Springfield Ultra Compact 1911

[Cornhusker77]

Found this at a gun show this past weekend.
I thought it was kind of "old school" cool, and something like this has been on my want list for a while now.
Anybody have any opinions on these or advice?

Looks like a big hole in that little gun.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I bought a NIB SA Micro Compact GI from LGS/indoor range. They let me try it out for free- MANY feeding and return to battery failures with 230 gr ball. I never left the store with it that day, as they shipped it back to SA for me. Fast forward a few hundred rounds, and it completely locked-up with the slide halfway back due to linkage failure. Another trip back to SA before being sold on consignment with full disclosure. I wish you better luck.

 

[Cornhusker77]

I bought a NIB SA Micro Compact GI from LGS/indoor range. They let me try it out for free- MANY feeding and return to battery failures with 230 gr ball. I never left the store with it that day, as they shipped it back to SA for me. Fast forward a few hundred rounds, and it completely locked-up with the slide halfway back die to linkage failure. Another trip back to SA before being sold on consignment with full disclosure. I wish you better luck.

Was the Micro Compact the 3 inch with aluminum frame?
I'm a little fuzzy on these different sizes

 

[.455_Hunter]

Was the Micro Compact the 3 inch with aluminum frame?
I'm a little fuzzy on these different sizes

3" on steel frame.

 

[Jim Watson]

My SA UC is a stainless 9mm, a handy size, but...
Out of the box, feeding was "bumpy" with ball, unreliable with JHP.
FLG recontoured the integral ramp into a Feed Ramp, and it is reliable now.
As a matter of personal preference, I put on a single sided safety and standard thickness grips.

I was glad to get one of the last as they transitioned to the EMP with fewer standard parts and higher price.

 

[bannockburn]

Cornhusker77

The SA Ultra Compact reminds me a lot of my Colt Officer's Model ACP except that it has a 3.5" barrel instead of a 3" barrel with the Ultra Compact. Now some people say that a 1911 with a barrel less than 4.00", is prone to having reliability problems due to any number of reasons but I have had 100% reliable performance from my Colt over the past 35 years. It definitely prefers 185 to 200 gr. ammo to 230 gr. hardball and felt recoil with the all steel gun is only slightly more than shooting a full size 1911. I would have to say it's more bark than bite!

 

[Cornhusker77]

Trying some different grips.
They look good to me, but the Pachmayrs feel better.

 

[TinNePa]

I bought a NIB SA Micro Compact GI from LGS/indoor range. They let me try it out for free- MANY feeding and return to battery failures with 230 gr ball. I never left the store with it that day, as they shipped it back to SA for me. Fast forward a few hundred rounds, and it completely locked-up with the slide halfway back due to linkage failure. Another trip back to SA before being sold on consignment with full disclosure. I wish you better luck.

This was my experience as well. I bought two guns, the SA ultra compact and a Beretta m9a1 Inox one day for $700. Both were used. I had nothing but the problems you describe with the SA. I even sent it back to SA. They replaced the extractor and sent it back. I never could get it 100% reliable and sold it on when the buying panic during covid happened. It was a shame. I thought it was cool, but couldn't stake my life on it. The Beretta otoh, is a very nice, accurate gun that always goes bang. And after selling off the SA, I ended up with a like new Beretta for $400!

 

[FL-NC]

I had a 2 tone like that years ago- sorry I got rid of it.

 

[Anchorite]

Old school cool. Great find.

 

[Howland937]

Trying some different grips.
They look good to me, but the Pachmayrs feel better.
View attachment 1026035

I've found that with the short barreled .45's, I like extra grippy grips or they tend to move around in my hand a lot. Lack of checkering on the front "strap" makes it more noticeable.
I really like the Hogue G10 Piranha grips, but I did have the Patchmayr finger groove grips on a V10 UC years ago. They were ok but couldn't get as high a grip as I'd like.