[Adventurer_96]

That's the conclusion I'm coming to, the ONLY drawback I've even heard about is the possiblity of the frame cracking over longterm use. Otherwise, superior round, proven design, stainless finish available for durability.

No other 1911 would seem to come close, right? :) The floor is now open for debate.

[DeltaElite]

I tend to concur. :D

Use shock buffs, a 22lb or heavier aftermarket spring and you won't have to fret about the frame issue.
Also, most ammo today is not as hot as the ammo of old.

I have a Delta Elite and a Delta Gold Cup.
I agree, they are the best thing going.

FWIW, I also have both Glocks in 10mm, for comparison.

[Sean Smith]

I'm another Delta Elite fan, but I wouldn't call them "The ultimate SA pistol." They are usually good guns stock, but they require some work (I'm talking fairly low $$$ stuff, not insane-o custom work) if you really want to "optimize" the things. A well-tweaked Delta Elite is a flat-out invincible firearm. :cool:

The frame crack thing is gigantically overblown (it essentially only happened to a handfull of early guns), but has spawned the odd myth that you need to put huge poundage springs in a Delta Elite. Not so. I've talked to several pistolsmiths, and they all conclude that 18-20 pounds with a buffer is the correct weight range for the gun, not the 24+ pounders that everyone said were essential to "protect the gun." Super-heavy springs do the exact opposite; they just beat the gun to pieces in the opposite direction, and contrary to conventional wisdom the heavier springs make the recoil more, not less, unpleasant.

Some good threads on other forums to learn more 10mm 1911s in general:

http://www.pistolsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=15128

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36532

http://www.pistolsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=14767&highlight=10mm+springs

[DeltaElite]

Do as Sean said, alot of what I have learned has come from the links he has provided.

[Sean Smith]

http://www.imagemagician.org/images/igc_76543/delta.jpg

Some more thoughts on the Delta Elite specifically:

Overall, they are quality handguns. They seem just a bit nicer than the standard Colt Series 80 .45 ACP guns made at the same time. Colt made them out of good steel, and didn't really cut any corners on the internal components to any significant degree. The guns tend to be reliable and surprisingly accurate. Both Delta Elites I've owned had better-than-average slide to frame fit for a Colt, though neither was ultra-tight. Triggers on both were about 5 pounds or so from the factory, with a little bit of creep but overall good quality.

The stock recoil system is just plain wrong. It consists of a short plastic plug and 2 springs. The plug is too fragile, and the total spring weight of 23 pounds is too high. The result is that the gun has a funny, unpleasant feel when you shoot it, because instead of recoiling straight back, it torques up alot in your hand and puts more stress on your wrist... then the slide would slam forward too hard and jerk the muzzle DOWN. I'm exaggerating somewhat for effect, but you get the idea. This is the main source of "evil" 10mm recoil stories, along with sissy gun writers and inconsistently loaded Norma factory ammo. The shooting dynamics AND longevity of the gun get a huge improvement by going to a steel full-length guide rod, a 20 lb variable-rate spring and a good buffer like a CP Tuff Buff.

Unlike older 1911s, neither the pre-enhanced nor the enhanced models of the Delta Elite should give you hammer bite.

The stock Colt 8-round magazines, and the virtually identical Metalform 8-round magazines, are easily the most reliable magazine design for this gun. However, the standard magazine springs tend to be a little weak; Wolff XP springs are much stronger and are a good, cheap investment. Some people claim that certain .45 ACP mags can work in this gun, but by and large that just ain't so.

Otherwise, the Delta Elite is your basic Series 80 Government Model... pretty good 3-dot sights, nice 1911 ergonomics, blued or stainless steel. The blued guns have a nice polish to them and are more nicely finished than the stainless guns for some reason, which got a coarse bead-blast on much of their surface. Carbon steel is also generally stronger than stainless steel, though not by a heck of alot. One oddity is that the later models have ALOT more sharp edges on them, on average, than the earlier models.

There is one other Delta-specific feature, though: the slides are heavier than the .40 S&W 1911s out there. This is a deliberate design feature, and while not absolutely vital has some merit as a way of delaying unlocking and slowing down slide velocities a bit. A simple but useful mod in this vein is to replace the firing pin stop with a modified EGW unit, which delays unlocking a bit more.

Delta Elites don't have ramped barrels, but standard 1911-pattern barrels. The value of this is debatable. 10mm doesn't really NEED a ramped barrel, since the 10mm case isn't a relative weakling like the .40 S&W or .38 Super cases are. On the other hand, a ramped barrel gives you better case support, which is generally beneficial, especially if you want to hot-rod the cartridge... which is something 10mm is ideally suited for. In theory, the ideal barrel for a 10mm 1911 would probalby be a bull barrel, with the extra weight helping to reduce felt recoil and muzzle flip, and delaying unlocking a bit more.

That's all I can think of right now... time to go to bed. :cool:

[Kahr carrier]

I think the DELTA 10mm great ,But I would like to see the DW 10mm it might be a contender for the title.:)

[BigG]

They are great guns. When I lived in N. VA they languished and could be bought for a song compared to the 45 ACP models. Here in GA they are pretty hot property so maybe its a regional thing? I have a Delta Gold Cup still with the spade type grip safety. It is a helluva fine weapon. Use Colt mags, you won't have any horror stories to relate. Shoot well! :cool:

[BenW]

Well, I guess pappy was right -- he always said, "keep something long enough and it'll always come back in style.":)

I've had a couple of Deltas since they first came out, kept them through the years they were getting dissed, and now over the last few years they've come full circle to being popular again.

[10-Ring]

Many years ago, I passed on a custom Delta that, looking back on the deal, was BEYOND unbelievable...(would have worked out to about $400) Since then, I've learned the error of my ways.

[Handy]

You know, just about any 1911 set up with a .40/10mm breachface can be made to fire 10mm. What does the Delta do different.

Wouldn't a Para 16/10mm be more "ultimate"?

[BigG]

It came before the other ones, for one thing. Also, don't know if the dbl stack mags will hold full length 10?

[M1911]

Wouldn't a Para 16/10mm be more "ultimate"?Based on the quality (or lack of same) in my ParaOrdnance P14-45, I'd say no way. Internals on my P14 were junk.

[Handy]

Para .40 mags will hold 10mm. That same mag will fit in Enterprise and Llama hi-cap frames, as well.

So it's ONLY that the Delta was the first 10mm 1911? That makes it better than a Les Baer, Wilson, Caspian, STI, etc?

[scoop]

saun smiths picture is my DE.I LOVE MY COLT DE.THE SLIDE IS HEAVIER THAN THE .45ACP SLIDES.I DOUBT YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT FRAME CRACKINBG.forget those recoil plastic thingies.not nessecary imho.

[Adventurer_96]

I neglected to mention the neat aesthetics of the grips, like in the pic posted above. The Delta Elite logo is very cool, and cool can't be overlooked. ;)

Incidentally, I didn't mention the other manufacturers (Les Baer, Caspian, etc.) because in my mind they represent high-end customized pistols as compared to an overall "new" kind of pistol, which I believe Colt introduced in the Delta Elite. 1911's are funny like that where you can get a customized pistol exactly as you want it, I only posted this because I feel that the Delta Elite offers quite possibly the best off-the-shelf option introduced by a major manufacturer.

DeltaElite, I figured you might like this thread... :) Sean Smith, thanks for the extensive post, you also brought to mind another point which I like about the pistol and that's the fact that a Delta Elite is a Series 80 pistol with the associated firing pin safety system. I prefer that to the Series 70 for no other reason as I feel it adds an additional amount of safety to a SA pistol.

[Sean Smith]

The Para .40s can be converted to 10mm just fine. Alot of people do them. However, Para-Ord's aren't famous for using good steel or having sharp QC.

And sure, you can get a nicer gun than a Delta if you spend 2-3x as much. :rolleyes:

[denfoote]

Delta's are nice, but I prefer the Glock 29!!! :evil:

[vanfunk]

I have an unnatural fondness for my SS pre-enhanced Delta Elite. Based on numerous testimonials on various and sundry firearm forums, I replaced the stock recoil spring setup with a GI spring guide (FLGR's don't jibe with my Feng-Shue:p ), shock-buff, and a 20 lb Wolff variable rate spring. I have experienced flawless performance, and none of the fabled wrist-snapping recoil. I find the recoil of even the heavy stuff (200 gr. at 1200 or so) to be much more controllable than 158 gr. .357 maggies out of a 6 inch S&W 686.

Is it an exceptional firearm? No, I don't think so. But my example, at least, succeeds at doing exactly what it was designed to do- deliver high velocity, high energy bullets to the target quickly and accurately with a high degree of reliablility. It also has a brag-factor at the range unmatched by anything other than genuine exotics:D (Desert Eagle, Mauser Broomhandles, etc.).

I have a rotation of "nightstand" guns but my Delta is the one I currently feel most confident with - 10 rounds of 175 gr. Silvertips will win friends and influence people alot faster than Dale Carnegie ever could...:cool: .
vanfunk

[agtman]

Great post, vanfunk.

And I'm sure in the not-too-distant future we'll be seeing more pictures of Sean's DE, post-customization, to start everyone drooling, again. ;)

There are a lot of cool things about a DE. The way they shoot, how they handle, and that certain look they exude that other 10mm 1911s simply don't.

And it's kinda cool when you're shooting your Delta at the range and, having heard all those Kapooows!, people feel compelled to come over and ask:

"Iszat a .45?"

"Nope. 10mm. Colt, 10mm."

They get a "W.T.F."-look in their eyes, while you go back to shooting. After some more Kapooow! - Kapooow! - Kapooow!, you look over and see their jaws resting comfortably on the ground. Their eyes have that glazed-over look that says, "I gotta get me one of those."

Now how cool is that? :)

:cool:

[WonderNine]

The slide to frame fit on the Colt Delta Elites and Colt 1911's are supposed to be slightly loose. Most people don't realize Colt does this on purpose for reliability sake.

[NordicG3K]

My Delta GC was real tight and I had some FTFs with it until I got about 200 rounds through it. The Javelina is a real soft shooting gun, but not the most reliable (need to take it in and have my smith work some magic on it). The Para 10mm conversion is an absolute beast! Putting 16 rounds of full-power 10mm loads through it is pure shooting enjoyment!

http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/1521823.jpg

[Adventurer_96]

Thanks for all the replies, it seems I'm not the only one who thinks this is a great pistol.

I love seeing the faces of people who've never even heard of 10mm.

[Sean Smith]

Don't you mean heard it go off? :evil:

[Adventurer_96]

Too true.

I borrowed a friend's Delta Elite which had fingergrooves added to the front of the frame, and I've even been lucky enough to shoot it, and I only have one other pistol that points as naturally in my hand as this one. Oddly enough, it's a Series 70 match pistol... ;) Still, the weight and feel of the pistol really makes it feel like an extension of myself, which is quite unique. Some other pistols I've shot have felt good, but this really fits my hand in a unique fashion.

Sorry about ressurecting this thread, I've been away from the forum for a bit.