Non-1911 Full size SAO

[Flechette]

Hi guys,

How many full size (9mm/.45, etc) single action only guns are in the market that are not 1911 clones?

I know that there is a version of a Sig P226 that is SAO.

There are economy guns like Hi Point.

But other than that it seems that if you prefer SAO you got to choose a 1911 clone.

Am I missing any particular gun choices?

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

CZ-75 SAO is a sweet sweet gun.

And of course Hi-Powers

 

[bainter1212]

CZ-75 SAO is a sweet sweet gun.

And of course Hi-Powers

Yup. I have both of these.

I compete with a SAO CZ 75. Come out of the box with a nice huge safety lever and a nice trigger.

 

[gotboostvr]

I've got a CZ75B SA on the way.
Any of the CZ guns with a safety can be converted to SAO
I might convert a 97B potentially in the future

 

[Flechette]

CZ-75 SAO is a sweet sweet gun.

And of course Hi-Powers

Why aren't there any polymer frame Hi Powers, or a modernized version? Look at how Glocks have slowly evolved.

 

[JTQ]

The Hi-Power slowly evolved. It started with an internal extractor and now has an external one. It started with a little single side thumb safety and now has a larger ambidextrous safety. It started with little nub sights and now has large three dot sights. It started with a forged frame and now it is cast.

Why isn't there a poly Hi-Power? Because there is the FNS, FNX, FNP, etc.

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

The EAA Witness Elite Match & Hunter, and maybe another 1 or 2 of their models are SA, non-1911 pistols as well.

Sam

 

[GoldieMI]

P220 is also available as SAO
45 ACP

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Sig X5 and X6 can be had as SAO guns.

 

[bannockburn]

Some oldies but goodies in full size, non-1911, SAO 9mm. pistols: the MAB PA-15, the Astra Model 600, and the Beretta Model 951 (also the Egyptian Helwan copy).

 

[Girodin]

Trigger variant 9 and 10 HKs are perhaps not true single action only but they are made to be used cocked and locked and in terms of operation are basically like a SAO gun.

 

[Tallball]

You can get Tokerovs on 9mm. Mine is a good shooter.

 

[browningguy]

EAA Witness Elite Match.

 

[Flechette]

Are guns that start out as double-action then are converted to single action as crisp as a gun designed to be a single action only from the ground up?

It has been my experience (which is admittedly not much) that such guns (ex: P226) have much more take up than a 1911 or Hi-Power that are designed from the start to be single action.

For me, a crisp single action is so much more accurate operationally than a long double action. To see this effect use an *unloaded* gun with a laser and pull the trigger using both actions. For me, the laser during double action is all over the place prior to firing whereas the single action it hardly moves at all.

What I envision would be a Hi-Power-esq (especially the grip ergonomics) with a polymer frame and single action only trigger with little take up (get rid of the mag safety).

No need for locking ribs; just have the barrel lock into the ejection port like most modern guns.

Perhaps an easier take down lever and voila' I think it would sell like hotcakes!

 

[Flechette]

The Hi-Power slowly evolved. It started with an internal extractor and now has an external one. It started with a little single side thumb safety and now has a larger ambidextrous safety. It started with little nub sights and now has large three dot sights. It started with a forged frame and now it is cast.

Why isn't there a poly Hi-Power? Because there is the FNS, FNX, FNP, etc.

All of these guns seem to be double actions. Am I missing something?

 

[JTQ]

All of these guns seem to be double actions. Am I missing something?

Because very few people want a single action gun anymore. FN saw no need to make a poly Hi-Power since they sell more FNP, FNX, and FNS guns than Hi-Powers. FN's updated duty pistol is the poly guns.

 

[C0untZer0]

There are companies out there that will make 1911 clones for $299.99 but they don't copy the Browning Hi-Power. I assume there isn't a big enough market for them.

 

[JTQ]

Hey, I'm just glad FN still makes the Hi-Power, of any kind. I'm not going to complain they don't produce a poly version. I suspect they're just one small bad turn in the economy from completely stopping production.

On the good side, I believe Nighthawk Custom and Chuck Warner at Elite Warrior Armament are both offering Hi-Powers, though I suspect they are pretty pricey.

Nighthawk Custom http://www.nighthawkcustom.com/pistols/browning-hi-power#slide-2

Elite Warrior Armament http://www.elitewarriorarmament.com

 

[C0untZer0]

Super pricey.

I've never paid attention to people weighing in on the quality of those 300-buck 1911s

Maybe a $300 BHP clone made out of steel would be a loosey-goosey, rattling, inaccurate piece of junk.

But if the Turks can make a $245.00 polymer CZ clone, they can make a $245~ish BHP clone.

 

[Thompsoncustom]

Are guns that start out as double-action then are converted to single action as crisp as a gun designed to be a single action only from the ground up

All depends on the guns and how much work you do in the conversion. The best example I have is I had a Dan Wesson 1911 which was a great gun but I converted an 1987 CZ 75 Pre b to SAO with all the works. In the end my $450 dollars gun had a crisp 2lb trigger that was better than my $1400 1911.

 

[Morgo]

Plenty out there

Sigs
Beretta's
BHP
CZ's
Tanfoglio's
Pardini

 

[berettaprofessor]

Specifically, Beretta made a limited run of single action pistols modeled after the 92 and 96 series; called the Steel I in either 9 mm or 40 S&W respectively. Great solid steel guns; but pricey these days. Beware buying one; some are SAO, some are SA/DA.

From Wiki: "Steel I (2004) Nickel-plated carbon steel, single-action-only, collector's model. [Edit: Both single-action-only and single/double-action variants exist. Also used and desirable for competitive shooting because of its steel frame (for added weight and strength), the frame-mounted safety and/or Vertec-style grip-frame that are all found to be desirable features in a competition gun.]

 

[johnnydollar]

Why aren't there any polymer frame Hi Powers, or a modernized version? Look at how Glocks have slowly evolved.

If you look carefully, you can find aluminum-framed police surplus Hi Powers for around $500. The lightweight HP weighs the same, loaded, as the steel Hi Power weighs, unloaded. I doubt a poly-framed HP would be any lighter than the lightweight HP.

 

[JTQ]

There is this Poly Hi-Power frame http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Polymer Frame.htm

 

[MistWolf]

One of the best, if not the best, non-1911 SAO pistols on the market is the Walther PPQ