1911 reliability, a poll

[AR15activist]

I bought a GI type Turkish (Tisas) 1911 about five years ago. I doubt if I have ever run more than 200 rounds through it without cleaning it, so I chose E. IIRC I have used McCormick magazines. All it has ever shot has been whatever FMJ ammo was the cheapest. It has never malfunctioned in any way.

The recoil doesn't bother me a bit. It feels no different to me than 45LC or 44 special. All three are fun to shoot, imho. They don't sting like my 44 magnum.

Cheap, foreign gun with basic options and crap ammo?

Maybe this should lead us to the belief that the 1911 is inherently reliable -- with the right magazines..?

 

[AR15activist]

Here is my take from 2 different pistols.

1942 Colt M1911A1, reblued before I got her & I changed out all the springs to Wilson combat ones about 20 years ago & only used Wilson Combat mags "saving the original service one as is."
One range session of 300+ rounds back in 97' UMC Ball, no issues & okay accuracy for a old service piece, about 4 years ago I fired 100 rounds UMC Hollow points through her & still very reliable.

Colt 1991A1, wife has put over 200 rounds in one session of both UMC Ball & UMC Hollow Points with no issues, & excellent accuracy, she's a much straighter shooter with her .45 than I am with mine.

Ok, awesome -- anecdotally, it looks like goodsprings + good mags help to keep them running up to a few hundred rounds..

 

[alexander45]

B. Rock island armory tactical. the things a sewing machine just keeps pegging away with chip McCormick power mags and the stock act mag (excellent mag once the over sized base plate is remedied slickest anti tilt follower in the game)

 

[Eb1]

I too have a Tisas GI 1911. I have shot 2000+ rounds of 230 gr. ball ammo through this gun in less than a year. Never a failure, and as accurate as any handgun I own. Even those with adjustable sights.

Shoot ball ammo through any 1911, and you'll have success and reliability.

I won't vote, but (E) clean the guns when you stop shooting lightly, and finish up with a nice cleaning when you get home. You don't want to put water into your gas tank when it's time to go to work.

 

[M1key]

Owned a bunch of 1911s in various calibers (important point) and all of them eventually had reliability issues within 500-2000 rounds, especially customized ones. The Govt 70s and Commander 70s in 45 ACP worked OK with only a spot or two of problems (mag or ammo related) but the Nowlin custom in 40 S&W was especially troublesome, as was the 38 Super (very particular which ammo), and the 9mm ran fine.

Gave a Colt 1991 Commander to my brother who shot it without too much cleaning or lubing and eventually wore out the extractor. Don't know how many rounds, but knowing him I doubt he ran more than a few hundred or less than 1000 I am sure. Anyway, enough so that it developed regular FTExtracts and he wouldn't fix it until I showed him what the problem was, disassembled the pistol and left it for him that way. He will either have to get it fixed or not shoot. LOL.

Incidently armorers' standard fix for 1911s are extractors and ejectors and like someone above said they are not drop-in parts. Extractor must be "fitted" or "tweaked" to make sure it runs right. Same "tuning" required for mags (good springs and followers).

1911s ain't the "Cat's Pajamas" for me.

M

 

[JR24]

I can't truly say since the most I've shot out of a 1911 between cleanings has been 400-500 rounds. Done that with most of my 1911's on a regular basis (Kimbers, Ruger, Remington, Springfield). I generally run 200-300 rounds through a particular gun in a single range session, and my 1911's have choked no more (less actually) than my Glocks.

So, my 1911's are plenty reliable, IMO. Can't speak for anyone else's.

YMMV

 

[M1key]

nevermind

 

[Chevelle SS]

Voted E because I've never shot more than 400 rounds before cleaning.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

The 1911/1911A1 has been around for 104 years -- only in the last 10 years, have people dared to suggest that it's obsolete -- and if it is infact obsolete, it's obsolete like a M2 carbine or a M14 with a wood stock, deadly.[/U]

Heh! People have "dared to suggest" the 1911 is obsolete for much longer than the last ten years!

And yet...it's still around and still going strong!

The 1911 is nor more or less reliable than any other quality semi automatic on the market.

Yes, you will ALWAYS have the odd gun with problems, for a variety of reasons...but that applies to ANY gun on the market.


From personal experience with my own Colt 1991A1, which I've had for going on 25 years now, I've not had ANY reliability problems with it at all. It's unmodified, straight from the box as I bought it.

I bought a brother of mine two of them as well...one he lost during divorce, the other (the commander version) he's had nearly as long as I've had mine, also unmodified, and with absolutely no reliability issues either.


A gun design doesn't get to last for 100-plus years of continuous production in a market full of competitors by being unreliable or obsolete. And during this entire time, the design has been virtually unchanged functionally. Even the Series 70 and Series 80 were not changes to the overall function of the weapon design, especially for what you're talking about. (Series 70 had to do with the barrel/barrel bushing for accuracy and was phased out with a return to the solid bushing. Series 80 incorporated a new firing pin block assembly and a redesigned half-cock notch.)

 

[ADKWOODSMAN]

Colt original gold cup with GI slide.
Springfield super match
Ruger 1911

And as long as they are lubed, they run!

 

[56hawk]

My SV in 40 can go at least three thousand rounds between cleaning. I think it's just a matter of having everything tuned properly. If the recoil spring, extractor, ejector and ammo are all tuned they can go a very long time between cleaning.

 

[wally]

Maybe this should lead us to the belief that the 1911 is inherently reliable -- with the right magazines..?

Actually the "right" 11lb magazine spring is in my experience the most important. Even the cheapest $5 "GI clone" 1911 mag has been fine with correct spring.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

It totally depends on the gun. And mags, and recoil spring, and feed ramp, and ammo

This question is really difficult to answer.

 

[ku4hx]

Other. Too many variables to make a specific prediction: powder type, the gun's tolerances, amount and types of lubes used and so forth. My GI issue 1911 is so loose I think accumulated gunk actually improves accuracy. Raceguns I've owned needed to be cleaned fairly often.

 

[bannockburn]

I voted E mainly because I rarely put more than 150 to 200 rounds through any one of my 1911s at the range. Everything goes smoothly enough without any problems. After that the gun gets field stripped, cleaned, and then put away for the next range trip. The last time I had any trouble with my 1911s was due to some poorly designed and manufactured Winchester ammo.

 

[iblong]

My 2 examples run great but I seldom run more than 2-300 at a range outing.

 

[Officers'Wife]

I have no idea, if I fire more than three magazines out of my Commander I will have my Dad, husband, unnamed idiot that shall remain my brother or the ghost of my uncle bugging me until I clean it. Therefore I must choose (E.) from lack of first hand experience.

 

[JTQ]

Since your screen name is AR15activist, I'll guess you probably have AR15 experience. I suspect a 1911 would go just about as long as your AR without cleaning.

 

[james layman]

I voted e Had my Colt 1911 about 60 yrs. Made in 1915. Don"t use often, but it has never failed. The barrel is stamped SLATER. Believe it was used in WWI. Accuracy is nothing to brag about.

 

[Zerodefect]

Round count without cleaning has nothing to do with reliability. Clean your guns and if they are reliable at the range and during training, then they're reliable.

What's next? Which striker fired pistol is most reliable when lubed with Grey Poupon mustard? Which car is most reliable when the service intervals are ignored?

My best 1911 witll go 1000 rounds easy with heavy lube at the beginning. But it's still a stupid concept.

 

[rklessdriver]

I voted B but becasue I haven't ever personallly fired more than that in one range trip from one single pistol..... and I clean my guns after every range trip - reguardless if I fire 5 or 500 rnds....

That said, I took my new COLT GUNSITE PISTOL straight out of the box and fired 200 rnds WWB out of it without a single failure.....

Took it home clean it up, lubed it like I like to lube them, loaded up 500 185gr SWC over WW231 and a few months later myself and a few friends got together and we fired that 500rnds out of it without failure.

I have no doubt it would go further without failue but that was all the 45ACP I had loaded.

Will

 

[Old Dog]

I've owned only about twenty-five or so 1911s over the past 40 years, so I can't say I have much experience with the platform ...

... but I do not understand the point of this poll at all.

A responsible gun-owner cleans his/her handguns as often as possible. The reliability of the 1911 is not necessarily tied to its being cleaned after every so-many rounds fired.Of course, cleaning is necessary, but ...

Reliability of the 1911 is generally related to many other factors, as most of us have discovered, occasionally to our dismay. Willingness of the 1911 owner/shooter to actually learn about the 1911 and how it functions (I know, that's a tough concept for some) is critical if one shoots his/her pistol more often that just a few magazines a couple times per year. Quality of the individual gun coupled with regular maintenance is a key.

My answer is that 1911 reliability is most often a function of the knowledge level and dedication of its user while cleaning the pistol is only a tiny part of the deal.

I've run 1911s through courses requiring over 500 rounds in a weekend without cleaning the guns. I've owned, or own, pieces ranging from WW II-era Remington Rands and Colt's to Springfield Armory Mil-Specs/Champions/TRPs to Colt's Series 70s/Combat Commanders/LW Commanders to Kimber CDP Pro/TLE II/Tactical Pro to Wilson CQB ...

 

[AR15activist]

Round count without cleaning has nothing to do with reliability. Clean your guns and if they are reliable at the range and during training, then they're reliable.

What's next? Which striker fired pistol is most reliable when lubed with Grey Poupon mustard? Which car is most reliable when the service intervals are ignored?

My best 1911 witll go 1000 rounds easy with heavy lube at the beginning. But it's still a stupid concept.

"How long will a combat weapon fire without being cleaned?"

How is that a stupid question?

Don't be an Elmer Fudd.

You answered my "stupid" question BTW

LoL

 

[AR15activist]

Just like Glock shooters say all malfunctions are ammo related, we're seeing a bit of 1911 elitism.

How can you say that a gun which shoots 400 rounds without cleaning and doesn't jam, isn't more reliable than one that can only go for 200 rounds?

Plenty of folks were fine answering "mine shot 300 or 500 after cleaning without failure."

I'm not asking people to go out and torture test a gun, but some have; and others have just had long range trips -- while some clean on the range, most do not.

There is no need to use this post as a forum for how morally superior you are in your cleaning habits.

Thanks.

 

[Old Dog]

He didn't say your question was stupid. When he said "stupid concept" I think he meant what I, and others, have said ... that how many rounds a 1911 will go without cleaning isn't necessarily an indicator of its reliability.

And I don't think you're seeing "1911 elitism," whatever that is ... or anyone pointing out how "morally superior" they are in their cleaning habits.

You asked the question. Just because you aren't getting the answers you apparently wanted doesn't mean we're displaying elitism. We seem to be saying that if you're wanting to know about reliability, by tying your question to cleaning, you're barking up the wrong tree ...