Brolin Arms 1911 ?

[oldcars]

I have a chance to buy a Brolin L45C 1911 in good shape for $350. It has a Commander legnth slide, and the grip is aout 1/4" shorter than a government but the grip-screw spacing is the same. I am looking for a commander sized gun, this one seems to cycle well, has a good trigger, and the price is right. I have heard bad things about Brolin, but I have also heard that they used Essex frames and slides.It says "made in USA". I am looking at this gun as a building platform for a carry gun and I need to know:

Are the frame, slide, and barrel good quality?

will a standard 1911 thumb safety work?

will an "officers" size magazine fit in the gun?

Good deal or not worth the time?

 

[bald1]

Here's an interesting site with info that might be useful to you:
http://www.pmulcahy.com/pistols/us_pistols_b.htm

Brolin Arms only lasted a few years because of QC and poor review problems. I bought a Patriot Carry Comp on a whim early on (1997). It had issues plus I found that this grip size, my first officer's frame, just wasn't going to work for me. The factory swapped the frame for a full size for me and tried to resolve the other problems. Ultimately I ended up swapping out a few parts, customizing things, and ended up with a reliable gun (P45C carry comp on a P45T frame).

I'd say the asking price might be a tad high. Plus you might end up, as I did, spending more time and money than I expected from the start to get something useful.

 

[crazy charlie]

Never heard of a Brolin, but then again, some say I live a sheltered life.
Sounds like a roll of the dice situation and the price a little hi. I take a what if approach to a gun that is going to be a shooter vs. a collector item.

 

[oldcars]

Does anyone know if the frames and slides are cast?

 

[jim1911]

I know this is an old thread but thought I throw in some info. I purchased a new Brolin Arms 1911 when they were available in the 1990's. The company was based in California and offered a lot of "custom" features for a $350 gun.

The gun was accurate, reliable and I wish I still had it.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I have a chance to buy a Brolin L45C 1911 in good shape for $350. It has a Commander legnth slide, and the grip is aout 1/4" shorter than a government but the grip-screw spacing is the same. I am looking for a commander sized gun, this one seems to cycle well, has a good trigger, and the price is right. I have heard bad things about Brolin, but I have also heard that they used Essex frames and slides.It says "made in USA". I am looking at this gun as a building platform for a carry gun and I need to know:

Are the frame, slide, and barrel good quality?

No. And they are not Essex frames. The frames and slides were made by J.P.E. (I used to know what those initials stood for, but I've forgotten.) The big (as in "HUGE") problem for you is that the gun you're looking at is a real mongrel. The grip is shorter than a Government model 1911 but longer than a Colt Officers ACP. Which means that nobody make magazines that will fit it. NOBODY. Sarco in NJ was selling off some remaining Brolin "Compact" magazines awhile ago and I bought one. It is possibly the single worst 1911 magazine I have ever laid eyes or hands one. Makes ProMag look great by comparison.

In addition, the mainspring housing is a proprietary size. You can't use either Government model or Officers ACP springs or parts in it.

Will a standard 1911 thumb safety work?

Yes.

will an "officers" size magazine fit in the gun?

No.

Good deal or not worth the time?

IMHO $350 is a bit high for it, considering that you can buy NEW 1911s from more than one Philippine manufacturer for not too much more. Given the mongrel-ness of the Brolin, basically what you see is what you get, and there's not much you'll be able to do with it. Finding magazines will be the biggest issue, if you need more. Best bet would be to get one of those mag chute extenders that fits over the grip screws and then run Government magazines. However, because the grip screws are in the standard 1911 spacing, there's less grip frame below and you'll have to modify the slots on the mag chute.

If you know it shoots well, I'd consider offering $250 for it, and I personally wouldn't pay a penny more than $300 -- tops.