Essex Frames & Slides

[stumbler]

Overall, how is the quality to use as a starting point in assembling a 10mm?

[stans]

Essex makes their frames and slides from castings. A well made cast frame should hold up just fine, but I don't think I would trust a cast slide in 10mm. Castings tend to be a little harder and more brittle than forgings or barstock. Forgings and barstock should absorb impact just a little better without cracking. I would expect a cast 10mm slide would develop cracks at the junction of the recoil spring plug cover and slide rails in fairly short order. A shock buffer would certainly delay this occurence. Now this is all hypothetical because there seem to be very few cast 10mm slides out there. Auto Ordnance made some, I have seen a grand total of one in the past 15 years. So is a cast slide acceptable in 10mm? Maybe, but not on my 1911. A cast frame? Essex has improved over the years, but Caspian is still the king of cast frames. By the way, Caspian no longer makes cast slides. What does that tell you?

[Dave Berryhill]

How much money will you save over a Caspian slide/frame combo?

[stumbler]

Essex SS Frame and slide $275.00
Caspian SS Frame and Slide $355.00
Difference in price $80.00

Dave, R U suggesting for the small difference it would be worth Caspian?

[Dave Berryhill]

...Dave, R U suggesting for the small difference it would be worth Caspian?

Wink wink ;) ...............yes

[stans]

Caspian cast frame is just fine and their slides are milled from barstock. It is really hard to beat Caspian.

[1911Tuner]

Gotta toss in another vote for Caspian here.

Although Essex has come a LONG way since they were supplying frame and slide sets to Thompson/Auto Ordnance and various insundry fly-by-night
assemblers of cheap knock-off 1911s...they're still not quite up to Caspian's level.

I've built a couple of decent pistols using Essex parts. Most everything
was pretty well to spec, and the guns were completed with very little muss
and fuss. There's an issue with the radius of the frame where it meets the slide that they haven't gotten right, and requires shaping and blending. Not
a major issue, but it could be much better, even if it was done purposely to
allow for the blending. They use trash ejectors on the frames that come with'em...and they still don't know how to properly stake a front sight onto
the slides...so I advise ordering directly from Essex and specifying that the
sight and the ejector be omitted. Might save ya a few bucks. Specify also
that they leave the parts in the white, since you'll have to address that frame
radius and will require refinishing anyway. Eliminating the finishing step will
save about 15 bucks.

They're investment castings...and are apparently pretty good ones, but I'd
hesitate to use a cast slide for building a Big 10. They're durable enough
for .45 ACP and standard hardball spec ammo, but the full-house 10
puts a lot of stress on frame and slide. Caspian's cast frames would likely
be up to the task...Essex may or may not...In any event, the slides are a definite thumbs down. ANY cast slide.

I'd pop for the extra bucks and go with Caspian. If you're building a .45 for
medium-duty use on a budget, and you don't mind a little massaging, Essex
will do. For hard use and/or high pressure ammo...the choice is pretty clear.

Luck!

Tuner

[stumbler]

Thanks for the confirmation. Caspian it is. :)

[stans]

I don't think you will be disappointed with Caspian parts. Good choice! :)

[Bruce P.]

I did one 45 up using a essex frame and have problems due to improper dimensions. To late to chuck it now though. I wouldn't get another. I have no experience with caspian, but bad luck with essex. just my 2 cents.