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Cabot. There’s not another booth at SHOT Show that has modern pistols that are this much fun to look at. The guns that Cabot brings are eye-candy, for sure. They’re exquisite. The materials and craftsmanship are just about the pinnacle of 1911 design. I’m sure there are some out there who would want to argue with this. The argument I hear most often is that the Cabot guns are just safe queens, and that their performance is not as important as the unicorn horn grip panels, or meteorite slides. I’ve yet to see any evidence of this. The Cabots I’ve shot have all been rock-stars.
And they’re good to look at, too. So I’ve left all of the images big in this piece.
What’s new?
The video above will take you through the highlights. The meteorite gun is on the top of everyone’s list, but it isn’t a gun yet. They’re planning on rolling that out at NRA. The part of the frame that they brought was displayed in an infinity box–a mirrored contraption that made the image go on forever into the distance. The mirrors also monkeyed with the depth of field and the reflection of light, which made my attempts at still photography all but useless.
But I could see what they’re up to. The slide and frame will be made out of a meteorite. The unique crystalline structure of the metal ( a widmanstatten pattern)is unlike anything I’d seen before. The grips will be made of the outer scale of the meteorite. The trick is going to be attaching pieces of fully functional earthly steel to the meteorite frame (which is undoubtedly high in iron). Steel is incredibly flexible, at least when compared to iron–and is also easy to weld. Iron is not as easy to weld. That alone makes this build a serious challenge.
The price? Mainstream media sources are saying it should sell for over a million American dollars. You know how many beautiful Cabots (not made of space junk) you could buy for that price? But they wouldn’t be one of a kind and out of this world.
Full Cycle Technology
The real news for gun geeks is what Cabot is calling Full Cycle Technology in their 4.25″ Commander-length guns. The breach has been moved back further in the slide. These shortened guns have the same timing and ejection as a 5″. I can’t wait to shoot one to see if there’s a noticeable difference in the recoil impulse.
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The big news coming out of Cabot, for most of us, is the Commander sized guns.
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Cabot’s first rail gun is on display, too. This is the epitome of bedside opulence. The slide is made from powder layered stainless Damascus. The rest of the gun is decked out in the typical trappings of a tactical gun. Good looks, lights, and a gun meant for service? Where can I find the $6K I need?
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Cabots are almost always fun to look at.
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Cabot’s still making their S class guns and their C class guns. More of the S class guns are finding their way into distribution. If you live somewhere that can support a high-end gun store, you may actually see some of them on the shelves. GunsAmerica is definitely a good place to start the search if you can’t get to a local dealer. For the higher end C class guns, you’ll still need to work directly with Cabot.
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These are guns meant to shoot, too. There’s not one on the floor that wouldn’t function flawlessly.
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Some aesthetic choices mean functional sacrifices, like these slick grips.
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Cabot is still making left handed guns, and mirrored pairs. What keeps a good pistol smith from making a 1911 left-handed? Nothing. In theory. In practice, though, everything is backwards. Because we’re human, doing something repetitively means you can really get good at it. But that doesn’t mean you can do the same thing as well in a mirror image version. Just try brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, and you’ll see what I mean. But computers don’t suffer from our neural inadequacies. And Cabot is leading the way with CNC precision. There are still craftsmen involved, but it isn’t the one-man-with-a-file model of production you find at some of the other high-end 1911 makers.
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True ambidexterity goes to the core–even the twists are backwards.
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The entry level guns come with more options than most.
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Some of the Cabots are leaning more toward the classic pugilistic style you’d find in some of the high-end competition.
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The attention to detail is evident over the whole gun.
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The American Joe Junior–same patriotic look, but a Commander length.
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