Background

Bunker Arms evolved from a family history of accurizing and modifying 1911s for competition. Watching my Father build 1911s throughout the 80s and 90s laid the foundation for my interest and experience with the 1911 platform. In 2003 I earned a bachelor’s degree in management, marketing, and Automotive Aftermarket Management with a desire to work in the automotive industry as a shop owner. My first career started in 2005, managing pharmacies for a Fortune 50 company. In 2008 I decided to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree and at the same time I experienced a life-changing experience, a cancer diagnosis. This was an eye-opener which made me decide that I wanted to pursue something that I was passionate about. I survived cancer, earned my Master’s degree, and started planning the future. I grew up around my Father who shot competitively and built custom 1911s as a side business while maintaining his career as a tool maker, so I always shared this passion about firearms, and naturally one in particular, the 1911. I decided to pursue this passion that I shared with my father and started Bunker Arms. 

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Goal

My goal is to expertly craft the absolute best premium custom 1911s that I can by using precision tools to build precision pistols. I believe in employing the best methods and processes for building premium custom 1911s. Historically, many of the processes were done by hand, critical bearing surfaces were filed, stoned, and lapped in a manner where the human element could negatively impact critical dimensions and bearing surface accuracy. Today's precision machining and grinding processes offer much better control and accuracy over critical dimensions and bearing surfaces. In response to this, I have expanded shop capabilities to include 3 and 4 axis CNC vertical machining, precision surface and OD grinding, probing systems for measuring to 0.0001" accuracy, hardness testing, TIG welding, Heat Treating, along with powerful CAD/CAM capabilities to offer 3D machining typically not offered in traditional custom 1911 building. I have a philosophy of continuous development and improvement and strive to build a better pistol each time.

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Blueprint 

Expertly crafting means more to me than fitting over-sized parts without a plan. Each of my 1911s are built around a very specific blueprint to ensure consistency and accuracy with each pistol I craft. I start by modeling each part in CAD software and running simulations to examine how each part interacts within the system. Making changes to each part blindly produces varying results, making changes to a complete system numerically, and simulating these changes, offers a much more comprehensive approach to the build process. Therefore, I only offer complete builds; to achieve my goal of an expertly crafted pistol, the pistol must be built as a complete system.  

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The next generation of custom 1911 is here and I will continue to develop a new standard of custom 1911, one gun at a time.  

 

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