This 1911 variant, equally suitable for sport or defense, has been a mainstay of the Bear lineup for 20 years. For very good reason, Kokalis says. See his review in the 10/1 issue of SGN.

The Premier II is Les Baer’s most popular pistol and comes complete with numerous desirable custom features, including a fully adjustable rear sight.

Kokalis favors the Thunder Ranch Special, the Commanche with a 4.5-inch barrel (it’s as small as Les will go) the utilitarian Custom Carry and the Premier II.

The Premier II comes with attractive checkered Cocobolo grip panels. Although popular for gun grips, only small amounts are exported and it is quite expensive.

The ambidextrous thumb safety permits firing and safety manipulation with the “weak” hand, a useful maneuver in self-defense and law enforcement scenarios.

While the disassembly procedures duplicate those of the entire M1911 series, the Premier’s close tolerances benefit from use of a specialized disassembly tool.