Another 1911 Thread - Need Advice

[BAC]

Dumb question: these 500-1000 trouble-free rounds a potential carry/duty gun should be shooting, what type of ammo is this stipulating? I'm leaning towards duty ammo, but I'd just like clarification, if anyone would be so kind.


-B

[ToddG]

BAC -- different people have different comfort levels. Personally, for a semiauto, mine is 200rd. I want a gun to shoot 200rd of the exact same ammo I'm going to carry. That plus 1,000rd (total) of factory fresh ammo without a hiccup and I'm confident the gun is as good as I can rely on without a crystal ball.

[ThirdWatcher]

My off-duty SW1911A1PD Gunsite pistol is as accurate and reliable as my Nighthawk Custom 10-8 service pistol and the S&W cost less than half as much as the NHC. Fit and finish is another issue; there is no comparison between the two... it's like comparing a CVPI to a Lincoln Town Car.

[the1911fan]

the1911fan -- The SA Professionals are built well, that is why it I mentioned that they are the only non-custom 1911 I would currently consider purchasing; however, the SA Pro's are too tight and most I've seen still need a bit of tweaking before they are 100% reliable.

The all too frequent threads monotonously discussing what handgun to carry can become tedious.![/b]

Just was'nt clear about your distinction of "good" gunsmith V. the smiths building the PRO's being less than good. I realize your issue is with the way the gun is spec'd (overly tight) and not those building them.

FWIW out of the guns I own I trust 2 out of 3 of my 1911's 100% through high round count training (1. Nighthawk 10-8, 2. Springfield full house custom by Bob Miller, and have'nt shot the 3. SA PRO I just bought enough to trust it yet) the gun I trust the least is my S&W M&P 45. I have found that my S&W M&P 45 requires more frequent cleaning intervals to run well than my 1911's.

[KevinB]

Ironically one of my most reliable 1911's is my 1943 Ithaca based gun that I built in Iraq for my use here. -- that said I consulted a lot of well know people for the parts and I had help working in it.

My biggest dog of a 1911 has been a Colt "Combat Elite". I had some issues with my SA Pro - but they turned out to be crappy mag related. My SA TRP has been good since I tossed its FLGR away and went to the proper way. I have yet to fire my Nighthawk Vickers or 10-8 guns due to being over here to much.
My Novaks guns have not let me down.


I freely admit that using a 1911 requires more logistical support and/or user effort.


-Kev

[Shihan]

Anymore I do think you need a high end 1911 to get a good one. Your Kimber Warrior turned out good. My friends had to go back to the factory 4 times before it ran right. With the high costs of shipping a pistol he could have bought a Wilson.
Pat

Kimber takes care of the shipping both ways.

[Joe Mamma]

Dumb question: these 500-1000 trouble-free rounds a potential carry/duty gun should be shooting, what type of ammo is this stipulating? I'm leaning towards duty ammo, but I'd just like clarification, if anyone would be so kind.


-B

You should run at least some of your carry/duty ammo through it.

I think it's also very important to test it with the exact same magazines that you would use in a carry/duty situation. Check it for functioning with the mag topped off and a round in the chamber (if that's how you're going to carry it), and check it to make sure it will be reliable when you are down to your last round or two. It's fairly common for 1911's to jam on the last round.

Also, I'd suggest checking it to make sure it locks the slide back when you run the gun to empty, and that it doesn't lock the slide back when you still have rounds in the mag.

Normally, to trust a gun for reliabilty, I lean more towards the 200 round count than the 500-1000 round count. But, on a brand new 1911, or something else that I think may change after breaking in, I think the 500-1000 rds is a good idea.

Joe Mamma

[SHIVAN]

I don't even bother test firing other non-"signature-grade" 1911s anymore. They just don't seem to tolerate any type of meaningful firing schedule, so they go straight to a pistolsmith.

Vihn: Can you put your "firing schedule" in to perspective for us all? I think some people may read your comment and believe that you might be talking about a few hundred rounds a month, and maybe a training class or two per year. Which isn't the case at all....

Not all readers will understand that your firing schedule is not insignificant. Last time I talked to you, you were shooting well over 3,000rds of factory loaded ammo per month. Is that accruate, or am I cloudy on the details?

[Vinh]

Vinh,

It sounds like you have had some bad luck with 1911's. What makes you keep coming back and spending more on them? Do you just prefer them over other platforms? Shoot them better?

The 1911 is the easiest cocked-and-locked platform for me to shoot due to my small hands. It I didn't have a penchant for cocked-and-locked and .45, I would only buy Glocks.

Vihn: Can you put your "firing schedule" in to perspective for us all? I think some people may read your comment and believe that you might be talking about a few hundred rounds a month, and maybe a training class or two per year. Which isn't the case at all....

Not all readers will understand that your firing schedule is not insignificant. Last time I talked to you, you were shooting well over 3,000rds of factory loaded ammo per month. Is that accruate, or am I cloudy on the details?

I've never shot as much as the pros, but back when I was really into training, I did my best to shoot 1000 rounds a week (no reloads). Due to time constraints and significant loss of enthusiasm, I'm down to a few hundred a month, primarily for sustainment rather than improvement.

[SHIVAN]

I've never shot as much as the pros, but back when I was really into training, I did my best to shoot 1000 rounds a week (no reloads).

Exactly what I thought. It's worth noting that your firsthand impressions of the overall durability of various 1911's came while shooting the higher round counts. 1000rds per week is not insignificant, and is more rounds than a lot of people fire per quarter or per year.