Regent 1911, what do you think of them?

[Nakanokalronin]

Saw a GI Regent 1911 in my local shop recently for a great price. It felt very solid all the way around and everything was positive on it. Only odd thing was the plunger tube was a weird maroon looking color that did not match the frame or slide but more so matched the grips. The tiny GI style sights would have to go as well.

Its made in Turkey and has no import marks on it. Seems like a great gun to start a project on. Anyone have one and what do you think of them?

 

[cyclopsshooter]

they are norincos getting around a ban by being made in turkey

 

[Nakanokalronin]

Thats what I keep reading but the majority also says thats not true. IF it is a Norinco I have also heard they are very high in quality and people are making great shooters out of them as they are low cost but not low quality. The frame is cast but the slide is forged.

 

[Oro]

Yes, there isn't any known link between Norinco and the makers of the Regent .45acp. Some people have said "It's like a Turkish Norinco" and then that statement appears to have spun into the myth.

The gun is made by Trabzon Gun Industries Corp. in Ankara (TISAS in local terms). It was started in the mid 1990s with government support to grow the arms industry in Turkey.

The discoloration on the plunger tube is probably an effect called "plumming" - as in turning plum colored. It is a side-effect of improper bluing technique - wrong temperature/duration or contaminants in the bath. It is not at all uncommon on even really well made guns after decades (Colts, S&W, for example). On a recently made gun it probably implies a contaminant in the blue bath for that part. Parts are often subcontracted or done in batches and it's rare that a mass-produced gun is blued all at once and perfectly uniform.

 

[Nakanokalronin]

Maybe improper bluing but it sure does stick out! I saw one other picture of a owners Regent that had the same thing. I'll post a picture in a new thread when I have it in hand.

 

[Oro]

I saw one other picture of a owners Regent that had the same thing.

I would wager then that either they have a unique subcontractor making the plunger tubes, or supplying them with a very different grade of steel that doesn't blue well. Things should be pretty uniform if in the same bath and of the same or similar material.

This certainly isn't a deal-breaker on a value-line pistol, just an explanation.

 

[wickedsprint]

To stay on topic, I've handled one of the regent 1911s and they seem decently built..but a bit pricey given that there are much better alternatives for not much more money.

 

[Nakanokalronin]

Well this one is $485 before tax. My SA Mil-Spec before tax 5 years ago was $615 from the same shop this one is at. I replaced all the parts to my specs which I will do with to this one and eliminate all MIM internals like many big name manufactures put in their pistols as well. I don't know if Regent uses MIM but maybe thats why their MSRP is high for a standard GI...

This is my SA Milspec I upgraded myself.

Either way the Regent seemed pretty solid and a great base pistol for me to do my own work on and get exactly the feel and look that I want. No need for a warranty for a 1911 IMO, if something breaks, replace it with a better made part. Why would you want to send it in to have a similar bad part put back in with all the 1911 support out there? That's me though. I'm more curious from owners about reliability and accuracy than anything but I guess the pistol is to new for any owner based comments yet.

 

[wickedsprint]

You should to be comparing it to the SA GI model..which buds has for $518...so for about the price of a tank of gas..you get a forged frame and slide from a reputable company.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_24/products_id/32588

 

[StephenT]

So, who actually owns one of these Regent 1911s? How reliably does it shoot?

 

[Nakanokalronin]

I'll look into it but I've already put money down on the Regent. After shipping and transfer fees through my local FFL the price would be about $590 which is over $100 more than the Regent that I inspected first hand. All those parts on the SA would be changed out also and the one thing I never liked about the SA 1911s is the fact they use a Titanium firing pin made for a 9mm/38 super and I have plenty of normal .45 firing pins laying around.

 

[MAKster]

You can buy them on Gunbroker for between $395-$435. I think the whole Norinco rumor got started because the Regent is imported by IAC which also imports Chinese shotguns.