And also the beveled and lowered ejection port. All the makers offering "GI" 1911's can't seem to leave well enough alone. They all let various "improvements" sneak into the product. Taurus, in Brazil, is probably the worst offender. None of their products comes within a country mile of resembling a WW2 gun. But I guess the "improvements" are what sell, and what differentiate them from the others.
I know there is a Cult of the Mil Spec. Cultists earnestly believe Mil Spec is next to godliness. The fact of the matter is, military items are made of the cheapest materials that will just do the job. Useless cost drivers are removed. For the 1911's, the original 1911's had to go bang 6000 times without breaking. When a 1911 was worn out, it was sent to depot where any part, up to the whole pistol, could be discarded on the rebuild lines.
These are the materials used during WW2, I assume most were in the WW1 pistols.
One internet site, the members claim lawn mower blade steel runs the gambit from 1084 to 5160 steel, both higher grade than what GI slides were made out of.
Given such low grade materials, the guys on 1911forums state vintage 1911 slides will last around 10,000 to 12,000 rounds, maybe more, before they crack.
Given such low grade materials, having extra steel shrouding the ejection port made sense for durablity reasons. However, civilians who pick up their cases did not like the dents, and I am sure that reducing ejection port height improved ejection reliability. I have had cases in other firearms rebound off the shroud around the ejection port, stovepipe, or otherwise cause jams. I much prefer the open top design of the P1 in this respect.
Nothing for the ejected round to whang into, nor are there any obstructions blocking my fingers from removing jammed cases.
As for modern mil spec, just how shrouded are the ejection ports in the modern 1911's the Marines are using.?
There is a little deviation from "Mil Spec" that I consider desirable. Better sights, beveled magazine well, lower port, these are good and I consider improvements over the original 1911's. And modern steels, though, even with modern steels, 1911 slides still crack.
The cocked and locked modifications, such a extended safeties, wrap around beavertails, are not improvements, except for playing quick draw games. In fact, they make the pistol more prone to accidental discharges. I did find an internet report where a man carrying a cocked and locked 1911 was killed when his 1911 discharged in his fanny pack. The extended safety is easily bumped off, and then the leather of the pack pushed on the grip safety, and something bumped the trigger off.
I consider the 1911 safer with a round in the chamber and hammer down. These wrap around beavertails make it positively dangerous to attempt to lower the hammer, ditto with the extended rear sight that blocks finger access to the hammer. If you are going to carry cocked and locked, it is better to have a wrap around grip safety as a blow to the hammer will break the sear, or shear off the sear surfaces on the hammer. Without a hammer blocking safety, which this pistol does not have, a series 70 1911 will fire off the round when the hammer hits the firing pin. And then, those extended safeties are always being bumped off. The thumb safety is only there so the Cavalry Trooper could make the pistol safe with one hand. And once the bouncey, bouncey horse was under control, then the trooper could drop the magazine, eject the round, or using two hands, lower the hammer down. Then place the pistol in the flap holster.
The flap holster is not suitable for quick draw games.
Even Officers who had custom holsters made, carried hammer down. This three star was a WW1 veteran. In WW2, he is carrying his 1911 hammer down. I can't tell what's in the chamber.
Why would the WW2 generation build holsters like this, if they had been taught in the service to carry cocked and locked?
The strap is not long enough to fit over or between the hammer and frame.
