Les Baer Custom: High-Peformance M1911s

by
posted on September 18, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Les Baer Custom M1911 10mm Kenai Alaska tribute stainless steel pistol

Les Baer began tuning, fixing and modifying guns in 1973. His first shop, so to speak, was the basement of his home in Allentown, Penn. Enthusiasts quickly discovered the quality of his work and word spread. By 1976 demand was outgrowing his workspace, forcing him to expand. In 1980 he launched his full-time gunsmithing career by establishing Bear Custom Guns.

Nine years later Springfield Armory harnessed that talent by hiring him to manage its custom shop. Baer made the move to Geneseo, Ill., but the desire to create his own fine line of precision M1911s never faded. He officially established Les Baer Custom in 1991. Headquarters was originally in Rock Island, but in 1994 he moved operations to Hillsdale, also in Illinois.

There the Les Baer legend grew, with collectors, match shooters and 1911 fans more eager by the year to own one of his M1911s. When Illinois enacted even more restrictive gun laws, he responded by moving operations across the Mississippi—LeClaire, Iowa, to be precise—in 2007. It was a strategic business victory, putting a political barrier between anti-Second Amendment legislators and his thriving business. The approach was ingenious, too. The two cities are only 20 miles apart, minimizing attrition among a highly skilled staff and providing legal isolation from left-leaning "Land of Lincoln" legislation. 

Today the company maintains the same attention to detail and dedication to precision. It offers a fine line of M1911s. Most are in the traditional .45 ACP chambering, but there are also models that run 9 mm Luger, .38 Super and 10 mm cartridges. All have the trademark looks of a Baer and come with the performance now relied upon by serious competitors, law enforcement and special operations groups. When Sheriff Jim Wilson tested a pair of the company’s pistols for American Rifleman he wrote, “Les Baer is one of a handful of M1911 craftsmen who take the time to build guns right and expect them to last. For many years, he personally test fired every firearm that his company produced. I’ve lost track of how many Les Baer guns that I’ve fired over the years, but, without exception, I have found them to be accurate and reliable handguns—the kind of pistol a man could bet his life on.”

The Les Baer Custom Premier I pistol is the firm’s M1911 king, so to speak, but there’s no shortage of other versions from which to choose. Its 10 mm-chambered Kenai Special—a tribute to the state of Alaska—has a corrosion-resistant, hard-chrome finish, timeless looks, Baer performance and its all in packaged in that reliable M1911 platform.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.