For decades, Doug Turnbull has built a lasting reputation as the premiere gun restoration master. His New York-based company, Turnbull Restoration & Manufacturing Co., has turned thousands of worn and tattered relics into gallery-worthy works of art, many christened with the color case-hardening, exquisite engraving and charcoal bluing that’s become synonymous with the company name. He didn’t invent these techniques—he just perfected them.
Turnbull’s newest introduction, the Model 1911 Heritage Edition Commander, demonstrates what can be accomplished when the mindset of the restoration process is applied to the production of a new firearm. The Commander, which will be featured at the 2016 SHOT Show, is a follow up to the original Heritage full-size 1911, introduced in 2014. As Turnbull himself said, it’s all about attention to detail.
“The idea with…