From your childhood to the FBI, leading up to where you find yourself today?
Hilton Yam (HY):Certainly.
Growing up, I was always interested in action movies, firearms, the military and law enforcement.
Hilton Yam and his company, 10-8 Performance, have earned an enviable reputation for excellence in the 1911 community. He is shown here working on a custom Garrison 1911 project. Image: Jake Miller/Springfield Armory
TAL:Continuing this theme, could you give us a brief overview of your career with the FBI?
Where were you posted, and what assignments did you have?
It was there that I worked for my entire career of just over 21 years.
Yam is shown here deployed to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in 2005. Note the 1911 magazines on his belt. Image: Author
I was assigned to a Violent Crimes/Fugitive Task Force right out of the academy.
TAL:The Springfield Professional pistol is a legend in the 1911 world and has a highly devoted following.
They were also required to shoot a challenging tactical pistol course qualification.
Yam has a long history with the Springfield Professional Model 1911, going back to his time on the FBI’s Miami Division SWAT team. Image: Jake Miller/Springfield Armory
Also, what gear did you use; holsters, ammo, etc.?
We were issued Safariland 6004 holsters for tactical use, and a variety of concealment holsters were issued.
These latter included thumb-break models from Don Hume and Alessi.
Yam’s personally owned, agency-approved Springfield Professional. He explained he carried it at work for many years and that it has the finish wear to show for it. Image: Author
I was issued and used an Alessi DOJ Thumb Break model.
Our service ammunition was Remington Golden Saber 230-gr.
brass jacketed hollow point.
Over the course of his more than two-decade career, Yam has learned the nuances of building and maintaining duty-grade 1911 pistols intended for hard use. Image: Author
TAL:Can you tell us about the service and maintenance process the Bureau employed to support the Professionals?
TAL:When and why did you start your deep dive into the world of gunsmithing?
Were you authorized to maintain the Bureaus 1911s?
Yam’s focus shifted to 1911 component product development from building custom 1911s. Image: Author
HY:I had been around 1911 gunsmiths from day one of my IPSC shooting in the 80s.
Our club had Austin Behlert building guns for all the shooters.
I got to see and learn an incredible amount from being around the Springfield pistols at work.
The Professional Model pistol represents the pinnacle in 1911 design, combining custom-grade fit and finish with duty-grade performance.
All of that time in and around the guns gave me some incredible insight.
I founded the company in 2006 for the development of the various 1911 components I had begun to design.
But, can you tell us a bit about the guns you have built?
Hilton Yam’s experience on the FBI SWAT team and his other duties with the agency gave him significant insight into what characteristics true duty-grade firearms must have. Image: Author
How did you make them and how many have you built?
HY:I started building custom 1911 pistols around 2000, back before I had created 10-8 Performance.
I was always configuring the guns in a manner that I felt was suitable for duty use.
TAL:You clearly have had a lot of experience with Springfield Armory 1911 pistols.
What current production Springfield 1911s do you like?
HY:Ive always liked building on Springfield Armory base guns.
Of all the models Ive used, I think Ive built the most on Operator models.
Its a very solid platform with a great feature set.
In addition, I think the Ronin and Garrison are really good values.
Weve put together a great little community on Patreon, and I enjoy sharing the knowledge.
TAL:We know this is a loaded question, but do you think the .45 ACP is dead?
TAL:What Springfield model would you recommend for the person who is buying their first 1911?
Its also an extremely reliable platform.
TAL:Can you tell us a little bit about what the future holds for you and 10-8 Performance?
HY:Of course.
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