My Rock Island 1911A1 .45 is a fine gun. I take good care of it and make sure to keep a nice slick of grease on all the internal parts. When I am done shooting I brush it out and add fresh layer of grease then make my barrel shine. I have no dought that this copy of the the original Colt will last well beyond my lifetime inspite of the fact that it is subjected to frequent shooting.
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1911 reliability.....
- Thread starter mtngunr
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crebralfix
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I just don't believe you.
I see many guys show up with 1911's in gun classes. I ask them about their guns and get the usual "reliable" and "has never failed" remarks. Then, I look over and see...a jam! Stove pipes, failure to feed, and so forth. Last August (2007), a Wilson Combat safety on an expensive Wilson Combat 1911 broke off. Who woulda thunk it?
A buddy's Glock 19 failed at least 15 times in the first 100 rounds. I stuck my pinky in the action and felt a few burrs. I told him to shoot it until it cleared up. It did. Even the mighty Glock company churns out a problem child now and again.
A 1911 built in 1952 is certainly not going to be the same as a recent build by Kimber. Unfortunately, many manufacturers do not make 1911s according to the specification. Then, gun smiths get in there and mess around with it (for whatever purpose, such as building a competition gun). Fine...but expect problems. Some work better than others for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is deviation in aspects of the design or a gunsmith mucking around with the internals.
They're machines. They break and get gummed up.
Just because you're a fan of the gun doesn't make it the mostest and bestest in whatever category you happen to be thinking of at the time.
Not that this is going to stop me from getting a Colt this weekend. But, it's better to be realistic than have some "Good 'nuff for Grandpa, good 'nuff for me" idealistic notion. They're not the same guns by any stretch of the imagination.
I see many guys show up with 1911's in gun classes. I ask them about their guns and get the usual "reliable" and "has never failed" remarks. Then, I look over and see...a jam! Stove pipes, failure to feed, and so forth. Last August (2007), a Wilson Combat safety on an expensive Wilson Combat 1911 broke off. Who woulda thunk it?
A buddy's Glock 19 failed at least 15 times in the first 100 rounds. I stuck my pinky in the action and felt a few burrs. I told him to shoot it until it cleared up. It did. Even the mighty Glock company churns out a problem child now and again.
A 1911 built in 1952 is certainly not going to be the same as a recent build by Kimber. Unfortunately, many manufacturers do not make 1911s according to the specification. Then, gun smiths get in there and mess around with it (for whatever purpose, such as building a competition gun). Fine...but expect problems. Some work better than others for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is deviation in aspects of the design or a gunsmith mucking around with the internals.
They're machines. They break and get gummed up.
Just because you're a fan of the gun doesn't make it the mostest and bestest in whatever category you happen to be thinking of at the time.
Not that this is going to stop me from getting a Colt this weekend. But, it's better to be realistic than have some "Good 'nuff for Grandpa, good 'nuff for me" idealistic notion. They're not the same guns by any stretch of the imagination.
berkbw
Member
This stuff is too long to read/understand/reply-all.
1911s are REALLY reliable, if you do YOUR part in cleaning/lubing.
They are REALLY easy to repair - IF you FIT the parts,
1911s need to be owned by "gun guys" or the infrequent shooter. All save one of my pistols are 1911s.
b-
1911s are REALLY reliable, if you do YOUR part in cleaning/lubing.
They are REALLY easy to repair - IF you FIT the parts,
1911s need to be owned by "gun guys" or the infrequent shooter. All save one of my pistols are 1911s.
b-
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Then, I look over and see...a jam! Stove pipes, failure to feed, and so forth.
Yes. We've all seen that happen.
They're machines.
Indeed. They are machines, and machines are designed to function... and if the machine is correctly built, it will function. It doesn't have a choice.
You may apply that axiom to the first statement.
A properly built 1911 pistol that is reasonably maintained will be so reliable that it's boring.
And before the "They only feed hardball unless skillfully and extensively ported'n'polished" argument comes into play...I can disprove that with any of a couple dozen very old, very stock USGI and commercial Colt pistols...and I mean some old enough to predate the First World War.
RobMoore
Member
It doesn't have a choice.....I like that.
Thanks, Tuner....the only modern problem being getting a gun built to spec in these new-improved times.....everybody builds turkey's, some companies just do it more often than others....personally, think Colt is doing a pretty good job, and better than many, despite recurring cosmetic issues.....my own 1911 repro wasn't perfect, especially cosmetically, but I had Bill Adair fix that part....mechanically, the only problem was "hard-feeding" that turned out to be a slight case of 3-pt-jam where the psuedo-milspec ramp didn't QUITE give roll-over clearance during feeding...just breaking the edge took care of that....super-reliable, and shoots an honest 1" with UMC ball from standing/braced at 25yds, despite the comforting rattle when shaken.....couldn't be happier. Diagnosis of the 3-pt was after checking extractor tension/shape/etc, looking for a rough breach-face, checking for FP hole burr, and ESPECIALLY after looking through a lot of old posts of yours on other boards....thanks....
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
the only modern problem being getting a gun built to spec in these new-improved times
And that, sir...is a fact.
crebralfix
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Sweeney has a chapter on this in The Gun Digest Book of the 1911. Getting a gun that's in spec is a real problem.
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