[brahmabull8413]

Anybody got a pistol from Yost-Bonitz? 1911 or High Power. How long was the wait, was it worth the wait? Overall impressions?
Thanks

 

[Reconvic]

His shop is only about 7 miles from me, He use to see me parts but the partnership is breaking up and now they are only selling thier own pistols with about a 8 month to a year waiting list. Yost is moving out of AZ. So it is up in the air what will happen.

 

[Barry in IN]

I have two- a 1911 and a HiPower.

I love 'em.

I won the 1911, a Springfield Operator, in a raffle.
I sent the HiPower to them to be done like I wanted.

I wanted a custom HiPower for years. I didn't really have the money (I'm medically retired) but after winning that Operator and seeing the work, I scraped up the money anyway and sent the HiPower within a couple of weeks.

It's the attention to detail that got me.
I noticed something new each time I handled that 1911. Honestly, since I didn't have the gun built, I had to find what was done.
I really was finding little details months later.

I got the HiPower back a year ago, and it took just a few days short of a year.
It was worth the money, and the wait.
I carry that gun all day every day, and have not quite 5,000 rds through it now. I just got it Melonited to get more wear out of it. I held off on getting a "wonder finish" until I was sure it was just the way I wanted it. After a year's use, I wouldn't change a thing, so had it done.

Probably the best part of that HiPower is the trigger. I got the premium/short rest trigger job. While it may not be quite like a tuned 1911 trigger, it's pretty good, and maybe as good as most "premium" 1911s, which is no small feat with a HiPower.
That trigger job is expensive, but worth it. Besides the end result, it's a big job, judging from the looks of what they did. I wish I could have it done to all of my HiPowers.

I love their work, and wish I could send a lot more guns out there.
I don't know what else to say to recommend them.

Here is the 1911. It was one of SA's early Operators with the full-length rail and blocky slide front. Among other mods, they trimmed the rail and re-cut the slide (the first I knew who did that).

And the HiPower.
"The Moment": Getting it back and taking it from the box:

Backstrap stippling:

Like I said, I send a dozen more out there if I could.

 

[Bud White]

To bad they are splitting up where is Yost moving to

 

[Barry in IN]

His shop is only about 7 miles from me, He use to see me parts but the partnership is breaking up and now they are only selling thier own pistols with about a 8 month to a year waiting list. Yost is moving out of AZ. So it is up in the air what will happen.

I wouldn't say anything was up in the air.

Only Lew Bonitz (the "Bo") is leaving. In fact, he is already gone. He had owned property in MT for a while, and set up shop/moved there. He did mostly long gun work, and has opened a shop in MT for that, called Grizzly Custom
http://www.grizzlycustom.com/

Ted Yost is staying. Jason Burton is staying. Steve Bailey is staying. Without the "Bonitz" they couldn't be called Yost-Bonitz anymore, so changed the name to Heirloom Precision.
Same shop, address, and phone number.
http://www.heirloomprecision.com/
They are going to stop the 1* series (for now?) and concentrate on full custom jobs.
They did buy a bunch of neat new machinery! Oh man, it's purty!

Anyway, from Jason Burton a month or two ago:

In the interest of making sure there is no confusion it’s worthwhile to clear up any potential misconceptions with a brief explanation of what Ted and I are doing.

The basics are that Lew (the "Bonitz" in Yost-Bonitz) bought some property in Montana and moved there in early July. This move is something he had been planning and as such Ted and I knew this would necessitate some changes at the shop.

So in order to continue to do what there is apparently still allot of demand for and something we both truly love, Ted and I along with Steve Bailey have formed a new company called Heirloom Precision, LLC. The company is essentially an extension of what Ted and I have been doing here all along, building high end 1911s and Browning Hi-Powers... Heirloom Precision is basically the next step or evolution for us.

As part of this evolution Ted and I will be limiting the focus of exactly what we do here to only include the things that are most time efficient and rewarding for us, which is to only offer the absolute best in every gun we build with absolutely no functional corners cut. Some of those things previously done in the Yo-Bo shop don't completely fall in line with the philosophy of Heirloom Precision so in addition to no longer doing any long-gun work, this means eliminating the 1* packages as well the lower end and "piece-meal" pistol work that the Yo-Bo shop sometimes used to do. Rest assured we can and will still build a solid “working†pistol similar to the 1* guns however now every 1911 we build will follow our strict philosophy on building long-term 1911s and Browning Hi-Powers.

That philosophy is to build nothing but the best guns we can and to do so one at a time and as one cohesive unit. A major component of our gun building philosophy is that all the parts in the pistols are interrelated and connected in one way or another, and the only way to construct what will in the long run be a truly durable gun is to fit and tune each part together and correctly the first time. Ted and I are very adamant about this, as it is a lesson we have learned and witnessed throughout our years of experience both building and using these guns. Some guns can work just fine with a small package of work, or a partial tweaking here, possibly a bit of work there, and a refinement as time allows. But both Ted and I feel very strongly that in order to build what we believe will be a durable gun at not just the 10,000 round mark but also the 50,000 or 60,000 round mark the gun needs to be fit and built completely as one unit.... and that's what we're going to continue to do, build the best guns available one at a time.

What all of this essentially means for the customer is that, since we won't have any employees under the new company, every gun that leaves the shop will be personally built from start to finish by Ted or myself or possibly Steve as his time allows. The reality is that, while a new company is being born, nothing dramatic is taking place. The same old players (Ted, me, and Steve) are still here in the exact same location with the same phone number doing the exact same thing we've been doing all along, building custom guns. Rest assured we are not going anywhere and we're not closing our doors, in fact just the opposite. Instead we’re continuing our tradition of building nothing but the best 1911s and Browning Hi-Powers we can offer and with a renewed focus we look forward to even more and better guns than in years past… and all while working towards even shorter backlogs and lead times.

In a short while we will have a new website under the Heirloom Precision moniker so keep an eye out for that, thanks!
__________________

 

[brahmabull8413]

Those picture's look as good as they did when I saw them on the other forum. Keep em comin.

 

[Reconvic]

Barry i stand corrected I did know one was leaving I thought it was Yost.
BTW; The Stippling is outstanding on that pistol. I just wish since they are so close they would keep selling parts to me lol.

 

[harrygunner]

I viewed their 1* package as a base for me to start with. So, I spec'ed additions, primarily focusing on its purpose as a carry gun. Yost spent time as a gunsmith at Gunsite, so, I figured he would make a good carry piece.

I took pictures after delivery, shooting it a bit beforehand. They are at:

http://www.louderthanwords.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2529

Interestingly, the blue finish has held up well to hundreds of draws from the holster.

 

[brahmabull8413]

Awesome gun harrygunner!! Just picked up a High Power i'd like to send to them or C&S. Also a Springfield GI is waiting for the right time for a project ($).

 

[Barry in IN]

Barry i stand corrected I did know one was leaving I thought it was Yost.
BTW; The Stippling is outstanding on that pistol. I just wish since they are so close they would keep selling parts to me lol.

When I first heard the stories, I went into a PANIC. I had plans to send other guns...someday.
I emailed them, and Jason emailed back giving me the scoop, which was a relief since it was a LOT better than what I had been hearing.
Basically the same, minus some long gun work, with a different name.
Whew!

I do hate it that they are going to quit the 1* series (maybe just for now?). I thought that was a pretty useful series, as it filled the gap between "factory premium" and full custom. The turnaround on them was fast, too. The 1*s allowed a lot of people get into a custom gun who might not otherwise have spent the money or time.
But it appears you can order the same thing done (as you could before). It was just easy to pick one, say "make me one", and have it in a three or four months.

 

[TraderJack]

Huh! I went over to their website last month to get the phone # and the thing was shut down. I emailed Lew because the site directed me to do so if I wanted info about a 1*. He posted back to contact the shop. I thought, what the h... is going on?

Well it's good to know the shop is still producing 1911s.
I guess I'll send the Commander to Colt instead.

 

[brahmabull8413]

Good to know.

 

[Reconvic]

Barry he has some p-retty young guys working there, I am sure they are still learning. I just wish they would continue to sell parts lol.