Report: Charles Daly/Brexia 1911 .45ACP

[Scoupe]

It’s been years since I owned a 1911 pattern. Over the years I’ve owned Colt, Kimber, Para and Armscor, so I have experience with the platform, it’s just been a while

Got the bug to have at least one 1911 in the safe again, and figured I’d go “budget” GI to get started. Boiled it down to three, Armscor, Springfield, and Charles Daly. Local gun show guy had the Daly at a very attractive price, so I brought it home.

Fit and finish are impressive at the price point. Makes the old RIA finish I had look cheap, although the newer ones I’ve seen are better. I’ve only run about 250-300 rounds through it, it seriously has not hiccuped once. I’ve been running exclusively 230gr hardball through it while breaking it in. Yesterday put my first batch of hand loads through it, and it performed well with the 230gr Berry round nose over 4.3gr of HP-38 and SPP. Pistol groups well, and would probably do better with sights I could actually see. But for now, I’ll keep it stock.

The only operational hitch I ran across is one of my aftermarket (Wilson 920) mags hangs up on insertion. I might have to get the stone out for that. Trigger is fairly smooth with a good wall, small take up, but could be a touch more crisp. I won’t consider working on it for another 500 rounds or so.

This one came with smooth, lighter color, wood grips plates, which I really don’t like the look of. Found these brown plastic one cheap and very happy with the WWII GI look now.

 

[jar]

It’s been years since I owned a 1911 pattern. Over the years I’ve owned Colt, Kimber, Para and Armscor, so I have experience with the platform, it’s just been a while

Got the bug to have at least one 1911 in the safe again, and figured I’d go “budget” GI to get started. Boiled it down to three, Armscor, Springfield, and Charles Daly. Local gun show guy had the Daly at a very attractive price, so I brought it home.

Fit and finish are impressive at the price point. Makes the old RIA finish I had look cheap, although the newer ones I’ve seen are better. I’ve only run about 250-300 rounds through it, it seriously has not hiccuped once. I’ve been running exclusively 230gr hardball through it while breaking it in. Yesterday put my first batch of hand loads through it, and it performed well with the 230gr Berry round nose over 4.3gr of HP-38 and SPP. Pistol groups well, and would probably do better with sights I could actually see. But for now, I’ll keep it stock.

The only operational hitch I ran across is one of my aftermarket (Wilson 920) mags hangs up on insertion. I might have to get the stone out for that. Trigger is fairly smooth with a good wall, small take up, but could be a touch more crisp. I won’t consider working on it for another 500 rounds or so.

This one came with smooth, lighter color, wood grips plates, which I really don’t like the look of. Found these brown plastic one cheap and very happy with the WWII GI look now.


View attachment 1101800

Yup, the 920 mags do not have the little dimpled body and so you need to touch the release for them to load. But the 920 is meant as a range line anyway.

 

[5-SHOTS]

If they are made in Italy by Brixia, then they are very good pistols. They costed about 1000 euros here in Italy but they didn't have the success they deserved because it was a "new" brand and because here in my Country is all about Tanfoglio and Beretta when talking about italian pistols.
I am glad that Brixia has found an agreement with Charles Daly to produce and export 1911 pistols in the USA. In this way they can have much more chance of success than the small Italian market. I remember I handled a two tone .45ACP Brixia with fully adjustable sights at a gun shop far from my city. I was impressed by the fit and finish and the tightness of the thing. At the time I was looking for a 9x21 IMI pistol so I wasn't interested in a .45ACP one. I ended up purchasing a used-like-new Pardini GT9-1 but the 9x21 IMI 1911 Brixia was one of the serious contenders for the budget I had decided to spend. If I remember well, Brixia was the manufacturer of the Valtro 1911s which are considered high end 1911s. The Brixia 1911 specimen I had the opportunity to handle had a quality comparable to that of the Dan Wesson 1911s.

 

[AustinTX]

If I remember well, Brixia was the manufacturer of the Valtro 1911s which are considered high end 1911s. The Brixia 1911 specimen I had the opportunity to handle had a quality comparable to that of the Dan Wesson 1911s.

My understanding is that Brixia purchased the assets of Valtro a decade ago after Valtro failed. They actually resumed production of the Valtro 1998A1 itself a few years ago — distinctive beveled edges, French borders, and all — under a different model designation:

http://www.brixiashotguns.net/files/brixia/brochure-pistol-brixia-1911-en.pdf

The very few reviews I’ve read about them from owners have been positive. Glad to see that your impressions were similar. Charles Daly imports Brixia’s version of the Valtro 1998A1 as the “Empire Grade 1911.” There are a couple of photos of the Charles Daly-branded 1998A1 in this article on their Field Grade model:

https://americanhandgunner.com/handguns/charles-daly-field-g-i-grade-1911/

One thing that was distinctive about the Valtro — designed, of course, in collaboration with legendary 1911 ‘smith John Jardine — was Jardine’s specification of NiCrMo (4340) steel for the frame, slide, and barrel, rather than the standard CrMo (4140) steel used by almost every manufacturer for the production of carbon-steel 1911s. If the linked article is to be believed, Brixia uses 4140 for all of its 1911s, including the reintroduced 1998A1. Understandable, as using NiCrMo would likely not be cost effective in this price range.

 

[5-SHOTS]

My understanding is that Brixia purchased the assets of Valtro a decade ago after Valtro failed. They actually resumed production of the Valtro 1998A1 itself a few years ago — distinctive beveled edges, French borders, and all — a few years ago under a different model designation:

http://www.brixiashotguns.net/files/brixia/brochure-pistol-brixia-1911-en.pdf

The very few reviews I’ve read about them from owners have been positive. Glad to see that your impressions were similar. Charles Daly imports Brixia’s version of the Valtro 1998A1 as the “Empire Grade 1911.” There are a couple of photos of the Charles Daly-branded 1998A1 in this article on their Field Grade model:

https://americanhandgunner.com/handguns/charles-daly-field-g-i-grade-1911/

One thing that was distinctive about the Valtro — designed, of course, in collaboration with legendary 1911 ‘smith John Jardine — was Jardine’s specification of NiCrMo (4340) steel for the frame, slide, and barrel, rather than the standard CrMo (4140) steel used by almost every manufacturer for the production of carbon-steel 1911s. If the linked article is to be believed, Brixia uses 4140 for all of its 1911s, including the reintroduced 1998A1. Understandable, as using NiCrMo would likely not be cost effective in this price range.

Very very interesting informations here.
Thank you.

This was exactly the model I had the opportunity to handle:


Reading the writtens in the slide in the pics published in the second link, it seems that Brixia is now owned by Chiappa.
I have an italian gun magazine with a Chiappa 1911 review. I'll re-read it to see if there are some additional informations.

 

[5-SHOTS]

I've just checked the gun magazine I was talking about and the review was about a Pietta 1911 not a Chiappa 1911. Sorry.