S.A.M. - Understated custom 1911

[duelist1954]

Some people just don't like 1911s, and other people really look down their noses at 1911s made in the Philippines. I love 1911s, and I've had real good luck with Phillipine 1911s, particularly gun made by S.A.M. (Shooters Arms Manufacturers).

When I wanted to put together a 1911 for cast bullet plinking, I started with a plain-Jane SAM 1911. I bought a bunch of parts from Brownells and I had a local 1911 smith named Victor Wolff, put together a pistol the way I wanted it. I've been shooting ths gun for several years and it is a joy to shoot. And, since I cast my own bullets out of free wheel weights, shooting a .45 ACP cost about the same as shooting a .22 LR, so I get to shoot it a lot.

Here's a link to a video on it. I'll post some pictures later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIXtlpfEmD4

 

[duelist1954]

Here are a couple of pictures:

 

[Foto Joe]

Mike I think that the opinion on the Philippine 1911's is kind of like some folks having nothing good to say about Lee Precision from their loading equipment to their casting equipment. I've shot an ATI Compact and I was quite impressed with it for what it was. It could have been better but from a accuracy standpoint it was a good little gun. I'm kinda curious though as to what kind of bucks you sunk into that gun to get it the way you like it, sorry it's a rude question but it would be nice to know. Back in the days when I was a competitive shotgunner I bought an American Arms O/U and then sent it off to Briley for some "work". It's a beautiful gun now with ported barrels, lengthened forcing cones and custom 3" chokes but I'll never get anywhere near what I paid for it out of it when the day comes that I part with it. I'm not sorry I did it and at that time I had the money to burn off on a custom gun.

One other thing, have you ever done a video of shooting a 1911 with Black Powder? I've never had the guts to do it simply because I'm too lazy to deal with the cleanup.

 

[duelist1954]

Well, it has been a few years since I did it, but it would be safe to say that the cost of the parts and the labor was about twice the original cost of the gun.

A 1911 B-P article and video is on the list, but I need to secure the right T&E gun to pull it together.

 

[BILLG]

For Petes sake take those Colt grips off.Thats pretty funny but a cheap copy of a Colt and then put Colt grips on it.

 

[mes228]

SAM

I've owned many 1911's, including Colt's. There's nothing "cheap" about S.A.M. 1911's I'm aware of. They are inexpensive but not cheaply made at all. I've owned three and have one I kept. It's become one of my favorite pistols. My current "other" 1911's are a Les Baer Monolith Heavy, Full Custom 10x, Para 14.45. I'm no gunsmith- just a shooter. It's hard to believe how good the Elite 1911's by S.A.M. are as they practically give them away. If it breaks I'll post about it. I have over 500 rounds through this one before I cleaned it. Not one malfunction with ball or HP's. With the exception of Federal Hi-shock hp's of the "flying ashtray" design. If the HP's bullet profile was the least bit rounded they all fed. I rate it a best buy and a sleeper among 1911's. My sample size is only three and perhaps I've been lucky.

 

[InkEd]

There is nothing wrong with having an inexpensive 1911 for plinking. However, I do agree that you should change the grips. I'm not a Colt snob or purist (my 1911's are both Springfield Armory pistols) but it does look silly having Colt (or SA, Kimber, etc) grips on a gun made by someone else.

 

[Foto Joe]

To each their own taste, those ARE purty grip panels I've gotta say no matter what 1911 they're on.

 

[royal barnes]

I love the grips. If the OP will quote a reasonable price I will buy them and put them on a Colt.

 

[Casefull]

I like the grips also...no different than all the ar's we build out of generic components. Nice gun...looks like a real working tool not some fancy show pistol.