Newest Enhancements to my Taurus PT 1911AR

[tex45acp]

I was in Houston yesterday on business and stopped by a gunstore there just to look around. I found a combination Main Spring Housing/Magwell and a set of flat bottom grips as well for a 1911. I picked them up and last night took off the temporary magwell I had on. The temporary magwell, while well made, to me looked like a cheap add on. This one slid right in without any modification. It is an arched Main Spring Housing, and I usually prefer a flat housing, but this one feels good in my grip. I also like the way the grips also cover the Main Spring Housing Pin to give it a more finished look. Both items came out of Kimber packaging.

[00leland00]

Looks good. It might be just me, but is that MSH made for a 'bobbed' version?

[dirksterg30]

No - the angle of a bobtail MSH starts higher; on the bobtails I've seen, the angle starts above the lower grip screw.

Here's one of Ken Lunde's photos of a pair of bobtails for reference:

[tex45acp]

Looks good. It might be just me, but is that MSH made for a 'bobbed' version?

No Sir,

That is actually a standard arched mainspring housing, similar to those found on your older 1911's. The purpose of the arch is to push the front of the gun upward making sight alignment more natural.

As dirksterg30 said....the bobtail MSH is a whole different type as you can easily see in his picture. It would be all but impossible to have a magwell like mine with the bobtail grip.

tex45acp

[Business_Casual]

The purpose of the arch is to push the front of the gun upward making sight alignment more natural.

Is it? Are you sure it isn't to make sure the grip safety is depressed because WWI soldiers complained of problems when using the flat MSH?

M_P

[tex45acp]

Is it? Are you sure it isn't to make sure the grip safety is depressed because WWI soldiers complained of problems when using the flat MSH?

M_P

modern_pirate

That is what my CO (a retired Navy Seal) told me!!! Now what you say makes sense and I am sure that could be a viable reason, but the way he explained it was with the small sights the gun had on them back then, the arch helped to naturally align the sights when the arm was raised to shooting level. Pretty much caused you to instinctively shoot the gun without even looking at the sights.

tex45acp

[Business_Casual]

I can't decide whether it was worse to say that or to believe it.

M_P

[Boris]

Looks like a S&A magwell despite the packaging yours came in. I put a flat one on my "different branded" M1911A1 and I haven't experienced it resulting in shooting low nor preventing me from fully depressing the grip safety.

It did need some removal of material to accept a certain brand of .22 LR conversion mags. They would not fully seat due to the angular "shoulder" their magazine base pads have. Never an issue with any .45 straight body mags and I'd be curious to know if the new Wilson ETM mags suffer the same affliction with not seating on unaltered S&A magwells.

-B

[Dunderway]

Is it? Are you sure it isn't to make sure the grip safety is depressed because WWI soldiers complained of problems when using the flat MSH?

M_P

I thought the complaint was aimed at the gun pointing low, as an arched MSH will generally give a higher POA?

[Business_Casual]

I thought the complaint was aimed at the gun pointing low, as an arched MSH will generally give a higher POA?

I've seen that - on the Internet and unsourced. I've never seen that sourced or footnoted. If you can provide the Army Ordnance Board source quote that would resolve it.

M_P