We Test The Caspian Arms Race Ready Limited Kit

We found the $895 package can help you build a bargain racegun—if you know your way around the 1911.

Writer Charles Woolley had enough confi- dence in a Caspian Race Ready Kit gun to change guns just prior to the Montana Stock Gun IPSC Championships. The gun ran with- out a single malfunction and Woolley took a first-place finish in A Class.

Most shooters believe the only way to convert the 1911 Colt-type pistol to a “full race” configuration ready for IPSC competition is to turn it over to a big-name pistolsmith—along with a check for around $2,600. Of course, there’s also the do-it-yourself route. If an advanced hobby gunsmith had a solid working knowledge of the 1911 and was good with hand tools, he could buy the parts separately and build his own gun from the bottom up. Perhaps, lacking machine tools, he could farm out the fancy machining operations and metal checkering. Figuring the cost of doing it this way, he would spend $600 for a base gun to work on or buy a frame, slide, and match barrel for $500. Lacking machine tools, he would spend another $700 to have the slide fit to the frame and the grip frame and mainspring housing checkered in addition to the machine cuts for such desirable features as a Bo-Mar BMCS rear sight, dovetail front sight, forward cocking serrations, beavertail grip safety, and a flared ejection port. He would then add another $450 for quality small parts and a magazine well. To complete the job, he would probably add another $150 to have a hard chrome finish applied to enhance the durability of the metal surfaces. The total cost for this approach would be in the neighborhood of $1850, if the hobbyist were truly proficient.

Now there’s a third, and even less expensive, option: Shooters can buy an $895 Race Ready Kit from Caspian Arms Ltd., a well-known maker of high-quality components for the 1911. The Caspian Arms package is touted as a race-ready kit that includes all the items necessary to build a top-flight limited gun. But does it indeed have all the parts you need to build a race gun? We decided to find out.

Contents of the Caspian Kit
When we opened our kit, we saw that it came with a Caspian “race ready” frame, already cut for a high-sweep beavertail grip safety. It included an integral magazine well and machine cut 20-lines-per-inch checkering on the front strap and mainspring housing. The enclosed slide was machined from 4140 tool steel and heat-treated to 39-RC for strength. It included several high-grade features such as additional cocking serrations on the front of slide, a dovetail cut for the front sight for increased mounting stability, a well executed Bo-Mar cut for the rear sight, and a Caspian logo. The ejection port came flared and lowered from the factory, and the frame-to-slide dimensions were slightly oversized to allow for precise fitting without having to peen the frame rails.

The barrel was a Schuemann Ultimatch Barrel in .45 ACP. It uses its heavy forward taper to mate directly to the slide instead of the usual bushing, which was oversized to allow precise fitting during installation.

The kit also included a selection of high-quality parts such as a wide extractor, extended ejector, complete pin set, beavertail grip safety, commander-type hammer, sear, disconnect, firing pin, 20 lines per inch checkered mainspring housing and a set of diamond pattern exotic wood grips with a laser etched Caspian logo. We calculated that if all the special machine cuts plus checkering were done separately on a custom basis, they alone would come to $600.

Not included are a Bo-Mar rear sight, 0.330 inch by 60-degree dovetail front sight, spring set, trigger, barrel link, magazine release, recoil spring guide rod, and thumb safety. Since most of these parts vary according to personal preference, there is little sense in supplying items that won’t satisfy everyone. Buying these additional parts would cost an estimated $202.

Thus, with a good hard chrome finish at $150 to complete the job, the total cost for a full-featured limited pistol would come to $1,247, if you can do your own fitting.

Putting The Package Together
On receipt of the Race Ready Kit, we were impressed with the quality of the included items. The grip frame, with its bead-blasted matte finish, showed great attention to detail. The beavertail cut was well executed, and the checkering of the front strap and mainspring housing was well pointed and even. With the grips secured in place by the hex-head screws, the frame filled the hand well, was comfortable to hold and provided a secure grip around its circumference. The integral, flared, magazine well gave a considerable target area to enhance speed reloads without giving a bulky appearance and mated well to the contours of the proprietary mainspring housing supplied by Caspian for this frame.

The slide sported a brushed finish on its sides and a non-reflective bead blast finish to its top and interior. The left side had the Caspian name and a small logo was engraved at the rear. The right side was plain with only the small logo at the rear. The two sets of cocking serrations were well executed, and the Bo-Mar cut was of the more aesthetically pleasing shrouded style with a cut-out for the lateral adjusting screw.

Overall, our examination gave us the sense that this pistol, when assembled, would certainly have visual appeal as well as great competition potential.

Assembly: What Does It Take?
Since much of the appeal of this kit will be for advanced hobbyists with sound knowledge of the Colt-type pistol, we decided to attempt the fitting and assembly of the pistol using only hand tools in simulation of home workshop conditions. During the process we had an observer who was good with hand tools but not familiar with the details of function of the pistol, watch the process. After an explanation of each step and its functional rationale, he then decided whether he would be able to perform each step in the fitting.

First, we fit the slide to the frame. In this process, the slide rails must be kept straight and true on both the top and side surfaces, and no more metal should be removed from one side than the other so that the slide remains centered on the axis of the frame. Special care must be used to prevent marring the sides of the frame while filing only the rails, and we covered the frame bordering the rails with masking tape to prevent accidental damage.

It was immediately apparent that there was enough metal present on the rails of the slide and frame to allow a perfect fit if done correctly, as the slide would only start onto the frame about 1/2 inch. By gradually filing from front to back on the tops and sides of the frame rails, using black indelible marker to show the high spots that needed to be removed, we were able to obtain a uniform but tight fit of the slide to frame with no lateral or vertical movement. Further lapping of the rails with 400-grit lapping compound resulted in a smooth, gliding fit of the bearing surfaces. It must be stressed here that it is wise to work slowly and methodically to ensure proper fit and alignment.

Once we were satisfied with the slide-to-frame fit, we proceeded to fit the barrel. First, the barrel must be fit to the slide. Inserting it from the front of the slide, we encountered our first tight area and removed a small amount of metal from the radii where the lower lugs meet the chamber so that it would clear the channel in the slide. Then, using a flat file, we fit the hood of the chamber to the notch in the slide, ensuring that the lower lugs remained centered vertically. We then removed just enough metal from the rear of the hood to allow the upper locking lugs (grooves on the top of the barrel) to engage the locking recesses of the slide. The barrel was then “blacked” with the indelible marker and a very small amount of filing, where the radius of the barrel contacted the slide, allowed us to see a uniform engagement mark in the grooves of the lugs caused by full contact with the slide. There was no need to fit a bushing to the barrel. Its outside diameter at the muzzle mates directly with the slide and in this case required no fitting.

We then inserted a dummy round into the chamber and attempted to seat the barrel in the slide. The barrel could not be inserted due to a tight headspace dimension. The dummy would not enter the chamber fully. We also checked chamber diameter and discovered that it measured 0.475 inch, which is too tight for an IPSC pistol, particularly one shooting lead bullets.

Most barrel manufacturers for the IPSC trade and self-defense market, where a failure to chamber can have costly consequences, routinely chamber their barrels to 0.480 inch to allow tolerance for chamber fouling or rounds that are not of the uniform 0.473 inch nominal diameter. Here we decided that special tooling was necessary and resorted to an oversize .45 ACP finish reamer to enlarge the chamber and increase the headspace. The reamer was the only gunsmith-specific tool we required in fitting the gun.

Next, we checked the fit of the lower lugs to the slide stop by putting the barrel, minus its link and pin, into the slide and frame and inserting the slide stop to see how the barrel lugs would cam up over the slide stop pin. As we expected, we needed to remove some metal with the flat file from the “flats” of the lug feet to allow closure of the slide. We also had to move the radius of the feet back to allow enough forward motion for the rear of the slide to mate with the rear of the frame, allowing the disconnect to function properly.

When done correctly, the slide should close all the way with a slight friction fit during the final closure as the flats of the lugs ride over the slide stop. Care should be taken by working slowly and frequently blacking the areas to be cut so that only the high spots are removed and the flats have uniform engagement across the slide stop. Finally, we selected a Wilson Combat No. 3 barrel link as giving the correct fit in this pistol.

Working the slide, barrel, and frame together gave a smooth feel with a positive locking and unlocking cycle and no perceptible play or binding. Next to frame, slide, and barrel fit, the most critical operation is to obtain a good trigger job.

Experienced IPSC gunsmiths have found that a .45 can be given a crisp but reliable trigger job tipping the scales at 21/2 pounds. That break weight can be expected to last in excess of 30,000 rounds with hand stoning. However, it is imperative that an amateur gunsmith not let his enthusiasm exceed his skill and knowledge when fitting the hammer, sear, and disconnect as this operation can lead to a grossly unsafe condition if improperly performed.

In this case, the Caspian-supplied parts were of the correct geometry to allow an excellent trigger job with a minimum of work. The hammer, sear, and disconnect in “as supplied” condition resulted in a 33/4-pound trigger which was quite satisfactory, but with a little judicious stoning we achieved a very clean 21/2-pound pull that would not follow the slide down on an empty chamber with a 19-pound recoil spring.

Another aspect worthy of mention was the integral magazine well. This unit, cast integral to the frame, would not accept standard magazines. The leading toe of the magazine would not enter the relief cut cast into the frame. The web at the front also looked like it lacked enough thickness to allow extending the cut forward. The alternative would be to cut the toe extension of the magazines to fit the frame.

We called Caspian to get an explanation. We learned that on the early frames, they had kept the casting thin to reduce bulk and improve aesthetics, but since they had received complaints from customers who had milled through the frame, they have now revised the casting to allow careful milling to fit unaltered magazines. Our test frame was one of early manufacture, and our calculations showed that if cut, the frame would only show a small and not unpleasant looking crescent through the web. We decided to carefully cut the relief recess forward, using a Dremel tool and 0.250-inch carbide burr, to allow the use of unaltered magazines. The result was both practical and not at all unsightly. Though we haven’t handled the revised frame, we would recommend caution if enlarging the relief cut with hand tools rather than revising the magazine toe as Caspian recommends.

The rest of the fitting was routine. We installed the ejector and tuned the extractor. The beavertail grip safety required only a light touch with a 1/2-inch fine-grit drum sander to remove drag points from the radius of the frame. The grips, Bo-Mar front sight, trigger, magazine release, firing pin stop and thumb safety, all required minor filing, contouring or polishing to obtain a proper fit. Additionally we polished the breech face, barrel throat, and the ramp of the frame to enhance feeding.

How Much Performance Can You Get?
The result of 20 hours of work with hand tools by an experienced pistolsmith, even in the white, was quite appealing. While we would expect an advanced level hobbyist to take perhaps twice that long to complete the project, our observer thought that, given a good understanding of the functional criteria for fitting a 1911, a good man with hand tools could complete the job in a workmanlike fashion, except for perhaps the 21/2-pound trigger and chamber reaming modifications.

After completion, the Caspian cycled with smooth precision when bench functioning the pistol with dummy rounds. We now had a pistol in hand that had all of the most desirable features for a top-level Limited Class gun: low-mounted Bo-Mar rear and dovetail front sight, extra cocking serrations, heavy match-grade barrel, beavertail grip safety, wide thumb safety, high grade checkering, exotic wood grips, and an integral flared magazine well. But how would it handle, and how well would it shoot”?

As you might expect from an IPSC pistol built by a knowledgeable pistolsmith, the Caspian ran flawlessly from the start with a variety of ammunition from 230-grain GI ball to high-performance hollow points. If the pistol was built by an advanced hobbyist, we might expect some degree of malfunction on initial testing due to some small detail he overlooked, but the gun’s flawless functioning attests to the ability of the Caspian components to work correctly when assembled by the book.

Also, with a high-quality barrel properly fitted to the slide and frame, we felt there was a high potential for accuracy, and we were not disappointed. We tested the pistol by firing five-shot groups from a sandbag rest at 25 yards with three different loads. The accuracy was very consistent with the three loads we tested, and the Caspian gave the smallest average group size of 1.31 inches with Black Hills Ammo’s 200-grain semi-wadcutter at 953 fps. Next best was a handload using BDX Manufacturing’s Montana Gold 230-grain FMJ with 5.2 grains of Bullseye at 781 fps. The largest average group size was 1.49 inches using a 220-grain lead roundnose bullet with 4.9 grains of Bullseye at 823 fps loaded in well-used brass as a practice load.

The overall average accuracy for these three different loads was 1.38 inches—well below our minimum match standard of 2 inches at 25 yards. For comparison, the most accurate limited-class pistol we tested previously, the Springfield Armory Trophy Match, averaged only 2.53-inch groups with the same three loads.

In terms of handling qualities, the Caspian showed excellent potential. It was run through the same series of tests as previous limited class pistols we tested, and it either equaled or beat the best results. In IPSC competition, the speed at which a pistol can be handled accurately is of great importance, as accuracy and speed are the factors that decide the winner. We conducted three tests that have proved useful in evaluating IPSC pistols. The Draw to First Shot test has the shooter draw and fire one shot into the A-zone to obtain an average draw time. This test evaluates how smoothly the controls operate and how precisely the pistol can be driven to the target. Our shooter generally expects to be able to keep his average time at about 1 second.

The Bill Drill test consists of drawing and firing six shots into the 6-inch by 11-inch A-zone of the standard target at 7 yards. This test demonstrates how smoothly the pistol can be tracked to the center of the target and how fast it can be returned to point of aim. If there is any problem with the trigger, safety, or handling qualities of a gun, the Bill Drill will highlight them. The expected elapsed time for a draw and six A-zone hits is approximately 2 seconds with a true match-grade pistol.

The last test is the Reload Drill, in which the shooter draws and fires a shot into the A-zone, then reloads and fires another center hit. The sequence is repeated six times to obtain an average time. This evaluates how well the magazine release works, how well designed the magazine well is, and how well the gun tracks back to point of aim after a reload. Here we expect a time of 11/2 seconds from shot to shot.

Comparing the best results obtained earlier this year using the Colt Custom Shop Special Combat Government pistol (and the same shooter and targets), it was apparent that a properly built Caspian Race Ready gun could supply the margin needed to reach the winners circle. Those results are summarized in the accompanying table.

PS Recommends
In our view, the Caspian Race Ready Kit delivers a high-quality, high-value gun. However, though the Caspian kit got high marks for visual appeal, we felt it was not an appropriate project for a novice gunsmith. The critical fitting dimensions of the slide, barrel, and frame are all oversize and must be precisely mated to obtain the highest level of accuracy and function. The safeties, hammer, sear, and disconnect must also be fit properly to ensure safety.

With the thought that the kit plus added parts and finish represents an investment of $1,238 and requires precise fitting to obtain a truly “match grade” outcome, we felt that the project should be completed by either an advanced hobbyist or a pistolsmith familiar with the IPSC applications of the 1911.

If the kit were assembled competently in a home workshop, the savings over a professional custom job are substantial even if the chamber of the Ultimatch barrel was finish reamed and headspaced by a gunsmith for an additional $50. The modest total price, however, assumes that the advanced hobbyist has the necessary skill and tools for the job, requiring no further investment.

While the cost of the kit and extra necessary components was reasonable, putting the gun together does require proficiency with hand tools and a strong working knowledge of the 1911 design. Still, even if the work were done by a professional dealing in IPSC pistols, the price would still be competitive with other “scratch built” customs due to the many extra machine operations required to equal the Caspian’s factory offerings. We expect that the tab to have all the gunsmithing work done would be in the $1,800 to $2,000 range.

The only deficiency encountered in the design was the need to either shorten the toe of any magazines intended for use with the integral magazine well or to accept a small crescent-shaped cut in the lower front strap of the frame. In the interest of speeding reload times, though, we felt the magazine well was worth the inconvenience or a minor cosmetic flaw. This should not be a problem with the second generation of Race Ready frames that are now in production.

We had enough confidence in the gun—even though it was still in the white only two days after completion—that a staffer pressed the Caspian into service at the Montana Stock Gun IPSC Championships. While it is usually not prudent to change guns just prior to a match, the Caspian had given such a sterling performance in 400 rounds of testing for both reliability and accuracy that it seemed a safe bet. It replaced a familiar, but worn, Colt with a cracked frame that had been in service since 1984 and had fired in excess of 100,000 rounds of full-power .45. Was the pistol indeed race ready? Yes; it ran without a single hiccup, and its accuracy contributed to dropping only a 121/2 points out of the 660 possible. Our shooter took a first-place finish in A Class.

Also With This Article
Click here to view "Tools You Need."
Click here to view "Small Parts List."
Click here to view "Speed Testing."
Click here to view the contacts and addresses.

-By Charles Woolley