Bit the bullet and bought it (no pics yet)

[g_one]

Bit the bullet and bought it (updated)

Ok, so it's selfish, shamless plug time. After craving a 1911 for longer than I care to think, I stopped on the way home and put my payment down on a Citadel M1911. It's got the high-rise beavertail, commander hammer, full-length guide rod, but what really sold me on it is that it's manufactured by Armscor.

I've put in an order for a new (flat) trigger, an arched steel MSH, and I'm going to be swapping out the ambi-safety it came with (it's actually a really nice safety, I just don't like ambi's) for a normal one. After those come in, I'll be taking all the money I saved by not getting the Kimber I had my eyes on, and sending it off to APWCOGAN for a hard chrome job.

Update: picked it up last night. Sorry for the cell phone pics. After I finish getting it modified I'll get the real camera out. Aside from the plastic MSH it's all steel, cycles smoothly, and the trigger feels amazing.

 

[flgolfer29]

I'll look forward to the before & after pics..

joe

 

[g_one]

FWIW, I sent Armscor an e-mail last night around 8:30 CST asking about the sight cuts and what my options were, they responded in less than two hours with all the information I needed.
Since I know a lot of people with Citadel and RIA Tacticals are interested in getting new sights (they come with blank, no-dot sights), here's the copy paste from the e-mail, I added the bold at the end but that was the part that I found the most helpful. I'm going to keep the blank novak rear sight and just put a fiber optic front on:

Thanks for contacting us.

Our sights have the same angle as the Novak style sights, But our rear sights have a shorter dovetail. So I strongly recommend that you have sights installed by a competent gunsmith! We have a installation service for sights for $80 for labor, excluding the cost of the sights.
We order our sights from brownells... Here's the list of sights that we order and install for customers who wish to upgrade.
You have to purchase these sights first and send them over with your gun.
NOVAK FIBER OPTIC
FRONT / RED 662-000-039 $34.95
FRONT / GREEN 662-000-042 $34.95
REAR / RED 662-000-038 $44.95
REAR / GREEN 662-000-041 $44.95

NOVAK TRITIUM
FRONT 662-005-180 $54.95
REAR 662-000-029 $91.95

NOVAK WHITE DOT
FRONT 662-000-057 $29.95
REAR 662-000-065 $47.95

There are sights also available from FUSION FIREARMS.
TACTICAL Novak Adjustable Rear
http://www.fusionfirearms.com/servlet/the-526/Sight-rear-Novak-Style/Detail
TACTICAL Novak Adjustable Tritium Rear
http://www.fusionfirearms.com/servlet/the-49/Adjustable-Novak-Style-Combat/Detail

We also have a Meprolight night sight set for $180, this includes install, return shipping, and the sights! This is a good deal, we use these sights on our 2011 railed guns.

If you're just looking to upgrade the front sight to a fiber optic, Dawson Precision offers fiber optic front sights with our dovetail dimensions, making very easy to install yourself.
http://www.dawsonprecision.com/Cate...ock+Island+Armory+Optic+Inserted+Front+Sights
Our standard height on our tactical sights are 0.180"

 

[Fishslayer]

Awesome. Is Armscor customer service the same one as RIA in Nevada? At my age the FO front sight has a lot of appeal. Lighting at the line of the range I go to isn't the best.

 

[g_one]

Yeah, Armscor = RIA. Citadel is another custom fitting shop based out of Nevada that basically buys Armscor 1911's, makes some modifications, and sells them under the name Citadel.

 

[g_one]

So after those crappy camera phone pics of the gun in its factory state, here are some less crappy, but still camera phone, pics of it post-work.
Parts:
Trigger, front sight, arched mainspring housing, and thumb safety by Fusion Firearms.
Parts installed and hard chrome plating by Accurate Plating and Weaponry / Bob Cogan (APWCOGAN)

I have to say that the chrome job is AMAZING. There were some rough/harsh spots on the slide-to-frame contact, and they smoothed them out beautifully. I couldn't be happier with it.

Now if I could just get it to feed JHPs a little better...

 

[FitGunner]

It's a beauty!

 

[Dontkillbill]

That's a nice looking pistol!

 

[g_one]

Thanks guys. And a follow up on the JHP comment, looks like it just needed to be worn in a little. Feeding golden sabres like candy now.

 

[Josh45]

The chrome job looks fantastic.
Like the sight set up as well....Well....Now I have to go see about getting a 1911 in .45 as well....Been eyeing them really hard!

 

[psyopspec]

Looks nice!

 

[Fremmer]

Cool pistol, interesting sights!

 

[Greg528iT]

Very very nice. I was just getting ready to say, feed a lot of round nose and the ramp will smooth and take the JHPs. Are you pondering new grips?

 

[g_one]

Definitely looking into new grips. It also came with some hogue OD green wraparounds, but I've been looking long and hard at some VZ grips - I really like their frag and Aztec models

 

[kim breed]

Mil-tac makes great grips. not too aggressive but provide a non slip grip. have them on 5 of my 1911.

 

[KenW.]

I guess I just need to get accustomed to the flat trigger. Looks funny.

 

[g_one]

It does look a little odd at first, and I decided on it on a whim without ever having fired a flat trigger before. It helps that I've always preferred solid, non-skeletonized triggers on a 1911.

The trigger pull itself is a little strange at first during dry firing, but once I got used to it I can't imagine going back. I don't know how to describe it, it just feels more "right" than a standard trigger.

 

[Greg528iT]

[/IMG]

I get crap for one guy over the flat triggers.. I can't even say they are better.. they are different.. and "I LIKE THEM"

and of course custom grips helps them stand out.

 

[robctwo]

So after it's all said and done how much do you have invested in the gun?

I like what you did. I have a SA Loaded Black Stainless Target I put Ed Brown ignition parts in, a S&W 1911PD Commander crimson trace grips factory stock, an Ed Brown Executive Target and 2 Les Baer PIIs, one .45 and one 9mm. I put fiber optics on the Brown and two Baers and had them IonBonded.

I have an STI Ranger II in the mail to my club, looking to do some mods, maybe even a hard chrome.

 

[g_one]

So after it's all said and done how much do you have invested in the gun?

Came in pretty close to $1,000. $599 for the gun, and around $400 for the parts, installation, and chrome job. Because it's basically a Rock Island I would have had no problem owning and keeping it without any modifications whatsoever, but I got this as a treat to myself and I'm a little nitpicky about certain things (solid triggers, non-ambi safeties, and arched mainspring housings). I'll probably be dropping another $65 on VZ Aztec grips in black cherry this weekend.

I will say that when I first got the gun, the finish was pretty but just a little rough in texture. While disassembling it, most of the metal-to-metal connections (barrel bushing to slide, slide to frame, etc) had a mild raspy sound and feel that was very minor but detectable. Sort of like that feeling you get in your arm when using a fine-grit file on something. Just didn't feel right, but wasn't enough to make me worry about it or have a problem with it. When it came back from APW with its new chrome job, I would have thought it was a completely different gun. Racking the slide and disassembling the gun now feels just like sliding a well lubed cloud along some rails. No harshness or raspiness whatsoever. This is the first chrome gun I have ever owned but only a few days later I already consider it to be more than worth the investment.