When we talk about guns, the conversation can run anywhere depending on who is in the discussion and what kind of gun is the focus. When you talk about art quality 1911s however, one name always comes up—Cabot Guns. Cabot has made a name for themselves by creating 1911s that are as at home on the range as they are in a high-end art gallery. Their newest offerings follow that same modus operandi and together offer some yin and yang in their lineup. Say hello to the Apocalypse and Serenity.

The Cabot Apocalypse & Serenity

The Apocalypse

The Apocalypse is a beautiful gun. In fact, the original order for the Apocalypse sold out within 48 hours of its initial release. They are obviously back at making more now. It is built around a deeply etched stainless steel Damascus slide that is as durable as it is striking. Cabot’s proprietary Heritage Finish brings out the intricacies of the aggressively patterned steel, while shielding the parts with a rock-hard exterior. Front and rear angled cocking serrations further highlight the dazzling surfaces. Like a fingerprint, each slide’s pattern is unique. Like many other Cabot guns, you have a menu of options with the Apocalypse. First off you can choose between 9mm and .45 ACP. The slide length can be either full-length at 5 inches long or Commander-style at 4.25 inches long.

Stainless steel match barrels come either flush-cut and crowned or extended and threaded for use with a suppressor. Even if you do not want to put a suppressor on the gun, the extended barrel does look nice. The gun has several sight options as well. Front sights are tritium night sights standard with optional white-dot, gold bead and suppressor-height sights. The standard fixed combat-style rears sights swap out for optional tritium rears, low-mount adjustable and adjustable tritium rear sights. Also available for the Apocalypse is a red-dot mount with ledge-style sights that will lower-third co-witness with Trijicon optics and a standard front sight. The gun I received for testing came in the red-dot configuration and in short, it was sexy.

The trigger on every Cabot pistol I have run has been fantastic, and the Apocalypse is no different. They offer three different trigger options on this gun. The standard trigger is medium length with a flat, serrated face. Other available triggers are the Cabot Tristar or Icon triggers. Likewise, the manual thumb safety can be standard right-handed or optional ambidextrous. There is even an option for an accessory rail. This allows you to mount the light of your choice on this high-end tactical fighter.

The Serenity

The antithesis of the Apocalypse in the new Cabot Serenity. The Serenity is all about smooth lines, deft touches, soft contrasts and unique textures. The Damascus comes harshly sculpted by a series of acid baths, but the internals remains silky and dimensionally perfect. The deeply etched slide balances the vapor-smooth grip panels milled of solid steel. The entire pistol comes wrapped in a blanket of silver, thanks to the 416 stainless steel used for every component. The gun delivers incredible beauty and performance.

The high-cut frame ensures that the Serenity sits low in the hand and the billet steel grips add weight, taming recoil through pure physics. Due to these features, the Serenity is one of the softest shooting guns that Cabot has ever built. Rhombus checkering is machined tastefully into the front strap and mainspring housing for tactile control. Both the Serenity and Apocalypse come with a match-grade, crown-cut, stainless steel barrel and a Cabot Guns billet barrel bushing. The housing and the extended magazine well are machined from a single piece of steel. Like the Apocalypse, the Serenity comes with options. The gun is available in .45 ACP or 9mm, as well as in full-size or Commander-length configurations. From the smooth grip panels to the beautiful Damascus patterning on the gun, it is a striking work of ballistic art.

Time To Test ’Em

As I mentioned, these guns could easily be set under glass and admired for the work that went into them. However, Rob Bianchin, the president of Cabot, made certain that I understood something very important. These guns are meant to be shot. While this may seem like an obvious point, I had an unconscious hesitation to take these two pistols to my dusty range in Southern Arizona. Let alone the fact that these two guns would set me back about $16,000 dollars if something unspeakable happened. The curious cat in me however reveled in the opportunity to run these high-end pistols regardless of what the range conditions were.

Apocalypse Testing

The model I had in hand included a threaded barrel as well as a Trijicon SRO optic. It was an epic-looking gun to say the least. Ammo-wise, I ran a variety of .45 ACP including American Eagle 230-grain Syntech, Hornady 185-grain XTP and Federal 205-grain SJHP. I was curious about how the gun with its exacting tolerances would handle a spectrum of ammo. My curiosity was answered when the Apocalypse ate everything I fed it. On a bench, the Hornady 185-grain gave me the best group of 1.25 inches at 25 yards.

The optic seemed to be a natural on the gun, and it was obviously not an afterthought. With the gun featuring a threaded barrel I went ahead and secured a suppressor to work into the mix. The can for this adventure would be the Dead Air .45 Ghost-M. The modular, centerfire, multi-caliber pitsol/subgun rates all the way up to .300 Blackout sub-sonic. Modular, it breaks down into a short configuration as well. Made of a combination of 17-4 stainless steel, titanium and anodized 7075 aluminum materials in all the right places, it offers rugged reliability and minimum weight. I added a pistol booster and quickly mounted it.

As with the SRO, the Ghost-M felt right at home on the gun. The package was Hollywood quiet and had us laughing at its silence. We could actually hear the rounds impacting into the berm with a thump. The Apocalypse seemed to crave suppression and ran flawlessly. In the end I pulled the can off and ran the gun at speed in a variety of drills. A couple things stood out in this section of testing. First was that the trigger was spectacular. I am a 1911 trigger junkie, but this was tuned and fit exceptionally well. Second was the balance of texture on the gun gave me good grip without leaving skin on the gun. The Apocalypse is everything I have come to expect from Cabot.

Serenity Testing

When I described them as yin and yang, it is completely true. The Serenity is a very calm-looking gun while my son described the Apocalypse as hot tempered. While it may have a calm demeanor on the outside, it is a full-speed fighter on the inside. I ran the same ammo choices on the Serenity as I did with the Apocalypse and got the same result. It may have been fatigue at this point, but on the bench my best group was 1.5 inches. Once again, the Hornady 185-grain did the trick. Honestly though all three brands of ammo shot so close to that mark that it was difficult to call a winner. I attribute it to the fact that the Apocalypse had an optic, and I shot the Serenity with standard iron sights.

The sights on the model I received were the only thing that I would change. It was a serrated U-style rear sight, but the front sight was simply silver. I believe my older eyes struggled a bit to make my shots super tight. At pace, the gun ran well. I experienced no malfunctions or issues of any kind. This just further deepen my belief in the 1911 as a fighting gun. The internet is awash with 1911 jokes, but they are mostly written by people that have never experienced a fine 1911 like a Cabot. Guns like this are hand fit and tuned. They can not be mass produced without sacrificing quality and ultimately reliability. Every Cabot gun I have ever tested has been like this and they are a testament to what the 1911 is capable of.

Waiting On A Legacy

The sun started getting low in the sky and it was time to put the Serenity in its bomb-proof case with its sister. The range session had gone off without incident and the guns performed magnificently. One other notable item is one that most average gun owners do not experience, lead time. Right now, there is an estimated 12 to 18 months wait for your pistol once it has been ordered. In an off-the-shelf world this can make people scratch their heads.

Cabot hand-crafts these builds; they don’t turn squirt them out of a gun machine. Anything in life worthwhile is certainly worth the wait. The Apocalypse and Serenity comprise legacy-level firearms, to hand down through the generations. If you are looking for something as rare as it is beautiful, take a long hard look at the Cabot Guns Apocalypse and Serenity. For more information, visit cabotguns.com.

SPECIFICATIONS: Cabot Apocalypse

• Caliber: 9mm or .45 ACP
• Barrel: 4.25 or 5 inches
• OA Length: 9.25 inches
• Weight: 42 ounces (empty)
• Grips: Billet stainless steel
• Sights: Reverse Dovetail front, Ledge rear or red-dot
• Action: Semi-auto
• Finish: Cabot’s proprietary Heritage frame, Damascus stainless steel slide
• Capacity: 8+1, 9+1
• MSRP: $7,995

SPECIFICATIONS: Cabot Serenity

• Caliber: 9mm or .45 ACP
• Barrel: 4.25 or 5 inches
• OA Length: 8.66 inches
• Weight: 40.8 ounces
• Grips: G-10
• Sights: Reverse Dovetail front, Ledge rear or red-dot
• Action: Semi-auto
• Finish: Smooth stainless steel frame, Damascus stainless steel slide
• Capacity: 8+1, 9+1
• MSRP: $8,495

This article originally appeared in the April-May 2022 issue of Ballistic Magazine. Get your copy or digital subscription at OutdoorGroupStore.com.