Why would anyone name a handgun after Trenton, New Jersey? Camden. Atlantic City, Wildwood and Asbury Park are more dangerous, but that’s not saying much. (A Trentonian’s odds of becoming a victim of a crime is one in 21.) A quick trip to Carolina Arms Group‘s website reveals that the gunmaker was inspired by The Battle of Trenton, where George Washington scored his first military victory. Yes but – why not name a new 1911 after a World War II battle where 1911’s were actually used? Anyway, all marketing starts with a great product, and CAG’s new 1911’s look like the business. And costs a bomb. Make the jump for the press release . . .
Mooresville, N.C. (December 2015) – Carolina Arms Group, LLC. (CAG), a manufacturer dedicated to producing heirloom quality, American made firearms, is proud to introduce the Trenton 1911 handgun line. The lines three models are meticulously crafted for the ultimate in fit and finish and uncompromising performance quality.
Carolina Arms Group, with its staff of military veterans and expert gunsmiths, stand by the principles of working smarter and delivering more to their customers than expected. All Carolina Arms Group Trentons are hand-filed, stone-lapped, hand-fitted and test-fired for accuracy, feel and function. Carolina Arms Group guarantees 1.5″ accuracy at 25-yards on all their guns.
Carolina Arms Group Trenton Specifications:
Tactical Stainless Two-Tone
Caliber: .45 ACP .45 ACP .45 ACP
Height 90° to barrel: 5.50″ 5.50″ 5.50″
Weight w/ empty mag: 42 oz. 42 oz. 42 oz.
Length: 8.7″ 8.7″ 8.7″
Frame: carbon steel stainless steel stainless steel
Slide: carbon steel stainless steel stainless steel
Twist Rate: 1:16 LH 1:16 LH 1:16 LH
Recoil Spring: 15 lbs. 15 lbs. 15 lbs.
Trigger: 4 lbs. 4 lbs. 4 lbs.
MSRP: $3,300.00 $3,400.00 $3,499.00
It ain’t squat until I get 500 rounds through it.
Yawn. Just another antiquated pre World War I pistol. Nothin’ to see here.
Snoooze….. Just a Boeing Dreamliner 787, just a rehash of decades old technology, nothing to see here….
So how much of a choke-a-matic is THIS piece of bling?
At least it is half the price of the last choke-o-matic they gushed over.
Haven’t watched this video but Mooresville, being the HQ of over half of the NASCAR teams, probably has a huge base of available and idle CNC machines just waiting to do work like this. Everybody in the business park where Junior has his shop has a big Haas mill or several. Make good business sense. If you’re considering a milling-heavy startup, Mooresville’s your town.
Point Blank Range could use some competition though. Every time I showed up they were understaffed and not too willing to help when I elbowed my way to the retail counter. There’s a big wealth base in the area. Somebody make these jokers work for a living.
We work very hard for a living. If you had a bad experience, please come in and talk to us about it. Ask for me, Eric or Richard and we’ll make it right by you.
Well it’s pretty…that’s a lot for a company I never heard of…
Silliness at that price tag
Oh sweet, man I was just saying there is way too much innovation on the market, and we were lacking expensive 1911s
Meh – I’d rather have a CMP 1911…whenever that happens.
3+ grand for still another 1911. Yawn.
Yeah, what is with these high priced 1911s that usually less reliable than a $750 Springfield.?
No thanks- Springer Compact $800
ATI Titan LW Subcompact $400
Both work fine.
$3,300 to $3,500? They must be so expensive because of the license fees being paid to the patent holder for a platform that was invented during the Taft Administration.
Don’t knock expensive bling guns. Along with ostrich leather and open carry, they may be just what gets some Hilton or Kardashian to turn 10 million drones to send their votes our way…….
Not to mention the bankster contingent. After all, cars that emit lots of CO2 is evil. Unless they are expensive enough.
Fancy, open carried guns as a means to show off, may be just what’s needed to get city libs to switch side.
To anyone that doesn’t own a gun, my stainless Springfield Loaded that I got used for $800, with the fancy Alumagrips and the home-gunsmith polished controls, is just as show-offy as anything that costs $3500. To anyone that does own a gun, they’ll appreciate that I got what I could with what I had, and not judge me.
Maybe after I pay off the Porsche–that I haven’t bought yet. And that I can’t afford.
But does it sing when you rack the slide??
No, because the idea of a gun that sounds fantastic as it jams is patented by that other manufacturer.
Kimber is working on a model they’re calling “The Newark,” because it stinks.
They could make one called the Charlotte with the sights on the side of the slide. Straight up Gangsta.
Need sights on both sides for true ambidextrous- that alone should be good for another $500.00.
Everybody and their grandma in the gun industry wants to sell you their version of a 1911… ZZZZzzzzzz
I used to be the National Advertising Manager for a Firearms company that specializes in gold plated and engraved firearms, and one thing I can tell you with full confidence is this. 1911’s have hardly any demand, and are way over marketed. Save your advertising budget and market something other than a 1911 that nobody wants to buy. It’ll save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in wasted marketing efforts.
The reason they are charging $3k+ for this is because they have to spend $2,500.00 in advertising to sell each gun.
Nope, It’s because it has TACTICAL in the name.
My 530 dollar pt1911 runs flawlessly. I just don’t see the reason to pay $3k+ on a 1911, unless you’re a competition bullseye shooter.
This seems like a really nice 1911. That being said, the price is due to limited production and the small manufacturer not having thousands of guns that can absorb the tooling costs. I’m not sure if the market has room for another producer of high end 1911’s. Unless I was a collector with money to burn, I’d probably put the money towards a Wilson or Baer, two proven 1911 manufacturers.
When I first saw the location of their facility, I wondered if there were any former Para employees on staff. I got an Elite Carry model a year ago, and it has been a very well made and reliable gun. When Freedom bought up Bushmaster, the former employees put Windham together. I was hoping this was a similar story.
Those are (1911) the Harley-Davidsons of guns, and all that implies, good, bad, and gaudy.
That actually make sense – both are overpriced, heavy, slow and sometimes not completely reliable pieces of hundred years old technology, but they are American icons 🙂 …running like hell…
Am I the only one here that’s getting fed up with “TACTICAL”?
It’s starting to effect where I spend my dollars because it makes companies look like idiots slapping “tactical” on everything. It reminds me of when a Democrat says “common sense”….
Even if I won the lottery I’d have a hard time rationalizing spending that much on a pistol.
Not bad for high dollar toys. How about something really inovative, such as a three barrel 1911? The two barrel has been out for few years now…
1.5″ at 25 yards? Show me better at 50 yards. Thats what separates the big boys. Mr. McCoy a former navy engineer, probably knows his CNC machines. But not so much of a prestigious 1911 gunsmith background. The big question is can he swing a file? The 1911 addicts group is a shark tank for new up and coming companies, no marketing BS there. Only the strong survive, only time will tell!
PKAT Arms in Newport NC, carry these 1911s. Pete Bocker, the owner is a retired Marine Corps Mustang Major and he recently let me handled one, and I have to admit, it was really quite special. In the 1911 models, I own a Nighthawk, Kimber, CZ/Dan Wesson, Wilson, Springfield, Smith and Wesson and an STI. This CAG was right there with the Wilson. The Wilson has a lighter trigger but just barely, however, I have to admit the CAG felt better in my hands. The trigger is so crisp with an unexpected break. Haven’t purchased it, however, I’m close. The way I see it, I’m, Only going to be here for a while, so I might as well enjoy the best.
These comments are silly and scream out the definition of uneducated opinions.
Would you buy a $300 bottle of whine without knowing the difference? No, you probably wouldn’t. With the $10 bottle in the left hand, and $300 bottle in your right hand can you tell the difference? No you can’t! But yet, people still buy the more expensive bottle in alot of cases.
Well if you hold a Colt 1911 in your left hand, and the Carolina Arms Group 1911 in your right hand. The difference is obvious, the quality is tremendous!
A standard 1911 is nothing close to a custom 1911.
Kimber’s, Springfield, colt, sig. Etc. Etc.
All of those are abunch of cast framed, MIM part, mass production guns, if you dropped it on concrete in the winter cold weather it may just shatter like glass! That is OK, you get what you pay for with everything in life.
CAG is building a gun one at a time, by hand! Everything is made in house, and precisely built to exacting tolerances!
Most production 1911’s are loosley fit, with a bad trigger, and a gritty feeling slide, that wiggles side to side, and front to back! The average person doesn’t even notice this, as the mideocre stainless finish on it is just enough to make them think it’s the best…
Pull back the slide on a Carolina Arms Group, and it feels as if it’s riding on a silky, glassy smooth, ball bearing system! There is no play, only precision fit guns!
I’d have to compare CAG to Cabot.
There just exquisite pieces.
Alot if these comments sound like this… $250,000 for a Lamborghini? My Ford Escort drives too, and it only cost $1,500.
Now do you see the difference here?
This is a precision built 1911, tight tolerances, quality craftsmanship, that is hard to define in pictures, or videos. You need to hold it! Then you’ll get it! Then you’ll understand.
Looks like they built the nicest full custom gun they could, and then came up with a fair price!
I’m from North Caroline as well. And I’d love very to have one.
I’m pushing it with Bout $2,500 for a used nice Semi-Custom. Like a Ed Brown, or Guncrafter. These are great 1911 builders as well.
I’d love to get a CAG one day though!
Travis P. Santelmann
Well said.