1911s don't like me.

I am in love with 1911's!! They all work flawlessly with a rare exception.

Les Baer Premier - eats anything
Les Baer Premier II - eats everything
Ed Brown Special Forces - Eats everything
Wilson Combat CQB - eats everything
Springfield trophy match - jams on everything but 230g RN
Kimber Custom - eats everything
Kimber Custom Target - eats everything (now stolen)

The ONLY 1911 that has been tempermental is my Springfield TM. It is a Jam-O-Matic on so many levels! In fairness...I have not given it 100's of rounds because all my other 1911's perform without aggravation.

I have purchased three brand new 1911's this year. A Colt Talo edition, Remington R1 Centenial Edition and Springfield Loaded Bi-tone. Have only used target ammo in them. I have not had any jams, misfeeds or misfires in any of them. Each one has functioned flawlessly. I must be lucky or I am doing some thing wrong. ???

I'm definitely doing something wrong. None of mine have ever failed to feed, fire and extract. Even my SW 1911 that had serious fitment issues causing irregular and premature wear never once stumbled. Do I put thousands of rounds through my 1911s year after year? Well yes, yes I do. Do they need secretive voodoo or special care to make them work? No. A bit of CLP and ammo.

For those not inclined to learn a platform they intend to shoot, I say stay away from firearms, they're dangerous! Loading, charging, safeties, magazine releases, sights; these are things that deserve attention. These are things you should know. These are things that could, with any style firearm, save your life.

Almost, but not quite astounded that we still have weekly chats akin to "A carburetor can't work because it ain't fuel injected". My take anyway.

I gave up 1911s in 2003, switched to Glocks and have never looked back. Thousands of hard earned dollars were spent towards the college funds of gunsmith's children to get them to run right, and they never did run right for me.

In 22 years of having to qualify with firearms at least once a year as a condition of employment, the guns that have kept me from getting long lunches or going home early during quals were all 1911s .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Another proud RIA 1911 owner - never any issues, don't care for Glocks YMMV

My father just qualified for his 50 State carry (retired) with a bone stock Colt. Had it not been for the massive bandage on his thumb (protecting a dozen stitches) I'm certain he would have done better than the 85% he turned in as drills were timed and several required weak hand shooting/magazine drops/switches.

Les Baer Premier - eats anything
Les Baer Premier II - eats everything
Ed Brown Special Forces - Eats everything
Wilson Combat CQB - eats everything

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change a few models and that is my experience

Les Baer Monolith Heavyweight
Ed Brown Special Forces
Wilson Professional
NightHawk Falcon
Colt LW Commander

Of those 5 guns I can count malfunctions on one hand... I cannot say the same for my 3 Glocks.

I have a Dan Wesson Valor that has never malfunctioned and recently bought a worn 1994 Series 80 Colt police turn-in that hasn't missed in 300 rounds so far, including JHP.

I had a Glock 21 that never did run right, even after going back to the factory. Same thing with a RIA 1911, the factory eventually gave up and sent me a new one, which I sold.

My Para Expert, an inexpensive 1911, eats anything I throw in its' blowhole: factory hardball, 175 gr SWC lead, TC, any and all of my reloads. I followed their break-in advice to not touch anything until 500 rounds went through it. Not a single problem and I am very fond of this doodlebug as a result.
Man, after the 500 rounds of a massively varied break-in diet, it was like cleaning a chimney, I had to avert my gaze initially!

Well...all sorts of "My 1911 has never failed" stories and an OP saying his Springfield failed a half dozen times with the 150 rounds/year he put through it. Didn't take advantage of the lifetime warranty, sold it. Bought a Ruger and Remington, both with warranties, similar problems, no service calls made. Hasn't bothered to describe the failures in detail that someone might enlighten him as to the problem.

Now I get lazy. I understand. I applaud it at times. What I cannot comprehend is posting a complaint and replying over and over with naysaying rather than asking about the root cause of the failures, wanting to learn why $650 pistols won't go bang or even making a phone call to get a shipping label so that the problem gets fixed. There is lazy and then there is inanimate. As my lawyer is fond of saying, "Don't ask for solutions to problems you don't want solved, it's a waste of everyone's time".

I have a Dan Wesson Guardian ($1400 9mm commander). I bought and went to the range inside the same store. I had around 5 RTB's in the first 50 rounds, after that I have not had a single failure in 500-700 rounds.

I also had an RIA tactical in 9mm ($450). Again out of the box and to the range, not a single failure in over 500 rounds. I did sell it only because it is much heavier than my DW and decided I didn't want a range only gun and when I carry a 1911, it will be the DW.

If I were to take a multi day handgun class, I would run my DW and my Glock 23. The 23 would not be a back up to the DW, but more because I use both for CCW.

The only maintenance I have done for either the DW or RIA was to field strip, clean and lube after the initial 200 rounds.

Now and again it is not the guns, it is the shooter. Some folks do not do well with 1911 platform guns.

tipoc

I'm fairly new to the 1911. I just bought a SR 1911 in July. I've only got a couple hundred rounds through it so far but I haven't had a failure yet. If I had a problem with my SR 1911 I believe I would call Ruger & let them deal with it. If you want to try to figure out the problem & fix it yourself then you would probably need to be specific about what the problem is & let some of the more knowledgeable amongst us guide you towards a solution.

Gee. My Kimber CDP Compact, Sig STX and Smith 1911TA have all been superb with nary a malfunction. I'm glad no one told them that 1911s are jammomatic garbage.

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The op was only reporting his experiences. They are what they are and your experiences don't have much to do with his.

Call me crazy but if I spend that kind of money I want the gun to run flawlessly and shouldn't have to tweak anything to get it going.

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I don't think you're crazy. If you are, so am I.

I have not had any jams, misfeeds or misfires in any of them. Each one has functioned flawlessly. I must be lucky or I am doing some thing wrong. ???

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Maybe it's time for you to buy a lottery ticket...

It's un-American to have to spend 2,3 or ever 4K for a 1911 that will work flawlessly. I only say this because the 1911 is a true American icon that should work well out of the box even if U "only" spend $700

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Yep, I'm an American too. There's absolutely no reason why a $700.00 pistol shouldn't work perfectly right out of the box. Many other "platforms" do and there's no reason why a 1911 shouldn't. The ones I have did and do.

I don't know much about the 1911 other than it is a true American icon, and I love the way they shoot. But I am going in understanding they can be finicky...

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Again, there's no good reason why prospective buyers of a 1911 pistol should have to expect that their new 1911 will be "finicky". Too many people give too many excuses as to why a given pistol doesn't function correctly from the get-go: bad ammunition, limp-wristing, bad magazines, wrong recoil springs, extractor needs attention, needs 500 or so rounds of break-in, etc. Now any of these reasons might be a factor in terms of why a gun is malfunctioning but, imo, too many times the manufacturer is given a pass for producing a sub-standard firearm. How many other types of purchases that don't work right initially, from toasters to lawn mowers, do we give the benefit of the doubt to the maker? Not very bloody many is my guess.

Yep, I'm an American too. There's absolutely no reason why a $700.00 pistol shouldn't work perfectly right out of the box. Many other "platforms" do and there's no reason why a 1911 shouldn't. The ones I have did and do.

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Now-a-days with exception of AR's. What other type of firearm is manufactured by dozens and dozens of companies? maybe CZ clones come the closest with a small handful of clones... Otherwise a Glock is a Glock, etc. etc. etc.

Too many people give too many excuses as to why a given pistol doesn't function correctly from the get-go: bad ammunition, limp-wristing, bad magazines, wrong recoil springs, extractor needs attention, needs 500 or so rounds of break-in, etc.

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Agree 100%..

Gee. My Kimber CDP Compact, Sig STX and Smith 1911TA have all been superb with nary a malfunction. I'm glad no one told them that 1911s are jammomatic garbage.

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As have my 7 1911's which includes a Kimber Compact CDP. The CDP is my carry gun and I trust it completely. If you want to shoot a Glock then shoot a Glock but don't say all 1911's are unreliable.

How many other types of purchases that don't work right initially, from toasters to lawn mowers, do we give the benefit of the doubt to the maker?

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Having worked in a department store many moons ago I can tell you that no brand, of the thousands we carried, ever managed to be 100%. Not Sony, not HP, not Remington, not Beretta, not Graco, not Weider, not Bunn or even Nike. The most failed products we sold by far were lawn mowers. Murray, Lawn Boy and MTD. Why? Buyers would yank the giant orange warning tag off the top without reading it, the one advising them to pour the bottle of oil attached to the tag in to the law mower before using because they are shipped empty. We gave up selling mowers.

Without specifics, the OP is not asking for help in fixing the problem. All mechanical devices need adjustment from time to time. Tune up, new ink cartridge, air up a tire, oil a chain. Yeah, we don't think about the "passes" given and we wouldn't accept someone showing up here to say "Fords don't like me. After only 59,000 miles my Ford stopped running."

Would anyone ask if it ran out of gas? Had it ever had an oil change? Was the radiator damaged when the car hit a deer on the highway? No, Fords don't like me really doesn't fly.

Concerning the OP who now says he likes to tinker with his 1911...I like to tinker with my Jeep but I make sure I know what I'm doing first. I suspect by the body of your post you do not. So here's post #46, still no closer to a solution, merely arguing back and forth as to the ability of a mechanical device's ability to work. As I stated, complaint thread, and a waste of time.

I must have good gun "karma." I read these posts about jams, misfires, etc., and have only been plagued by any kind of similar problems once in 30+ years of shooting, and it was definitely bad ammo.

I am NOT disputing the OP, but I have 3 different 1911's (all Springfields), and have shot many more makes/models of 1911s, 9mms, .40s, etc, and have never had a problem with any of them.

My P22, considered by many as a cheap, plastic & pot metal problem gun, has performed flawlessly for 3,000+ rounds with the cheapest ammo I can find at the time.

I guess I’ve been lucky with 1911s. I have purchased three in life. All were bought new in the box. All three were .45 ACP.

The first was in 1971. It was a Colt Government model. The second was in 1995. It was a Kimber with adjustable sights. The last was a Rock Island Armory GI model purchased in 2011.

With all three purchases I bought one box of factory hard ball with the pistol. In all cases the pistols were disassembled, cleaned and oiled before use. In all cases there were two to four stumbles in the first two to three magazines of ammunition. After the initial stumbles the pistols ran through the remainder of the factory ammunition with no problems. After the first box of factory ammunition, only reloads were used after that with no problems.

After reading of all the problems that people have with 1911s, I consider myself to be fortunate that the ones I’ve owned have been trouble free.

My Colt "Commander" seems to digest round nose ammunition without problem or complaint. But I'm told it's not a "real" 1911 since it's chambered for 38 Super instead of 45 ACP.

As a machinist in the machine repair and modification industry and a huge admirer of JMB, I've tried to like the 1911 but they just don't fit my hand "right".

Now the HP on the other hand.........