mrmeval
Member
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_1_51/ai_n7581226
Exerpt
Way back in 1950 Colt introduced the Lightweight Commander and began new era for both the 1911 type and handguns in general. By using a strong aluminum alloy for the frame and reducing the barrel length to [4.sup.1][??] they shaved about 13 ounces of weight off the gun. Detractors and naysayers said it couldn't be done or that the pistol would rapidly self-destruct. Of course neither was true and somebody has made an alloy framed 1911 ever since.
Then a couple of years ago Smith & Wesson learned of an aluminum alloy that contained a small percentage of Scandium and, using it coupled with a Titanium cylinder, gave us a 10.5-ounce .357 Magnum that can ruin the day of both shootee and shooter. The history of the gun industry teaches us that there are rapid spin-offs to any technological advance so it was really only a matter of time before S&W employed the Scandium alloy to join their new 1911 pistol. And they did it with the 4 1/4" barrel length. Hoo-rah.
One of the most persistent myths about alloy-frame 1911s is the frame's feed ramp gets deformed as bullets pass over it from the magazine to the chamber. The hype is so bad sometimes it seems nearly miraculous to get a few hundred rounds through the gun. As I'm sure you know, the truth is far removed from the gunshop grapevine. It is surely true that feed ramps get battered sometimes. The myth usually blames one brand of ammo or another but most of the time the guns live long, happy lives with never so much as a burp or dent. If there is a problem, I think it is mightily exaggerated.
One of the real issues with any lightweight firearm is how practical--or comfortable--it is to shoot. But in broad terms, reducing weight generally also reduces the number of rounds we fire in any given period of time.
That said, the addition of a small amount of Scandium can almost double the tensile strength of an aluminum alloy. That would seem to be the ounce of prevention needed in case frames really do get beat up.
Exerpt
Way back in 1950 Colt introduced the Lightweight Commander and began new era for both the 1911 type and handguns in general. By using a strong aluminum alloy for the frame and reducing the barrel length to [4.sup.1][??] they shaved about 13 ounces of weight off the gun. Detractors and naysayers said it couldn't be done or that the pistol would rapidly self-destruct. Of course neither was true and somebody has made an alloy framed 1911 ever since.
Then a couple of years ago Smith & Wesson learned of an aluminum alloy that contained a small percentage of Scandium and, using it coupled with a Titanium cylinder, gave us a 10.5-ounce .357 Magnum that can ruin the day of both shootee and shooter. The history of the gun industry teaches us that there are rapid spin-offs to any technological advance so it was really only a matter of time before S&W employed the Scandium alloy to join their new 1911 pistol. And they did it with the 4 1/4" barrel length. Hoo-rah.
One of the most persistent myths about alloy-frame 1911s is the frame's feed ramp gets deformed as bullets pass over it from the magazine to the chamber. The hype is so bad sometimes it seems nearly miraculous to get a few hundred rounds through the gun. As I'm sure you know, the truth is far removed from the gunshop grapevine. It is surely true that feed ramps get battered sometimes. The myth usually blames one brand of ammo or another but most of the time the guns live long, happy lives with never so much as a burp or dent. If there is a problem, I think it is mightily exaggerated.
One of the real issues with any lightweight firearm is how practical--or comfortable--it is to shoot. But in broad terms, reducing weight generally also reduces the number of rounds we fire in any given period of time.
That said, the addition of a small amount of Scandium can almost double the tensile strength of an aluminum alloy. That would seem to be the ounce of prevention needed in case frames really do get beat up.
), I have sold quite
I've got 3 SA's that have all been problem free so far, so here's hoping its even better somehow 
