I see in another thread that the Detonics Company has been resurrected and will be producing pistols again. I know they were hot in their day, but what does Detonics bring to the table today that isn't already available from a multitude of 1911 cloners?
Detonics?
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Their CombatMaster may be the smallest 1911 .45 pistol on the market, but what I found to be most impressive is that all of the lockwork, including such critical parts as the extractor, hammer, sear, disconector, slide stop, and manual safety will be made from machined bar stock, not some kind of penny-saving powdered metal mix. The company intends to turn out a product people can stake their lives on - if that becomes necessary. Larger models in the line will be built the same way.
Checked their web page. It still says coming soon. From what I have read about Detonics I sure want to buy one 
. Now I just need to find the right words to tell my wife that there is an old friend coming back soon . Can I , huh, huh .
. Now I just need to find the right words to tell my wife that there is an old friend coming back soon . Can I , huh, huh .Well...I've already started making grips for them..so, they better be out in the market soon
Regards,
Hakan.
Regards,
Hakan.
Excellent. Hopefully they can build with the same quality that they used too. They DEFINATLY missed the ressurection of .45s as carry guns.
Really you have to wonder about their timing. They first started making compact .45s when the wondernine markey started taking over. Thus they go out of buisiness.
Now with ten years of magazine limits and dang near EVERYONE wanting a compact .45 they are out of the market (but, their stuff STILL sells for a mint on the used market).
And now that the AWB might be sunsetting and the "wondernine" craze is getting ready to start up again they start back up. I wish them luck. Hopefully they will be successful this time since they made GREAT stuff.
Really you have to wonder about their timing. They first started making compact .45s when the wondernine markey started taking over. Thus they go out of buisiness.
Now with ten years of magazine limits and dang near EVERYONE wanting a compact .45 they are out of the market (but, their stuff STILL sells for a mint on the used market).
And now that the AWB might be sunsetting and the "wondernine" craze is getting ready to start up again they start back up. I wish them luck. Hopefully they will be successful this time since they made GREAT stuff.
The new company, Detonics USA is an entirely different one then the original, although many of the players who were associated with the old maker are on board. Yes, they do plan to make the same guns, and to maintain or increase the quality. Detonics USA's president is Jerry Ahern, who is both an arms expert and a successful author of 29 novels in the "Survivalist" series - not one of the usual "numberchunchers" that infest the gun industry.
As for timing - it just happened that the right people got together at this time. We will have to see how things work out, but during the past decade a lot of people have discovered that one big bullet may be a better option the a whole bunch of smaller ones. I think that Detonics USA will do well in that market - especially if they watch their quality control. Judging from some threads on this forum many of their competitors have not.
As for timing - it just happened that the right people got together at this time. We will have to see how things work out, but during the past decade a lot of people have discovered that one big bullet may be a better option the a whole bunch of smaller ones. I think that Detonics USA will do well in that market - especially if they watch their quality control. Judging from some threads on this forum many of their competitors have not.
fastbolt
Member
Well, as long as the new pistols are improved over the previous ones, I think it'll be an interesting addition to the growing 1911 marketplace.
While I was always a Colt guy, my younger brother used to like to collect different 1911's, including a few Detonics pistols. They seemed to be a 50/50 pistol ... half worked without any attention from a gunsmith, and the other half required some work in order to properly function. (I know, I know ... just like many Colt pistols) Of course, that was back when reduced size 1911's, smaller than a Commander, were still a fairly "new" thing.
The 1911 armorer at work said his experience with the occasional Detonics pistol over the years reflected the same potential reliability ... about half worked, and half didn't without some sort of work.
It made me glad to see Jerry Ahern's name pop up in connection with this enterprise, as I always enjoyed him as a magazine author, and his venture into writing novels in the Survivalist series. I lost track of him after his involvement with holsters, I think it was ... I always wondered what happened with him.
I sort of regret dumping the whole series of his books several years ago, and wish someone would publish them again. Well, I'd only buy the first half dozen or so, as they strayed from the early premise of the storyline rather quickly ... like Johnstone's Ashes series did several years later. I remember he was always an enthusiast of the diminutive Detonics pistols, as well as the basic Federal 185gr JHPs ... and the Python "stoked" with Federal 158gr JSPs. In later years I always wondered why he'd selected 2 handgun models for his hero that probably wouldn't have functioned as well under adverse conditions, for extended periods, without the services of a gunsmith. Pythons can tend to go out of time more quickly than a S&W or a Ruger ... and some Detonics pistols, as I related above from personal, family & armorer acquaintance experience, often seemed a bit "fussy", especially with reduced bullet weight and/or JHP ammunition.
I'd be interested in seeing how well a "new" Detonics series would fare in the rapidly multiplying 1911 marketplace.
Does anybody know whether the new company will actually manufacture their pistols, in whole or in part, or assemble them from all vendor-supplied parts?
While I was always a Colt guy, my younger brother used to like to collect different 1911's, including a few Detonics pistols. They seemed to be a 50/50 pistol ... half worked without any attention from a gunsmith, and the other half required some work in order to properly function. (I know, I know ... just like many Colt pistols
) Of course, that was back when reduced size 1911's, smaller than a Commander, were still a fairly "new" thing. The 1911 armorer at work said his experience with the occasional Detonics pistol over the years reflected the same potential reliability ... about half worked, and half didn't without some sort of work.
It made me glad to see Jerry Ahern's name pop up in connection with this enterprise, as I always enjoyed him as a magazine author, and his venture into writing novels in the Survivalist series. I lost track of him after his involvement with holsters, I think it was ... I always wondered what happened with him.
I sort of regret dumping the whole series of his books several years ago, and wish someone would publish them again. Well, I'd only buy the first half dozen or so, as they strayed from the early premise of the storyline rather quickly ... like Johnstone's Ashes series did several years later. I remember he was always an enthusiast of the diminutive Detonics pistols, as well as the basic Federal 185gr JHPs ... and the Python "stoked" with Federal 158gr JSPs. In later years I always wondered why he'd selected 2 handgun models for his hero that probably wouldn't have functioned as well under adverse conditions, for extended periods, without the services of a gunsmith. Pythons can tend to go out of time more quickly than a S&W or a Ruger ... and some Detonics pistols, as I related above from personal, family & armorer acquaintance experience, often seemed a bit "fussy", especially with reduced bullet weight and/or JHP ammunition.
I'd be interested in seeing how well a "new" Detonics series would fare in the rapidly multiplying 1911 marketplace.
Does anybody know whether the new company will actually manufacture their pistols, in whole or in part, or assemble them from all vendor-supplied parts?
Is there an official site for Detonics USA now or is it just the bighammer.net one? I couldn't find anything in google.
Fastbolt, I can’t answer that question – you’ll have to ask the company.
But in general, there’s nothing wrong with vendor-supplied parts so long as they come from a qualified vendor and meet the buyer’s (hopefully) high standards and specifications for material and workmanship. The trouble comes when the buyer, trying to save a penny here and there, allows sub-standard parts to come in for a lower purchase price. Demanding an ever-lower price has to ultimately result in degraded parts that lead to a lower-quality final product.
By coincidence I ended up staying in the same SHOT Show hotel as one of Detonics USA’s engineers and on two occasions had breakfast with him. Our discussions centered on the technical aspects of parts, materials, and fabricating methods. I left with the strong impression that regardless of where the parts came from – in house or out – the quality would meet the highest rather then the lowest expectations.
We will have to wait and see what comes out, but at this point I will say this ……
I like their attitude – it’s like a fresh breath of air.
But in general, there’s nothing wrong with vendor-supplied parts so long as they come from a qualified vendor and meet the buyer’s (hopefully) high standards and specifications for material and workmanship. The trouble comes when the buyer, trying to save a penny here and there, allows sub-standard parts to come in for a lower purchase price. Demanding an ever-lower price has to ultimately result in degraded parts that lead to a lower-quality final product.
By coincidence I ended up staying in the same SHOT Show hotel as one of Detonics USA’s engineers and on two occasions had breakfast with him. Our discussions centered on the technical aspects of parts, materials, and fabricating methods. I left with the strong impression that regardless of where the parts came from – in house or out – the quality would meet the highest rather then the lowest expectations.
We will have to wait and see what comes out, but at this point I will say this ……
I like their attitude – it’s like a fresh breath of air.
WonderNine:
I have the following listing:
Detonics USA
53 Perimeter Center East, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA. 30346
(706) 367-9833
www.detonicsusa.com
I haven't checked the website - it may still be under construction.
(Edited to add) I just did check. The site is still under construction, but they give an e-mail address from which you can obtain more information.
I have the following listing:
Detonics USA
53 Perimeter Center East, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA. 30346
(706) 367-9833
www.detonicsusa.com
I haven't checked the website - it may still be under construction.
(Edited to add) I just did check. The site is still under construction, but they give an e-mail address from which you can obtain more information.
fastbolt
Member
Thanks for the link ... I'll keep an eye on it.
I don't automatically have any problem with vendor supplies parts, either ...
As you said, as long as they're high quality parts, the buyer has specified sufficiently high quality, and the buyer frequently checks the quality standard. Better high quality vendor supplied parts than lower quality in-house produced parts ...
I once owned a "New Safari Arms" Match Master, I think it was ... When I spoke with someone back at the company, I was told that many of the Detonics people had come aboard and were producing the pistols. I can't vouch for the accuracy of what I was told, mind you ...
My Safari Arms was "less than acceptable" when it came to overall quality regarding fit, finish and performance. I traded it off rather quickly, as I don't like to keep "less satisfying" examples of 1911's around ...
I hope the New Detonics starts off well, and does well. There's always room in the 1911 market for GOOD quality pistols ... and I'd like to see an older nameplate make a comeback. Detonics may not have made it back then, and some of their pistols may have had problems ... but it was a bold experiment and great innovative effort for the time.
Let's hope for the best ...
Edited to add that maybe it was the Score Master, and not the Match Master. Was the Match Master the older full size Detonics I'm remembering?
Anyway, mine had the Hybrid Compensator ports along the top of the barrel, with the modified slide to allow for the Hybrid-modified barrel ...
I don't automatically have any problem with vendor supplies parts, either ...
As you said, as long as they're high quality parts, the buyer has specified sufficiently high quality, and the buyer frequently checks the quality standard. Better high quality vendor supplied parts than lower quality in-house produced parts ...
I once owned a "New Safari Arms" Match Master, I think it was ... When I spoke with someone back at the company, I was told that many of the Detonics people had come aboard and were producing the pistols. I can't vouch for the accuracy of what I was told, mind you ...
My Safari Arms was "less than acceptable" when it came to overall quality regarding fit, finish and performance. I traded it off rather quickly, as I don't like to keep "less satisfying" examples of 1911's around ...
I hope the New Detonics starts off well, and does well. There's always room in the 1911 market for GOOD quality pistols ... and I'd like to see an older nameplate make a comeback. Detonics may not have made it back then, and some of their pistols may have had problems ... but it was a bold experiment and great innovative effort for the time.
Let's hope for the best ...
Edited to add that maybe it was the Score Master, and not the Match Master. Was the Match Master the older full size Detonics I'm remembering?
Anyway, mine had the Hybrid Compensator ports along the top of the barrel, with the modified slide to allow for the Hybrid-modified barrel ...
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I think that both Detonics and Olympic Arms had problems with investment cast parts, particularly frames and slides, on early guns. Given what I was told the "new" Detonics may (only "may") not have an investment cast frame or slide. At the time of our discussions this question had not been resolved. Anyway I doubt they will make the same mistakes that they did in the past.
Stevie-Ray
Member
Given the performance of high-quality investment cast frames and slides, Caspian being a prime example, I wouldn't worry about a Detonics that was constructed from such castings. But as always, the key word is "quality." Unfortunately some of the first generation guns suffered from less then optimal frames and slides. I don't think that will happen again.
At the time of our discussions during middle-February in Las Vegas the project was still in the tooling stage, and some decisions hadn't been made while different options were considered. Whatever way they go will most likely be determined by "best quality" rather then "lowest price." We will have to wait to see the final outcome.
At the time of our discussions during middle-February in Las Vegas the project was still in the tooling stage, and some decisions hadn't been made while different options were considered. Whatever way they go will most likely be determined by "best quality" rather then "lowest price." We will have to wait to see the final outcome.
I understand what you're saying, but I won't pay $900 for a cast gun same as I wouldn't pay $900 for a Kimber.
I'll keep an eye on this one though. And hopefully they won't decide to ad a grip safety.
I'll keep an eye on this one though. And hopefully they won't decide to ad a grip safety.
What I want to know is if they are going to be rolling .451 Detonics chambered guns with maybe a deal with Cor-Bon to make the ammo.
Detonics were really so ahead of their time.
Detonics were really so ahead of their time.
WonderNine:
On your first point - I think they are between a rock and a hard place. Remember this is a small company, and setting up to have forgings made would make the finished guns retail at far more then $900.00. Never forget the cost of the product has to include something to pay for the tooling.
That said, this outfit is opting for top quality. They fully intend to make a product their customers can depend on, and "powdered metal" parts are not even being considered. The critical lockwork parts will be made from steel bar stock and machined from same. I think if it's economically feasible they may make the slide and/or frame from bar stock also, but they can only go so far with this unless the pistols end up in the mega-bucks range, and this isn't what they want.
The basic 1911 design in any configuration was never an inexpensive model to build, and wasn't met to be. I have personally built several pistols using Caspian investment cast frames and slides, and without exception they have proved to be satisfactory in every respect - and I am very fussy. I have no personal experience with the Kimbers, and have no idea who makes their frames and slides.
As for a grip safety - I believe the new guns will be exactly the same as the old ones in this respect.
George:
They are just getting started, and while I don't know I am pretty sure their first guns will be in .45ACP. Down the road, who knows?
On your first point - I think they are between a rock and a hard place. Remember this is a small company, and setting up to have forgings made would make the finished guns retail at far more then $900.00. Never forget the cost of the product has to include something to pay for the tooling.
That said, this outfit is opting for top quality. They fully intend to make a product their customers can depend on, and "powdered metal" parts are not even being considered. The critical lockwork parts will be made from steel bar stock and machined from same. I think if it's economically feasible they may make the slide and/or frame from bar stock also, but they can only go so far with this unless the pistols end up in the mega-bucks range, and this isn't what they want.
The basic 1911 design in any configuration was never an inexpensive model to build, and wasn't met to be. I have personally built several pistols using Caspian investment cast frames and slides, and without exception they have proved to be satisfactory in every respect - and I am very fussy. I have no personal experience with the Kimbers, and have no idea who makes their frames and slides.
As for a grip safety - I believe the new guns will be exactly the same as the old ones in this respect.
George:
They are just getting started, and while I don't know I am pretty sure their first guns will be in .45ACP. Down the road, who knows?
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