1911 Opinions

I'm finally jumping on the 1911 train after my latest range trip where someone let me shoot theirs. Every time I've shot one I've been impressed with the feel of them (the slimness in particular) as compared to some of the other semiautos I've owned, and I've never shot another pistol as accurately.
 
drgrant said:
Yes, they use the series 70 system, no FP safety.

-Mike
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That's awesome. The Remington R1 uses a series 80 system, as does my AO. To me, the simpler, the better.

I may have to put my money down for one of these...

I find the 1911 a fantastic gun, but I still love my Glocks. I appreciate each for what they are. Also, I disagree that Glocks don't have soul - whatever that is. I get as much enjoyment shooting one or the other. That to me defines "soul".

I have shot guns that said nothing to me, but their owners LOVED. One friend was telling me the lengths he went to get a gun and insisted on me shooting it. All I could think, as I was shooting, is how many bullets I had left until I could return it.

I only own Glocks and 1911s. I hope the day doesn't come when I have to choose just one.
 
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dcmdon said:
M1911 - have you had any trouble with a burr forming on the tip of the pin? I remember a few years ago there was a problem with that on another brand of gun. I can't remember what. The burr formed then it started to pierce the primers. The problem was eventually traced to a specific characteristic of Ti and how it responds to repeated impacts.

Does CA do a drop test as part of their process? Just curious because the Les Baers are CA approved with a 70 style system.
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I haven't had any problems yet, but then I don't have more than a few thousand rounds through it since I installed the titanium firing pin.

Yes, CA does a drop test. I believe Springfield Armory also uses the titanium firing pin and extra power firing pin retaining spring to pass the drop test. That's what the S&W E-series has.

The previous S&W and Kimber II use a variation of the Swartz style grip safety. Both have been criticized as not always being fitted properly, allowing the guns to have failures to go bang. Kimber II seemed to get a lot more criticisms in this regard than S&W.

The view of gunsmith Hilton Yam is if you really needed an 1911 with a firing pin block, that the Series 80 is the way to go. It does complicate detail stripping (or, rather, reassembling after detail stripping) and it does have some impact on trigger feel, but in his opinion it is the most reliable.
 
This may be better suited for its own thread, but do some 1911 models function more reliably with certain magazines?
 
new guy said:
This may be better suited for its own thread, but do some 1911 models function more reliably with certain magazines?
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To clarify, its not that certain models do better with certain mags. Its that certain guns do better with certain mags. There really isn't any consistency to it like Springfields like Metalform mags or whatever.

But generally speaking Wilson Combat and Chip McCormac are highly regarded mags that have solved a lot of people's problems.

Don
 
The SIG 1911 had quite a few quality issues when initially introduced. I do not know if they have resolved these issues.
The Dan Wesson Pointman is an outstanding value for the money but probably impossible to find in MA.
I would opt for the S&W 1911 with it;s lifetime warranty if I was a MA resident.
 
Finally, the perfect 1911.

glock1911.jpg
 
Santa Claus brought me a new Remington R1 Standard for Christmas....it's a great weapon. I put a set of Hogue Rubber Grips on it to replace the stock wooden ones; it's true love.
 
So what are folks' preferences on front sight options for a 1911 that could end up being carried from time to time? Tritium? Fiber? Gold or white dot?
 
I"ve seen a gold dot on some high end custom jobs. I didn't think I'd like it, but it really was visible.

One thing I like re the rear sights is to have them simply black. I don't like Tritium rears in the dark. I like to just see the front tritium. Much faster and more instinctive at defensive distances in the dark.

In the light, I accidentally found that I shoot best with a bar/dot arrangement. I bought a Kahr P9 with standard sights and found that I came up faster and more instinctively with the bar/dot sights. So now I've got that on all my rear sights. Remember, your focus should be on the front sight. The rear should be fuzzy in your periphery. I like how I can pick up the bar without moving focus off my front sight. Your mileage may vary, although its easy to try with some masking tape and white out. (thats how I initially tried it on other guns once I realized it worked well on the Kahr)

So, in summary, my preferred arrangement is a white bar on the rear, with no tritium and a white tritium front.

Don
 
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Yeah, I hadn't been planning on using an illuminated rear sight, but I am wondering if it makes sense to have some sort of line on there (illuminated bar or painted white) to help find the notch while focusing on the front sight. I recently picked up a DW revolver that has the Millet white outline rear sight and I think I like it, but it seems like it has a little too much going on for something other than target shooting. A simple bar or line might not be too obtrusive though. My problem is that I haven't spent much time behind a plain black notch sight to know if it works for me. It seems to be the standard though, so maybe I ought to let others figure it out for me.
 
I don't want to see the rear at night. At defensive distances you don't need the rear day or night.

It really can be confusing. Also, remember that there will be some light. If you don't have some light, how can you be sure what you are shooting at is a threat.
I've shot low light / no flashlight stages where the rear tritiums werre a nuisance. Remember you should be focusing on the front sight. Rear tritiums are counterproductive, for me, in this regard.

Don
 
dcmdon said:
I don't want to see the rear at night. At defensive distances you don't need the rear day or night.

It really can be confusing. Also, remember that there will be some light. If you don't have some light, how can you be sure what you are shooting at is a threat.
I've shot low light / no flashlight stages where the rear tritiums werre a nuisance. Remember you should be focusing on the front sight. Rear tritiums are counterproductive, for me, in this regard.

Don
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Understood (and thanks). I'm just imagining a situation where it might be just dark enough to wash out the top edge of the rear blade, making it tough to get the front sight into the notch. Just overthinking it.
 
new guy said:
Yeah, I hadn't been planning on using an illuminated rear sight, but I am wondering if it makes sense to have some sort of line on there (illuminated bar or painted white) to help find the notch while focusing on the front sight. I recently picked up a DW revolver that has the Millet white outline rear sight and I think I like it, but it seems like it has a little too much going on for something other than target shooting. A simple bar or line might not be too obtrusive though. My problem is that I haven't spent much time behind a plain black notch sight to know if it works for me. It seems to be the standard though, so maybe I ought to let others figure it out for me.
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I don't like anything on the rear sight. Not a bar, not a white outline, not dots. Anything on the rear sight attracts my eye when I should be focusing on the front sight. This is the sort of rear sight that I like:

3055.JPG


That is a Heinie sight. 10-8 Performance makes similar sights.
 
dcmdon said:
It really can be confusing. Also, remember that there will be some light. If you don't have some light, how can you be sure what you are shooting at is a threat.
I've shot low light / no flashlight stages where the rear tritiums werre a nuisance. Remember you should be focusing on the front sight. Rear tritiums are counterproductive, for me, in this regard.
Click to expand...
It's the same thing for me. The rear tritiums slow me down.

I shoot flashlight stages with black-on-black sights (no tritium) and I don't think the black front sight is slowing me down -- I'm slow, but the sights aren't holding me back.
 
Newguy

You are over thinking. You aren't trying to line up the sights,
You are pointing the gun instinctively with the aid o the front sight.

A few years ago I shot a stage at an IDPA match where
For one stage you used their Glock that didn't have rear sights
Then you reshot it with an identical lock with a rear sight.

Massad Ayoob set up the stage as part of a study.
The results were that people got shots on target faster
Without rear sights and the shots were "combat accurate".

The targets were at 7 yards and less.

Don
 
dcmdon said:
To clarify, its not that certain models do better with certain mags. Its that certain guns do better with certain mags. There really isn't any consistency to it like Springfields like Metalform mags or whatever.

But generally speaking Wilson Combat and Chip McCormac are highly regarded mags that have solved a lot of people's problems.

Don
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This ... see here...

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/152612-Best-aftermarket-1911-mags

I was just there. It really is a trial and error process.

The ChipM went 20 for 20. I loaded 5 rds each time (100 rds each) to get 20 reloads. Perfect, ordered 2 more.

Buy some n try em!

Good luck!

and the SR1911 is the next in line on my list!!!

Pete
 

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