Tell me your experience with your S&W 1911.

[maskedman504]

As per the title, please tell me about your S&W 1911. Reliablity, accuracy and quality are of particular interest. What ammo do you use? FTE, FTF? I am interested in a $800-$900 1911 and I am pretty much decided between a SW or a SA. Pictures are a plus! Thank you in advance.

 

[JDGray]

Traded my S&W SC Commander, but it was the best 1911 I had. Wanted it for a carry gun, but went with a Kimber compact instead. The Smith is a far nicer weapon then my old Springfield Loaded, and just as tight as my Kimber. It never fail me once, but only put 500 rds through it, all handloads, 230gr ball and HPs. Mine was very accurate, good fit and finish. They'er great guns, even with the external extractor

 

[MT GUNNY]

Mine has Functioned 100%.
I bought it New in 2004, Not long after they were introduced. Its on my side as I write this, I only wish I had another. You should be able to find One for less than $900. It should Feed anything from HP to Ball, I run 230 Grain HP's Reloads, Sometimes 185's. The Pistol is more accurate than me! I'm shure the Novak's that come with them Now will be fine, I Prefer the Wilson Combats Mags.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=94140&d=1236618795

 

[MT GUNNY]

Ala Dan (THR Member) Has one also.
You could PM him and Ask what he thinks!

 

[PX15]

FWIW:

I apologize in advance for offering this opinion since you only asked about the S&W 1911's but I have a S&W CS45 and it's perfect for my cc needs.

I've always liked the 1911 platform (and at one time had one), but find the pistol is simply to large and bulky for my smaller hands..

I'm a big 3rd generation S&W pistol fan, and while acquiring a CS9 I had the opportunity to pick up a slightly used CS45 and I'm very pleased with it.

Accuracy, at self defense range, is amazing, and the reliability, as with all 3GS pistols I've owned is extremely good.

I realize the CS45 isn't what serious 1911 types would be looking for, but I did want to suggest that anyone who might find the 1911 a big large might want to consider the CS45, especially for concealed carry use.

Best Wishes,

Jesse

 

[cortego]

Had lots of trouble with my 1911PD..Timing issues with the FPS...Sometimes went click instead of bang. Sent back to S&W. No improvement. I removed the FPS entirely. Broke 2 mag releases. Broke 2 plunger tubes. Out of the box the pistol had a nasty 7 pound trigger with creep. Replaced ignition parts with C&S drop in parts. All that being said, I really do like the gun as it is now and I must note it never had any failure to feed or eject problems save the times the plunger tube broke. It is 100% now and i trust it enough to carry it. But...if I had it to do over I would buy a Colt LTWT Commander.

 

[cortego]

Had lots of trouble with my 1911PD..Timing issues with the FPS...Sometimes went click instead of bang. Sent back to S&W. No improvement. I removed the FPS entirely. Broke 2 mag releases. Broke 2 plunger tubes. Out of the box the pistol had a nasty 7 pound trigger with creep. Replaced ignition parts with C&S drop in parts. All that being said, I really do like the gun as it is now and I must note it never had any failure to feed or eject problems save the times the plunger tube broke. It is 100% now and i trust it enough to carry it. But...if I had it to do over I would buy a Colt LTWT Commander.

 

[skyflyer]

I have had mine for a couple years now.
no ftf no fte. It goes bang every time.

414606[/ATTACH]"]

Load info is on the target. shot at 25 yards weaver

414608[/ATTACH]"]

 

[maskedman504]

That is a really attractive firearm!

 

[maskedman504]

For a general consensus- do you think that a SW is going to be better than a SA 'out of the box'? My local store also has 4 really stunning Dan Wessons. The SA , SW and Wessons are all in my budget. I don't want to be a 'victim' of sending it off to make it right, I am kind of leaning towards the Dan Wesson for $899

The store also has ~3 Sig GSRs. I asked the clerk about them; he is a big Springfield fan and told me the Sigs are new to the 1911 game and he didnt know much. I own a Sig and appreciate their reputation so I figured I would ask you all, what gives with the Sig GSR?

 

[BENELLIMONTE]

Of my 4 different manufacturers 1911s my S&W 1911 SC is by far my favorite to carry and shoot. Great accuracy, lite weight and feels great in the hand. Try it you'll like it.

 

[mbr]

I think Sig, DW, and S&W all make fine 1911's, and it comes down to which you like the best. I own a SW1911 and would be like to own examples of the other two.

 

[NGIB]

For full-size 1911s, I have a S&W, Dan Wesson, and first generation Kimber Gold Match.

While the S&W isn't as "polished" as the other two, it's a great shooter and 100% reliable. I generally shoot my Kimber at our local bowling pin matches, but tomorrow I'm giving the S&W a go...

 

[shield20]

My S&W is the best 1911 I ever had. It has always been 100% reliable (not so the Colts or Kimber). Accuracy is fine, as is the build quality.

I do think a DW commander would be nice because of the bobbed grip, but the same size SW is always on my list too.

 

[rduckwor]

For a general consensus- do you think that a SW is going to be better than a SA 'out of the box'? My local store also has 4 really stunning Dan Wessons. The SA , SW and Wessons are all in my budget. I don't want to be a 'victim' of sending it off to make it right, I am kind of leaning towards the Dan Wesson for $899



The store also has ~3 Sig GSRs. I asked the clerk about them; he is a big Springfield fan and told me the Sigs are new to the 1911 game and he didnt know much. I own a Sig and appreciate their reputation so I figured I would ask you all, what gives with the Sig GSR?


__________________
You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

I have the DW CBOB and a DW VALOR. I also have the SIG GSR pictured. They are all fine 1911's. The DW's are series 70 guns (if that matters to you) and the SIG is a series 80 FP block gun.

I had a S&W 1911 until I discovered they has machined the breech face poorly and it "stamped" the face of the cartridge when fired. It went back to the dealer.

Today, you cannot go wrong w/ DW 1911's. Perhaps the best production 1911 made. The problem is finding one for sale.

That being said, I would not hesitate to buy the SIG 1911 again as well. Very solid gun and mine has been flawless.

RMD

 

[willbrink]

I have had 3 SnWs. All ran great out of the box. SA makes a great products also.

 

[robctwo]

I bought the SA Black Stainless Target a few years ago. Had an extractor hook break out of the box, great customer service and support. The trigger was every bit the 5-6 pounds advertised on their web sit. Felt like 8 or 9. Accurate and reliable with the new extractor. I went nuts and replaced a whole bunch of stuff, complete ignition system with Ed Brown parts, new main spring housing. Ended up with $1,500 in a $1,000 gun and a lot of experience. Great trigger now. Got most of my information from the gunsmithing section on this forum. It runs my Ciener .22 conversion most of the time now. Everyone that shoots it wants to buy it, but I'll never let it go with all the tinkering time spent getting it where it is.

I bought a S&W 1911PD Commander with CT laser grips. Very nice trigger out of the box. The gun threw brass into my forehead. Looking at the gunsmithing section I did a little filing on the ejector and solved the problem. Accurate and reliable. I do not like the light weight frame for a 300-400 round range session. I do like it for carry. The laser grips are great for home defense.

I would buy a Dan Wesson in a second, and am still tempted by their 9mm 1911 even though I bought a Baer PII in 9mm and it is a great gun.

I would buy a S&W again in a second, and would look at a full size stainless.

Newer Sigs appeal to me.

S/A would be a good choice for defensive gun recognizing the trigger pull. The extractor issue didn't put me off, and there has not been any other reports of the same problem in any threads where I mention it. I was seriously considering their full size 9mm when shopping for my last gun.

 

[TIMC]

I have had mine for quite a few years now and bought it more for a collectable than a shooter but I have put a few rounds through it. What I have shot out of it was flawless and the gun is very accurate. The fit and finish is nice. the gun is one of the Lew Horton limited editions 1 of 250.

 

[skeeter_08]

Previously I had the #108284 SW1911 model with the adjustable sights, and I'm sorry I sold it. I plan on getting the #108282 SW1911 model with the 3-dot Novak carry sights later this week. -skeeter_08

 

[Storm]

Mine makes me very happy. I paid $659 for it very lightly used. Really, it looked NIB inside and out. I only have 400 to 500 rounds through it but it has been 100% in terms of reliability, not a hiccup. Addmitedly, that was with FMJ (WWB). Accuracy is excellent. The trigger is very nice and the operation very smooth and positive. It shoots like a much more expensive gun, with just a bit more refined feel than my SIG GSR Revolution, another gun that I highly value.

 

[maskedman504]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences; I am also so glad this hasn't become another 1911 flamewar. :banghead:

I guess I am pretty lucky- a store about 40 minutes from me has 3 SIG 1911, 4 DW, 5-6 Springfields, 4-5 Kimbers and a smattering of Colts. Now I just need to go touch all of them and find the perfect one.

 

[BlindJustice]

S&W 1911 5" Bbl. Stainless Steel.
* Great fit & finish, it has the fixed
3-Dot Novak "low mount" carry sights.
I read of some other make where you
send the gun in to get the sharp edges
rounded off, the S&W 1911 doesn't have
many external sharp edges, including the
slide serrations.

Mods:
* Replaced the stock rubber grips with
Hogue - Rosewood.
* Replaced stock Slide release/lock for the
Wilson COmbat extended model in Stainless Steel.
It was fitted by a gunsmith and the LH side
grip was relieved for clearance.
* Stock Main Spring Housing (MSH) was polymer
and had 20 LPI? checkering that I didn't care for. I
got a Les Baer MSH in Stainless Steel that has vertical
serrations - again installed/fitted by a gunsmith.

After the first 400-500 rounds and just a couple of FTFs
I blame on some old ammo, it's been 100% as long as it's
cleaned every couple hundred rounds. It's never
had an FTE. The S&W external extractor may not extract
cases consistently as far as where they go, but they ARE
extacted


I've had other guys at the range ask if it's a much higher
end make/model. I guess the S&W logo is not so noticeable?

Randall

 

[fastbolt]

I like my 1911 style pistols to work well right from the beginning. Clean, inspect, lubricate and then off to the range. I don't scrimp on the quality of magazines and ammunition when becoming familiar with a gun, either. I look at 'breaking in' a new 1911 (or any handgun) to be a mutual experience (the gun and myself) and I don't want potential magazine or ammunition issues to cloud the experience if they can be avoided. Sometimes magazine issues may surface and have to be identified, though.

My SW1911SC 5" (before they discontinued the plain stainless finish SC's) did very well right from the very first range session, and after I made a slight adjustment to the front sight it do so very accurately. I let a die-hard Colt Model O Pistol owner & user try my SW1911SC and he was very surprised and impressed with the accuracy, even when comparing it against a Colt Gunsite Pistol (CGP model, not a GSP) and a Wilson CQB.

I have successfully used the ACT-MAG's which came with it, the previous version of the Tripp-Research Cobramag and some 7-round Colt magazines (which arrived as 8-rd magazines, upon which I replaced the split-leaf followers and light springs with standard dimpled followers and 11LB Wolff springs). I used a variety of hollowpoint duty-type rounds and some assorted FMJ.

The S&W warranty is another point in favor of the SW1911. A manufacturer offering pre-paid insured shipping both ways can make warranty service more affordable for folks.

I'd be willing to buy another SW1911 (and the new SW1911 .45ACP Sub Compact - Pro Series 3" model has been attracting my attention, even though I really don't need another 1911 to add to my collection ).

I'd also be willing to buy a Colt.

I have seen a few Springfield's I'd be willing to use my own money to buy, too, but somehow just never got around to doing so.

External extractor? Not an issue to me. S&W has been using them since back around '52 and they seem to have benefited from their accumulated experience. Yes, the SW1911 extractor is technically considered a fitted part. There's a bar gauge used to check fit in an individual slide and the extractor has an adjustment pad which can be filed, and last time I looked there was an optional extractor spring available. The Pro-series model seems to use the larger Performance Center extractor design, too.

I've seen used, as well as personally handled and used, a number of 1911-style pistols over the years.

I'm not a believer in brand names for the sake of supporting certain brand names, or having something which exhibits the most currently popular appearance or 'market appeal'.

I prefer to have reliable service-grade guns which are 'practical' versus 'fashionable' and I feel 'function' is more important than 'appearance'.

I have no need (or desire) to spend $2K or more on a 'working' 1911 and I'd prefer to spend closer to $1000 for one ready-to-go.

Then again, I'm not a competitor or avid collector.

However, I do know folks who feel they must carry the very best 1911 available and think nothing of dropping $3K (or more) on a carry 1911 as produced by one of the well known names in the business.

Bottom line? I've been very pleased with my SW1911 and I'd be willing to buy another one.

I happen to like my M&P 45 more, though.

 

[ge0624me]

i have the stainless version 5'' and the blued also 5'', and of course other 1911's other different brands also, the Smiths can stand up to any 1911 in quality, you can not go wrong.So Far i have about 600rds thru my s/s and 200 thru my blue one, not a single issue yet...

 

[ge0624me]

Mine makes me very happy. I paid $659 for it very lightly used. Really, it looked NIB inside and out. I only have 400 to 500 rounds through it but it has been 100% in terms of reliability, not a hiccup. Addmitedly, that was with FMJ (WWB). Accuracy is excellent. The trigger is very nice and the operation very smooth and positive. It shoots like a much more expensive gun, with just a bit more refined feel than my SIG GSR Revolution, another gun that I highly value.

i second storm, i 2 have both of those models, and feel exactly the same, go figure.