In 1976, iconic firearms trainer and author, Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, founded the forerunner of what would become Gunsite Academy, now generally acknowledged as one of the preeminent shooting academies in the world. Col. Cooper taught elite law enforcement officers, military personnel and free citizens how to shoot well and shoot responsibly, following a groundbreaking, multi-part program of his own creation. And he strongly advocated the use of .45 ACP semi-automatic pistols for personal protection. Today, Gunsite Academy has expanded its curriculum and adapted to contemporary shooting requirements, challenges, and technologies. But it continues to rely heavily on Col. Cooper's time proven philosophies. The Baer 1911 Gunsite pistol, with its distinctive Raven logo engraved on the slide and on the special grips, is a state of the art custom pistol designed and built with common sense for serious shooters. The serial number has a GAI prefix (Gunsite Academy, Inc. It's meant to be used daily by people who demand nothing less than the highest levels of performance and precision.