Class Testimonials

 

  • “Last year I stumbled upon a video posted by Justin Opinion at Guns America.  At the time I only knew of Bob Marvel by reputation.  I didn’t know he was teaching 1911 Build Classes, and I always wanted to learn how to build a 1911.  Fortunately, there was one spot left in his class, and I signed up.  The experience was fantastic!  I spent 8 days building my first 1911, and the result was well worth my time.  Bob Marvel is a true master, and his level of experience and expertise is second to none.  And while there are other schools out there, I can’t imagine anyone coming close to what Bob has done over the past several decades of building these pistols.  On a personal note, I found Bob to be very patient and an excellent instructor.  His course is worth every penny, and I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in learning how to build an incredibly accurate and reliable 1911!”  -Chris Martin

 

 

  • “I have been building 1911’s for a few years before I took Bob’s class. I found the class from the video review posted on YouTube by Justin Opinion at Guns America (it is a great video about Bob’s class and I highly recommend anybody interested in building their own 1911 watch it. That video is on this web site. Most of my knowledge prior to the class was acquired from friends, different books and videos on YouTube. I thought my experience building 1911’s would make the class much easier and I expected to just get several tips on improving my current methods. I couldn’t have been more wrong. NONE of the YouTube videos are very complete, most were incorrect and some were outright dangerous. None of them came close to the detail and precision that Bob does, in some areas we were working to the .0001” (one ten thousandths inch accuracy). If you build your 1911 based on some YouTube videos, you are at best just compromising the accuracy, reliability and longevity of the firearm and at worst building a gun that would put you in physical danger. 

     

    Bob’s course consists of a series of steps that are repeatable and will maximize the accuracy and reliability of your 1911. He will impart decades of research, testing and practical gun building, which will result in the gun you build being as accurate and reliable as any gun you can buy (I expect my gun will get sub 1” group at 50 yards in a ransom rest). A surprising bonus to me was the feel of the gun when shooting; it simply feels better than my other 1911’s. The class is eight days and you can count on being busy all eight of those days (I probably did 8-10 hours per day and plan on doing some reading after the class).

    The only downside was I now need to rework all the guns I built or purchased prior to the class and I expect I’ll have to replace some the parts that were done incorrectly. I believe the gun I built is as accurate and reliable as the Bob Marvel’s sold by Nighthawk (with a current starting price of $4,395.00). I Live in California and for me this class is the only way I can acquire such a firearm as my State doesn’t allow the sale of Bob Marvel 1911’s. One final thought, Bob is an outstanding instructor, he is patient, approachable, knowledgeable and he explains the material so all the students understand it. He oversees everyone’s work to make sure no mistakes are made. I have a Bachelors and Masters degree in Engineering, as such I’ve taken a lot of classes, rarely have I had instructors as good as Bob.” -Bill Kiel

 

 

  • “Bob is an excellent instructor.  He has encyclopedic knowledge of the 1911’s function and history, and a communication style that allowed even a complete novice like me to understand how and why things were done.  If you have any interest in the 1911, this class is a fantastic investment in your time and money.  Thanks, Bob!  I’d love to do another one someday!”  -Matt A.

 

 

  • “I have taken two classes with Bob Marvel and am still amazed at the wealth of information the man has. His attention to detail is second to none and he is devoted to making sure every student is successful. The years of research Bob has done on every part of the pistol is borderline obsessive, but that is Bob. He refuses to produce a product that is anything other than perfect. He is the subject matter expert on everything 1911, and he is able to articulate that wealth of information to his students. He is patient with students and is always willing to explain things again until his point is understood. I would recommend his class to anyone, it was a great
    experience.”  -Caleb

 

  • “Over the last several years I have taken several pistol classes by Master Gunsmiths and Bob Marvel’s 1911 build classes are, without question, superior.  Bob explains, demonstrates and coaches his students with techniques and procedures that yield consistent world class results.   He not only leads the student through the steps to build an exceptionally accurate and reliable pistol but also discusses the why and the history of what makes it so. I highly recommend Bob’s class to both the professional gunsmith and the interested amateur.” -Tim Davis
       Lieutenant Colonel (retired), US Army Ordnance Corps,
      Owner: RTD Precision Custom Firearms, 
      Pistolsmithing Instructor Fayetteville Technical Community College, 
      1911 Essentials NRA Continuing Education Instructor, Montgomery Community College