In early 2024, without much fanfare, a new 1911 shop opened in Berryville Arkansas, the Mecca of custom 1911s. Kings River Custom may be a new name in the business, but the founders have decades of experience building these pistols. They each share a common passion, to produce the best 1911 possible. KRC is unique in that it is an employee-owned business. Each person is personally invested in each pistol that goes out the door. This ownership is what makes Kings River Custom different from other companies. 

Matt Riker is the CEO of Kings River Custom, and was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the company. I’ve known Matt for many years and was excited to hear about his new venture. He was kind enough to send me one of the pistols, for this evaluation.

The KRC Phoenix Fighting Gun

As the name implies, the PFG is KRC’s first model and is designed as a fighting pistol. To use an old quote, “It has everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t.” The PFG is based on a traditional Government Model with a 5” barrel, a standard recoil spring system, and barrel bushing. The PFG is offered in both slide carbon and stainless steel. While our model has a single side, extended thumb safety, an ambidextrous safety is available. The entire pistol has a soft carry bevel and is void of any offending edges. Our pistol featured a DLC finish but KRC offers other finishes to include color case hardened, blue, and Cerokote.

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The PFG slide features the expected custom features, such as ball end cuts, a lowered ejection port, and wide cocking serrations. All of the appropriate edges, including the rear of the slide and the extractor, are properly blended. The beefy rear sight is a KRC design with a fixed “ledge” design and a square notch, while the front sight features a silver bead. The match-grade barrel is flush-cut with the bushing and has a deep crown. 

Sights on the Phoenix Fighting Gun

The frame is high cut at the base of the trigger guard, with 25 LPI checkering on the back strap and mainspring housing. The extended magazine well is integral to the mainspring housing and is expertly blended to the frame. An extended thumb safety is serrated and nicely beveled. The aluminum trigger broke cleanly at 3 lbs. 6 oz. KRC upgraded the stocks from their standard G-10 to gorgeous stabilized ironwood from SK Grips. Other stock options include 10,000-year-old mammoth ivory, also from SK Grips. Three Trip Research Cobra magazines are included with each pistol. 

Features

Each KRC pistol ships in a nylon case with a detailed build sheet, a signed test target, and a letter of authenticity. The letter is specific to each pistol and is signed by the employees of the company. In addition, the company also includes a customer satisfaction survey. I think this is a great idea. 

Shots Fired

Hitting the range, I first ran a box of 230-grain ball through the PFG. I then ran a formal testing protocol with four popular personal defense loads. The first test consisted of 10 single rounds, fired with no magazine, to test the extractor and ejector. This ensures proper tension on the extractor and a proper angle of the ejector. I then tested the feeding, from slide lock, of the first two rounds of a full magazine. Finally, I shot the last two rounds, from each magazine, to ensure proper feeding and slide lock. During the range tests, the PFG did not experience any issues.

I also shot the “Test” which is shot on a B8 bullseye and consists of 10 shots, fired from 10 yards, with a par time of 10 seconds. Several shots dropped low into the 8 and 7 rings but still managed a score of 90%. I came to appreciate the excellent sights on the PFG, especially the silver front sight bead. The trigger reset was positive and I had no trouble making par times on my drills. For fun, I engaged a steel target that was set at 45 yards down range.

Center mass hits were no problem as long as I did my job. From a bench, I was able to shoot several groups, at 45 yards, that measured in the 5” range. From 15 yards, I shot 10 round strings and measured the best 5 shots. The results are in the table below. 

Testing Results

While time was limited, I did test each load into a block of 10% Clear Ballistics gel. The chart below reflects the results of the Phoenix Fighting Gun ballistics test. I was impressed with the Gorilla Silver Back load that expanded to 1.26”, with an average penetration of 9.5”. For those needing more penetration, Gorilla offers a Silver Back FBI load that meets their protocol. However, my personal choice, for daily carry, is the Federal HST. HST has a proven track record and is in use by many law enforcement agencies.

I carried the PFG in an old Milt Sparks 55BN and it carried like an old friend. The 55BN is the Sparks version of Bruce Nelson’s Professional model. It carries the pistol high on the waist and close to the body. It has a metal-reinforced mouth and a sewn-in sight channel. It is ideal for carrying large frame pistols and has been my go to holster for many years.

Final Thoughts

After over 500 rounds, I found that the Phoenix Fight Gun was a very appropriate name. It was accurate, reliable, and solidly built. The only issue I encountered was the slide stop. I found that the shelf was very narrow and I frequently missed it during speed reloads. Other than that, the PFG is, as the old cowboy would say, “it’s good to ride the river with!”

READ MORE: Testing the Gen5 Glock 17L MOS

Kings River Custom offers a complete line of Government and Commander models in both 9mm and .45 ACP. They also offer several levels of engraved pistols with additional embellishments. In the age of polymer, MIM parts, and mass production, custom steel and wood is a welcome change. If you are in the market for a truly custom 1911, I suggest you give Kings River Custom a look at kinghsrivercustom.com

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