Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Armand Swenson 1911s...

Saw a custom 1911 the other day, which appeared to be a Swenson custom, though I did not scrutinize it in detail. It was a full size Colt based 1911, hard chrome finish, modified with an S&W K-Frame adjustable rear sight.

To me the Swensons have always been a bucket list 1911, as he was an early pioneer of custom 1911s. Anyone else find his guns of interest?

I much prefer the ascetics of the S&W sight to the new ones, although I've been told the newer sights are more robust.

I've not seen any of the old customs first hand, but will always read anything I come across about them.

I had Armand Swenson customize a Colt 1911, just as you noted above, on one of my .45s, many years ago. He had a table at the first Steel Challenge, created by and put on by my IPSC club in So. Calif. I gave it to him there to customize. Bill Wilson attended and was competing. Wison was just beginning to make a "name" for himself. I do not remember how long the job took, but when I got it back, it was one helluva nice pistol to shoot.

I recently sold it to a much younger friend. I know he and his son will get much pleasure from shooting it. Swenson turned out some mighty fine pistols. Great ambi safeties, too.

L.W.

FWIW:

Steve Miller (rock-n-roll hall of famer) is a BIG Armand Swenson collector.

BMT

Swenson was one of the last old school 1911 mechanics. Back in the sixties his work brought top dollar and you had to wait a while cause I believe he was a one man shop. Every one I’ve run across back in the early eighties had some seriously high round counts and wear issues but still shot nicely. Nice piece of history

Rick

I have had the pleasure of owning a couple of Jim Clark's 1911's. Both built back when he was working, and they were spectacular. As good as any of the Les Baer or Wilson guns I have had. I always wanted to get one of Swenson's guns as well as a Bob Chow gun, but they never came along at the right time. Now my eyes don't work like they used to so they would just be wasted on me.

Early in my Marine Corps career, I really wanted a Swenson 45, but had no money to spare.

38 souper?

Swensen was a trend setter in the '80's & early '90's.

I left the safety alone, but did copy the sights.

MM

That pistol is clearly not a Swenson... VERY nice pistol, but not a Swenson. Just using a Swenson safety, but its missing all the hallmarks of Armand's work.

How familiar are you with his work?

Pretty familiar, been to his shop several times, seen a lot of his guns. Your pistol shows very nice workmanship, so it was built by someone who really knew their stuff, but I don't believe that to be Armand Swenson. Swenson's guns are actually marked, his checkering is very different, and there is a barrel stabilization tab that should be soft soldered into the slide that I'm betting is not there. Again, you have a stunning pistol that anyone would love to have, but I don't think Swenson is the builder. If you do some internet research (look at the 1911 forum), you'll see some examples of Swenson's guns. Swenson didn't typically install Novak sights, Ed Brown grip safeties or oval hammers. He preferred to do his signature S&W rear sight, use a Series 70 Commander hammer, and modify a standard GI style grip safety.

ETA - I'm not sure who did your gun, but they knew their stuff. Squaring a trigger guard is one of the most frustrating things a pistolsmith will ever do. Yours is done very well, so whomever built that gun has done that process a few times... And you don't square trigger guards on your first builds. That guy has built some guns. Front serrations are spot on, and his fitting of the Ed Brown grip safety is very well done. VERY nice custom 1911.

I appreciate that. I'll look for the barrel tab when I get a minute. It does have a Barsto barrel and with the squared trigger guard, checkered front and back, safety, coating, etc I wondered if he might have done it. Is there any way to know for sure? Where did he mark them?

Thanks very much for the insights, I appreciate your knowledge.

So you knew that you had no clue who built it but posted a portrait of it anyways? Is that the one that rides shotgun in the dump truck ?

Lol. Just shoot the damn thing.