gasmandave
Member
Are Charles Daly 1911 made in Italy any good?
Charles Daly 1911
- Thread starter gasmandave
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Riomouse911
Member
Reviews look pretty good. Looks like Chiappa is now associated with the Charles Daly name. Way back in the early 2000’s when I bought a CD 1911 they were made by Armscor in the Philippines.
That gun was reliable with 230 gr hardball, the only issue I had was with the safety lever. It cracked in half with no warning so I had it replaced with one from Brownells.
I do hope the new ones are good, having decent options at a lower price point gets more shooters into the shooting fraternity.
If you pick one up, let us know what you think.
Stay safe.
That gun was reliable with 230 gr hardball, the only issue I had was with the safety lever. It cracked in half with no warning so I had it replaced with one from Brownells.
I do hope the new ones are good, having decent options at a lower price point gets more shooters into the shooting fraternity.
If you pick one up, let us know what you think.
Stay safe.
I purchased one and it is a good, bare bones, military model, which is exactly what I wanted. I have only shot about 200 rounds through mine, some of my aftermarket magazines had first round issues when loaded eight to a magazine. Those problems went away when I loaded seven. Magazines all vary, and it is incumbent on a 1911 owner to make sure that he tests his magazines, and cull out the ones that have problems with his pistol.
I got to pick the "best out of three", and I can say there was not much of a difference between any of them. I want a tight fit between slide and frame when the the slide is in battery. Preferably no movement in any direction. I press on the back of the barrel, and I desire no movement. I put my finger in the muzzle and do not want to feel any movement between barrel and barrel bushing. I do recommend taking an oil bottle and put a drop down the hammer to lubricate the sear. I wanted the best trigger, and if the mechanism has been sitting around, the sear surfaces may be gummy.
I was happy to find my pistol shot to point of aim, so I did not have to drift the sights. I used my ammunition which is a 230 FMJ with 7.8 grains AA#5, which chronographs just around 800 fps in a 1911. Brass was ejected all around, some hitting my chest and going forward. This is an aggravation as I hate picking up brass, but this is not one of my tuned Bullseye Pistol 1911's that knock cases out at 3 O'Clock into my net. This can be more or less cured by fitting an over sized firing pin stop. These inexpensive 1911's have rather loose firing pin stops, and the extractor "clocks" which causes 360 degree ejection patterns. Not that this is a function issue, it is just a personal preference.
I do like the A1 safety, which is wider than the first safety, and I like the wide hammer spur, as that makes it easy to thumb cock. The sights are the sights, I prefer slightly higher, a thicker front sight. I am always amazed at the thinness of late 19th and early 20th pistol and rifle sights.
In low light conditions these sights must have been invisible. On a bright day, against a khaki colored eight foot by eight foot target with a black bull, they were probably pretty good. This is what happens when shooting on paper targets is assumed to represent combat conditions. The sights become delicate, small, and complicated.
And all my old Colts have thin front sights, probably developed to the the width of the standard NRA bull, to allow precise placement at the bottom of a black dot. Army sights of the period were no different.
I did call Charles Daily to ask if the barrel was chromed. It was! I told those knuckleheads that they need to put that in the owners manual, so owners would not use a copper solvent when cleaning the barrel. You leave a copper solvent in a chrome lined barrel and that solvent may dissolve the copper layer under the chrome layer! My barrel cleaned up quickly. My RIA 1911 also has a chrome lined barrel and I have gone through several ammunition cans, several sessions of bullet lapping, because that tube jacket fouled something awful. The RIA is getting better, but the barrel in the Charles Daily is cleaner from the start.
These modern 1911's are made of better materials than any of the original military 1911's. This is what was used in original military 1911's, the slide and frame are cheap, plain carbon steels.
What I read was that the Charles Daily slide is milled 4140 and the receiver is cast 4140. With these materials a 1911 ought to last forever, as long as you keep it lubed. Don't let your 1911 run dry! I always lube the rails, hammer/sears, muzzle/barrel bushing, barrel link, slide stop, locking lugs and the disconnector notch under the slide. A wet 1911 is a happy 1911.
I got to pick the "best out of three", and I can say there was not much of a difference between any of them. I want a tight fit between slide and frame when the the slide is in battery. Preferably no movement in any direction. I press on the back of the barrel, and I desire no movement. I put my finger in the muzzle and do not want to feel any movement between barrel and barrel bushing. I do recommend taking an oil bottle and put a drop down the hammer to lubricate the sear. I wanted the best trigger, and if the mechanism has been sitting around, the sear surfaces may be gummy.
I was happy to find my pistol shot to point of aim, so I did not have to drift the sights. I used my ammunition which is a 230 FMJ with 7.8 grains AA#5, which chronographs just around 800 fps in a 1911. Brass was ejected all around, some hitting my chest and going forward. This is an aggravation as I hate picking up brass, but this is not one of my tuned Bullseye Pistol 1911's that knock cases out at 3 O'Clock into my net. This can be more or less cured by fitting an over sized firing pin stop. These inexpensive 1911's have rather loose firing pin stops, and the extractor "clocks" which causes 360 degree ejection patterns. Not that this is a function issue, it is just a personal preference.
I do like the A1 safety, which is wider than the first safety, and I like the wide hammer spur, as that makes it easy to thumb cock. The sights are the sights, I prefer slightly higher, a thicker front sight. I am always amazed at the thinness of late 19th and early 20th pistol and rifle sights.
In low light conditions these sights must have been invisible. On a bright day, against a khaki colored eight foot by eight foot target with a black bull, they were probably pretty good. This is what happens when shooting on paper targets is assumed to represent combat conditions. The sights become delicate, small, and complicated.
And all my old Colts have thin front sights, probably developed to the the width of the standard NRA bull, to allow precise placement at the bottom of a black dot. Army sights of the period were no different.
I did call Charles Daily to ask if the barrel was chromed. It was! I told those knuckleheads that they need to put that in the owners manual, so owners would not use a copper solvent when cleaning the barrel. You leave a copper solvent in a chrome lined barrel and that solvent may dissolve the copper layer under the chrome layer! My barrel cleaned up quickly. My RIA 1911 also has a chrome lined barrel and I have gone through several ammunition cans, several sessions of bullet lapping, because that tube jacket fouled something awful. The RIA is getting better, but the barrel in the Charles Daily is cleaner from the start.
These modern 1911's are made of better materials than any of the original military 1911's. This is what was used in original military 1911's, the slide and frame are cheap, plain carbon steels.
What I read was that the Charles Daily slide is milled 4140 and the receiver is cast 4140. With these materials a 1911 ought to last forever, as long as you keep it lubed. Don't let your 1911 run dry! I always lube the rails, hammer/sears, muzzle/barrel bushing, barrel link, slide stop, locking lugs and the disconnector notch under the slide. A wet 1911 is a happy 1911.
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gasmandave
Member
I'm still debating if I want one. My LGS has one, a skinny sight Gov't model for $500.
Thanks for the I info.
Thanks for the I info.
That's a deal in Biden's World. It is also a deal when you consider that this is an all steel handgun and not tupperware. The machining is typical of today, fantastic. CNC machining produces these amazingly tight 1911's. I remember the era when Colt had a snake gun called the Rattler. The Rattler was a series 70 or series 80 M1911. You shook it and it rattled!.
Interesting enough to me, the day I purchased my Charles Daly I got to handle a Colt Unknown Soldier Commemorative 1911. Beautiful pistol, high polish, pretty engravings, garish gold plating.
and it rattled. It was not as tight as the Charles Daly I was buying, and cost almost six times more.
Coyote3855
Member
I traded into a Charles Daly basic military new in the box and intended to pass it on. I was impressed with fit, finish, and how it shot so I'm keeping it. I think the list on it was $450 or so. I have Colts, Springfield Armory, STI 2011. I think the CD would be a good buy at $600-700.
Lo-Profile
Member
I bought a CD years ago, when they were owned by KBI, was my first 1911. Stainless version. Paid like $325 for it. Reliable and fairly accurate.
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