We turn out 1,000 pistols a day.
Maybe they're counting multiple warranty returns?
Or perhaps he meant to say "We turn down a thousand pistols a day?"
Back in 2002, with Colt's on what seemed to be end stage life support, I went shopping for my first clone.
I am a fan of Commander sized 1911A1s, so I was looking at a Kimber CDP as opposed to SA Champion Loadeds. At the counter, the clerk clears the CDP and locks it back on an empty magazine and hands it over. I look it over and it appeared to be a nicely finished weapon. Then I dropped the slide and the magazine rocketed out of the well. Not a good sign. Then I looked at it more closely, with a bore light down on the mag catch. Part of it had been sheared by the seating of the mag and it looked like bad pot metal. Definitely not bar stock machining anyways.
I wound up buying a Springer, saving about $150 in the process. I had an easy decision to make after seeing a Kimber fail during routine administrative handling. Three primary factors also swung the deal. One was that Imbel had done a magnificent job of machining the pistol I bought. Definitely not a Monday morning or Friday afternooner. Second, every component on it was properly installed as far as I could eyeball it. Ejector was pinned, plunger tube on straight and solid, the firing pin retainer was snug, the slide stop was properly marked by previous slide overrides, everything looked straight and true with no strange rub marks on the front of the slide from the dustcover or anything. Final clincher is that aside from a genuine Colt's repo or a used gun, it's about the closest thing to a Series 70 that one can buy off of the shelf. There is a ramped barrel, which I am indifferent about, the ILS, which has never been switched on, and there was a FLGR, which I knew I'd be dumping.
That gun has become my favorite 1911A1. I jokingly refer to it as my "Brazilian supermodel" Of course, as a 1911A1 owner I couldn't leave well enough alone and now the Champ is bushingless, FGLR-less, and features a mixed lot of premium American made aftermarket parts including, a Wolff recoil and firing pin spring, Wilson BulletProof extractor, an Ed Brown ambi safety, reverse plug and GI guide, a Cylinder & Slide pin set, sear, sear spring, and disconnector. The pistol has been to Robar once and its aftermarket non spring parts once. I just sent in its slide to Robar to get it NP3d. Despite trying to sell it last year during the dire need for a medical copayment, I wound up hanging on to it and am I ever glad that I have.
Oh, did I mention ZERO malfs ever?
I only mention the mods because the Springer's lack of tinkering with basic design (Series 80, Series II, or external extractors) allows for easy shadetree gunsmithing. Extractors in particular, a well known bugaboo with many companies not bothering with spring steel, are particularly easy to change on Springers. The only true oddity besides the ramped barrel, is the ILS, which I have left intact as it has never proven to be a problem.
Oh yeah, a big part of the decision was also "Deb." SA's customer service is more or less a constant presence at 1911forums.com. That is invaluable and SA treats it's 1911A1 buyers like these folks know how their weapons work, because frankly, most of them do. That's worth having to put up with "FI Brazil" on the bottom of the dust cover.
Then again, I have never needed SA's warranty service either.
I still wish Colt's would get its act together enough to see more than one example at a time on a local shelf or a table--when one sees them at all, but until they do, my Springer will continue to serve.
Kimber need not apply.
dont buy their conversions ive had nothing but trouble:banghead:
