Sig Sauer 1911 Opinion

[9mmepiphany]

One thing I've never understood about the GSR-patterned slide is why they chose to dress the top profile parallel to the frame rails rather than the more common angle of the bore...when the barrel is in battery.

Granted it does make it look more SIG, but they are giving up holster fit, sight regulation (not too bad with fixed sights, but unsightly with an adjustable rear) and adding excess mass (in the context of target transitions) without much gain

 

[heidad01]

Will let you know in a few weeks

I am sending back a new Sig XO 1911 BNIB (purchased from a gun shop in CA)for the second time. I have owned it for more than a month and Have not shot it yet. It'll be a few weeks before I get it back and I'll let you know. It had the absolutely worst finish I have seen on any new gun out of the box, and I have been buying guns for the last 30 years.
On the first call the Sig's attitude was "that is tough luck" if we say it is good it is and you have to take it.
I went to 3 different gun shops and looked at 10's of 1911 and none had a finish as bad!! On the last trip back, my 1911 was given to a drunk teenager (my guess from the workmanship i received back) to scrub it into shape. Well it came back with just as bad of a finish with peening marks and a rough scotch brite polish on the barrel. They also did me a favor and scraped the heck out of the front of the guide rod and muzzle while taking it apart. Also, as an added bonus, was a gritty and loose triger which it did not have before going to Sig Sauer for a new gun repair.
So like I said, I'll let you know how it comes back. I was at a sporting store today and checked a few other 1911's, Sigs had the worst finish on the barrel. That is just my experience and I am sure there are alot of folks who love Sigs though it makes me wonder why?

 

[LiveLife]

heidad01, sorry to hear about your Sig XO 1911. I would press Sig Sauer to have your finish fixed or have your pistol replaced.

I have a railed Sig 1911 Nitron (BTW, 5" Sig 1911s are all stainless steel frame/slide with different color finish depending on the model) and quite impressed with the finish that's been durable over 5000+ rounds. Despite the intentional rough handling in the range bag, the finish is not showing any scratches or discoloration.

As to the barrel finish, here are some pictures:

 

[LiveLife]

Just took a picture of my Sig 1911R TacPac. I shot several hundred rounds of lead SWC reloads last weekend and have not cleaned the pistol. I wiped down the exterior with a paper towel for the picture.

 

[boricua9mm]

Granted it does make it look more SIG, but they are giving up holster fit, sight regulation (not too bad with fixed sights, but unsightly with an adjustable rear) and adding excess mass (in the context of target transitions) without much gain

In my own experience, the slide profile isn't such a big problem when it comes to holsters. It's the combination of slide profile and railed dustcover that causes the most grief.

For example, my SIG Carry has the SIG style slide but no rail on the dustcover. That pistol is a snug fit in a leather IWB holster made for a normal 1911, but all it really needs is a little stretching to accommodate the pistol and allow for an easy draw while still offering good retention. I've taken the advice of a holster maker and used a piece of folded Saran wrap to cover the pistol, then inserting it into the holster for a day or two (some folks use a plastic shopping bag). For SIGs without the dust cover rail, this method seems to work just fine for traditional full-size and Commander leather holsters. Add in an insistence on Kydex, and that's another issue altogether. FWIW I've heard of some folks using a hair dryer to heat up the Kydex to accommodate the SIG profile, but I don't do Kydex so I can't say for sure how effective this would be.