Editor’s Note: This ultra-rare custom Garrison by 10-8 Performance is featured on the cover of the current Summer 2024 print issue of The Armory Life magazine, and is also the featured monthly “Giveaway” gun for August on TheArmoryLife.com. Sign up for your chance to win this extremely rare pistol here.
It’s safe to say readers of The Armory Life don’t need to be reminded the 1911 is a design that’s alive and well. Despite the wide range of capable polymer-framed pistols available today, in my opinion, the 1911 is still a very sound choice for beginners and experienced shooters alike.
It’s not by accident that Springfield offers numerous lines of 1911 pistols, with each of those categories populated by a wide range of options of configurations and chamberings. No sir, the 1911 reigns in Geneseo.
Where It Started
My relationship with Springfield Armory started back around 25 years ago when I was a young, aspiring writer for Combat Handguns magazine. In 2000, I purchased a Springfield Professional model that, until the last few years, was my primary off-duty carry gun.
For those of you who may not be familiar with it, the Professional is a custom pistol developed by Springfield Armory for the FBI back in the 1990s. The Professional is almost mythical in the 1911 realm, and it always attracted a lot of attention when I was at the range or attending a class with it.
Fast forward to 2010. I had the pleasure of meeting 10-8 Performance’s Hilton Yam when I was assigned to review one of his full custom build 1911 pistols for Combat Handguns. We stayed in touch, and I have followed his social media content very closely since.
Hilton has a very impressive pedigree. In addition to being the founder of 10-8 Performance and a renowned gunsmith as well as a competitive shooter, he spent 19 years on an FBI SWAT team where his primary pistol was a Springfield Armory Professional. That experience gave Hilton a unique insight into what it took to maintain a 1911 in a hard-use/high-round-count environment.
Now retired from the FBI, Hilton and 10-8 Performance are running wide open. While Hilton no longer builds custom guns, he offers a wide array of parts for the 1911, from his excellent sights to great-looking stocks. About the only thing you can’t get from 10-8 is a frame, slide and barrel. Other than that, 10-8 has you covered. Additionally, Hilton offers a line of parts for the EMP and the 1911 DS Prodigy from Springfield.
A Solid Source
As you can tell, Hilton has a strong connection with many Springfield products. This likely played no small part in a very special project we are talking about here today — a semi-custom 1911 based off of the Springfield Armory 1911 Garrison pistol. This build project was developed to not only showcase 10-8 Performance’s 1911 excellent parts, but also promote the Garrison as a solid foundation for a custom build like this.
When the editor asked me if I’d like to review this custom gun for the site, I didn’t hesitate. It was a great opportunity to connect again with Hilton, as well as get to review a fascinating gun. I remembered that gun of his I reviewed back in 2010, and couldn’t wait to see this new project.
As part of my research for this article, I asked Hilton his opinion on the current Springfield 1911 guns, and specifically the Garrison. To quote him, “Regarding the single-stack guns, everything they (Springfield Armory) have been doing, in terms of refining the production process, is noticeable. The slide and frame fit has been exceptional on every gun!”
I should note that these are guns that Hilton purchases for research and for his online classes he offers. I should also note that this is a custom gunsmith with a reputation for very high standards. So, this is some very high praise.
Speaking of Springfield’s guns, as mentioned the foundation for this project is a Garrison 5”. Available in blued or stainless steel in .45 ACP or 9mm, it is a feature-rich 1911 at a very reasonable price. Factory features include a forged frame and slide, a forged match-grade barrel, and low-profile three-dot sights. A beavertail grip safety and rowel-type hammer are also standard. For a retail price of $868 for blued or $917 for stainless, the Garrison is a great deal. It’s also a great base gun for Hilton to work his magic.
The Process
The variant selected for the 10-8 build was a stainless Garrison in .45 ACP. When Hilton received the gun, he completely disassembled and inspected it. Not surprisingly, he found his sample to be a solid pistol.
As mentioned, Hilton no longer does custom builds like this. However, he did agree to it for this special project. The build planned was a relatively simple and straightforward one, designed to highlight the selected 10-8 Performance parts without overshadowing the base gun.
In fact, I think it’s important to note how many components Hilton chose to retain during the build. This is a credit to the quality and consistency of the Springfield line of pistols. But, let’s dig into the parts that Hilton has designed and made part of this custom build. You can see the full listing of parts included and work he did in the accompanying “Build Sheet” listing.
Starting with the slide, the factory sights were replaced with the 10-8 low mount rear sight with a “U” notch. This sight is CNC machined from 4140 bar stock and finished in black oxide. After years of shooting, Hilton is a big fan of a “U” rear notch. The rear face is serrated to 40 line-per-inch (lpi) to reduce glare while the leading edge is a ledge profiled for single-hand manipulation. Interestingly, 10-8 offers the four different heights that are matched with particular brands and models. The rear sight was paired with a bar stock, dovetailed front sight that is set up with a fiber optic rod.
I have always found Springfield Armory barrels to be exceptional, and Hilton saw no need to replace the one that came in the Garrison. He also retained the factory barrel bushing and barrel link. However, he did custom tune the fit as needed. The factory recoil spring plug was replaced with a 10-8 Performance plug, and the recoil spring was replaced with a Wolff 17-lb. spring.
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For the frame, the most noticeable addition is the 10-8 Performance aluminum flat-faced trigger. Let me say, if you haven’t shot a flat-face trigger, you are missing out! More on that later. Hilton also installed his 10-8 Performance Thumb Safety. His design is a wide paddle that is serrated with beveled edges. When disengaged, the forward edge of the paddle is contoured to allow the thumb to lie flat alongside the slide.
Little details can make a huge difference. This is the case with the 10-8 slide stop. Hilton has designed a slide stop that is approximately 0.50” wider than the original G.I. part. This, along with the sloped shelf and serrations, provides an enhanced surface for positive manipulations. Hilton also reshaped the angle of the lobe for easier re-assembly without scratching the frame. His design also improves the pressure of the detent spring to minimize a premature locking of the slide. It’s these little things that reflect Hilton’s deep knowledge and experience with the 1911.
Hilton installed and fitted his bobbed spur hammer. To my eye, this gives the Garrison a great retro appearance. The hook geometry is designed to fit with the drop-in EGW sear, with no stoning. Internally, an EGW hammer strut and sear were installed, giving the Garrison a clean trigger break that averaged 4 lbs., on my scale.
As with his other 10-8 parts, the design of the magazine catch has been enhanced. The 10-8 catch is machined from bar stock to Hilton’s specifications. The length of the 10-8 catch is approximately 0.45” longer than the stock part and features a serrated beveled face.
As with the other parts, the 10-8 stocks on the pistol are designed with the end user in mind. The stocks are manufactured from G-10, and have a diamond texture. The left panel has a prominent magazine catch scoop. Both panels have the 10-8 logo in a stock insert. The base of the stocks is cut flat for use with, or without, a magazine well, and there is a cutout for access to the mainspring housing pin.
The final touch was to give the pistol a full external dehorning treatment and then finish it with a soft, satin appearance. This was accomplished with the careful application of glass bead media in a blasting cabinet. To get a consistent finish like this on an entire pistol takes patience and skill. Hilton pulled this off in typical 10-8 fashion, giving us an absolutely gorgeous pistol. The finish reminds me of the old Armaloy finish of the 1970s. As a nice additional touch, Hilton added the 10-8 logo at the forward portion of the dustcover on the frame’s left side.
Two CMC, eight-round Power Mags with 10-8 base pads round out the package. Finally, Hilton completed a thorough 100-round testing protocol.
Build Sheet
- 10-8 Performance flat trigger
- 10-8 Performance magazine catch
- 10-8 Performance signature inlay grips
- GI-style slotted grip screws with standard-height grip screw bushings
- 10-8 Performance spring plug and spring guide with 17-Ib. Wolff spring
- 10-8 Performance rear sight with .350″ tall blade and .140″ U notch
- 10-8 Performance fiber optic front sight with .175″ tall x .115″ wide blade
- 10-8 Performance hammer with EGW strut and sear, 4-Ib. trigger job
- 10-8 Performance thumb safety
- Wolff extra power firing pin spring and 17-Ib. main spring
- Two (2) CMC Power Mags with 10-8 Performance base pads
- Full reliability and function tuning
- Full external dehorn
- Satin glass bead blast finish
- 100-round function test
Where It Counts
When Hilton finished with the Garrison, it was sent to The Armory Life team for photography. After that was completed, they entrusted the pistol to me. I ran 230-gr. FMJ for familiarization, and then three personal defense loads.
For those interested in the numbers, Federal 230-gr. HST averaged 918 fps, Federal Syntech Defense 205-gr. hollow point averaged 917 fps and Speer 230-gr. Gold Dot averaged 830 fps. During all this, the Garrison ran flawlessly.
In conclusion, this is a very special Garrison that retains all the great features and quality of the original Springfield Armory pistol, but has been sprinkled with a touch of 10-8 fairy dust. It is one of a kind and, while there may be other collaborations, there will only be one stainless 10-8 Performance Garrison.
I asked Hilton how much this one would have cost me if I had been able to buy it, and he told me that the total price for the project, including the $917 MSRP for the Garrison pistol, would have been $2,395.
While Hilton does not offer custom work like this outside of this very special project, you can pick up all of the parts used in this build (and more) by visiting his website. You also have the opportunity to train online with Hilton himself by visiting his Patreon page.
It was truly a pleasure having the opportunity to review this very special — and rare — pistol. I must say, it was very, very hard returning this one.
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