possum
Member
Purpose:
Though I have a good amount of experience with 1911’s of various sorts; this is only the 2nd 1911 that I have ever owned. I had an MC Operator which was a dream gun of mine for as long as I can remember. I bought it, shot it, had some issues, and sold it. I kind of wish I still had it…. But you know how that goes. Anyway, I wanted a “fun” gun, I wanted a “range toy” per say, as all my other guns are used for defensive training and carried regularly and used a lot. Though they are used a lot they are always used to train, to practice for a fight. Recently with being so fight focused shooting has lost a little of the old “fun’ in it. I was going to the range with a plan, sweating and working my butt off, and though I was shooting bullets and doing good training I knew there had to be some give somewhere. Otherwise I was afraid that my training would become more and more of a “chore” and therefore I would be less likely to want to do it. So I have this gun to break up the full tilt boogey training schedule.
This gun will not be carried, and will not be used for home defense. It will not be used in any defensive capacity whatsoever. I like the 1911, but the context of my owning and using this 1911 is for fun at the range and punching paper only. After the initial few trips to the range I will probably only shoot it when I do “long gun” training, either with the shotgun or carbine. So honestly the gun doesn’t have to be 100% reliable for me to be happy, however as we all know, that is a headache to deal with: an unreliable gun. Accuracy wise, as long as I could hit what I was aiming at I would be happy. I went with the 9mm because I have firstly converted to 9mm for all of my handguns except 1 (my xd with over 20k isn’t going anywhere). Also the 9mm will allow me to shoot it more often if I so choose too. This 1911 will probably see no more than 1,500rds a year which is much less than any of my other guns.
First impressions:
I forgot how heavy a full size steel framed 1911 was! After bringing it home, I took it apart, cleaned the factory “gunk” out, scrubbed it with shooters choice, and lubed it up. I do not think there is a need for a full length guide rod in a 1911; however I believe that there is no ill effect caused by using one. I was glad to see that the gun was easy to disassemble and required no tools. After maintenance I conducted 100 dry fires with it. The dry fires consisted of from the ready, the holster, and weapon and reaction hand only. I then hand cycled rounds through each of the magazines in the gun to further give myself assurance that there would be no issues at the range.
Cost:
$464 OTD from a local dealer.
Fit and finish:
I am not a big stickler for fit and finish as I do not buy guns because they look good. I will admit that the 1911 is a beautiful gun however I hope to get some wear on it in time. I think wear marks add character to a gun, and shows that it is used. However with that said, the finish looked nice and even and I saw nothing that would indicate it has been mishandled. No marks, scratches etc, well yet anyway! The fit seemed good considering that it is a 1911 under $500. After lubing it up, and dry fire it seemed very smooth, with no kinks or binding in the slide travel. I am sure after some rounds get put through it that it will be even smoother.
Sights:
The sights are just fine for me; again this is not going to be used in a defensive capacity so there is no need for sights with a 90 degree face for one handed manipulation. I don’t mind there being no dots as I do not use the dots on three dot sights anyway. I have always used the black of the notch and post regardless of what dot, lines, lines and dots etc configuration is.
Trigger:
I am used to glock and xd triggers, so even the worse single action trigger is going to feel “good, crisp”, or whatever compared to those. I am not the person to gauge a trigger on a 1911 as being good or bad. I have no issue with factory triggers on the glock and xd, so I will not being doing any work on this trigger either. It is good to go in my book.
“Modifications”:
I wouldn’t even really call them mods, all I did was put a set of gunner grips on and some 3Mstep tape on the front strap. I did have to get the dremel out and make an “ambi” cut for the ambi safety. Between the gunner grips and the grip tape this thing sticks to you like glue! That is just the way I like it. It is not going to shift around in your hand no matter how hot, sweaty, wet etc that it gets. It was pretty hot at the range, and there was a load of perspiration going on. Otherwise the gun is “stock” and I do not think that I will be making any changes to it.
Range time:
Gear:
Ludus Magnus OWB holster, and double mag pouch, on an Ares ranger belt. I will not bore you with telling about the gear, as I make it and I do not want this to turn into a sales pitch. The gear works, and I will leave it at that. Ares makes IMHO one of the best belts on the market for CCW and training. I wear mine daily and have used it in 3 training courses, and multiple practice sessions at the range. I have no issue carrying everything I need on me, and then some.
Ammo used:
I wanted to take the time to test the gun out with a few different brands of ammo. I was most determined to see if it would run with Tula ammo as that is what I shoot mostly in my glock 19. It works and it is the cheapest thing that I can find. For this range trip I used WWB, Federal Champion, and Tula all of which were 115gr FMJ. Total rounds fired: 550
Magazines:
For magazines, I used the check-mate that came with it, and 2 metalform magazines that I had bought. No magazine related issues even though the mags were dropped in the wet gravel and dirt. Stepped on, and dirt in the mags didn’t slow them down.
Reliability:
Of the 550rds that I fired I had a total of 10 malfunctions. However, it was strange to say the least. I started with 100 WWB. I had a double feed in the first 50rds, and then no more issues with that batch of WWB. I then shot 150 tula, and had 2 stovepipes (in the first 100rds total) and 1 dud round (failure to fire). The issues with the Tula was no big deal as I have experienced this in my g-19 as well. Though over many more rounds. IE 1 failure in 300rds with the g-19. I then shot a total of 100 federal champion and 0 issues at all. I shot 50 more WWB and had 4 double feeds. I stopped there and took the gun apart and re-lubed it. I then shot 50 more rounds of WWB and had 2 more double feeds after re lubing. I then shot 50 more federal champion and there were 0 issues yet again. I then fired 50 tula to see if I would have any double feeds like with the WWB, or more stovepipes. All 50 rounds this time without an issue.
I normally use high temp lithium grease on all o my guns, however I used Wilson combat gun grease on this one because of the syringe. It allowed me to get lube in the slide rails and such. When I relubed it at the range I used Militec-1, as that is what I keep in my range bag. I think I will be going back to the lithium grease that has served me so well for so long.
In short, this gun double feeds with WWB, works perfectly fine with Federal champion, and possibly has a few issues with Tula that seemed to not been an issue by the end. I will test this theory more in the future. However, it seems strange that I should have issues with WWB. Anyway more to follow on future range trips about the reliability of the gun and ammo combos.
Accuracy:
I practice and train on realistic size targets, at realistic defensive distances that fit the context of what is most probable for me personally in a fight for my life. The accuracy of the 1911 was capable of that level of accuracy and then some. If tight groups are what you like, this gun will do it for you.
Shoot- ability:
This gun is a full size, full weight 1911 chambered in 9mm, what else needs to be said about it? Though I was able to run this gun pretty fast, I know with more time on the gun that I will be able to do so even better. I cannot imagine how fast and well someone with a better skill set than mine could run this gun.
Overall impressions:
This is an inexpensive 1911 that is very accurate, and I think with the right ammo combo will prove to be very reliable. I may need to do some work on the extractor, but we will wait to see what happens over the next few range trips. Again, this is a range gun, so a few failures is not the biggest deal to me, however I do want to get it 100% or close to it if I can. It is easy to shoot, and definitely “fun”. I can’t wait to take it out again, and I look forward to getting it “dialed” in to where it is a little more reliable. All though there were several malfunctions that would be unacceptable with a carry gun, I am still very happy with this gun, and my purchase.
Next 2 range trips:
1)I will do the dot torture drill to test accuracy and my ability to shoot the gun accurately a little more in depth. With Tula ammo.
2)I will conduct the 10-8 standards which are a beast, and I will do the “developmental shooting standards” in which I developed. To compare my ability to use the gun accurately as well as at speed with 2 hands, weapon and reaction hand only to that which I can do with my EDC (g-19). With either federal champion or tula only to test the theory.
Though I have a good amount of experience with 1911’s of various sorts; this is only the 2nd 1911 that I have ever owned. I had an MC Operator which was a dream gun of mine for as long as I can remember. I bought it, shot it, had some issues, and sold it. I kind of wish I still had it…. But you know how that goes. Anyway, I wanted a “fun” gun, I wanted a “range toy” per say, as all my other guns are used for defensive training and carried regularly and used a lot. Though they are used a lot they are always used to train, to practice for a fight. Recently with being so fight focused shooting has lost a little of the old “fun’ in it. I was going to the range with a plan, sweating and working my butt off, and though I was shooting bullets and doing good training I knew there had to be some give somewhere. Otherwise I was afraid that my training would become more and more of a “chore” and therefore I would be less likely to want to do it. So I have this gun to break up the full tilt boogey training schedule.
This gun will not be carried, and will not be used for home defense. It will not be used in any defensive capacity whatsoever. I like the 1911, but the context of my owning and using this 1911 is for fun at the range and punching paper only. After the initial few trips to the range I will probably only shoot it when I do “long gun” training, either with the shotgun or carbine. So honestly the gun doesn’t have to be 100% reliable for me to be happy, however as we all know, that is a headache to deal with: an unreliable gun. Accuracy wise, as long as I could hit what I was aiming at I would be happy. I went with the 9mm because I have firstly converted to 9mm for all of my handguns except 1 (my xd with over 20k isn’t going anywhere). Also the 9mm will allow me to shoot it more often if I so choose too. This 1911 will probably see no more than 1,500rds a year which is much less than any of my other guns.
First impressions:
I forgot how heavy a full size steel framed 1911 was! After bringing it home, I took it apart, cleaned the factory “gunk” out, scrubbed it with shooters choice, and lubed it up. I do not think there is a need for a full length guide rod in a 1911; however I believe that there is no ill effect caused by using one. I was glad to see that the gun was easy to disassemble and required no tools. After maintenance I conducted 100 dry fires with it. The dry fires consisted of from the ready, the holster, and weapon and reaction hand only. I then hand cycled rounds through each of the magazines in the gun to further give myself assurance that there would be no issues at the range.
Cost:
$464 OTD from a local dealer.
Fit and finish:
I am not a big stickler for fit and finish as I do not buy guns because they look good. I will admit that the 1911 is a beautiful gun however I hope to get some wear on it in time. I think wear marks add character to a gun, and shows that it is used. However with that said, the finish looked nice and even and I saw nothing that would indicate it has been mishandled. No marks, scratches etc, well yet anyway! The fit seemed good considering that it is a 1911 under $500. After lubing it up, and dry fire it seemed very smooth, with no kinks or binding in the slide travel. I am sure after some rounds get put through it that it will be even smoother.
Sights:
The sights are just fine for me; again this is not going to be used in a defensive capacity so there is no need for sights with a 90 degree face for one handed manipulation. I don’t mind there being no dots as I do not use the dots on three dot sights anyway. I have always used the black of the notch and post regardless of what dot, lines, lines and dots etc configuration is.
Trigger:
I am used to glock and xd triggers, so even the worse single action trigger is going to feel “good, crisp”, or whatever compared to those. I am not the person to gauge a trigger on a 1911 as being good or bad. I have no issue with factory triggers on the glock and xd, so I will not being doing any work on this trigger either. It is good to go in my book.
“Modifications”:
I wouldn’t even really call them mods, all I did was put a set of gunner grips on and some 3Mstep tape on the front strap. I did have to get the dremel out and make an “ambi” cut for the ambi safety. Between the gunner grips and the grip tape this thing sticks to you like glue! That is just the way I like it. It is not going to shift around in your hand no matter how hot, sweaty, wet etc that it gets. It was pretty hot at the range, and there was a load of perspiration going on. Otherwise the gun is “stock” and I do not think that I will be making any changes to it.
Range time:
Gear:
Ludus Magnus OWB holster, and double mag pouch, on an Ares ranger belt. I will not bore you with telling about the gear, as I make it and I do not want this to turn into a sales pitch. The gear works, and I will leave it at that. Ares makes IMHO one of the best belts on the market for CCW and training. I wear mine daily and have used it in 3 training courses, and multiple practice sessions at the range. I have no issue carrying everything I need on me, and then some.
Ammo used:
I wanted to take the time to test the gun out with a few different brands of ammo. I was most determined to see if it would run with Tula ammo as that is what I shoot mostly in my glock 19. It works and it is the cheapest thing that I can find. For this range trip I used WWB, Federal Champion, and Tula all of which were 115gr FMJ. Total rounds fired: 550
Magazines:
For magazines, I used the check-mate that came with it, and 2 metalform magazines that I had bought. No magazine related issues even though the mags were dropped in the wet gravel and dirt. Stepped on, and dirt in the mags didn’t slow them down.
Reliability:
Of the 550rds that I fired I had a total of 10 malfunctions. However, it was strange to say the least. I started with 100 WWB. I had a double feed in the first 50rds, and then no more issues with that batch of WWB. I then shot 150 tula, and had 2 stovepipes (in the first 100rds total) and 1 dud round (failure to fire). The issues with the Tula was no big deal as I have experienced this in my g-19 as well. Though over many more rounds. IE 1 failure in 300rds with the g-19. I then shot a total of 100 federal champion and 0 issues at all. I shot 50 more WWB and had 4 double feeds. I stopped there and took the gun apart and re-lubed it. I then shot 50 more rounds of WWB and had 2 more double feeds after re lubing. I then shot 50 more federal champion and there were 0 issues yet again. I then fired 50 tula to see if I would have any double feeds like with the WWB, or more stovepipes. All 50 rounds this time without an issue.
I normally use high temp lithium grease on all o my guns, however I used Wilson combat gun grease on this one because of the syringe. It allowed me to get lube in the slide rails and such. When I relubed it at the range I used Militec-1, as that is what I keep in my range bag. I think I will be going back to the lithium grease that has served me so well for so long.
In short, this gun double feeds with WWB, works perfectly fine with Federal champion, and possibly has a few issues with Tula that seemed to not been an issue by the end. I will test this theory more in the future. However, it seems strange that I should have issues with WWB. Anyway more to follow on future range trips about the reliability of the gun and ammo combos.
Accuracy:
I practice and train on realistic size targets, at realistic defensive distances that fit the context of what is most probable for me personally in a fight for my life. The accuracy of the 1911 was capable of that level of accuracy and then some. If tight groups are what you like, this gun will do it for you.
Shoot- ability:
This gun is a full size, full weight 1911 chambered in 9mm, what else needs to be said about it? Though I was able to run this gun pretty fast, I know with more time on the gun that I will be able to do so even better. I cannot imagine how fast and well someone with a better skill set than mine could run this gun.
Overall impressions:
This is an inexpensive 1911 that is very accurate, and I think with the right ammo combo will prove to be very reliable. I may need to do some work on the extractor, but we will wait to see what happens over the next few range trips. Again, this is a range gun, so a few failures is not the biggest deal to me, however I do want to get it 100% or close to it if I can. It is easy to shoot, and definitely “fun”. I can’t wait to take it out again, and I look forward to getting it “dialed” in to where it is a little more reliable. All though there were several malfunctions that would be unacceptable with a carry gun, I am still very happy with this gun, and my purchase.
Next 2 range trips:
1)I will do the dot torture drill to test accuracy and my ability to shoot the gun accurately a little more in depth. With Tula ammo.
2)I will conduct the 10-8 standards which are a beast, and I will do the “developmental shooting standards” in which I developed. To compare my ability to use the gun accurately as well as at speed with 2 hands, weapon and reaction hand only to that which I can do with my EDC (g-19). With either federal champion or tula only to test the theory.
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Would you like pics of the gun? I will do my best to take pics the next time I go out.
