SA 1911 Mil Spec

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mattnoks

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I was recently reading through the "Most Disappointing Gun Purchases" thread and the Springfield Armory 1911 Mil Spec came up several times which suprised me. It seems like in other threads people often recommend the SA 1911.

So which is it, is this a hit or miss purchase? I ask because between the Sig GSR 1911 and the Springfield Armory Mil Spec 1911, I had decided on the SA. I would be buying a new model.
 
My brother has a GI, which is similar but even less frilly than the MilSpec. I would say get the MilSpec because my brother ended up changing out the sights (very difficult to use) and lowering the ejection port. He shoots IDPA so he also modded the gun a little bit by changing the MSH, trigger, and adding a magwell. I bought a loaded and saved the time and hassle.

Both were excellent purchases. I wouldn't hesitate to reccommend either to a friend, although if you want a shooter pay attention to the sites in particular. SA makes a quality gun, but their line varies greatly depending upon one's needs.

I should mention, he does suffer from hammer bite and needs to get that fixed, but he does have a high hold when shooting. (Someone at a match mentioned it was amazing he didn't have hammer bite due to his high hold...and sure enough...)
 
You do realize the Sig GSR is completely different than the Mil Spec right? If you want a gun with all the bells and whistles out of the box the Mil Spec isn't for you. If you're happy with no beavertail, smaller non-night sights, no lowered/flared ejection port, etc. etc. etc. then you will be fine with the Mil Spec.

I own an SA GI. I personally love it. It has never hiccuped and there is no hammerbite for me. I'm more accurate with it and it's tiny sights than any of the Glocks I own.

I think some do get disapointed with the Mil Spec because they really really want a Kimber, Colt, etc. and "settle" for the Mil spec and realize they aren't the same creatures.

My brother in law is a classic example. He wants all the high end features but is too cheap to pony up the money for a gun that has them. Sooo, he got the SA GI in stainless thinking he'll "add" them later (yeah right he won't even buy BRASS ammo). After his first range trip he wanted to throw it in the garbage. Hammer bite, some ejection issues, rough edges on the gun. I asked him *** did he expect when you buy nearly the cheapest 1911 option out there and shoot the cheapest ammo?

I really like the GI and Milspec guns. They are great values for the money. But do NOT get one if you really want one with all the "features" but are too cheap to pony up for them. You won't be happy.
 
There is only a $100 to $150 difference for new models as far as I can see. I would love to save 150 bucks if the Mil Spec is a great gun and I like the way it looks. It seemed like everyone recommended them but as I said there were a lot of regrets in that one forum.

I know some people don't like the Sigs but I've read great things about them and I already have a p226 I love.
 
I love my mil-spec. I bought it used with a couple hundred rounds through it; I have had exactly 0 malfunctions with it in a couple thousand rounds. I added a longer Al trigger, as the GI style was too short for my big hands (which ironically don't get bit by the hammer).

To answer your question, I would guess that SA sells so many GI/Mil-Spec models that there is bound to be a couple stinkers, and most people, while too lazy to send the gun in to be fixed, are not too lazy to get on the internet and bitch about it. (Sorry about the run-on sentence, but in typical internet fashion, I'm too lazy to fix it:D)
 
I have a GI and will (someday) change out the sights - my old eyes are having trouble with the tiny black sights. The GI is a "basic" 1911, (and the Mil-Spec is pretty basic as well) but mine is about as reliable as a brick and feeds FMJ, jacketed hollow points, and even lead semi-wadcutters without a hiccup.

I think Lonestar.45 is spot on - the GI and the Mil-Spec are just too "Plain Jane" for most folks nowadays. If you want bells and whistles, the Mil Spec isn't for you. If you want basic simple, bang-every-time reliability, it's a good value.
 
I was reading that the feedramp often needs some work on the GI model

Could you link me where you read this? I have a GI model and while I love it every once in a while I run into a problem with the gun not feeding right and pretty much jamming. It happens rarely, but enough that it bothers me. Nice to know mine isn't the only one though.
 
Can anyone link me to that thread? I'd like to read it.......I have to say I'm somewhat surprised that anyone had a bad experience with the Mil-Spec
 
LOVE my Mil-Spec.................dead on dependable and the green Parkerizing is just cool.
I gravitate more toward the collectable end rather than bells & whistles and the Mil-Spec sure fit the bill and at a helluva price.
 
I bought a Mil-Spec that had maybe 50 rounds through it. I used it as a base gun and sent it to the SA Custom Shop and had it customized. I now have a very nice pistol with alot of hand fitting for $750.
 
I have a Springfield Mil Spec and it's a good accurate gun. I've had a few malfs with it, even with hardball, but it's been pretty reliable overall. For me, though, it's not a frontline defense gun (those are my Glocks and my .357s) ,but mainly a fun shooter.
 
I can vouch for the GI springer. I did add all the bells and whistles years after I bought her. She's a beauty and has been super reliable since day one. She has been my bedside gun for the last 5 years, ever since I got her. Highly recommended.
 
Threads of this sort bring the fans out in force...

I've been an RO for IDPA for more than a decade. I've seen SAs fail on the firing line at a rate of 3-1 more than all other brands combined.

Almost every time it is accompanied by the mantra "It's never done that before."

In 2009 we've only held eight matches and I've seen three Springers walked off the line. All others combined, one.

Right on track.

Get what you want. You couldn't pay me enough to carry a Springer.
 
I traded for one of the GI models back in the early 1980's. It was used. Still with me today. It was one of the couple of guns I didn't sell off when I got a divorce back in '94. It was always 100% for me, no matter what. A few years ago I set about "upgrading it" with all of the "so called, needed" features. I never did finish it. Got it all done except the sights. It has sat in my safe since then taken apart. The other day I happened upon it and thought, "what was I thinking?". I am going to get it out when I have the time and put it back together with all the original parts and just make it a shooter again.
 
Wow! I must have really lucked out!

Bought a Springfield Mil-Spec in early '03, liked it so well I bought another, when I decided I really wanted SS for CC, I bought the third one.

With a total of 15,000 rounds to date, I have yet to experience my first hiccup. IMO the Mil-Spec changes to the original G.I issue, (which I started shooting 53 years ago) are the important ones, beveled mag well, higher sights, Titanium firing pin (not required but a better idea than another lawyer engineered safety gadget) and the lowered ejection port, which is simply going back to the way JMB designed it in the first place, (Army made him raise it, before they would accept it so it wouldn't disturb shooters to the right, on open training ranges.)

All three of mine will readily group under 2.5" at 25 yards, and with 70 year old eyes that's about my current limit anyhow.

I use 230 grain FMJ only in my .45's because that's the way JMB finally designed them to use, (originally lighter faster, but the Army wanted heavier slower).

The 15,000 plus rounds fired included a lot of WWB and Wolf, no problems.

I've owned easily over a hundred 1911's in my life, from Gold Cup Colts on down, and in my opinion the springfield Mil-Spec is one of the best values for a General Purpose 1911 I've ever encountered.

My current use is CC, SD, HD casual target practice and the occasional murder of a Rock or a tin can. And the Mil-Specs have been great!

If I were still competing, there are certainly other models and brands I'd be looking very hard at, but as it is I'm quite satisfied.

And it's nice to know that if I ever do encounter problems, springfield will solve them for me, all I'll have to do is send it to them! :)

I cannot recommend them highly enough to someone looking for a general purpose 1911 ... regardless of price!

Well, as always JMVHO, YMMV and if so, that's okay too!

Regards,
:)
 
I have read alot of internet meanderings about the questionable reliability of Springfield 1911; however, Springfield's customer service is, in my opinion, an industry leader. If your have a problem with one of their products, they will make it right for you. Therefore I would buy a Springfield in an instant.
 
Every time I read or hear about customer service I know one thing - that person had a defective gun.

Out of the 100+ guns in my house now and the hundreds I've sold, from firsthand experience I can say KelTec has really good customer service...

I know a lot of people who rave about Springfield customer service.
 
SA 1911 Mil-Spec

Have owned and shot mine since 1998. Not one problem ever. Good, reliable, accurate. At least 10,000 rounds with NO malfunctions

BacSi
 
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