1911 suggestions

[Expat]

The good thing about Wilsons, I have the wife look at them and the price of my other guns don't shock her as much :-)

 

[repeter1977]

I tend to clean my 1911s after each range trip but only because it gives me a chance to fondle them about bit more after a range trip.

This is one of the best reasons why. Although I was raised to care for the firearm before myself, so clean weapons, then yourself

 

[Will317]

Springfield and tigers make very nice 1911s also. I have had both and never had an issue out of either of them.

 

[88E30M50]

All of this 1911 talk is making me think I need to add another to the family. I've had an itch for a DW Valor in stainless for a while and may need to start stashing funds into the 'new gun' fund.

 

[Beemer]

Depending on what ammo you are running through them I would say no.
"But"......Always a but, look in the chamber and see how cruddy the barrel/ramp etc. is and possibly just wipe it off.

Do you remember how I lubed up the slide and the difference before and after...???

That gun was set up after the Ceracote so it is slick and ready to run. Keep the rails wet.

I got some of that lube and used it after I took it to Atterbury and cleaned it. Seems smooth and ready to go.

 

[churchmouse]

I got some of that lube and used it after I took it to Atterbury and cleaned it. Seems smooth and ready to go.

I ran the replacement for that gun today.


I replaced it with an R-1 with EGW ignition controls, Clark barrel, Wilson trigger, S&A magwell, Armorers black and brown.
New sights but brand escapes me.

 

[Beemer]

Looks very similar. How do you find it compared to the Springfield CM?
I was thinking, after I save up, about a Ruger for my next one.

 

[churchmouse]

Looks very similar. How do you find it compared to the Springfield CM?
I was thinking, after I save up, about a Ruger for my next one.

I will never own another one. It has been a serious pain in my butt to get it fit up and running. I am staying with the springers.

I do have a sweet Ruger that was not a bad piece out of the box but being the nut that I am it got a serious upgrades.....
EGW ignition controls, S&A mag well, A custom fit Clark comped barrel. No one makes a commander length comp. barrel so we cut one down and fit it up. All the roll marks have been removed. The rail was for the spouse. She liked the laser to assist her in getting on point quickly and developing the needed muscle memory.It is a very smooth shooter.

 

[Beemer]

That sure is pretty. I am thinking just a basic one for traveling in the future. However, still have to start looking for a new 38 for the wife.

 

[BE Mike]

After all the pages, you should've just stopped reading after the first two posts by churchmouse. I have a couple of Colts and a couple of SA 1911 type pistols. The SA are the best bang for the buck. The only upgrades that I think the SA pistols need is hammer, sear, etc. made of tooled steel, rather than the MIM parts that come with the Springfield Armory pistols. I have a Cylinder & Slide kit in one of my SA pistols and it is pretty much a drop in deal and produces a light, crisp trigger pull that will last many, many years. The original SA parts give a mushy feeling trigger, in comparison, even after a trigger job. I fitted a Wilson barrel bushing to the SA with the C&S kit pistol and the gun needs nothing else.

 

[rhino]

Put 500/700 through it and you will know exactly what you have.
Cheap dirty ammo will show faults sooner than mid grade or good reloads.
In the tough training classes your equipment will be tested.

More of a general statement for the masses.

So many gun owners just never "Run" their guns and when they do it is not run hard.
Folks saying they have never experienced an issue with the gun they shoot and when asked how they run them the round count is 50 to 150 total spread out over 3 or 4 range trips. No issues with this but that is not a test.

Yes it does and is one of the reasons some folks limit range time.
A tight budget will dictate where the funds go.

I agree 100%. In my opinion, the cost of ammunition adequate to verify reliability is an integral part of the cost of owning a 1911 (or any other gun). Too many people only consider the purchase price of the gun and not all of the other required parts like good magazines, ammo, holsters, belt, etc. It's like a kid who buys a car, but doesn't include the cost of insurance in his calculations.

I'm in the process of deciding to go back to 1911s full time and the specter of ammo costs is looming in my mind. My guns used to be very reliable under tough conditions over tens of thousands of rounds, but they haven't been shot in a while. I'll need to vet all of them with both FMJ and carry ammo before returning them to self-defense role and it's going to be a more intensive evaluation that is required for a Glock or a Sig!

You are so right. It is amazing how people can come to a class with a gun they "have never had a problem with", and somehow it goes down the toilet in a two day class. Most recently it was a Kimber in a Tom Givens class I helped out with, but it can and does happen to a lot of models.

We had a classic example of that in one of our early rifle classes. Two guys brought 9mm ARs that would not function properly. They both claimed that they have never had a problem with them before, but during our class one of them was unable to fire more than 2-3 rounds without a malfunction and the other did not complete a full magazine without a malfunction over the course of the day.

 

[rvb]

For folks wanting to vet your equipment, don't think you have to spend several hundred bucks on a multi-day training class. Put 300 rounds through your gun w/o cleaning, then show up with $20, holster, and a few spare mags to a couple of local USPSA matches. It's not just the round count at classes/competition that finds the problems with equipment, it's the techniques you don't use on a typical firing line, the rushed draws and resulting bad grips from hurrying, the reloads not seated hard enough and/or slamming mags home w/ more force than normal, the effect on your grip from a hard lean around a wall, etc. Suddenly your wondergun that's never failed you is revealing it's every hidden flaw.

You might discover your grip safety needs adjusting to work with a marginal grip or your extractor doesn't have enough tension to eject the case w/ the gun tilted sideways or you're over sprung for reliable extraction shooting weakhand...

I can't tell you how many times I've seen new guys show up to a match talking up their favorite blaster, how it's never failed them, etc, only to have it choke several times by the end of the day.

You might even have some fun, too. All for $20.

There's a division just for 1911s, so all you'll be competing against is other 1911s.

2c

-rvb

 

[rvb]

I'm in the process of deciding to go back to 1911s full time and the specter of ammo costs is looming in my mind. My guns used to be very reliable under tough conditions over tens of thousands of rounds, but they haven't been shot in a while. I'll need to vet all of them with both FMJ and carry ammo before returning them to self-defense role and it's going to be a more intensive evaluation that is required for a Glock or a Sig!

I wouldn't worry too much about it if they were solid before. I got my open gun out a little last year for the first time in several years. I hadn't cleaned it before I put it away, so it had 5k rounds worth of crud that had dried out and caked in there. ugh. I was expecting to have to do some TLC, but it just ran just as well as it did before. maybe could have used a little tweak for some more extractor tension, but that's more a function of being run hard before it was put away, not so much the sitting, imo...

worst case, replace couple springs...

-rvb

 

[churchmouse]

That sure is pretty. I am thinking just a basic one for traveling in the future. However, still have to start looking for a new 38 for the wife.

Yes I knew you were not looking for another Hot Rod.

I would suggest you fondle what ever you decide you want before you buy it. You are more aware now of what you will expect from a 1911.
Also consider the classifieds. On occasion you will find a good gun with a fair price.

 

[rhino]

I wouldn't worry too much about it if they were solid before. I got my open gun out a little last year for the first time in several years. I hadn't cleaned it before I put it away, so it had 5k rounds worth of crud that had dried out and caked in there. ugh. I was expecting to have to do some TLC, but it just ran just as well as it did before. maybe could have used a little tweak for some more extractor tension, but that's more a function of being run hard before it was put away, not so much the sitting, imo...

worst case, replace couple springs...

-rvb

Ordinarily I'd agree with you. Unfortunately I shot my Kimber Eclipse a couple of years ago in an IDPA classifier match. I haven't had time to diagnose it, but with 200 gr LSWC, it had some very odd problems. That will be the gun that will get the first look-see.

 

[churchmouse]

Ordinarily I'd agree with you. Unfortunately I shot my Kimber Eclipse a couple of years ago in an IDPA classifier match. I haven't had time to diagnose it, but with 200 gr LSWC, it had some very odd problems. That will be the gun that will get the first look-see.

Uh....1st it is a Kimber.

I keed I keed.....

 

[rhino]

Uh....1st it is a Kimber.

I keed I keed.....

Hehe! Good point!

It served well for about 25K rounds when it was my primary USPSA and training gun. I'm pretty sure it was a Wednesday and not a Monday or Friday gun because it was reliable and very smooth cycling. The original hammer and sear (both MIM) lasted through all of that, then the hammer started following at about 25K. I replaced with a cylinder & slide drop-in kit.

I have a Springfield lightweight Champion that doesn't like 230gr Gold Dots if you want to take a look at it . . . it would be a sweet carry gun -- if it worked!

 

[churchmouse]

Hehe! Good point!

It served well for about 25K rounds when it was my primary USPSA and training gun. I'm pretty sure it was a Wednesday and not a Monday or Friday gun because it was reliable and very smooth cycling. The original hammer and sear (both MIM) lasted through all of that, then the hammer started following at about 25K. I replaced with a cylinder & slide drop-in kit.

I have a Springfield lightweight Champion that doesn't like 230gr Gold Dots if you want to take a look at it . . . it would be a sweet carry gun -- if it worked!

Lets look at it over a double bacon cheese burger...

 

[rhino]

Lets look at it over a double bacon cheese burger...

DEAL!

 

[lovemachine]

I still want a 1911....