1911 For Life
Fuff said:
Incidentally, some of Tuner’s “range beaters†– and for that matter two of mine – have fired an incredible number of rounds without part(s) failure. You might ask him why? (Hint – it wasn’t because of excessively heavy springs or shok-buffs).
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Well...Part of it was due check drillin' the cracks.
I think that many have hit the nail on the head. Any machine will wear if it's used, and the more it's used, the sooner it will wear or break. No way around
it.
Any 1911 will last a lifetime if it's only used a little...and a top-grade gun will
last only a few years if it's shot hard. Also, heavy use means different things to different people. To some, 5,000 rounds a year is heavy. To others, 5,000 rounds is a month's worth of practice. It's pretty subjective,
but I'll toss in a guideline which is also open to debate, but is close enough for government work.
If you're a three boxes a year shooter, a stock GI or standard Mil-Spec Springfield will likely make a perfectly functional heirloom for your children
or grandchildren.
If you plan to shoot in excess of 500 rounds a month, it might be a good idea to have a pair. One to shoot and one that is kept in reserve or carried.
If you plan to shoot a thousand rounds a week...add another pistol so that you can have a "Backup Beater." If you can afford it, have 3 or 4 and rotate them for range duty, always keeping your carry gun reserved for just that purpose...and fire it only occasionally for familiarization or function checks.
It would also be a good idea to make your brace of pistols as close to identical as possible so that if you have to reach for one in a hurry, you won't be grabbing a stranger.
Keep a few spare parts on hand, along with regular maintenance parts like springs and the like. A spare extractor, firing pin, hammer and sear pins,
mainspring housing pin, a trigger, firing pin stop, mag catch assembly, and any parts likely to be lost during a field or detail strip, including plunger detent pins. Ideally, a set of "Fitting Required" parts like extractors should be maintained for each gun...ready to drop in and go.
As far as shock buffs go...If your beater will functin with a buffer in place,
no harm in using one...but not in your UTYAIA carry gun. They do reduce
the impact shock between slide and frame...but exactly how much they'll actually extend the life of any given gun is debatable. I've seen guns crack early that never fired a round without a buffer...and I've seen guns go 100,000 rounds without cracking, and they never had a buffer in place. No...Heavy recoil springs aren't the answer. Some guns will run fine with a buffer, and others won't.
As for me...I keep a half dozen beaters busy, and I have four pistols that I rotate for carry duty which are rarely fired. Collectibles are almost never fired, even though they function perfectly. Those could be pressed into service in a pinch, but likely won't be.
1911-pattern pistols? The more, the merrier says I...
