Editors’ Picks 2019: Les Baer Gunsite Pistol

Les Baer’s Gunsite Pistol is a modern rendition of Col. Jeff Cooper’s preferred defensive handgun—a Government Model M1911 chambered in .45 ACP, the classic “heavy pistol.” Cooper, of course, was a founding member of the Int’l Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and founder of the American Pistol Institute, better known today as Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Ariz. (gunsite.com). Gunsite has long been the premier destination for instruction in defensive pistolcraft, and Les Baer’s Gunsite Pistol is a collaborative effort that pays homage to the academy’s heritage and tradition. A full-size Government Model M1911, the Gunsite Pistol is built with Baer’s National Match frame, slide and barrel and uses the traditional recoil spring assembly and steel bushing. A few of the upgraded features include forward slide serrations, 30-l.p.i. checkering on the frontstrap, a 4- to 4-lb, 8-oz., match trigger, Baer’s Commander hammer and sear, an extended thumb safety and a tritium-powered front night sight. As with all of Les Baer’s guns, the pistol is a full-house custom build, but this one also wears the famed Gunsite raven. lesbaer.com