Dorrin79
July 15, 2003, 08:49 PM
So, I took my newly acquired SA 1911 to the range today and put 100 rds of 230gr FMJ through her. Below are my thoughts
- Wow! .45 ACP is a cut above 9mm, that's for sure! A lot more noise, flash, recoil, everything. Very satisfying.
- Reliable, at least so far. It went through 100 rds of Red's cheap reloaded ammo without a hiccup.
- Accuracy - better than I expected. I fired 4 mags each at 3, 7 and 15 yds. Seemed to be hitting slightly (3 or 4 inches) below POA at 15, dead on at 7 and 3. Groups at 3 were "one big hole", groups at 7 were 2-3", groups at 15 were about the size of a paperback novel - 4-5" or so. Makes me curious as to what an expensive, custom 1911 is capable of.
- Handling, fit, etc. - very good! Although recoil was heavy, the weight and length of the pistol soaked a lot of it up, so that the perceived recoil was not too much more than a 9mm. The weight also reduced muzzle flip considerably, making for faster follow-ups. The sights were easily visible.
- Disassembly - not too bad. SA's instrtuctions were clear and concise. I had no problems stripping it or reassembling it, once I figured out how to press down the recoil spring plug and rotate the barrel bushing at the same time (seems like one needs a 3rd hand)
Overall, I feel like I got a good deal on this one. I'm looking forward to slowly customizing it over time as money allows.
As a side note, does anyone know a good source for cheap ball ammo for practicing? Is there an equivalent of the WWB 9mm Value Pack in .45?
- Wow! .45 ACP is a cut above 9mm, that's for sure! A lot more noise, flash, recoil, everything. Very satisfying.
- Reliable, at least so far. It went through 100 rds of Red's cheap reloaded ammo without a hiccup.
- Accuracy - better than I expected. I fired 4 mags each at 3, 7 and 15 yds. Seemed to be hitting slightly (3 or 4 inches) below POA at 15, dead on at 7 and 3. Groups at 3 were "one big hole", groups at 7 were 2-3", groups at 15 were about the size of a paperback novel - 4-5" or so. Makes me curious as to what an expensive, custom 1911 is capable of.
- Handling, fit, etc. - very good! Although recoil was heavy, the weight and length of the pistol soaked a lot of it up, so that the perceived recoil was not too much more than a 9mm. The weight also reduced muzzle flip considerably, making for faster follow-ups. The sights were easily visible.
- Disassembly - not too bad. SA's instrtuctions were clear and concise. I had no problems stripping it or reassembling it, once I figured out how to press down the recoil spring plug and rotate the barrel bushing at the same time (seems like one needs a 3rd hand)
Overall, I feel like I got a good deal on this one. I'm looking forward to slowly customizing it over time as money allows.
As a side note, does anyone know a good source for cheap ball ammo for practicing? Is there an equivalent of the WWB 9mm Value Pack in .45?