re: High end 1911 to pass down to son

I’ve never thought of the relationship between those two.

Wilson Combat and Nighthawk are semi-custom in the sense they have standard models/packages they build around - but we're talking 1911 pistols here, so they're just a set of features they price into each model. (Example: Wilson CQB vs. CQB Elite - the latter is the former with a few extra things like top-of-slide serrations, etc.)

They can be as "full custom" as you want them to be - just tell them exactly how you want it built. They'll start with something as a starting point and add/remove the things you want/don't want built into the gun.

For a full custom shop, Jason Burton at Heirloom Precision is tough to beat, but you'll be paying some coin. Volkmann is also a very solid semi-custom/custom shop.

My opinion...

1911s shouldn't be bastardized too much. Too much gimmicky stuff and they become the pistol version of a restomod muscle car. Sure a 1968 Mustang with a 750hp modern engine, modern guts, flashy rims, digital gauges, etc. is a cool car...but it's not really a 1968 Mustang anymore.

Same with classic pistol designs like the venerable 1911. Better to keep it simple/pure. You can still flash it up some (if you want a "BBQ gun") with tasteful engraving without ruining the purity. Throwing on some really nicely made wood stocks is also a good way to elevate it without getting away from it being the 1911 it is.

That’s a classic looking firearm.