This the the “Big Bang” set of matching .45-caliber pistols.
They’re new guns, yes. But they’re very ancient, too.
And, oh, they’re tremendously expensive.
But if you’ve got the cash, here’s your chance to own a matched set if .45-caliber, model 1911-style pistols unlike any others.
Cabot Guns, the Sarver-based manufacturer known for producing high-end firearms, not long ago got its hands on a 77-pound chunk of what’s known as the Gibeon meteorite. It crash landed in Namibia in prehistoric times, and was reportedly used by early man to create tools, art and weapons.
Cabot decided to see if it could fashion the metal into a set of pistols. The “Big Bang Pistol Set” is the result.
“Billions of years through time and space are perfected now into an ultimate achievement of American design, willpower, and can-do spirit,” reads its breathless press release.
According to the company, other manufacturers have built small parts and accessories from exotic materials. No one had ever built a “functioning mechanical device” entirely from the meteorite, however.
The Big Bang pistols are different.
Cabot says the pistol’s components, down to the barrel bushing and trigger, are 100 percent Gibeon meteorite. “Bimetal” support was added only to the frame/slide rails, hammer, guide rod and extractor.
The guns actually shoot; they were test-fired from a rest and offhand.
The detail work they exhibit is tremendous.
They showcase the “Widmanstatten” crystalline pattern unique to the meteor on the slide and frame. “Voids” in the material show, while oxidation of high-iron content areas gives a hint of the meteor’s age. Exposed “bark” from its outermost shell adorns numerous surface features. They have high polish flats on the grips and, elsewhere, intact outer-edges of the meteorite “that survived the heat and violence of atmospheric entry.”
Their serial numbers reflect the coordinates where the Gibeon meteor came to rest on Earth.
Want to buy the set? You have to “register your interest” on the Cabot website for starters.
For there, get your checkbook out. Cost has been set at $4.5 million, which would match the current record for the highest price ever paid for a firearm.
You can learn more about the pistols here.
In the meantime, here are some other looks at the pistols.
