1911 reliable as H&K

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4thHorseman

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What would it take to make a 1911 model as reliable as a H&K, Sig or Glock style pistol?
Those type pistols will eat just about anything you put in them. Most 1911 (that I know of) will only be reliable on hard ball. I do have a Caspian that is awfully good at feeding time though. Only because of hand tuning before I got it.
Any suggestions?
 
Make it right and it works. Pretty simple. Only problem with the 1911 is that its hype for combat reliability isn't as fresh in people's minds as HK hype is. :D
 
What would it take to make a 1911 model as reliable as a H&K, Sig or Glock style pistol?

Out of the eight 1911's I currently own, five have been as reliable as any HK, SIG, or Glock I've owned. Go figure. :uhoh:
 
I have a Para-Ord and a Colt 80 Series. They are terriable on feeding and ejecting rounds. I bought a Caspian at a pawn shop and it hasn't let me down yet.
But either has my Sig or H&K. I guess maybe it's the workmanship that causes the malfunctions in the 1911's. Don't really know though?
 
I am a former LEO, and had trained with, and carried Glocks in my duties. As a civillian, my desire to own an AK-47 overpowered my love for my Glock, and I traded the pistol in a deal to aquire the 7.62x39mm rifle.
Since then, my Glock 23 has been replaced by a Dan Wesson Pointman 1911 style pistol in 10mm, and I have hardly missed my Tupperware.
As far as reliability with ball ammo only.....the only FTF's that I have experienced with this weapon were on one individual round of ball ammo. All JHP's that I have loaded into this pistol have functioned flawlessly. These rounds were made by Hornady, and Cor-Bon.
Also, I must say that the DW is infinately more accurate than my old Glock, and feels better in my hand...although I am 6'2", and 240lbs.
Although I will probably own more Glocks, Sig's, HK's and the like....the 10mm Pointman will not be sold, and if the ever get the concealed carry mess sorted out here in Missouri...I intend to use it as my carry gun also.
 
"What would it take to make a 1911 model as reliable as a H&K, Sig or Glock style pistol?"




A time machine
 
I've seen Glocks jam just as much as any other pistol.. and some really odd malfunctions with the USP.. a stone stock prewar 1911 with fmj is a pretty jam free beast.

The real trick is the right amount of lube.

All the suff done to 'tighten them up" is what makes them jam.
 
What would it take? A greater commitment to quality control & the use of only high quality parts. No need to switch to an external this-or-that, or a polishing or adjusting of this-or-that if it's made correctly to begin with.
 
85% of the jams that I see are ammunition related. It's not that the ammunition is poorly made or sub-standard, but most guns have ammunition that they don't like.

I ran 200 rounds of my reloads through my H&K when someone asked me to shoot his Glock. After asking if using my reloads was okay, it jammed on the first round.

In addition to ammunition peculiarities, 1911's have magazine peculiarities. Some guns won't feed reliably with 8-round magazines, some will only feed Chip McCormick's, others will feed anything.

The extractors on 1911's need to be "tuned" to the gun. Excessive wear or a loose extractor will cause lots of problems.

The last two problems are non-issues with H&Ks and Sigs. Non-factory Sig magazines are known to be problematic and aftermarket H&K mags are nearly non-existant.

Anyway, it's your gun. Know it's peculiarities and make it work.
 
Make it Right.

Sean said:

Make it right and it works. Pretty simple. Only problem with the 1911 is that its hype for combat reliability isn't as fresh in people's minds as HK hype is.

This man understands!

When the Army was considering adopting the 1911, the testing was
as follows:

The pistol fired 6,000 rounds total with several shooters taking
turns. magazines were kept loaded, and the firing was done
nearly non-stop. No cleaning or lubrication was done for the
duration. When the pistol got too hot to handle, it was dunked
into a bucket of water to cool it off, and firing was resumed.
There were zero malfunctions or parts failures.

After restoring a pistol to proper spec...which does not mean
that it was a loose rattle-trap...I did a short version of the test,
firing over 2,000 rounds under the same conditions. One failure
to lock the slide was noted, and it was the fault of the magazine.

At the conclusion of the test, I submerged the pistol in water
as deep as my armpit would allow... and started firing it. When
it stopped, I brought it out with the slide locked on the empty
mag.

A pistol that my step-father got from his aunt just prior to her death
was delivered to me in condition one. It had been stored in an attic
in that condition since his uncle had died and laid untouched until
we got it. He brought it to me in that condition. I cleared the
chamber to check the bore...reloaded it, and fired it 7 times. The
slide locked empty. The owner died in 1929. I examined the gun
in 1991. Condition one for 62 years, and it functioned perfectly.

Reliable enough?

Cheers!
Tuner
 
I have never been a big 1911 fan, but a while back a bought one of the new Colt Commanders. I am pleasantly amazed each time I take it out and shoot it. It is as reliable as any pistol I've ever owned, and is very accurate. Saturday I took it to the range with a bag of mixed rounds I've been wanting to get rid of. The pistol handled everything I put through it with no problem whether it was HP, HB, cast lead, whatever. Almost makes me want to do the 1911 thing in earnest.--Leigh
 
What would it take to make a 1911 model as reliable as a H&K, Sig or Glock style pistol?

Polish one's lying skills to the level of the average HK. Sig or Glock owner. See respective forums for details.

"How could anything have happened to your (HK Sig or Glock)? Nothing has ever happened to mine. Absolutely nothing, except that one time with the reloads, or that one time with the Winchester White Box.":rolleyes:
 
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