Tussey Custom Colt Officers ACP Enhanced Stainless .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol
SOLD FOR: $3,413
LSB#: 240118DT001
Make: Colt, Terry Tussey Custom
Model: Officer’s ACP Enhanced Stainless
Serial Number: SF06501E
Year of Manufacture: 1994 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Semi-Auto Pistol, Detachable Magazine Fed
Barrel Length: 3 1/2″ Kart Barrel
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade with a tritium lamp dovetailed to the barrel’s compensator. The rear sight is a square notch with two tritium lamps dovetailed and screw-set to the rear of the slide. The lamps have dimmed significantly and are not usable as night sights.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered carbon fiber panels. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks.
Type of Finish: Stainless Steel
Finish Originality: Original to customization by Tussey Custom
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10 out of 10
Overall Condition: This gun retains about 96% of its metal finish. There are some scattered scuffs and light handling marks. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads have strong sockets. The markings are clear. Overall, this gun is in Fine condition as customized.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger is crisp. The slide to frame fit shows barely perceptible play. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box & Accessories: This pistol comes with a total of two 7-round Chip McCormick magazines with black plastic basepads and a leather Galco holster.
Our Assessment: In the 1970s, the Rock Island Arsenal began production of a shortened 1911 for use as a General Officer’s pistol. These pistols were built only for issue to Generals and were not available to the general public. The idea of a compact 1911 was already around; the Commander had been in production for some time up to that point and gunsmiths had made more compact 1911-style pistols as one-off custom guns. Detonics was one of if not the earliest of the companies to introduce a production 1911-style pistol smaller even than the Commander, their Combat Master. Colt took some time to react to the popularity of these guns and then introduced the Officer’s ACP in 1985.
This example was produced in 1994 and is an Enhanced model. Enhancements include skeletonized hammer and trigger, extended beavertail grip safety, extended ambidextrous thumb safety and dovetailed sights. The pistol has been further customized by pistolsmith Terry Tussey. Tussey’s improvements include a compensator on the Kart barrel, requiring a cut to the front of the slide, and the front sight is now dovetailed to the compensator rather than the slide. The fronstrap has been checkered for additional grip and the mainspring housing replaced with one incorporating a beveled magazine well to assist with magazine changes. An ambidextrous thumb-safety has been installed to complement the ambidextrous safety and finally the grips have been replaced with a set of carbon fiber panels. The result is a great little .45 that should be quite comfortable to shoot with its compensator, and is also pretty easy on the eyes. The pistol is in Fine condition, appearing to have seen some carry and gentle use. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
