it is extrapolated. Apparently the 1.5 pistols are built as such, but most would need a mechanical rest to realize that accuracy. I am interested in this subject and I will look into it further. At this point, I don't believe the 1.5" claim is a total crock.

At any rate, I plan on shooting it and having fun as you suggested. Thanks again for the info.

Like many of you, I’ve bought a lot of guns, most shot as expected, a very few have shot better and many have disappointed. A recent example was a new lever action 44 Magnum. The first shot always flew several or more inches away from otherwise very acceptable groups at 50 yards benched (handloads and factory ammo). The manufacturer took the rifle back, worked on it and returned it but it was only very slightly better. I sold the gun regrettably as it was a very cool gun and gorgeous to look at. If the manufacturer had offered to guarantee the gun shot fantastic, I would have happily paid the difference and kept it. Unlikely I’ll gamble again.
I’ve met Les and I have a 3” gun that is most likely a 1.5” capable gun. It’s my opinion that Les offers 1.5” guns because to many people it’s worth paying for, especially when his guns are a value to begin with.
Let us know how it shoots!

Hawkeye_Reloader: Will do.