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Sidearms & Scatterguns Christensen Arms 1911

Re: Christensen Arms 1911

At $3300, it's going to be hard to find someone with experience. The titanium probably is a more durable material than aluminum, but this comes at a cost of weight- Titanium is heavier than aluminum.

The guy in the video here makes all the points- $3300 3.5lb trigger, 2.18lb gun, accurate, etc.

The Kimber CDP Pro comparison- $1100- 1.8lb gun, accurate also.

So it looks like the Christensen is giving you better finish quality, maybe slightly better fit, and a slight lighter trigger for $2200 more cost.

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That guy doesn't have a Kimber review where he shoots the CDP Pro, so I grabbed this video, and if you look at the plates, his Kimber is holding a similar pattern on the plates. The silouette this guy shoots too fast to control, and flings a flier much like the crazy flier in both groups in the Christensen Arms video.

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Re: Christensen Arms 1911

Doesn't titanium gall? Unless they did something to protect against that... I think it's just good marketing. "It's made out of titanium and costs more, it must be better, I'll take it!".

I might very well be wrong. But to me the juice doesn't seem worth the squeeze.
 
Re: Christensen Arms 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pdogsbeware</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Doesn't titanium gall? Unless they did something to protect against that... I think it's just good marketing. "It's made out of titanium and costs more, it must be better, I'll take it!".

I might very well be wrong. But to me the juice doesn't seem worth the squeeze. </div></div>

I guess you have a good point. Titanium is more susceptible to galling than stainless steel apparently.

I was thinking from the perspective of cracking (one worry with shorter 1911's), titanium can be more ductile than aluminum and in that respect should be less likely to crack.

Another question of course is whether a titanium forging is used or a titanium casting as the base for the machining operations. I'd bet a 7075 forging would be stronger than a titanium casting.

It's no doubt that they have an excellent looking, and very functional 1911, but obviously the price is seriously heavy at $3300.
 
Re: Christensen Arms 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Titanium is more susceptible to galling than stainless steel apparently </div></div>

I didnt know that interesting if your not careful you learn something new everyday. In my opinion at that price point Id much rather have an ED brown built to my specs or even a Nighthawk for hundreds less. Their barrels are pretty cool and I actually owned one of their rifles but at the cost it just didnt make a whole lota sense and I sold it before even putting a round through it. Like mentioned earlier good marketing and dont get me wrong good looking guns both their rifles and this 1911 but I personally wouldnt pay the $3k plus for one.
 
Re: Christensen Arms 1911

No way is that titanium cast or forged. It's billet. Titanium is EXCESSIVELY difficult to cast or forge because Ti is NOT ductile enough to coldform, and getting Ti over ~800ºF causes it to oxidize something fierce. To cast Ti, you have to have very special proceses in place to keep it completely shielded from the atmosphere.

I think Ti is a fine material (cost aside) to make pistols from. Ti is a neat material!

I don't know much about Christensen, but I can say that I spotted one a week or so ago at Cabelas in the gun library. It was used and $2700. I asked to see it and was rather surprised to see a lot of tool marks, and overall shoddy finishwork. I hope its an isolated incident.