SOLD - Scarce, Excellent Detonics Combat Master 1911

Description

4/8/26 - This the first ever offered of the legendary Detonics Combat Master. The first commercially produced subcompact 1911, manufactured between 1976-1987, the Combat Master let users reliably run .45 ACP ammunition through a 3.5” barrel over a decade before any other manufacturer, and most modern compact systems minimally owe the Combat Master a debt of gratitude for solving the problems that allowed an entire genre to emerge, grow, and thrive. The pistol has retained virtually all of its original stainless finish. There are a few tiny dots of wear on the front sight and on the right side flat near the muzzle and tang. Some scattered handling marks. Flawless mechanics. The bore is also excellent, shiny with sharp rifling, and just minor signs of use. Comes with one proper Detonics-branded magazine (designed to hold 6 rounds in the mag as opposed to the original 7). The Combat Master will properly cycle original 1911 magazines, as the follower is in same place. And though the original magazines will stick out of the bottom of the gun, they will run without incident using traditional 1911 mags. The slot in the bottom of the magazine is designed for the follower to have someplace to go when the gun is fully loaded.

Many who’ve shot the Combat Master claim they are far better shooters than most modern subcompact 1911s. The gleaming elegance of the stainless design belies the complexity of the engineering hurdles housed within. Originally using cut down Colt frames for proof of concept, they faced a mechanical nightmare: drastically chopping a 1911 slide violently increases slide velocity, batters the frame, and destroys cycling timing. To effectively manage the compact dimensions required discarding the conventional, bulky barrel bushing and devised an innovative bulged (coned) barrel that precisely aligned with the slide. To mitigate the intense recoil and prevent the firearm from sustaining damage during extraction, they replaced Colt’s standard single spring with a robust system of multiple nested counter-wound springs. Additionally, they incorporated a distinctive slope in the rear of the slide to reduce mass and enhance velocity, which uniquely advanced the rear sight while facilitating effortless thumb-cocking of the hammer on the draw.