Considering Buying the S&W 1911PD

clearshot7

clearshot7

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Hi All,

Looking for advice, info, and comments. I have been shooting the S&W M&P 9c for about a year now, with firing over 3500 rounds. Early on, I had the sear replaced to the out of MA stock sear to reduce the trigger pull to about 6.5lbs. I enjoy the gun, and I am reasonably accurate with it.

Now, I am thinking of buying the S&W 1911PD .45 ACP, and I have no experience with 1911's or .45ACP. I turn to the experts on this forum to get your opinions (and the facts if you have them) about that particular gun, and carrying a .45 ACP. What other 1911's are legal in MA? I am accustomed to the recoil of the 9mm -- how much more should I expect from the 45? I am not a big guy -- 5' 8" weighing 170 lbs., in pretty good shape (work out regularly). I shoot about 100 rounds a week -- am I going to be killed financially by using the 45 weekly with increased ammo cost? How does it feel to carry the 45 rather than the 9mm -- I generally use an OWB holster, but occasionally an IWB.

Any input to this, plus anything else in this regard, would be greatly appreciated. I know, lots of questions, but I am still a newbie to shooting. Also, thinking of trying IDPA -- is the S&W 1911PD a good choice for this?

Thanks
 
IMO the 1911is the ultimate handgun and a must have for all gun owners. I have a colt but, shoot a SS S+W 1911 and a S+W 1911 performance center on a regular basis. My grandfather started me into pistol shooting on 1911. The recoil is a little more, but you will get used to it. After getting the feel of a 1911’s trigger pull you will not look at the MP the same again. Some shops sell reloads as long as you turn in the brass. If you don’t currently reload, Cabalas sells bulk .45’s which may help with the cost of ammo.

Look at the standard Smith and Wesson SS1911, before the PD. They may be a little cheaper. Also Rock Rivers, Para Ordnance, and there are some left over COLTS around. First Defense had a PD in stock and Para Ordnance. (http://www.firstdefensefirearms.com/)
 
I would not trade my 1911 for anything. I have S&W Gov't that I bought for my Bday last Feb. Shortly thereafter i bought a Hornady LNL (to each his/her own) to load for combat pistol league etc.

This type of firearm is the nuts when it comes to competition shooting if you listen to everyone else and I have to agree. Other shooters in league have 1911's you cannot go wrong IMHO.

Besides, if you don't like gun, price of ammo etc. you can always resell it very quickly.

If it's a black gun or it's parts or a 1911 it will be gone in a heartbeat. Other guns languish in classifieds for a while. Good luck.

You are welcome to try mine any time. John
 
I love my S&W1911PD - I have the commander model. I bought it used off NES and it's run like a champ. No malfunctions to date (after a couple hundred rounds). The recoil is more than a steel 1911 - but the trade off in weight is worth it if you carry. Have you held one yet? I also carry a M&P 9c, and although it feels nice and is real pointer, a single stack 1911 really hits the spot, and, even the factory trigger is real nice if you are used to striker fired pistols.

IMG_0220.jpg
 
clearshot7 said:
Hi All,

Looking for advice, info, and comments. I have been shooting the S&W M&P 9c for about a year now, with firing over 3500 rounds. Early on, I had the sear replaced to the out of MA stock sear to reduce the trigger pull to about 6.5lbs. I enjoy the gun, and I am reasonably accurate with it.

Now, I am thinking of buying the S&W 1911PD .45 ACP, and I have no experience with 1911's or .45ACP. I turn to the experts on this forum to get your opinions (and the facts if you have them) about that particular gun, and carrying a .45 ACP. What other 1911's are legal in MA? I am accustomed to the recoil of the 9mm -- how much more should I expect from the 45? I am not a big guy -- 5' 8" weighing 170 lbs., in pretty good shape (work out regularly). I shoot about 100 rounds a week -- am I going to be killed financially by using the 45 weekly with increased ammo cost? How does it feel to carry the 45 rather than the 9mm -- I generally use an OWB holster, but occasionally an IWB.

Any input to this, plus anything else in this regard, would be greatly appreciated. I know, lots of questions, but I am still a newbie to shooting. Also, thinking of trying IDPA -- is the S&W 1911PD a good choice for this?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Buy it. Great gun. I had one and sold it (I regret that)
I think if you were to carry a 1911, that would be the one. It's lighter than a normal 1911 because of the frame.

I think I'll stick to my Glocks for carry (weight, capacity, durability) but I like 1911's better. (I have 3 1911's)
If you're not a novice shooter a .45 should be fine to handle. I don't have any issues with it. I'm 5'8" and about 180lbs.

Currently I carry a Glock 19 because I can fit 15 rounds in 1 mag...which makes it much more convenient for me.

.45 is more expensive than 9mm but coffee cost $5 nowadays. .45 is not going to make you go broke if 9mm didn't.
 
Buy one. Great gun. I had one and loved it. I sold it to fund something else... but will certainly be purchasing one again down the line.
 
You can't go wrong with the 1911, I have to Para-ordnance 45's great guns, but I do want to pick up a S&W you can never have to many. Good Luck
 
I have a S&W 1911 PD and I got it even though I have 6, 45's all ready. It is a great 1911 for the range and easy to carry. When you take it to the range you might be surprised that you do better with it then the 9mm.
 
I have a SS S&W 1911 very pleased with it. My only complaint is how it ejects brass,at 2 o'clock but throws them a good 10 feet. it's an easy fix but my bank account is low for a bit.
 
I just got my 1911PD Gunsite edition back from Mike Larocca for trigger work. The trigger would "bounce" if I dropped the slide on an empty chamber during function testing causing the hammer to follow the slide. The trigger was so sloppy that it would actually rattle in the frame if the gun was shaken.

Mike pulled another brand new SW1911 out of the safe and showed me that the sloppy trigger was not just a problem with my particular SW. Ask the owner of the gun you're looking at if you can release the slide on an empty chamber from the slide stop. If the hammer follows the slide, you might either want to pass on the gun or use that as a way to get some money off the top. The trigger bounce can be fixed either by SW for free, or you can pay to have a gunsmith do it. I wanted trigger perfection, so I took it to a smith.

Now the gun has a perfect trigger that has a welded-to-frame feel. If I had to pick one handgun to keep, my 1911PD would be the one for sure. Make sure as you're selecting one to check the trigger. My 1911PD is dead reliable, easy to carry, comfortable to shoot and more accurate than I am. I've compared it side by side to an all steel Kimber and could not tell any difference in felt recoil. Get one!
 
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I have a SW1911PD and love it. It's a great 1911 for carry due to the lighter weight. It does recoil more than an all steel 1911, but it's still very shootable. If you want to meet me at Westford Sportsmen's Club sometime to try it, send me a PM.
 
I do not have the PD but I have 2 S&W 1911's and am very pleased with them.
 
All manufacturer's have their runs of bad guns, just make sure you get a good one.

The 1911 has both its share of detractors and advocates. Back in the day, I carried the 1911A1 (the guns were older than me!) professionally and have relied on them as personal protection weapons as a lawfully armed citizen. Do I carry one today? No. Do I still shoot them? Yes.

The important thing to remember if you go to the 1911 and you carry it for your own protection, that you will have to learn a new manual of arms. You must be able to quickly, and safely draw and present your pistol with good purchase and at the same time disengage the thumb safety. There is no draw, aim/point and fire. This is going to require lots and lots of practice so you can get your muscle memory working correctly. The only thing that I can say when you get your pistol is to practice, practice, practice and by that, I mean drawing presenting and remembering each and every time to disengage the safety.

Some people will say it is not big deal, but you fight like you train, and if your training has revolved around a DAO, or safe action or traditional double action semi-automatic pistol or a revolver, then you have to reprogram yourself, because when the adrenaline is flowing you are going to revert to the mode of operation that you have spent the most time training on.

My two euros, anyway..

Mark L.
 
My SW1911PD is the best 1911 I have found thats approved in MA! It has yet to malfunction and it as accurate as one can get without spending $2500.00 on a 1911. The only thing I have added to it is some new grips and some Wilson's mags.

IMG_1203.jpg


There she is above my MA approved AR......[grin]
 
I have the commander size model 1911pd and overall I love it.

I can't vouch for any others, but the trigger on mine is absolutely disgusting. It is so loose and sloppy that it's almost unusable. Pulling the trigger feels like dragging my finger through a gravel pit. I'm sending it out for a trigger job soon so it'll get taken care of.

Aside from that I love it, they're nice guns and you really can't go wrong.
 
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I think I'm the only guy on the planet that absolutely hates the 1911 platform.

I know I know, let the flaming begin... [grin]

That being said a lot of folks swear by them so I suppose the S+W would be a good choice.
 
I've owned just about every type of handgun you can imagine. I never had an interest in the 1911 until about two years ago. I bought an all carbon steel S&W and HATED it. I sold it to a forum member, who continues to LOVE it to this day. I took another sip of the JMB Kool-Aid and tried a S&W 1911PD commander and absolutely fell in love with it. It is my most accurate pistol and prompted me to buy another SW1911, an all stainless target model, and another SW1911, the two-tone Camfour special edition 1911Sc. (for sale now in the classifieds, need the $$$). Never had a problem with ant SW1911. I'd stack my PD against any other 1911 at double the price for function, reliability, and accuracy.


Chris
 
Fooped said:
I think I'm the only guy on the planet that absolutely hates the 1911 platform.

I know I know, let the flaming begin... [grin]

That being said a lot of folks swear by them so I suppose the S+W would be a good choice.
Click to expand...

Grin, no flaming. Just wondering why? What are specifics?
 
Hey all, thanks for your welcomed and valuable posts on the S&W 1911PD. I think that I am sold on it -- now to find the money to pay for it [frown] I have an offer to test shoot a full size 1911 to get a feel for the recoil, and I am looking forward to doing that. I realize that the PD will have somewhat more recoil than the full-size steel 1911. One other question, what is the trigger pull on the 1911PD legal to sell in MA? I have been told that the 10 lb. trigger pull regulation does not apply to the PD due to the safety system. Is this true?

Thanks again. [grin]
 
The 10lb limit doesn't apply to guns that require 'a series of multiple motions' to fire. My 1911PD is around 4lbs or so.
 
I just bought an old NIB S&W 1911SC... can't wait to try it, although the trigger pull issue may need watching. Seems well made fit and finish, and feels real good in my hand, which is smaller.
ace57
 
ok, I will take a risk here and tell you NOT to buy it. If it is your first .45 acp get a Sig 220. I have both and like the Sig better. I am not against 1911 type firearms but when going with the aluminum frame I like the Sig 220 better. If you had asked about a steel 1911 or the all stainless Sig, I would have chosen the 1911. To me the aluminum framed guns are more for carry, the all steel models are for range. For carry l like the Sig 220 double action / single action no safety design better.

But I am sure most will differ with me on this ;)
 
sureshot said:
ok, I will take a risk here and tell you NOT to buy it. If it is your first .45 acp get a Sig 220. I have both and like the Sig better. I am not against 1911 type firearms but when going with the aluminum frame I like the Sig 220 better. If you had asked about a steel 1911 or the all stainless Sig, I would have chosen the 1911. To me the aluminum framed guns are more for carry, the all steel models are for range. For carry l like the Sig 220 double action / single action no safety design better. But I am sure most will differ with me on this ;)
Click to expand...
Grin, you get no "differ" from me. Have a Sig 220 "Elite" with the short-reset trigger and love it. Also have a Kimber Grand Raptor II and love it also. Two different pieces, two different designs. I personally feel comfortable with each. Side note: I took advantage of an "offer" that S&W had for "Club 1852" members. It was their 1911 IDPA limited-run edition and had to be ordered direct from the factory...could not be ordered through a dealer. Of course it had to be sent to one, but could not be ordered through one. Was very disappointed with the piece. Trigger pull was atrocious. Bbl. bushing was so loose it could be twirled with fingers, rear sight COULD NOT be adjusted for windage no matter what was done (following factory directions), front sight could not be drifted to compensate for lack of rear drifting, and instead of the "full-length" guide rod as stated, it came with a short guide rod. After commo with S&W, the guide rod was a "mistake". "Someone" put in the wrong description. Got rid of it within a month and traded it in for a Sig X-5. Yes, I took a hit on it, but am completely happy with the X-5. Have been an S&W fan and user for many, many years and I guess that its that long-time usage that caused me to expect more than I got. IMHO only, S&W is not what it used to be.
 

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