As a modern-day custom 1911 manufacturer, we stand on the shoulders of over a century of development with the venerable “Old Slabsides”. From the early days of Charlie Askins shooting bullseye with a Frank Pachmayr-built pistol- to the age of the race gun, where compensators ruled the IPSC circuit stuffed in Safariland 007 rigs. The secret to the 1911’s longevity in the ever-changing world of shooting, lies in its unique ability to adapt to the modern demands of shooters. Driven by competition, the true heroes of the 1911’s path to modernity lie in the names of gunsmiths such as Jim Hoag, Bill Wilson, Tom Dornaus, and, maybe most important of all, the Swede: Armand Swenson.
To fully understand the gravity of just how important Swenson’s story is to the custom 1911, we have to take you back to the post-WW2 era and the rise of “cowboy fast-draw”. Before this, standard NRA Bullseye was one of the only forms of handgun competition available to shooters on a wide scale. During this time, a Marine Officer by the name of Jeff Cooper was putting on his own version of this “cowboy shooting”, now being called “Leatherslap”, out in Big Bear, California. Cooper, a “shooting capitalist”, as it were, disregarded the traditional guidelines and allowed any gun to be used in any holster. So too, the stages began to change to incorporate movement, multiple targets, and otherwise “uncomfortable” shooting positions. The first steps to “combat” shooting were being taken and from this birthed the famous Southwest Combat Pistol League.
Jeff Cooper demonstrating a “Modern” 1911 Combat Grip
Armand Swenson holding one of his custom 1911s
But, there was a growing problem- the guns. Cooper’s stages and time requirements quickly began to show the antiquity of the then 50-ish year old 1911’s design. Handgun shooting techniques began to evolve as well, culling the herd of various automatic pistol designs one-by-one. Before this, the only custom work performed on the 1911 pistol was largely focused around NRA Bullseye- not “practical” or “combative” shooting. Many gunsmiths began to tinker with what modifications would be necessary for this new shooting style, but few would have the lasting impact on the business that Armand Swenson did.
Swenson, already a talented gunsmith and advanced shooter by the time he crossed paths with the SWCPL, took to the notion of creating out of necessity. Parts catalogs did not exist at this time, so new parts had to be made by hand or modified from Colt commercial or USGI take-offs. He pioneered the large thumb safety and would eventually file a patent for an ambi-thumb safety. Working with Shuey, he developed the square trigger guard to act as a point of contact for the off-hand under this new era of newfangled “two-handed shooting”. He popularized better sights for the 1911, via revolver target sights, hard chrome finish, accurizing the guns, and the concept of the “Bobcat”- a cut down Government Model to mimic the (at the time, only aluminum-framed) Colt’s Commander Models.
One such Bobcat would be ordered by a young Air Force enlistee by the name of James (Jim) Wood Jr. Wood, a lifetime gun guy, recognized that the standard issue S&W .38 was, in his very words, “not cool” and fancied himself a .45 Automatic. Following a stream of magazine articles about Swenson, Wood shipped off a Colt’s Government Model to the Swede in 1968. Letters back and forth from Swenson and wood note options and prices for the upcoming build, with a hand-written note from Swenson at the top of one correspondence reading, “I have checked functional needs for you. What I would bring to Vietnam with ME!”. The final product, rushed as were many of Swenson’s MIL/LEO orders, would be delivered in 1969- just in time for Wood’s government-funded vacation to Southeast Asia. Concealed from the prying eyes of his officers, Wood carried his Swenson “slathered in oil” in an M3 shoulder holster under his fatigue jacket. Wood and the gun returned home unscathed, and the gun would be enjoyed semi-regularly as he continued his pursuit of being a “gun guy”.
Original Swenson Bobcat (top) ACW Swenson Restomod (bottom)
PLEASE WATCH OUR EXTENSIVE YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR MORE INFORMATION!
This RestoMod is one of our most faithful recreations yet, bringing back to life the Swenson ordered by Jim Wood in 1968 – now ready for your holster nearly 60 years later, and still made by the hands of American craftsmen. Keeping true to the reference pistol, the Swenson Bobcat RestoMod is two-tone finished with a blued slide and chromium nitride frame and small parts.
The slide is built with a matted top and is finished with Smith & Wesson K-Frame revolver sights – with the front sight blade painted orange for high contrast and ease of acquisition, in addition to vertical cocking serrations. As mentioned, the parts available for a 1911 were sparse at this time, and the small USGI sights which were standard were not easily replaced. Thus, gunsmiths like Swenson became fond of the K-Frame sights as a far more functional option, milling the slides out to accept the new profile. This is also why the slide-top matting was necessary – to conceal the intricate but rough work required to marry the sights to the slide. The rear of the slide is also serrated, a first-ever for the Alchemy Custom Weaponry RestoMod series.
As for the frame, Swenson’s handiwork is recreated with a square trigger guard, 20LPI front strap checkering, and is complemented with an arched mainspring housing, complete with lanyard loop, and finished with gorgeous Herrett’s D45 skipline checkered stocks. Keeping accurate to the original Jim Wood base gun, this frame, unlike standard ACW 1911’s, features scallops.
For the small parts, we have selected a Novak thumb safety, inspired by the silver soldered Armand Swenson safety found on the original Bobcat, and a ring hammer. To top it all off, the gun will be delivered in a cigar box as a nod to the types of boxes Armand Swenson would keep the guns he was working on stored in around his shop.
By happenstance, this project came together alongside the latest Jack Carr thriller, CRY HAVOC, a novel set in Vietnam, 1968.
This book serves as a prequel to THE TERMINAL LIST series, centered on Navy SEAL James Reece, following his father, Tom Reece, instead. CRY HAVOC is a time machine that transports the reader across the fence into the Secret War in Laos and Cambodia. The elder Reece, also a SEAL, attached to the shadowy and clandestine MACV-SOG finds himself in the middle of a Soviet plot that, if successful, could change everything, even turning the Cold War hot.
We have been reliably informed that Jim Wood’s Bobcat, ordered the same year CRY HAVOC takes place, inspired Carr to include a Swenson Bobcat in the novel. While Wood’s particular gun would not be delivered until 1969, Carr explains away the small liberty taken here by establishing that Swenson had made these specially for the Central Intelligence Agency’s clandestine arms room – a wine cellar – in Saigon.
Jack Carr is a longtime friend of our parent company, Cabot Guns, and we are honored that our celebration and focus on vintage custom 1911’s was able to aid him in his writing. Additionally, we are thrilled that his instant New York Times bestselling novel has brought the efforts and legend of the “Big Swede” back to life.
We at Alchemy Custom Weaponry are beyond proud to be offering in our RestoMod series this incredible recreation from one of history’s most important gunsmiths. Our company stands on the shoulders of the accomplishments of men like Swenson and would not be here without their ingenuity and tenacity to create.
Finally, we would like to take a moment to remember all those who served our great country fighting Communism in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Conflict. Many of these men did not receive the hero’s welcome of their fathers as they returned home and it is important for us at ACW to acknowledge and honor their service.
$5,950
Only 35 Bobcat 1911s have bee produced and they are complete and ready to ship to your ffl. To order your pistols, use the link below. We will contact you after your order confirmation for your FFL. Limit 1 per person.
Sales tax will be added for orders shipped to PA , IN or NC
Out of stock
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