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C&S
ADVENTURER 9mm
Compact lightweight 1911
boasting custom details galore!
By: Rob Garrett
2005 - Custom
Combat Handguns Annual
In 1997, we were
introduced to a new custom pistol from Cylinder
& Slide. The Adventurer project grew from a
demand for a sub-compact, large bore (read .45ACP)
pistol that was unquestionably reliable. Several
manufacturers had offered reduced size .45s but
many had less-than-stellar reputations. C&S
set out to "remanufacture" a Commander
or Officers Model sized 1911 into one of the
smallest and slickest autos on the market.
When I shot the
first Adventurer, with the exception of a single
faulty magazine and three shooter induced
malfunctions, the new mini-45 ran flawlessly for
over 600 rounds. Since  that
time, I obtained a Colt 1991-A1 Officers Model,
which has also been converted into an Adventurer.
During the initial conversion, I opted for the
basic pistol. Later I returned it to C&S for
the addition of a custom beavertail grip safety,
premium stocks, and an 18-karat gold bead inlayed
into the front sight. ON a recent trip to the
range with fellow Harris gun scribe, Dale Chaptico,
the Adventurer went through 400-plus rounds
without so much as a hiccup.
What really defines
Bill Laughridge's work is that his guns run--every
time, all the time. Small autos, especially with
large bores, have been notoriously unreliable and
offer a variety of challenges. The reduced slide
limits the space available for the recoil spring
and guide. Also, the geometry between the muzzle
and locking lugs is dramatically changed making
reliability even more difficult. The higher slide
velocity and increased recoil not only stresses
the frame and springs but requires specially tuned
magazines and magazine springs. The magazine
spring must lift the round fast enough for the
slide to pick up the round, while also providing
enough retention to ensure that the last few
rounds do not dislodge during recoil resulting in
a stoppage. If all this sounds complicated, it is.
Gun Details
The .45 caliber
Adventurer has been extremely successful for
Cylinder & Slide and has  been
produced in both steel and alloy frame versions.
The alloy frame reduces the weight from 32.7 to
25.7 ounces. Laughridge builds these guns to the
customer's specifications. The customer can order
a base gun or add as many options as he chooses.
Gun finish variations range from a deep luster
blue to hard chrome. Sight options include Novak
Lo Mounts and Richard Heinie's excellent Straight
Eights. Both sights can be ordered with tritium
inserts. a reduced beavertail grip safety, custom
grips, and special markings round out the options.
 Laughridge
has now taken the Adventurer project to the next
level by introducing an ultra lightweight
Adventurer in 9mm. The new pistol cartridge in a
compact 1911 platform with significant weight
reduction over the .45 caliber guns. The pistol
tested for this article is the first 9mm to be
completed and was sent to the author shortly after
completion. As with any first edition, it was
built
to demonstrate and display all the options
available in the Adventurer line of pistols. In
other words, it is loaded with almost every option
available.
The foundation for
the pistol is a custom Caspian frame made from
titanium. Laughridge has a long standing
relationship with Gary Smith, and uses Caspian
frames and slides
exclusively for all of his custom pistols. The
titanium frame offers a significant weight
reduction over steel, and is lighter and stronger
than aluminum alloy. Laughridge has undercut the
front strap, beveled the magazine well, and
checkered the front strap with a flawless 30 lines
per inch (lpi). This is no small accomplishment
considering the hardness of titanium.
Internally, the
Caspian slide has been lightened while externally
the font of the slide has been radiused similar to
an ASP or Hi-Power. the pistol has a tapered cone
Bar-Sto match barrel that has also been
turned down, reducing weight. In addition, the
barrel has an 11-degree crown and the muzzle has
been highly polished. The hammer,  sear,
disconnector and trigger are Cylinder & Slide
parts that combine to produce a crisp 5-pound
trigger with no over-travel.
Externally, the
pistol features Novak Lo mount sights that have
been fitted with Trijicon's tritium inserts
outlined by white rings. The front sight base has
been contoured to the profile of the slide; the
rear sight dovetail has been melted into relief
cuts on the side of the slide. The slide has a
French border and the top has been serrated with
30 lpi line
running the length of the slide between the front
and rear sights. A C&S extended ambidextrous
beavertail grip safety has been fitted. The grips
are thin double-diamond Coco bolo that are well
suited to a concealment pistol like the
Adventurer. The entire gun was given a light carry
bevel to relieve any sharp edges. This is
functional while retaining a refined appearance.
Shooting
Impressions
When I received the
pistol, it had just been completed and Bill asked
that I give it a quick shakedown. It
should be noted that, since final fit and finish,
Bill had not even shot the pistol. My ranges time
was limited to one cold and blustery afternoon. I
was able to run  about
250 rounds of various 9mm service ammunition
through the little Adventurer. The first thing I
found is that it did not like any +P or +P+ load.
I experienced several stovepipe malfunctions on
the last round and, upon policing up my brass,
found that the cases of these hot loads were
bulged. The majority of standard velocity
ammunition ran without any problems.
I was very
impressed with the way the little gun shot. Recoil
was mild with limited muzzle flip making follow-up
shots very easy. While the tritium Novak's presented a crisp sight picture, I have found that
my 50-year-old eyes have come to like the XS
Sights large white dot front sight with the
tritium insert. The grip was short, but it fit my
hand well and the thin stocks just seemed to be
the right combination.
When I called
Nebraska the next day to report my findings I
garnered a typical Laughridge reply. Regarding the
feeding and pressure problems with the +P and +P+
ammo, his answer was, "well I guess so!"
In fairness to Cylinder & Slide, the little
gun was built and tested to run with standard
velocity service loads that are available to the
general public. Bill admitted that he did not even
have any +P+ ammo for test purposes. Bill surmised
that the  pressure
bulges on the cases were a result of the slide
coming out of battery before the pressure in the
chamber had dropped to a safe level. The problem
was not with the gun of the ammunition, just the
combination.
This was the first
test drive outside the shop for the 9mm Adventurer
and I was forewarned that the pistol was not
"customer ready." Upon returning to the
C&S shop, the little 9 received a new barrel,
recoil spring and extra power Wolf magazine
springs. This solved the problem and additional
field tests resulted in no malfunctions. Bill
still advises against using +P+ in the little gun,
and in all honesty, the short barrel negates using
hotter loads.
The more I handled
the little gun, the more I liked it. It is the
perfect-size package in a versatile caliber. The
base price for a new Adventurer is in the $1,695
range. Our test pistol was priced significantly
more given the additional features such as the
checkering,
French border, tritium inserts, and other
features.
Final Notes
Every new pistol
has teething problems. The mark of a great shop is
that these are resolved and it runs right when in
the hands of the customer. this is a standard that
Cylinder & Slide has maintained over the
years. Bill Laughridge personally inspects every
pistol and backs it with his reputation. The new
Adventurer in 9mm is no exception.
Prices
reflected in this article are respective to the
date of the article. Current prices will
more than likely be different.
Call for prices and
availability. |
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