Tom Servo
Member
Second day at the range for my new Smith. First time out, I only had time to run 100 rounds WWB, which functioned flawlessly. Today was the real break-in. 
100 rounds Blazer, 50 rounds Federal AE, 50 rounds of range reloads, 50 rounds CorBon +P, and 40 rounds Federal 230gr (which is what I carry). The gun ate everything I fed it. With Blazer and Federal, recoil was mild, and accuracy was amazing. The Federal hollowpoints shot just a tad low, as I'm accustomed to, but they grouped beautifully. The CorBons weren't pleasant, but they were acceptably accurate. All in all, I'm more than a little impressed (especially for a stock 1911), and I'm ready to trust her for carry. Outside of my Sigs, this is the quickest and easiest break-in that I've ever had with a pistol.
It's still tight as a drum, so tight that I was worried that it might not cycle before I fired it. This has to be the most well-fitted 1911s I've ever handled. The only wear that I can see is a bit of bluing wearing off the front of the frame rails, and that's to be expected.
Just one problem. Bear in mind that I didn't stop to clean at any point, and all I did was run a rag across the feed-ramp and breech-face a couple of times when they got really gunked. When I reached ~250 rounds, I started to get failures to go completely into battery. It only happened with one of the factory mags.
Do I have a bad magazine, or does it sound like it (or the gun) was just too dirty at this point? I've never really done long sessions at the range with 1911s, so I'm wondering if I need to ditch the mag. The other mag worked flawlessly, so I know it's not the gun (which is the answer to 98.65345% of "why won't my 1911 feed?" questions).
Second question: should my springs still be a bit creaky? When I cock the hammer by hand, the mainspring feels very stiff, even after oiling. Same goes for the plunger spring in front of the safety. Nothing that causes malfunction, but my Kimber feels much smoother and lighter in these areas. It does seem like Smith chose to use some REALLY heavy springs for these babies, as hand-cycling could qualify as an Olympic sport on this gun.
All in all, wonderful gun and great 1911. It feels like a $1500 gun for half the price.
100 rounds Blazer, 50 rounds Federal AE, 50 rounds of range reloads, 50 rounds CorBon +P, and 40 rounds Federal 230gr (which is what I carry). The gun ate everything I fed it. With Blazer and Federal, recoil was mild, and accuracy was amazing. The Federal hollowpoints shot just a tad low, as I'm accustomed to, but they grouped beautifully. The CorBons weren't pleasant, but they were acceptably accurate. All in all, I'm more than a little impressed (especially for a stock 1911), and I'm ready to trust her for carry. Outside of my Sigs, this is the quickest and easiest break-in that I've ever had with a pistol.
It's still tight as a drum, so tight that I was worried that it might not cycle before I fired it. This has to be the most well-fitted 1911s I've ever handled. The only wear that I can see is a bit of bluing wearing off the front of the frame rails, and that's to be expected.
Just one problem. Bear in mind that I didn't stop to clean at any point, and all I did was run a rag across the feed-ramp and breech-face a couple of times when they got really gunked. When I reached ~250 rounds, I started to get failures to go completely into battery. It only happened with one of the factory mags.
Do I have a bad magazine, or does it sound like it (or the gun) was just too dirty at this point? I've never really done long sessions at the range with 1911s, so I'm wondering if I need to ditch the mag. The other mag worked flawlessly, so I know it's not the gun (which is the answer to 98.65345% of "why won't my 1911 feed?" questions).
Second question: should my springs still be a bit creaky? When I cock the hammer by hand, the mainspring feels very stiff, even after oiling. Same goes for the plunger spring in front of the safety. Nothing that causes malfunction, but my Kimber feels much smoother and lighter in these areas. It does seem like Smith chose to use some REALLY heavy springs for these babies, as hand-cycling could qualify as an Olympic sport on this gun.
All in all, wonderful gun and great 1911. It feels like a $1500 gun for half the price.