silversport
Member
My new Colt Governement XSE
...well, I picked it up today...met up with my brother checked it over and went to the range...I'll try to give my thoughts and observations to this Colt Government XSE...I don't know its age...my brother got it from the original owner who put about three magazines through it and proclaimed "I need a 9MM."...my brother picked it up to reignite the spark of his first pistol, a nickle plated Colt Government 1911A1 in .45ACP...didn't take after about 200 rounds from him so I said..."I'll take it."
Got to my brother's house and it was apart for inspection and cleaning...I have been with my brother the two other times he shot this particular pistol and would be going on its 4th mission provided I liked it...I liked it so it's mine...
Everything on it looks as though it is a nearly brand new pistol...it hasn't been messed with and other than some minor handling marks it looks great...the rear sight is a real Novak's without white dots...the front sight is anybodies guess and is a white dot dovetailed into the slide...there are many sharp edges to this pistol and care must be taken so as not to draw blood...the Duck Bill grip safety has some sharp edges as well and where the web of my hand between my thumb and trigger finger (I'm a Southpaw) causing some irritation...the underside of the trigger guard is relieved which seems odd to me given the Duck Bill...the magazine well is sharp too so care is advised when loading magazines into the XSE...the Blue flats of the slide and marking look great and the frame is pretty much the same except for the non polished areas...they seem to be a bit weak in the finish department but only because I can see the handling marks...perhaps a previous owner had more acidic sweat than I do...the grip safety as well as the ambi thumb safety also look like they are sprayed black/gray over stainless...just an observation, not a complaint...
I wanted to give this a fair assessment of this pistol as it comes from the factory but also wanted to try some of my tried and true magazines...the pistol comes with two Colt marked 8 round split follower magazines and this pistol had an additional Wilson 47D 8 round magazine...in addition, I had brought along 2 checkmate/Tripp CobraMag hybrids and 2 MetalForm round top follower 7 round mags that I use in my other 1911 type pistols without drama...I also brought a box of Speer Gold Dot 230GR hollow points and 2 boxes of Remington 230GR full metal jacket rounds to run through it...
My brother had already battened down the loose rear Novak sight as it had worked loose after the first outing with this pistol...at 21 feet I was placing shots a little low but this is more a result of my being not familiar with these sights and while shooting, I noticed that the front sight had worked loose in the dovetail...I was by the end of the session able to put rounds pretty much where I wanted to and in a decent pattern...
I also came to my conclusion that while nice to look at, these rosewood double diamonds are not very aggressive in checkering and will need to be switched out for my purposes...an odd (for me) feeling when shooting this pistol was that it seemed I could feel the slide moving back and forth while shooting: That slide velocity was perhaps slower than I have in my other 1911s...also that the trigger was heavier than I'm used to (mine are right around 4-4 1/2 in my other 1911s) but it can still get the job done if I hold up my end of the bargain...
after round 100 of the dirty Remington green box FMJs I had a failure to hold the slide back with one of my MetalForms...when I tried another MetalForm, it worked fine but then putting the first back in the slide again failed to stay open...I did not notice this happen again or with any other magazine...
As for those magazines...neither of the two Colt's nor the Wilson 8 rounder were easy to load into the pistol with a round in the chamber...the XSE did it, it just didn't like it too much...no such drama with either of the MetalForms or the CobraMags (7 rounders)...
All told, I shot about 175 rounds through it today and along with at least the 200 my brother shot when he owned it...no failures but the one failure with one MetalForm 7 round magazine...perhaps the Colt didn't like MetalForms (but then it should have hiccuped all the time on them) or perhaps it was just dirty (pistol and/or the magazine)...
Everything worked on it from Colt...I'm very happy with it's showing and here it is after being cleaned up...
Niggles: there are ALWAYS some things the individual wants that the factory can't or won't give...I usually send my 1911s to Teddy Jacobson for the reliability package and whatever he feels it needs...and that is what I compare this XSE stock to:
I would like the sharp corners broken...don't need a melt, just not the Guillotine
I would like the sights to stay put...just a little thing but it means so much
The jury is still out on the Duck Bill...doesn't bother me much but for the sharp edges...
I would like to know if the springs need either better quality or power...that includes plunger spring as well as the mag, slide stop and recoil springs...
I would like the trigger to be the same as it is now but with less weight to it ...4-4 1/2 lbs would be great thank you...
I will be changing the stocks to either a rosewood all checkered grips (aggressive) or a pair of something G-10 (Simonich Gunners, Davidson's Horned Lizards or...the choices are endless)
I think I'll stick with 7 round magazines and probably CobraMags or MetalForms as long as the slide stop failure doesn't repeat itself in practice...
Itza Colt and this one is mine!
Bill
...well, I picked it up today...met up with my brother checked it over and went to the range...I'll try to give my thoughts and observations to this Colt Government XSE...I don't know its age...my brother got it from the original owner who put about three magazines through it and proclaimed "I need a 9MM."...my brother picked it up to reignite the spark of his first pistol, a nickle plated Colt Government 1911A1 in .45ACP...didn't take after about 200 rounds from him so I said..."I'll take it."
Got to my brother's house and it was apart for inspection and cleaning...I have been with my brother the two other times he shot this particular pistol and would be going on its 4th mission provided I liked it...I liked it so it's mine...
Everything on it looks as though it is a nearly brand new pistol...it hasn't been messed with and other than some minor handling marks it looks great...the rear sight is a real Novak's without white dots...the front sight is anybodies guess and is a white dot dovetailed into the slide...there are many sharp edges to this pistol and care must be taken so as not to draw blood...the Duck Bill grip safety has some sharp edges as well and where the web of my hand between my thumb and trigger finger (I'm a Southpaw) causing some irritation...the underside of the trigger guard is relieved which seems odd to me given the Duck Bill...the magazine well is sharp too so care is advised when loading magazines into the XSE...the Blue flats of the slide and marking look great and the frame is pretty much the same except for the non polished areas...they seem to be a bit weak in the finish department but only because I can see the handling marks...perhaps a previous owner had more acidic sweat than I do...the grip safety as well as the ambi thumb safety also look like they are sprayed black/gray over stainless...just an observation, not a complaint...
I wanted to give this a fair assessment of this pistol as it comes from the factory but also wanted to try some of my tried and true magazines...the pistol comes with two Colt marked 8 round split follower magazines and this pistol had an additional Wilson 47D 8 round magazine...in addition, I had brought along 2 checkmate/Tripp CobraMag hybrids and 2 MetalForm round top follower 7 round mags that I use in my other 1911 type pistols without drama...I also brought a box of Speer Gold Dot 230GR hollow points and 2 boxes of Remington 230GR full metal jacket rounds to run through it...
My brother had already battened down the loose rear Novak sight as it had worked loose after the first outing with this pistol...at 21 feet I was placing shots a little low but this is more a result of my being not familiar with these sights and while shooting, I noticed that the front sight had worked loose in the dovetail...I was by the end of the session able to put rounds pretty much where I wanted to and in a decent pattern...
I also came to my conclusion that while nice to look at, these rosewood double diamonds are not very aggressive in checkering and will need to be switched out for my purposes...an odd (for me) feeling when shooting this pistol was that it seemed I could feel the slide moving back and forth while shooting: That slide velocity was perhaps slower than I have in my other 1911s...also that the trigger was heavier than I'm used to (mine are right around 4-4 1/2 in my other 1911s) but it can still get the job done if I hold up my end of the bargain...
after round 100 of the dirty Remington green box FMJs I had a failure to hold the slide back with one of my MetalForms...when I tried another MetalForm, it worked fine but then putting the first back in the slide again failed to stay open...I did not notice this happen again or with any other magazine...
As for those magazines...neither of the two Colt's nor the Wilson 8 rounder were easy to load into the pistol with a round in the chamber...the XSE did it, it just didn't like it too much...no such drama with either of the MetalForms or the CobraMags (7 rounders)...
All told, I shot about 175 rounds through it today and along with at least the 200 my brother shot when he owned it...no failures but the one failure with one MetalForm 7 round magazine...perhaps the Colt didn't like MetalForms (but then it should have hiccuped all the time on them) or perhaps it was just dirty (pistol and/or the magazine)...
Everything worked on it from Colt...I'm very happy with it's showing and here it is after being cleaned up...
Niggles: there are ALWAYS some things the individual wants that the factory can't or won't give...I usually send my 1911s to Teddy Jacobson for the reliability package and whatever he feels it needs...and that is what I compare this XSE stock to:
I would like the sharp corners broken...don't need a melt, just not the Guillotine
I would like the sights to stay put...just a little thing but it means so much
The jury is still out on the Duck Bill...doesn't bother me much but for the sharp edges...
I would like to know if the springs need either better quality or power...that includes plunger spring as well as the mag, slide stop and recoil springs...
I would like the trigger to be the same as it is now but with less weight to it ...4-4 1/2 lbs would be great thank you...
I will be changing the stocks to either a rosewood all checkered grips (aggressive) or a pair of something G-10 (Simonich Gunners, Davidson's Horned Lizards or...the choices are endless)
I think I'll stick with 7 round magazines and probably CobraMags or MetalForms as long as the slide stop failure doesn't repeat itself in practice...
Itza Colt and this one is mine!
Bill
