possum
Member
i agree with the above poster bad reloads, and mags would have to come second to that. the biggest issues that i see is rds that have to long oif overall lenght.
What have y'all found is the cause of most problems in the 1911?
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Tom Fury
Member
1911 problems
Mags: Why God created Wilson Combat. My 1911s deserve them.
(Like their extractors, too).
User attitude: 1911 is eminently fixable or improveable; If you learn to love it, instead of demand it be perfect, it will reward you.
Boxes should come with a "WARNING:learning curve" sticker on them.
Its' not a novices' handgun and is better suited to more mature expectations.
Sometimes you get lucky out of the box; but mostly, after 20 years or so and I hate to count how many 1911's, I still own three and can think of two more at the top of my list of guns to acquire next. I have and do own other guns, but only think of the 1911's with affection.
Cheers: TF
Mags: Why God created Wilson Combat. My 1911s deserve them.
(Like their extractors, too).
User attitude: 1911 is eminently fixable or improveable; If you learn to love it, instead of demand it be perfect, it will reward you.
Boxes should come with a "WARNING:learning curve" sticker on them.
Its' not a novices' handgun and is better suited to more mature expectations.
Sometimes you get lucky out of the box; but mostly, after 20 years or so and I hate to count how many 1911's, I still own three and can think of two more at the top of my list of guns to acquire next. I have and do own other guns, but only think of the 1911's with affection.
Cheers: TF
Gee, I never knew that...
How the heck did we ever get through World War Two, not to mention the first one, Korea and Viet Nam?
Maybe that should be engraved on the side of the slide, but if your experience exceeded 20 years you'd know that it didn't used to be necessary.
I don't know that God had anything to do with it, but I do know that we got along fine from 1911 to the mid 1960's (mid-1980's in the military) using the magazines that came with the pistols.
I admit that the pistols being made today often don't measure up to what was made during the past when it comes to reliability. I also know that older buyers wouldn't have put up with the junk being made today.
Tom Fury
Member
Old Fuff is right...
I don't need a 1911...
I need a time machine.
Cheers, TF
I don't need a 1911...
I need a time machine.
Cheers, TF
Carl N. Brown
Member
I guess my problems have been minority ones: (a) weak mainspring sometimes requiring re-tries to fire some ammunitions, and (b) an overly stiff recoil spring.
Swapping out the hammer spring was an interesting experience (as in once is enough thank you). I had three weights of recoil spring: a light one for 185gr target loads, standard and a heavy spring. The standard for 230grFMJ standrad loads worked a lot better with 230grFMJ standard loads. (I think I had the heavy spring in when I was shooting IMI almost exclusively).
Swapping out the hammer spring was an interesting experience (as in once is enough thank you). I had three weights of recoil spring: a light one for 185gr target loads, standard and a heavy spring. The standard for 230grFMJ standrad loads worked a lot better with 230grFMJ standard loads. (I think I had the heavy spring in when I was shooting IMI almost exclusively).
Tom Fury
Member
Gotta love it
Agreed on that; I really miss an early Combat Commander I had; would only feed hardball. Wish I'd had the patience to keep it and send it to Novaks or somebody who could fine tune it; I will purchase a vintage lightweight Commander when I'm stateside again and have the $ (£?)...
Cheers, TF
Agreed on that; I really miss an early Combat Commander I had; would only feed hardball. Wish I'd had the patience to keep it and send it to Novaks or somebody who could fine tune it; I will purchase a vintage lightweight Commander when I'm stateside again and have the $ (£?)...
Cheers, TF
hanno
Member
Another vote for mags. My new Dan Wesson PM7 works fine with Colt, GI, Wilson Combat ETM, and CMC mags but the slide will not lock back with the Wilson Combat 47Ds.
The 47Ds (and all the other listed mags) work fine in my Colt and Kimber.
Not a big deal, now that I know which mags will work in the DW, those are the mags I'll use.
The 47Ds (and all the other listed mags) work fine in my Colt and Kimber.
Not a big deal, now that I know which mags will work in the DW, those are the mags I'll use.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
I'd have to note that many of the reliability problems that I run into are brought on by overspringing.
If you need an 18 or 20 pound recoil spring to get your gun to feed...your gun needs work.
Poop away, sir!
Kevin108
Member
I have 2 of the former already. What we REALLY need is to be able to buy a Tuner 1911.
1911 Tuner --
I did check my Springfield and it did have the 20 lb spring in it - it has been fired so much I changed out to a 18 1/2 pound spring.
Have yet to test shoot it , but I think it will work fine.
I am going to stay with he 18 1/2 pound spring as my friend Rob Leatham suggests that set up is the best .
http://www.robleatham.com/answers040602.htm
I did check my Springfield and it did have the 20 lb spring in it - it has been fired so much I changed out to a 18 1/2 pound spring.
Have yet to test shoot it , but I think it will work fine.
I am going to stay with he 18 1/2 pound spring as my friend Rob Leatham suggests that set up is the best .
http://www.robleatham.com/answers040602.htm
texagun
Member
I went to the link you provided, and I didn't see where Rob recommended an 18 lb. spring for 1911's.
Did I miss something?
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
I said that the standard has become 16...but I don't know when, where, or how that came to be. The original spec spring for the 1911 was more like 14.5 or 15 pounds. It was never specified in "pounds" per se.
It was specified that 32 and 3/4ths turns of .043 diameter music wire be used. If we compare that with a modern spring made by Wolff...that works out to about 14.5 pounds.
It was later changed to 30 turns of .044 diameter wire...essentially a Wolff 16-pound spring with two coils lopped off...and that works out to be in the neighborhood of 15 pounds.
Over the years, I've tested a lot of NIB Colts, still wearing their original springs. I haven't found one yet that makes it to 16 pounds. I haven't found one in a new Commander that will go much more than 16...yet 18 pounds is what is accepted as "Factory Standard."
Overspringing a pistol is not the way to address feeding problems. If it won't feed and go to battery reliably with a 10-pound spring...the gun needs attention.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
No...That's been covered three times now...and I disagree, by the way. The 1911 was designed to issue to Army conscripts, none of which had ever fired one in their lives until they entered the Army.
Hunter0924
Member
20 pound recoil spring in a Government Model, not good.
BikerRN
member
The cause of most problems with the 1911, or any other "bottomfeeder" is:
Gun Butchers that think they are Gunsmiths.
BikerRN
Gun Butchers that think they are Gunsmiths.
BikerRN
DawgFvr
Member
Actually they did not work all that well when I was in the Army...nor did my Father like it during WWII...he carried a .38 special. (I'll have to post that photo of him carrying it on here some time) Sand, dirt and the elements in general affect the 1911 design just like any other weapon...only more so in my opinion. Damn shame that somebody has to spend over $1000 for a weapon or at least that much to get an inferior version to function properly. Ah...but everybody likes nostalgia...kind of like the old school...old tech Harley guys touting how much superior that ancient cast iron engine is to a BMW. Christ..wonder why some of you don't run around with rapiers or long bows...cuz they worked so well in the past.
texagun
Member
That has not been my experience. I carried one in the military for 4 years in the 50's and the ones we carried were so old and well used they rattled when you shook them. They were WWII leftovers and were all randomly assembled from big barrels filled with solvent and gun parts. We shot them regularly and I don't ever remember one having a malfunction in 4 years. The ones I have had problems with have been with those of recent manufacture that weren't built to specs or had an improperly adjusted extractor or that came with a magazine that was a piece of junk. As far as sand and dirt, I would much rather drag a 1911 through sand and dirt than a .38 Special revolver. I'm pretty sure the 1911 would be more likely to function after such abuse. The 1911 design has been around for over a 100 years now, and has served well in 4 major wars, so it must have something going for it.
sturmgewehr
Member
Care to elaborate?
sturmgewehr
Member
Again, please elaborate. Are you saying if held incorrectly the 1911 doesn't work?
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