Best 1911 carry handgun off the shelf $1,000 or under

[gunrunner505]

Ruger SR1911. Series 70 style slide. Great gun to do a build on or keep as is. Mine just fing runs. Needs front strap checkering though. Seriously needs it.

You can stick some grip tape to the front strap. VZ Grips offers die cut pieces that fit well. I think $7 bucks gets you 3 pieces. Or run to the store and get skater grip tape and cut your own. My Springfield lightweight doesn't have front checking and that grip tape does the job well. Way cheaper than a checkering job.

[danasaki]

I used skateboard tape on my Kimber's front strap and it worked fine. No where near as classy as front strap checkering on the Colt Wiley Clapps though. I just could not bring myself to put grip tape on my Colt 1991... almost seemed blasphemous.

[dragonbat13]

As much as everybody seems to hate them, My Remington has had about 300 rounds without a jam with wilson combat elite mags. Only jams I ever had were with the factory mags. I put a lightweight trigger on it for my long fingers, and a colt flat spring in it at the advice of other owners. OH yea, I also had to put a NM series 80 safety lever in it to go with the trigger.

Having said all that, I wish I would have bought a springfield.

[danasaki]

As much as everybody seems to hate them, My Remington has had about 300 rounds without a jam with wilson combat elite mags. Only jams I ever had were with the factory mags.

I had terrible problems with the mags that came with my Colt. Total junk. I only use WC mags and I have never had a failure related to magazines in doing so. In fact, the only issues I have had with my 1911s have been ammo related. Cheap ammo is fine for the range and the occasional stoppage I'd get from that was a great opportunity to tap, rack bang the problem away. I'd guess a large percentage of semi auto pistol malfunctions are mag related and I have no doubt this is an issue magnified in 1911s vs the polymer pistols.

[samuse]

I had terrible problems with the mags that came with my Colt. Total junk. I only use WC mags and I have never had a failure related to magazines in doing so. In fact, the only issues I have had with my 1911s have been ammo related. Cheap ammo is fine for the range and the occasional stoppage I'd get from that was a great opportunity to tap, rack bang the problem away. I'd guess a large percentage of semi auto pistol malfunctions are mag related and I have no doubt this is an issue magnified in 1911s vs the polymer pistols.

If the Colt mags were 7 rounders, then install a Wolff 11lb spring in 'em and they'll work. If they were 8s, use a Tripp Super 7 kit and they will run.

Colt mags are Check-Mates and they have sorry springs. A stiffer spring will make 'em run fine.

If you haven't had a Wilson shit the bed on you, then they're still new. Wilson uses sorry springs too, especially in the 47D. I have found that a 7 round Wilson 47 and an 8 round 47D usually does not run reliably in a stock gov't model Colt with all factory springs that have broken in with mags that are also broken in. They will inertia feed unless all the springs are brand new.

I ran 47s exclusively for three years with 6 mags in a rotation. They would feed about 6-7K rounds over the course of 9 months to a year and they would all need springs by that time. They will usually last through two sets of springs before the lips spread. The last set I used for 9 months, rebuilt with 10 round springs and followers, and the feedlips immediately spread to the point of 7 of 8 would not drop free.



Sometimes I wonder if Wilson over-springs their pistols just to make their mags work...

[beschatten]

If the Colt mags were 7 rounders, then install a Wolff 11lb spring in 'em and they'll work. If they were 8s, use a Tripp Super 7 kit and they will run.

Colt mags are Check-Mates and they have sorry springs. A stiffer spring will make 'em run fine.

If you haven't had a Wilson shit the bed on you, then they're still new. Wilson uses sorry springs too, especially in the 47D. I have found that a 7 round Wilson 47 and an 8 round 47D usually does not run reliably in a stock gov't model Colt with all factory springs that have broken in with mags that are also broken in. They will inertia feed unless all the springs are brand new.

I ran 47s exclusively for three years with 6 mags in a rotation. They would feed about 6-7K rounds over the course of 9 months to a year and they would all need springs by that time. They will usually last through two sets of springs before the lips spread. The last set I used for 9 months, rebuilt with 10 round springs and followers, and the feedlips immediately spread to the point of 7 of 8 would not drop free.



Sometimes I wonder if Wilson over-springs their pistols just to make their mags work...

...andddddd that's why I stick with Tripp and Tripp kits. Still haven't tried Wilson HD+ mags though. Bought some on their cyber deal.

[samuse]

I just got six of the HD ETMs. They don't feed reliably with stock Colt recoil springs, but I am running ball through wadcutter mags with a light spring.

I'm going to up the spring to a 16lb Sprinco and try again....

[beschatten]

I just got six of the HD ETMs. They don't feed reliably with stock Colt recoil springs, but I am running ball through wadcutter mags with a light spring.

I'm going to up the spring to a 16lb Sprinco and try again....

Are you experimenting with the springs hence the swap? Isn't the whole point of the mag the new flatwire spring in the HD ETM? Or did you wear the HD spring?

[samuse]

Are you experimenting with the springs hence the swap? Isn't the whole point of the mag the new flatwire spring in the HD ETM? Or did you wear the HD spring?

I'm talkin' about the recoil spring in the pistol. It's a bone stock Colt O1991. I'm Getting failures to return to battery with the nose of the bullet on the feedramp.

Wadcutter mags are best for feeding shorter ammo. A stiffer (16lb) recoil spring will usually slam the slide home hard enough to jam the round in there.

With hybrid or g.i. lip mags it feeds smooth as silk.

[beschatten]

I'm talkin' about the recoil spring in the pistol. It's a bone stock Colt O1991. I'm Getting failures to return to battery with the nose of the bullet on the feedramp.

Wadcutter mags are best for feeding shorter ammo. A stiffer (16lb) recoil spring will usually slam the slide home hard enough to jam the round in there.

With hybrid or g.i. lip mags it feeds smooth as silk.

OH LOL. My bad. I should give you all my flatwire recoil springs to accompany your HD ETMs lol