All This 1911 Talk...

[Supermoto]

" fubar, your reverse snobbery isn't convincing anyone. ..... I suggest that you keep an open mind until you actually try one."

I don't recall recounting my history and resume of shooting the 1911 platform. It's true , in my experience , high end big name customs tend to be safe queens , and the 1st one I ever met - a Kimber - has serious reliability issues.

Clearly , I am annoying people. I apologize , I come here to read interesting things , not get in internet fights with local shooters. I'll lurk more and opine less.

A Kimber with serious reliability issue? surely you jest.

All Kimbers should be safe queen as no respecting shooter would bring one out in public.

Opine more, apologize less

 

[drgrant]

Almost every 1911 has reliability issues. If it didn't, it wouldn't be a 1911.

That being said, the better built 1911s tend to run longer without issues. Custom built/high end stuff tends to "just work right" from the factory/builder more often, and typically stays working right even if you pound the piss out of it.

-Mike

 

[M1911]

I don't recall recounting my history and resume of shooting the 1911 platform. It's true , in my experience , high end big name customs tend to be safe queens

That is an unsupported assertion.

, and the 1st one I ever met - a Kimber - has serious reliability issues.

fubar, Kimbers are not high-end guns. They are not custom guns.

A custom gun is one that is built according to the specifications of a particular customer. Wilson Combat guns are high-end, but I wouldn't call them custom. Maybe semi-custom, since you can specify some of the things you want on them. Kimbers are built on a production line and shipped in quantity to dealers. They are not built for a particular customer.

Kimber Series I were generally reliable, with the typical 1911 issues (improperly tensioned extractors, tight chambers, etc.) that sometimes needed to be sorted. Kimber Series II introduced two significant problem areas: 1) Swartz style firing pin safety and 2) external extractor. #1 can cause failure to go bang, due to improperly fitted safety parts. #2 can cause failure to extract. Kimber has gone through at least 3 different external extractor designs trying to get it right.

I like Kimber Series I. I won't touch Kimber Series II.

But Kimbers simply aren't high-end guns. They are expensive here in MA due to regulatory issues. In a free state, they aren't much more than comparable S&W, Para, or Springfield Armory models.

I am just a no one , not wealthy , not an agent/cop/active duty operator.

So? Most law enforcement officers are not gun guys.

 

[MFP4073]

" I shoot the hell out of my expensive pistol every week. "

And I shoot the hell out of my Para every week. Yours is better than mine. We're both happy. Moving on now ....

I wasn't trying to argue with you about who's equipment is better. You made a comment about expensive pistols being unreliable and I simply shared my experience with both an expensive pistol and my Para. I have experience with both.

Use whatever equipment you enjoy. I really couldn't care less if you want to shoot rubber bands off your finger.

I am just a no one , not wealthy , not an agent/cop/active duty operator.

I'm right there with you on this one.

 

[Smiles1014]

I really couldn't care less if you want to shoot rubber bands off your finger.

 

[rivethead147]

i own a colt 1911 (series 80), para ltc, and SA in pieces as i am rebuilding it. the thing with a 1911, its the sort of thing where you constantly get pros and cons on. for exmaple, i have had zero malfunctions with my para with over 5k rounds through it, had a few malfunctions on the colt but worked out the kinks and been fine, the SA is in pieces as i am upgrading parts and doing some minor mods to get it to function reliably. i tried a friend's s&w 1911 pd and i had more malfunctions with that than any other 1911 i have tried. tried kimber and they are cool but has the wilson combat problme called high price.

in the end, if you can, borrow and try various fire arms. see which one fits your hand well and can fire well; after all, if you can't fire the thing well than whats the point?

 

[hovbuild]

I bought a s&w 1911 for my first 1911 and I thought it the "nuts"! Until I tried to mount a red dot. What a nightmare trying to get the extractor-ejector tuned!!!!!! I finally had to go to a wiegland mount and sell the serendipity. It was too low to the slide and the wiegland was quite a bit higher. Nice gun but I will never buy an external extractor 1911 again! I also just shot a LB monolithic hw and the 1200 more for this gun is definatly worth the money considering the heavy loads I like to shoot at pins. This gun had a thousand rounds run through it before the guy broke it down to clean it. The slide ran like it was hydraulic, smoother than silk and almost no mussel flip. The balance is perfect and you don't even notice the extra weight until you feel the very low recoil. I thing of beauty IMHO. I have ordered one for myself and will not tell the wife.

 

[MPK61]

1911's

I have two 1911's.

SW 1911SC 45ACP
SW 1911 9mm Pro Series.

Both are flawless so far. The 9mm Pro Series is incredibly accurate and smooth. Very easy to fire, not much recoil. 10+1 in the chamber.

Fit and finish on both SW's is excellent. I like them so much that I ordered a Black 1911 Performance Center Model.

 

[jaypap]

I have a early Kimber from when you could buy one in MA, absolutely flawless.

I also have S&W in commander size which is a great gun.

In Rhode Island you have many more choices, remember S&W is just around the corner. You could drop it off if you had problems.

 

[2000GM]

I used to have a S&W1911 that I loved and foolishly traded away. I replaced it about a year ago with a basic Springfield Armory G.I. model. Definitely "rougher around the edges" and less "polished" feeling than the S&W, but to me it's made up for by the little bit of a nostalgic connection I feel from it being pretty close to a true old-school 1911.

It would hiccup once every 30-40 rounds when using the crappy old G.I. "9002" 7 rounders that I had at first. With the batch of Chip McCormick shooting star 8 rounders I bought last year, I've got a couple of thousand rounds through it without a single hiccup.

I love a nice basic parkerized or blued 1911. It just screams "soul." High dollar shiny "raceguns" do absolutely nothing for me, though I appreciate their place in competitions.