7" Essex/AMT 1911 Updated!!! With pics!!

[Bosquebass]

I have a chance to pick up a stainless 7" Essex 1911 in .45 from the estate of an old family friend. The gun looks to be in about 90% condition from the pics that I saw but the pics weren't very good. I know the Essex gun parts were kind of hit and miss on the quality but that's about all I know about them. This one is supposed to have "safety issues". I'm going to be able to get this gun for around a c-note and at that price I couldn't say no.

I guess my first question is what in the world was a 7" 1911 used for? Target, pins or what?

Any opinions on Essex quality? Is this thing even worth a hundred or am I burning a Benjamin for nothing?

 

[Andyd]

The frames of military pistols were often enough destroyed and the left over parts, including frames were assembled on Essex frames. Value depends a lot on the frame and how well the work; the fitting was executed. Even the parts are worth more than $100 and I used to have the typical "Messex", a Remington Rand on an Essex frame that shot as a service 1911 is supposed to.

 

[Scorpion520AZ]

Don't overthink it. You got a deal for $100.00.

 

[italiansport]

I have an Essex frame with mostly Colt parts. The end result is a totally serviceable and reliable pistol!
Jim

 

[apollo99]

Good deal buy it.

 

[damienph]

OP, I think that is an absolute fantastc deal.

I would buy every complete 1911 style pistol I found for $100, regardless of slide/barrel length, frame size or manufacturer.

I've never seen Essex slides but the few pistols that I have seen built using Esssx frames have been serviceable at the very least.

 

[bananaman]

Is there a source for good used 1911 frames? Been looking, and not having much luck. Want a .45 for building a Ciener conversion .22. Do not want to break the bank. Conversion, was as new w/2 magazines for $100. (stainless) Bob

 

[Bosquebass]

Thanks for all of the replies.

I'm going to go Friday and pick this thing up. I remember seeing pics of long barrel 1911s in G&A back in the eighties but never had the desire to own one but I guess I'll have one now. There is a lot of reloading supplies including three presses for sale in this estate as well so I may come home loaded down, so to speak.
When I get the gun home I'll post a few pics of the details.

 

[4barrel]

For about $300 you should be able to put a 5 inch unit on it. Essex made good frames. I have a few with Colt slides.

 

[DWalt]

Essex was an earlier manufacturer of aftermarket .45 frames for DIY gun builders. Other than seeing quite a few of them, I don't know much else. I think Essex was located somewhere in Vermont. At one time, you could buy about everything else needed to make your own GM for maybe $50. The long slide is a little unusual. I have seen competitive bullseye shooters use long-frame GMs, and there was a custom gunsmith in Louisiana, Jim Clark, who had a specialty trade in making up long slides from two short ones for competitive shooters. Regardless your money will be well spent.

 

[Bosquebass]

Essex was an earlier manufacturer of aftermarket .45 frames for DIY gun builders. Other than seeing quite a few of them, I don't know much else. I think Essex was located somewhere in Vermont. At one time, you could buy about everything else needed to make your own GM for maybe $50. The long slide is a little unusual. I have seen competitive bullseye shooters use long-frame GMs, and there was a custom gunsmith in Louisiana, Jim Clark, who had a specialty trade in making up long slides from two short ones for competitive shooters. Regardless your money will be well spent.

The more I think about this gun the more I want it, and not just because it's cheap either.
The guy that owned it was a close neighbor for many years. By trade he was a master machinist and tool maker. For the last 40 years of his life he made his living in his own shop on the back of his property. I know very little about machine shops but there were two Bridgeport mills in there along with lathes and other equipment. At one time I heard a rumor that he made some kind full auto machine pistol from more or less scratch, fired it a few times and then cut it up. The old guy did it just to see if it would work. I never saw the gun but an old buddy did.

 

[Grayfox]

Essex steel is good quality, but machining can be hit or miss. Ten years or more ago, I bought an Essex frame to permanently mount my Ciener .22 unit on. Every single part had to be carefully hand fitted. All the way down to the main spring housing. It was a real PITA.
However, the gun turned out just fine, shoots great and I still have it.

I also have a gun a lot like your's. It came from an estate and the owner built himself a 6" .45 Longslide on an Essex frame. Unfortunately, he botched the job. The gun was both inaccurate and unreliable. I got it cheap, but spent about two years tweaking on it here and there before I got it working properly. But again, once I got it straightened out, its a fine gun and I still have it.

The quality of your gun will just depend on who built it and how much care they took in doing so. But hey, for $100 you can afford to tinker on it and learn. Think of it as an educational opportunity.

 

[rog8732]

The " 7 inch " description alone makes it almost worth a "Benjamin".

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

I doubt the "safety issues" are related to the Essex frame. As stated in other posts in this thread Essex was a supplier of 1911 frames for the DIY gang long before building 1911's reached the level you see today. For $100 you can't go wrong, you may just want to disassemble and start from the ground up, you find the "issue" and fix it easily enough.

Pictures?

 

[Walkingwolf]

Is there a source for good used 1911 frames? Been looking, and not having much luck. Want a .45 for building a Ciener conversion .22. Do not want to break the bank. Conversion, was as new w/2 magazines for $100. (stainless) Bob

At one time SARCO sold RIA frames, not sure if they still do. But in the long run just buying a new RIA. I can't remember the name, but there was a manufacturer that made a 22lr 1911 for about 300 bucks.

Sarco, Inc. - Search Inexpensive frames from SARCO.

Gallery of Guns has complete 1911 22 lr for probably less than the cost of building one. Firearms accessory optics magazines search find buy at galleryofguns.com davidson's Firearms Wholesaler – Firearms Distributor – Gun Wholesaler – Gun Distributor guaranted lifetime replacment warranty

 

[ColbyBruce]

Is there a source for good used 1911 frames? Been looking, and not having much luck. Want a .45 for building a Ciener conversion .22. Do not want to break the bank. Conversion, was as new w/2 magazines for $100. (stainless) Bob

Iver-Johnson offers complete 1911 frames from around $325.00 and up.

 

[ACP230]

Caspian Inc also sells new 1911 frames.

 

[Watchdog]

I have a chance to pick up a stainless 7" Essex 1911 in .45 from the estate of an old family friend. The gun looks to be in about 90% condition from the pics that I saw but the pics weren't very good. I know the Essex gun parts were kind of hit and miss on the quality but that's about all I know about them. This one is supposed to have "safety issues". I'm going to be able to get this gun for around a c-note and at that price I couldn't say no.

I guess my first question is what in the world was a 7" 1911 used for? Target, pins or what?

Any opinions on Essex quality? Is this thing even worth a hundred or am I burning a Benjamin for nothing?

You don't mention what brand slide or barrel the thing has. But a 7-inch barrel? And an Essex frame? And unknown "safety issues"? And a hundred bucks?

I wouldn't touch it.

 

[Muley Gil]

I think just a 7" .45 barrel would be worth much more than $100, let alone the rest of the parts.

Go for it!

My first true 1911 style .45 was an Essex frame, topped by a Remington-Rand slide. I added a Bomar rear sight. I was very accurate.

BTW, my first .45 auto was a Star. It shot fine too, but a buddy of mine wanted me to have a true 1911 style auto and found the Essex framed .45 at the Birmingham AL Gun Collector's show.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In the early 80's I built around 40 1911's from GI parts on Federal Ordnance frames and sold them for $130. These aluminum frames lasted 800-1000 rounds. My personal 45 was then put on a $99 Essex frame in about 1986 and I still carry it in the woods and prefer it to the 2 like new Colts I own.

The "safety issue" Most common on parts guns is an issue with the sear/disconnect interface. The easiest fix it to buy those 2 parts from Colt or Wilson and drop them in. (you can get these parts from Brownelle's or Midway.) You might want to get a new Wilson 4 fingered flat main-spring at the same time, these do wonders for the trigger pull and grip safety being a little "off". It shouldn't take you more than an hour to detail strip and reassemble with the new parts and completely clean it at the same time (the second time you do it will take 10-15 minutes). These parts a machined to very tight specs, where old GI parts were looser and then worn! Just about every book on gunsmithing has instructions on 1911 detailed disassembly plus for free on the WWW.

Ivan