I bought a 1911 that works!

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Greg Bell

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I just bought a Springfield 1911 A-1 for $460.00 new. Plain black, black grips, short trigger and standard hammer. The only thing fancy is a stainless barrel and bushing.

I took it out and shot 150 rounds of various ball ammo and it worked without complaint ( I talked the owner into giving me a shooting star magazine with it which worked like a charm).


This is my third 1911 and it is the only one that actually worked. It isn't anywhere near as accurate as my Kimber Custom, but it works. It isn't as cool as my Colt Commander with Novak NS and trigger job, but it works. Yea-ha!

Alright. Now I want to fool with it. I want to put some night sites on it. Is there a good way to do it without getting dovetails cut into the front. I've heard mixed reviews of post night sites.

This is ALL I will do to it. The trigger isn't great but I don't care. I just want a nice 1911 that I can take to the range and not get furious. O.K., maybe a little carry too:D

Oh yeah, it doesn't have any of the ugly $%^$&$* forward cocking serrations.
 
Good deal. When I got my 1911 I intentionally got one with a reputation for problems. Nice predictable problems with clear avenues to correct the issues. I got a Delta Elite which after all my planned upgrades runs like a champ.

Glad to hear you're enjoying the simple life :)
 
Milspecs rock!!!

I just bought a Springfield 1911 A-1 for $460.00 new. Plain black, black grips, short trigger and standard hammer. The only thing fancy is a stainless barrel and bushing.
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I'm looking into my crystal ball and I see your pistol has a serial number begining with the letters NM and no mention of Brazil anywhere on the pistol. Correct?
 
Yep. NM and nothing but Genseo IL written on it. What does this mean? It didn't have any special markings on the box.
 
Supposedly, the NM marked guns have a lot more finishing done in the US rather than in Brazil. Of all the Springfields I've owned (which is probably somewhere just over 10) all of them that had a SN prefix of NM, had no reference to Made in Brazil, FI Brazil or similar.

I personally don't have a big hangup about that either way, as I've had very good luck with Springfield pistols including those with Brazil stamps.

Congrats... hope you enjoy it.
 
Allright, I spoke too soon! I shot 100 rounds of Winchester Winclean and it jammed like crazy. I presume it was the hollowpoint profile of the bullet.
 
Well greg the 1911 is a great gun my GI springer runs great now that it has about 450 or so rounds through it. You have to remember your dealing with an all steel gun and as such it needs time for its parts to "mate" together and that includes the frame and slide which on mine were fitted VERY tight. But there are things one can do to speed up the break in besides shooting like some jb bore paste and gun oil mixed up put it on the slide and frame rails and hand cycle the gun a bit,this smoothed mine our alot. The 1911 in my opinion is the best handgun ever made but thats my opinion and I'am willing to deal with a bit of teething problems if need be as they are very easy to correct if you know how. I also learned alot from 1911tuner he knows everything about these guns and is more than willing to help out memebers here in my experiance.

You also go over to 1911forum.com as there is a wealth of information there. On that note greg I'd give you gun some time put another 400 rounds through it and see how it goes also try upgradeing your recoil spring to a wolff 16# or 18# one I put a 16# one in my GI model and really helped alot,some people say that the factory recoil springs are a bit weak in the milspec guns. I hope this helps you out some don't give up I've owned alot of 1911's and have four right now all run great.
 
Well, I never really planned to put any non-ball through the gun. I did not know when I bought it that the Win Clean 45 had a hollowpoint profile. It was the only 45 that Wallyworld had at the time. So, I am not worried about it. I am still impressed with the Springfield because it can digest ball fine. My last two (a Colt and a Kimber) could not do that.


I'm in it for the long haul!:D
 
I, too, got lucky with my .45 - a Colt M1991A1 Stainless. It worked right out of the box and except for two feed jams (it didn't like that particular brand of ammo, apparently, since it hasn't had any problems with my usual loads) it's been a reliable piece. I haven't changed a single thing. Not one. :)
 
*shrug* I've got a bone-stock Springer GI that I paid $400 OTD for that I've put over 1000 rounds through of various brands and profiles, and it's been %100 problem free. I'm beginning to think that all the guys with problem-prone 1911s are having problems because they can't leave the darn things alone. nearly every thread I read about someone getting a new 1911 contains a mention of what all they're going to do to it, usually before they even fire it. sort of like salting your food before you taste it. :confused: :rolleyes: :confused:
 
Went shooting today with 50 rounds of UMC 230 grain. Worked like a charm. Meanwhile, my brother in law's Glock 27 is a jammomatic.
 
Keep it the way Moses intended it, use good ammo and mags, and it will work.

I've got around a thousand rounds of Wolf ball through my AO without a problem not caused by bad mags.

My 1980s Commander has eaten everything I've put into its mags.
 
I bought a 1911 that works!
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That's unbelievable!! Send it back to the factory for unreliability modifications, not to mention the stovepipe mod!

Seriously though, enjoy that one, and keep feeding her with 230 grainers.
 
I'm beginning to think that all the guys with problem-prone 1911s are having problems because they can't leave the darn things alone. nearly every thread I read about someone getting a new 1911 contains a mention of what all they're going to do to it, usually before they even fire it. sort of like salting your food before you taste it.
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I think you said what a whole lot of us think and have not mentioned it. ;)
 
I was just cleaning the springer and there is a crack in the grip. That is fine because I wanted some wood grips. If I get the McCormick grips (slimline) can I get the grip bushings out of the Spinger? How?
 
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