Springfield milspec- someone talk me out of it.

[cracked butt]

I've been wanting a 1911 for quite some time. Yesterday I was in a shop which had a new springfield 1911A1 Milspec. It looks as plain jane as they get and the price seemed pretty nice at around $540. I don't know too much about 1911's so its time to ask the experts

Any downsides to this pistol?

What about accuracy?

Is it something that can easily be upgraded/customized?

How does the quality compare to other manufacturers?


The guy at the shop also pointed me towards a S&W 1911, it looked relly pretty compared to the springfield- was a bit slicker, trigger felt a little better, and the shopkeep said it should be quite a bit more accurate out of the box. The price was about $150 more however. Politics aside, would the S&W be a better buy? ANy disadvantages to the S&W compared to the Springfield? Are there any other brands I should take a look at? I really don't want to spend any more than $700.

 

[1911Tuner]

Springer

Howdy CB,

You won't get any help from me. I'll try to talk you into it.

I'd go with the Springfield instead of the Smith. No lawyer parts, other
than the ILS, if it's so equipped. The ILS is easy to get rid of if you're
so inclined.

The only point on the Springfield is the possibility of a bad extractor,
which was a certain lot of bad parts instead of the gun itself. Easy
fix. Just get a Brown Hardcore extractor, set the tension and forget it.
If yours doesn't have the ILS, the extractor is probably okay. The
bad ones are fairly recent, and not all of those had a bad part.

Welcome to the cult. Enjoy!

Tuner

 

[shooter1]

CB,
Depending on what your application, either one will serve you well. If what you want is a Mil Spec gun the Springer will serve you well. If you plan to shoot it very much then you will want to upgrade will some aftermarket parts that will cost you well in excess of the $150 difference in the Smith. I have no experience with the Smith 1911 but have not heard anything bad about them. $700 sounds like a pretty good price for a good 1911.
Will

 

[cracked butt]

Q?
What is an 'ILS'?

 

[1911Tuner]

ILS

The Integral Locking System. That little circle on the mainspring housing
with the tiny holes in it...They supply a key to turn it so that the pistol
won't cock, and the slide can't be racked to chamber a round. It works,
for its intended purpose, but uses a proprietary mainspring and cap that
I don't care for. Personal preference, mainly...but many are of the same
mindset. Easy to swap out with a standard mainspring housing, mainspring, cap and retaining pin. Just another example of Soccer Mom
mentality dictating policy. The Springfield is also much less hassle to
detail strip when the time comes. Detail stripping completely guts the
frame and slide...Easy to do.

The Smith uses a firing pin safety sysytem that's been the subject of some
problems now and then. Smith will fix it, but that's a pain. Colt's series 80
firing pin safety system is much more reliable. You may want to have a
look at the NRM Colt Government Model. They run about 600 and change
in most areas, unless the dealer is into price gouging.


Choose wisely, grasshopper...

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I am not so sure about a $540 price tag.

I just bought a new Springfield WW2 mil-spec for $369. This is the very mil-spec looking gun, with the small military sights and unflared ejection port.

There is another Springfield mil-spec out there with 3 dot sites and a lowered ejection port that is usually around $450.

So it sounds like $540 is kind of high for a mil-spec gun.

However, I have been very please with my $369 milspec. It doesnt jam, shoots great, and looks great. I plan on getting another.

 

[cracked butt]

I guess I'll have have to shop around a bit for the milspec. I can't remember if it had 3 dot sights, but it didn't have the shallow 'v' rear sight like I've seen on some WWII pistols.

 

[repsychler]

Thats not a very good deal on a Mil-Spec, and its a horrible deal on the WW2 milspec. Last month I got my Springfield Mil-Spec in stainless for $475 (on sale from $500) at Sportsmans Warehouse.

 

[cracked butt]

Just did a little searching and found a gunshop in my area that sells for around $470.

 

[Murphster]

$540's about the going rate for them in my neck of the woods. My Mil-Spec is the only 1911 I've hung on to. It's a keeper. I liked it when I got it and I like it more the longer I have it. No pretense. No sissy foofoo stuff anywhere. Mine's accurate and has a pretty darn nice trigger on it. Shoots my reloaded wadcutters and hardball reliably. I suspect it's what Browning envisioned the pistol should be. Go for it.

 

[care-less]

ok cracked butt; I'll talk you out of it. For $540 you can buy a genuine Colt 1991 A1 with the new rollmarks. Why would you possibly want to spend the same amount on a gun made in Brazil? Buy the genuine article, you will not be sorry, and all the people I know who own Springfields; all deep down inside wish it said COLT on the slide. How's that?

 

[WalkerTexasRanger]

I dont wish mine said Colt on the side. There are the regular mil-spec's listed right now over at Gunbroker for $429 cash, so $540 is a little high. I love the WWII mil-spec I just bought. Shoots great, and for $359 simply cant be beat....

 

[denfoote]

Why should I?? It's a great pistol!!

 

[Tropical Z]

I dont want anything to do with anybodys "mil-spec".I owned a "mil-spec" once and was glad to get rid of it.I like a few bells and whistles on a 1911.

 

[schadenfreude]

I was going to buy a milspec last week but the sights really turned me off. I thought about the price to have a set of good night sights fitted and found I was just shy of the price of the Springfield Loaded so i bought that instead.

For $200 more I got Novak night sights, better trigger, larger beavertail grip safety, skeletonized hammer, ampi safety, and someone also said that the barrell is different but I cant confirm that.

I'm not saying that it's tons better than the milspec or that anything is wrong with the milspec but I'm glad the salesman showed me the loaded. I know for a fact I would have change the sights and the trigger on the milspec and now I don't have to.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Well, if you want a mil-spec gun, the Loaded model just doesnt fit the bill.

There is no difference in the quality of the triggers; the mil spec has a short trigger, and the loaded has long skeletonized trigger, but the pull is the same.

 

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

Mil-Spec (non WWII) here is $399, or $369 on sale! Trigger will need some work. Otherwise solid.

 

[schadenfreude]

There is no difference in the quality of the triggers; the mil spec has a short trigger, and the loaded has long skeletonized trigger, but the pull is the same.

The pull might be the same to you but felt night and day different to me. The mil spec trigger was gritty felt longer.

Not sure what your point was on if you want a milspec the loaded wont do. Most people looking at the milspec are looking for their first foray into 1911's and the loaded my be the logical choice for someone that wants a little more but not a huge price tag.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

schadenfreude,

First, I apologize if I seemed argumentative previously, didnt mean to be!

I have a mil-spec with a trigger just as nice as most Wilson triggers. I admit though, I checked out several different guns til I found one with a nice trigger straight from the factory. I have done this on Kimbers, Springfields, and Colts, and what I have found is sometimes you can get a really good, or really crummy, trigger on any of them, whether they are high end or low end guns.

I don't think the mil-spec is necessarily intended for people who are venturing for the first time into 1911's; I just bought one, and it aint exactly the first one I have bought.

My point was, if you want a mil-spec looking gun, a loaded isn't going to make you happy.

 

[vega]

GO ahead and get it. You'll love it. I bought a Mil-spec and compete IDPA and IPSC with it out of the box. I didn't even adjust the trigger pull.

vega

 

[XavierBreath]

Any downsides to this pistol? No. If you want bells and whistles though, and a generic pistol with them, you might consider a Loaded or a Kimber. You'll save money in the long haul.

What about accuracy? Mine became just as accurate in my hands as my Gold Cup once I fitted a King's bushing in it. I suppose if they were Ransom rested, the Colt might have an edge, but in my hands at 25 feet, both are one hole shooters if I do my part.

Is it something that can easily be upgraded/customized? Yes. Colt Series 70 parts fit. If you plan on frame cutting, get stainless and forget about refinishing later.

How does the quality compare to other manufacturers? I personally think it is the best deal going. If you can plop down another $100 you may want to consider a NRM Colt for the resale value though. If you don't plan on reselling the pistol, get the Springer and buy $100 in ammo.

Here's mine.

 

[Nick1911]

i've been pretty happy with the loaded model, haven't shot the mil-spec so i can't really compare the two, but i like the loaded. ~500 rounds through it (many more soonish! ) and haven't had a single jam\problem
my 2 cents
-Nick

 

[cracked butt]

I looked at another gun shop today.
They had a springfield Loaded for about $700.
After some consideration, I think that this is the gun I'm going to get, I was very impressed by what's included in the model for the money, not to mention its pretty to look at.

 

[Ala Dan]

Good Morning cracked butt-

Its about 0353 hrs in the AM on 27 Jan 04; and time for
me too talk you into the Springy. You see, I want one
myself; but right now funding won't allow it! And to
make matters worse, my friend and THR member silent
one just bought one himself; now he's after one
more. Also, my long time friend, fellow compadre, THR
member, and shooting partner Capbuster has a
Springfiled .45; and guess what? He knows how to
make that Springy sing! So, I think you
need to roll out of bed, brush your teeth, whip on
some clothes, and sail on down to your favorite
dealers establishment with bells and whistles; in
order to bring that Springy back home!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Marko Kloos]

There are valid reasons in preferring a Mil-Spec over the Loaded models.

First of all, the Loadeds all come with forward cocking serrations, and the Mil-Specs do not. Some people prefer the cleaner look of the un-serrated slide front.

Second, the Mil-Spec makes sense if you don't want to alter the gun and just shoot it in its basic form.

Third, the Mil-Spec is an excellent basis for customization. You can tart it up precisely the way you want it to be, and you don't have to pay for the added parts and bits that come with the Loaded. Some folks have very specific ideas about what they like in a 1911. The Loaded bits are good quality, but they're not necessarily everybody's first choice for safeties, sights, etcetera.

Finally, the WWII Mil-Spec is just a screaming deal in 1911s, especially for people who like its classic lines and do not plan on sinking money into modifying the gun. That pistol just looks and works much better than any gun in its price class has a right to look and work.