Philippine 1911's- real deal

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Fat Boy

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Considering a Metro Arms 1911 Amigo (I think that is the model - compact 1911) I have read quite a bit about Metro, handled but not shot one, and like what I have found. I have also read negative things. I am looking for thoughts on this maker; quality of guns, reliability, life expectancy, etc
Also, if there is a guide to the various companies that actually make guns in the Philippines and for what sellers
Thank you
 
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Filipino manufactured 1911s:

Armscor:
Rock Island Armory
High Standard
Citadel
STI Spartan
Armscor

Shooters Arms Manufacturing:
SAM (Century International Arms)
Iver Johnson
IAI M5000

Metro Arms
Firestorm
American Classic
 
I only know about Armscors. My buddy has two 1911 Tacticals. They easily beat out my Springfield Milspec in quality, for a cheaper price. And the customer service is top notch.
 
My first 1911 was a metro arms American classic. Good first 1911 shot to point of aim and apart from some ftf with first couple of magazines never had issues with feeding 230 rn which is the only round I shoot. The ftf with first couple magazine was me not pushing themagazine in hard enough. Rear sight loosened up after several months but was easily tightened again with the set screw and loctite. Traded it in after 2 years and several thousand rounds for $168 less than when I bought it brand new.
 
You get what you pay for.

Never owned one but i have seen a couple break. They are a little rough around the edges and their small parts quality is questionable but if it is only going to see a couple range trips a year then it wouldn't be a bad 1911 to own.

If it was going to be a gun that I carried to defend my life then I would look at something with a better track record.
 
And I've got an Armscor (discontinued Charles Daly) that has seen well in excess of 10,000 rounds with a better track record than some pistols costing twice as much.

Buy a pistol based on individual fit and finish, not internet opinions. Every company is capable of producing a lemon, which is why I don't mail order guns.
 
I have an American Classic Hard chrome Commander 1911. Aside from some initial problems with the ejected cases smacking me in the forehead (alleviated this by tuning the extractor) it is a reliable and accurate pistol. The price was excellent at $550.00 so no complaints from me.:D
 
1911 guy said:
And I've got an Armscor (discontinued Charles Daly) that has seen well in excess of 10,000 rounds with a better track record than some pistols costing twice as much.

Buy a pistol based on individual fit and finish, not internet opinions. Every company is capable of producing a lemon, which is why I don't mail order guns.
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So you got a good one, not all of them are that way and there are far too many that slip through the cracks. Not an opinion. My comments are fact as I spend a tremendous amount of time at the range shooting and being a Range Officer watching people shoot. I have also built three 1911s.

A few experiences-

A guy I shoot with quite a bit had a Charles Daley he picked up for single stack USPSA. Paid $350 for it and thought it was a great deal. It ran fine for a while and then the barrel started show extreme wear at the barrel bushing so he replaced it. Then the mag catch broke and the sear started to get crunchy so he put a new hammer and sear in it. After putting a good quality hammer and sear in it, he couldn't believe how much better the trigger was.

He bailed on it and got a used STI Spartan in 9mm. It had a bunch of upgrades, including hammer, sear, beavertail, and thumb safety when he got it but it wouldn't feed hollowpoints so he ended up having a new barrel fitted that would.

This guy got a good Metro Arms

This guy did not I wonder how much time and money he wasted by taking it to the gunsmith?

Girodin said:
Such as?
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I carried a 1999 Kimber for many years. Still have it and it shoots and runs fine but it is a 5" gun and that is back when Kimber had better QC. Today I think they are overpriced for what you get.

From 2008-2012 I carried a Les Baer Concept VIII which has a 4.25" slide. It ran good but I had to maintain it a little more with new recoil springs every 2K rounds and good quality magazines. This gun was the same age as the Kimber but the parts quality and barrel were much nicer.

I stopped carrying a 1911 in 2012 and have an HK P30 in 9mm. Completely different gun but I have 16K rounds on it and have never had to replace a thing on it or the magazines. The first service interval for springs is recommended at 25K rounds. You won't find a compact 1911 that will run that long without a dozen spring changes.

I am not anti 1911 as my wife still carries one, a custom 9mm with a 4.25" slide and an Officer size frame. It is a sweetheart. I also still own several 1911's but only use them for serious target practice. They are too different from the P30 to go back and forth carrying them.

If I were to pick an off the shelf 1911 today, the lowest price point would be a Springfield TRP, Dan Wesson Valor, or Les Baer Thunder Ranch. My recent handling of a Colt Combat Elite at the gunshop looks like they are really improving their quality. You will never convince me that your your Philippine made 1911 is as good as any of those. Sure they cost more but pinch a few pennies from your budget or sell something that sits in the corner collecting dust and you can save up for one in no time. Shop the used market and you will be able to get it sooner.
 
^^ Funny, I've seen way more Kimber complaints on the 'net (including here on THR) than I have RIA complaints, almost to the point I'm all but convinced Kimber can't put out a gun that can be trusted to be ready for duty.

But, I do personally know a satisfied Kimber owner. I'd never use that, though, to argue that they make a stellar product. One or two personal anecdotes of satisfaction doesn't make a gun company "good" any more than one or two personally-witnessed failures makes one "bad."

That's why I still don't believe Kimbers are crap yet.
 
I have a Kimber, Springfield, and 3 Rock Islands in the safe.

The Kimber is the only one that I regret buying. It's reliable, but I made the mistake of calling Kimber. Their warranty, and your value as a customer, ends at 1 year.

If you call Armscor, they treat you like family would and will take care of any issues. Forever.

My Rocks are as reliable as my Kimber, the only thing I got for the extra $750 was a fancy rollmark and a firing pin safety.
 
"I've seen way more Kimber complaints on the 'net"

Here's the reason...

According the annual ATF manufacturers' reports, Kimber makes more 1911-style pistols than ALL of the other makers combined.
 
My thoughts.

I've owned RIA in the past. Also owned most of the mid grade guns from Colt, Kimber, Dan Wesson, and Springfield Armory. In that price range the S&W 1911's are the ones that have performed the best for me, followed by Kimber. Although none were bad.

I had no probems with my RIA. My brother had one and finally gave up on it.

If you are looking at the sub $600 price range it is a lot harder to build a 1911 that works right, and do it consistently. MOST of the budget guns turn out right and you will see lots of positive comments from people who own them. But you'll also see a higher percentage of problems compared to the more expensive guns.

Consider this analogy. Bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, down by 1 with the tying run on 3rd, winning run on 2nd. You need a pinch hitter and have 2 choices. One guy with a .275 average, another hitting .300. Statistically both will fail at least 70% of the time, but most managers are going to play the odds and use the guy with a .300 average.

Same with guns. With the budget guns 90-95% of them will work just fine and as well as guns costing much more. For a range gun I like those odds. But if it is something my life may depend on I'd buy a better gun with a 99% or better batting average. And if all I had were $500-$600 in my budget and had to have something dependable, it wouldn't be a 1911.

You can't conclude much either way from the amount of negative or positive comments you see on the internet. All it takes is 1-2 people repeating their stories over and over again on several forums and before long it seems as if both the praise or damnation is a lot better/worse than it really is.
 
MedWheeler said:
^^ Funny, I've seen way more Kimber complaints on the 'net (including here on THR) than I have RIA complaints, almost to the point I'm all but convinced Kimber can't put out a gun that can be trusted to be ready for duty.

But, I do personally know a satisfied Kimber owner. I'd never use that, though, to argue that they make a stellar product. One or two personal anecdotes of satisfaction doesn't make a gun company "good" any more than one or two personally-witnessed failures makes one "bad."

That's why I still don't believe Kimbers are crap yet.
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This.
I'm told that RIA/Armscor pistols that serve me better than my PITA Ruger SR 1911 aren't trustworthy, by a Kimber owner?

I would love a nickel for every Kimber complaint.
 
I have a Citadel .45 and a Rock Island 22TCM/9mm on a 1911 frame, and I would trust either one with my life. I carry the Citadel frequently. Have not had to do anything to either one other than change a recoil spring (normal) and paint the sight post (eyes getting old). Buy in person, really look at the gun before you buy, and don't be afraid to look at several. They are not polished smooth in every corner like a Kimber, but they don't need to be in order to work reliably. You should also consider the Turkish made 1911s (Umarex) - they make a quality gun also, for reasonable prices.
 
I'd love a nickel for every person who thinks there are a lot of complaints about Kimbers, considering they made over 103,000 pistols in 2011.

Springfield, for instance, only made 32,444 that year.
 
You get what you pay for!

A condescending statement normally used by those who have little idea how to save money while looking at value as an option.

I own a Kimber S/S custom, a Springfield S/S GI, and a Llama Max I, all have had thousands of rounds thru them, the Llama shoots right along side with the Kimber. None of them has given me any trouble.
 
JohnBT said:
I'd love a nickel for every person who thinks there are a lot of complaints about Kimbers, considering they made over 103,000 pistols in 2011.

Springfield, for instance, only made 32,444 that year.
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Look at the amount of Kimber models in total vs. Springfields entire line. Save your nickel.

Ps...If I remember correctly, and I wouldn't quote me as I've not got the data in front of me, these days Armscor outsells them both.
 
I have a S.A.M. 1911 made in the Philippines, 4 in.bbl shoots poa and is free of any problems. It will shoot anything from 230 gr fmj all hollow points and 200 gr. swc.This gun is surprisingly accurate especially with the swc target load I shoot in my Kimber Custom II Target and Ultra Carry. This gun is well worth the price.
 
My wife and I both own Metro Arms 1911s (both are "American Classic II" models)

Have had them for 4 (mine) and 3 years respectively, and after that time and an average of about 250-300rds a month each, we still love them.

there have been a few issues, but all were of what I think of as No big deal for a 1911.
  • Mine was shipped with the wrong length recoil spring, resulting in a short period of feeding issues before i dropped a Wolff spring in.
  • Neither will feed the Hornady "Steel match" load with their TAP bullet. no other bullet related feed issues so far
  • Oh and the factory slide stop is/was an ugly, over sized thing that was quickly swapped for a Wilson combat stop in very short order

Also I tell my wife she's lucky I'm an honest man, because I was sorely tempted to switch pistols without telling her..
Hers is the most accurate 1911 I've ever seen for under $2K. In fact I've been using HER gun to shoot the local USPSA matches while I save to have a new barrel fitted to mine (mine is "combat accurate", hers is "Target accurate")

I would not hesitate to buy another Metro pistol. If their Trophy model came in a Blued finish instead of just hard chrome, it'd be my next firearms purchase.
 
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