1911 Build #2

Custom re-build and conversation of a Springer 1911-A1.

1911s vs the World

I've been agonizing over this for a bit, because I think Lady Tam has a valid point about gear arguments on the internet, but Phlegmy's first soliloquy during the VC new years show convinced me to share.

GunNutmegger wrote a bit on why the 1911 sucks, and on the whole missed the point. He's got a couple things right on technical issues with the platform: many of them ship with shitty magazines, and there are boatloads of the same for sale in the after market; on the gun-smithing issue I'm unconvinced that most 1911s are less reliable or require more worth to get right than other auto-loaders. That said, the cheaply made guns, and the very top end highly tuned guns are exactly as reliable as you'd expect. My experience running a couple thousand shooters through IDPA stages is that Wheel guns are the most reliable (only ever have ammo or speed loader related issues) followed by the Glock or XD (rare mechanical issues, but average for ammo and magazine related issues) followed by all other auto-loaders.

Far and away the most common failure is Magazine related, usually either they break into multiple parts or just jam up from dirt and filth. No auto-loader is immune from this. Maintenance is the only solution here.

Those are the averages, some people just had either bad luck, or too much time to monkey with their guns. Every club has that guy, and no matter what gun he has it doesn't work, and design doesn't seem to matter.

One clear advantage of the Glock or XD design is the lack of cleaning required, but a 1911 with proper tolerances (see highly tuned or cheap above) is probably good enough for the casual gun owner who cleans the peace after shooting. Personally, the Kimber I carry every day gets cleaned every month, or every 1000 rounds.

And yes, it feeds hollow point or any other ammo you can find, with out issue, after more then 1000 rounds of my reloads (230gr at 950 FPS).

Now for the area's where I disagree with GunNutmegger:

Single action is no more or less safe then any other. NDs happen when people pull the trigger and heavy trigger pulls don't seem to make that much difference. I've yet to see any study done but from all the stories I've seen its across all designs. The 1911 itself doesn't seem any more or less safe, and if 95% of owners were unsafe we'd see it on CNN.

As for the thumb safety being too hard to operate: the folks who get confused by the thumb safety also get confused by the slide locking back on an empty gun. Practice with the platform corrects this issue fairly quickly. The amount of practice needed to properly operate the 1911 is the same as the amount needed to operate any other semi-auto.

The bottom line, and why the 1911 pattern still sells, is that it fits allot of shooters. The combination of a big steel frame, and the slow .45 bullet make for very manageable recoil. The single stack grip and the short trigger make it easy to hold for normal sized hands. The grip angle works for a lot of people. These are not universal statements, I've had several students who said all the same things about the glock and hated them about the 1911.

It seems more about what works for you then about there being a single right answer. To paraphrase Lady Tam: "The best gun is one you'll practice with and carry". And thats where I'll leave it: the right gun is the one that works for you.

AE

STI Escort: Round Two.

After a second range trip I did a full detail strip of the pistol. The wear patterns were minimal and as expected. All the internal lockwork is tight, and well machined. I don't know enough about custom or semi-custom 1911s to know if these parts were as they should be, but all looked very good to my eye. Additionally the quality of the fit and finish is notably tighter then my Kimber (at least 10K difference in round count may influence this too).

This time out I was at the NRA range, where I could shoot at longer ranges. The gun is definitely more accurate then I am, but I was able to hold a 4" group at 100 ft with it. I didn't have the Kimber with me for direct comparison, so I'll have to go back.

I have two complaints with the gun: first is that the trigger is a 'long' length, instead of the medium I prefer; second is the plastic mainspring housing.

On the issue of trigger length: I fail to understand why all manufactures seem to be using them at this point. The only people I know who's hands actually fit this length trigger are the men with gorilla hands. Every one else I've seen shoots better with a shorter trigger, myself very much included. I'll be getting a 10-8 flat trigger when I have a chance.

The mainspring housing is purely one of preference and style. I'm not aware of any technical advantage to the metal ones, but I just don't like plastic parts.

The function of the pistol is near flawless. The slide stop is slightly too long on the internal face, where it should engage the magazine follower. This causes the slide to lock open on the occasional cartridge that is slightly too long. A little work with a file, and the problem is likely gone. Next range trip I'll bring a file with me to be sure though.

Overall I'm quite happy with the piece, and carrying it in a 511 holster shirt is very comfortable. The gun also disapears with the holster shirt under a fitted dress shirt.

AE