Im a new member and new to 1911

[Grim Peeper]

Hi everyone I have been using the high road for information for a couple years now and have just recently become a member. I have always been a glock guy having my glock 23 as a first handgun I have been very happy. I own many guns including several rifles and other pistols. I recently bought a springfield 1911 A1 GI model and I have yet to shoot it. I bought it tonight and I love the way this pistol feels in my hand and I cant wait to shoot it. My question is I guess that I wonder what others have had to say about it that have owned it for years. Being all I could afford for a 1911 ($600) Im just wondering if I made the correct choice for a first full size pistol. How does the carbon steel work over stainless? Is the barrel as reliable as a stainless as in the souped up version. What mags work best in this pistol? Are there better sights that arent adjustable as I hate adjustable sights? Im interseted in cheap mods that make a difference but dont really wish to change the classic look. Keep in mind I really dont want flashy skeletonized triggers and hammers I just want funtionality including better sights and great funtioning magazine even grips although I love the good old US engraved grip "my favorite part" I would love to see pictures of upgrades and advice for bettering this already cool piece of history. Thanks

 

[grubbylabs]

Congrats on a new gun. I have been coveting a springer 1911 since I first started looking around the forums. I hope to get one in the next year or so. Hope yours works as good for you as most say theirs does.

 

[9mmepiphany]

the best mags without breaking the bank are the CMC PowerMag and the Metalform.

i've been using some Act-Mags that came with a gun a bought, but i know they have issues with their feed lips and i keep a pretty close eye on them.

the thing about 1911 mags is that once they start misfeeding, it's time to throw them out...they are like brake pads

 

[Grim Peeper]

thanks for the replys Im still holding the gun and cant wait to shoot this thing (feels good) like a Nazi killing machine lol. Please someone telll me how this pistol fires it may be a week before I get to know as I work alot this week. Does anyone have a real 1911 military issue from WW2 ? Even though mine is a replica I still want to see old military issue 1911s...... Please dont make me beg!!!

 

[gglass]

You will love your new Springer... I love all of mine.

I have owned Glocks, but gave those up once the M&P line was introduced. The Springfield 1911 Loaded parkerized is my favorite pistol in my entire collection, and is not even close to the most expensive. It outshoots everything else I own. Even though it started as a standard loaded, I just had to do some upgrades... I can never leave well enough alone.

My SA 1911 Loaded parkerized:

My best groupings (14 shots @ 25-yards, weaver stance):

Upgrades:

• Hogue Wraparound Rubber Grips with Finger Grooves
• Ed Brown Perfection Sear
• Ed Brown Perfection Disconnector
• Ed Brown Match Grade Commander-Style Lightweight Hardcore Hammer Blue
• Cylinder & Slide - Reduced Weight Sear Spring
• Wilson Combat Bullet Proof Extractor
• Ed Brown Firing Pin Stop
• Wolff 24lb. Main Spring
• Polished Trigger Bow & Internals
• 3.75lb. Trigger Pull Modification

 

[JTQ]

Congratulations on your purchase. I think you will enjoy your Springfield.

A few recommendations for a guy moving to a 1911 from a Glock.

My first recommendation is to begin your shooting with factory full metal jacket (FMJ) ammunition. This will give you a baseline to know if your pistol is working properly. Once you determine that what you have works (it could be as few as box of ammo), then you can move on to other bullet shapes. This at least lets you know any malfunction you may have is not due to an odd shaped bullet.

Second, your 1911 will like a lot of lubrication compared to your Glock. I love the look and feel of a Parkerized pistol. The finish is designed to soak up lubricant both for lubrication and for rust prevention. You don't have to baby it, but the finish is not as durable as your Glock finish.

Checkmate Industries makes a good magazine, they are one of Colt's main suppliers. You can find them at Checkmate's website and Top Gun Supply. Tripp CobraMag, Willson, and Chip McCormack are also big names in the 1911 magazine business. Cylinder & Slide also offers an "Extreme Duty" magazine that has a very good reputation. There is often some trial and error involved in picking magazines as what works in one gun often doesn't work in another.

There are many options for sights. The sights used on the Springfield Mil-Spec (the next pistol up the line-up from your GI model) are perfectly good. There is some skill (and tools) involved in replacing sights on a 1911 which may require the use of a skilled gunsmith.

I would shoot your pistol for a while before deciding on making changes. You may find it is perfect as is.

Good luck, and good shooting.

 

[Grim Peeper]

I am very reluctant to do much to this pistol. I think your right man I think the best alteration I could do to this pistol will come in time with a little shooting and wear and tear from usage.

 

[cmgred]

Just shoot it for now, you'll figure out upgrades you over time. For mags I'd rather have one Wilson 47d then two of anyting else I've had, but that's my opinion.

 

[tincanhunter]

Congrats on your new purchase! I have a Springer 1911 MIL Spec and am quite happy with the pistol. It's an accurate little devil that will shoot 0.75" groups at 25yds with some of my hand loads. As far as mods go, I will also say leave it alone unless something with the functionality becomes obvious. For me, the short thumb safety had to go and was replaced with a longer tactical type. As far as magazines go, I use the Springfield mags and have tried the Wilson 47d's. I hate to say that the Wilson's won't lock the slide back after the last round has been fired. They're great mags and work fine in my other 1911's, but not the Springer.

 

[Grim Peeper]

Thanks for all the good advice guys. Tin can hunter I was wondering where you got the enlongated thumb safety and is it parkerized like the rest of the pistol finish. Do you have a pic of your gun with the thumb safety. This is a change I may be willing to make to the pistol to improve funtionality.

 

[Va Shooter]

Congrats Grim, I have a S.A. as well and love it for what it is a G.I.

Pros,
Cost
I can play Band of Brothers or Wild Bunch
It eats every type of ammo I put thru it FMJ/HP/WC

Cons,
GI sights (very hard to see indoor range B-27 target)
hammer bite (changed my grip and this has gotten better, at least I don't bleed all over the pistol anymore)
Trigger is terrible, due to LOCK in MSH (DAMN LAWYERS)

It's my 3rd 1911 2 S.A. 1 COLT and love it, it's not perfect so I'll save up for higher end Springfield and enjoy the GI anyway.

 

[Slamfire]

How does the carbon steel work over stainless? Is the barrel as reliable as a stainless as in the souped up version.

It has taken the gun industry a while, but stainless steels used to gall. I have a stainless controlled feed M70 which galls under the lugs. Maybe there was some sort of a surface treatment which was removed when the lugs were trued. Anyway, since then, I have been real careful about lubrication on that rifle and have preferred carbon steel (really alloy steel) rifle actions.

All of my stainless S&W’s have alloy steel internals.

Which is a good thing. What you really need in a lot of applications is wear resistance. The right alloy steels will harden evenly and all the way through. Stainless steels, I have heard that they are not as consistent. (I don't know why) For parts with high contact pressures and that need to last, hardness is more important than rust resistance.

If you look, the mid 80’s M624 has a surface coating to make the parts look like stainless. The much later 45 LC, S&W stopped pretending the parts were stainless.



I don’t know what steels are used in the Springfield Armory pistols. If the alloy steel pistols are made from 4140, that is a great steel and probably a better all around steel than the stainless steels. With the exception of rust.

In terms of barrel accuracy, there is no difference between one material or the other. What matters most is the fitting of the barrel to the slide and receiver.

Don’t worry about it, just shoot the thing.

And one other thing, keep it well lubricated. Bullseye shooters told me the elbow is the drip point. I lubricate the rails, lugs, barrel, anything and everything, with a lot of oil. Maybe too much. I have helped guys who were having malfunctions with bone dry M1911's. When I lube their M1911's with any oil (and I have used motor oil dripping off my dipstick), their M1911's perk up.

 

[tincanhunter]

I got the thumb safety from Midway (http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Bro...&categoryString=649***20766***8806***16006***) and no it is not parkerized since I have a stainless model. Also forgot to mention that I changed out the stock trigger. Keep in mind that the thumb safety is a part that needs to be fitted (really not that hard...you just have to be careful if you decide to do it yourself). Anyways, here's a pic to give you an idea of what the profile looks like.

 

[Grim Peeper]

Nice I think you have the one up model from me with the stainless barrel and skeletonized trigger and night sites and flared ejection port. That one was 2 and a half bills more than mine plus I kind of fell in love with the antiquity of the plain jane service type pistol. Mine is fully parkerized even the trigger. My next 1911 will probally be the tacticool type and probally still mil spec as well. Consensus says I should leave it alone and for the most part i plan to. The sights are rough however and I have great vision to boot and there still tough to aim up in a semi lit room, to me everything else is about perfect maybe a more ergonomic thumb saftey if I can find it in parkerized. I just want to shoot it so bad!!! tuesday will be a fun day I plan to put 100+ rounds downrange through this thing. Thanks for all the replys I should have joined this forum monthes ago.

Grim