Springfield Ultra Compact.

[Wastemore]

Got a buddy who has one and wants a Beretta 96. I work at a firearms store parttime and told him I'd buy him a 96 if he traded me the Ultra Compact, I can get the 96 for a lot less than the Spring. He says he'd do it.
My question is, are these short cycling 1911's reliable? I have plenty of full size and a couple of commander size pistols and I've always told myself to stay away from the 3.5 and under size barrels.
Assuming they're reliable, it would be for carry. I'm dying to get a 1911 back on my hip, but was tired of beating up my safe queens .. this would replace my current Baby Eagle .45, which has been an absolutely stunning pistol, sans the weight.
It's the steel frame, not the lightweight and it is stainless.

 

[Black Majik]

Usually no.

As a general rule, the shorter the barrel for 1911s, the less reliable they become. Now some people have luck with their ultras and officers model 1911s, but for the most part, many have had problems with them...

I usually dont go past the commander length (4 1/4"). And even then... all my 1911s are full size models. I dont trust the shorties.

btw: Wrong forum buddy.

Good luck.

 

[Wastemore]

Ahh, sorry about the mis-placed post. Pretty new here and haven't quite made my way around. I just read the first 3 forums.

Anyway,
That's pretty much what I thought. I'm still thinking about doing it simply because of the price I can obtain it for.

Thanks a bunch.

Anymore feedback?

B-

 

[corruptone]

As a proud owner of Springfield Ultra Compact LW, I can say that there are some good ones to be had out there. Mine is now 2 years old and has not hiccuped yet. I can say that if you have one and it is faulty, then SA will make it right. There has been an ongoing article in CCW magazine where the author, George Hill, had a problem with the one he was reviewing and he sent it back and it came back 100%.

Mine is accurate, has a soft recoil, and is a very handy piece. Might be a good trade for you.

 

[scbair]

I've heard of problems endemic to the sub-4" bbl versions, but am happily unable to confirm them. I own 2 Kimber Ultra Carry models. One (the second one a "CDP" version) initially suffered from premature slide-lock, typically with 2-3 rounds remaining in the mag. I did a tiny bit of work on the slide release, and it's been 100% reliable for nearly 1,000 rounds. The first one, well, it's just been dandy!

I guess the other posters are right; some work, some don't.

 

[Colt]

+1 on the ultra-sized Kimbers. Ultra RCP II has never had any type of failure since new. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

 

[sumpnz]

I tried a friend's Ultra Compact and did not care for it. The slide would sometimes drop when a fresh mag was inserted and the gun just felt gritty. It was not at all smooth in any respect. Now, it may have just been that particular example, but suffice it to say I was not impressed.

 

[Vitamin G]

Havn't had any problems with compact 1911's. The problems I HAVE seen, however, are a result of them being MUCH more sensitive to limpwristing, particularly with aluminum frames. I know at 100 rounds with my Colt Defender, I'm pushing the limit of my grip muscles.

 

[RDY357]

Kimber Ultra SSII

No problems on mine with Wilson mags.
Original mags were junk, but Springfield does not have that problem.
Approx. 3k rounds through mine with only 3 fte.