Whether it’s a gun restoration or an original firearm, there’s little arguing Turnbull Manufacturing’s artistic flare.
The New York company has a roster full of aesthetically pleasing work, from classic leaver-action Winchesters to color case-hardened AR-15s. And the custom gun maker continues to add to its lineup of unique and beautiful handguns and rifles.
Most recently, Turnbull has added a line of 1911 pistols that is almost certain to get shooters drooling. Perhaps this is what the company's higher ups had in mind when they named it the BBQ Series.
Turnbull's newest line of 1911s appear like they are built to be collectors items right out of their hard case.
The collection is set up to have a number of custom features added, depending on the buyer's preferences. But the four pistols (Government, Government Heritage, Commander and Commander Heritage) do have some common attributes.
The grips are one of the options that catch the eye almost from the get-go. Crafted from elk-horn, they give the pistols a raw and elegant look that breaks from many of other high-end 1911s on the market. And set against the nitrate-blue finish of the pistols' slide, the grips boldly pops, no matter their inherent staining.
There is, however, plenty of meat to go with this bone. The .45 ACPs all have solid one-piece triggers and 24 karat gold inlay of a crossed fork and spatula — the BBQ Series insignia. From there, a number of options are available to help make the gun unique to its owner.
The most notable is the selection of hand engraving that comes standard with the pistols. Turnbull offers the choice of four classic patterns to adorn the slide and frame of the 1911s, including:
- Scroll — Derived from classic American scroll engraving from the mid-19th Century.
- Flare — Composed of deep, heavy cuts that meet to form bright sparkling patterns.
- Grape — Flowing across the pistol are leaves, vines and grapes, a very classic gun engraving design.
- Colt — Inherited from fine engraved Colt pistols, features Colt-style scrollwork, punch dot background and fancy boarders.
The standard modes of the Government and Commander pistols have charcoal blue frames. The Heritage models of these pistols feature color case hardened frames.
The Government models are outfitted with 5-inch barrels, feature World War I style sights with semi-circle notch and come with the choice of wide or short spur hammers. The Commander models have 4.25-inch barrels and are outfitted with speed hammers.
If you plan to sink your teeth into the Turnbull BBQ Series better have your wallet ready. The pistols start at $5,000.
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