Thinking about this 1911

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I haven't shot the Sig 1911 yet. I will own one somewhere in my future. I would go with a Colt or Kimber as my first 1911. I can't speak of the Sig 1911 carry reliability, but I can speak to my Colts and my Kimber. Reliable + Accurate = A Good Carry Firearm
 
Stay away from Colt and Kimber. You're paying extra $ for names. Colt ain't what it used to be! While I haven't owned a Sig 1911 YET, I did own a Sig P226. NO ONE can Preach about reliability to a Sig owner!
 
^^Well, as the owner of a p229 and a 1911 TacPac Nitron Railed, I will say that the p229 has been amazingly reliable, and the 1911 has been anything but. Its going back to Sig soon for its tight chamber that won't go through a full mag without a FTF. Apparently this is not an uncommon problem with Sigs 1911's, as I have yet to read a review of my particular gun that didn't mention it. The only way I can get my lead handloads to feed is by crimping them down HARD and sizing them to .451, and even then has frequent issues with going into battery.

On the other hand, my Colt 1991A1 and Series 70 Combat Commander have been 100% reliable, including all the rejects that the Sig 1911 won't feed.
I will say the Sig is slightly more accurate, though.
 
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I have a SIG TTT model that, so far, has been reliable and accurate. That said, I doubt I've fired much over a thousand rounds with it at this point in time so, in that respect, though I suppose the "jury is still out", they're starting to drift in with a good verdict.
 
Stay away from Colt and Kimber. You're paying extra $ for names. Colt ain't what it used to be!
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This is seriously inaccurate information with regards to Colt.

It is widely accepted that Colt is producing some of the best pistols in their entire history these days, thanks to a large investment in state-of-the-art CNC milling equipment combined with a much higher degree of hand-fitting than most factory 1911s receive.

Also, the MSRP of the Defender I linked is LESS than the SIG in the OP's first post. So you are certainly paying no more for the rampant pony rollmark.


.
 
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1911 + 3.3" barrel = FAIL

Your original post says it all: "If it proves to be a 100% reliable it will serve as my daily carry gun."

I tried multiple times with high end production guns from Kimber and Springfield Armory and all were not reliable. Stick with at least 4 1/4" barrels, though 5" barrels are better. If you have to have a 1911 style gun with a short barrel, buy the Springfield Armory EMP in 9x19mm or 40 S&W. The gun is designed around those cartridges.
 
Well, I won't engage in the Colt and Kimber argument even though I own both.

I will add to the original thread and say this:

I have a Sig traditional reverse two-tone and it has been a joy to shoot. It's mainly a range gun since I'm a lefty and it lacks an ambi safety, but I would trust my life to that gun as far as reliability and accuracy.

Since you are new to 1911 pistols I will point out two things about the pistol you are considering that make it somewhat less traditional:

The slide is not a true 1911 profile. It is more square-ish and likely will not fit in a holster made for a "true" 1911 profile. Secondly, it has an external extractor, which is by no means a bad or negative thing - just not true to the original design (though some will argue that any 1911 that doesn't have a 5" barrel is non-traditional).

Anyway, in my limited experience Sig Sauer makes an accurate and reliable 1911, and is a good value.
 
Its interesting I am reading lots of opinions which are good to a point, but they would be a lot better if they were backed up by facts, not just statements about how much your paying for a name.

The shop (the only one in town) has a defender as well as the Sig, and to be honest, the Sig feels better IMHOP.

The profile is not a huge issue as at some point I do plan on purchasing a colt full size 1911
 
I have the Sig RCS with the 4-1/4" barrel. Just over 1000 rounds with complete reliability (other than my squib load) with all sorts of reload, factory ball and hollow point ammo. I have even tried out various bullet types; 200 gr LSWC , 230 gr LRN, and 230 gr FMJ and everything worked fine. I immediately purchased Wilson mags which I think make a difference.
 
Its interesting I am reading lots of opinions which are good to a point, but they would be a lot better if they were backed up by facts, not just statements about how much your paying for a name.
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Are you directing this at me?

In that case, I had a Kimber Tactical Ultra II. It could not get through two to four magazines without a jam. I tested nearly 1,100 rounds (documented) through it after mods and repairs. It went back to the factory several times and their techs failed to make it run properly. I paid a local gunsmith to evaluate it. The barrel extended past the back of the frame. Kimber missed the burr in the chamber and rough breechface (it imprinted the back of the brass!!), and bad extractor tension. I received a replacement from Kimber...with the exact same problems. My Springfield Armory Ultra Compact couldn't get through a magazine without jamming. My gunsmiths couldn't get it running either. Overall, I wasted $650 on the Springfield, 600 rounds of ammo and $300 in fees, mags and parts. The Kimber was worse and the tally came out to $2,000 or so after I added up all the receipts (though the gun alone was around $1300). I could have had an Ed Brown for all that expense and effort. Keep track because it adds up over the months as you mess around with the gun. There will be a breaking point where you start thinking you should have picked up a Les Baer.

The litany of annoyance and expense with small 1911's continues on the forums. Trainers and gunsmiths I talk to all recommend 5" barreled guns as the most reliable after appropriate tuning. If you don't believe them--what does Hilton Yam know anyway?. It's your money and time--buy it if you like it. Be prepared to shell out cash for ammo, mags from every manufacturer you can find, range fees, gunsmithing and trips to SIG.

So goes my tale of woe. I had no problems with the Colt XSE Stainless 5" and Colt WW II Repro (both with the barrel dimple). Both appeared to be properly built and ate any brass cased ammo I fed them. My EMP wouldn't run out of the box, though SA fixed it. My SA Loaded went belly up after 1,000 rounds or so. Eventually, I replaced all my 1911's with a SIG P220. It works just fine, carries with the same clothing and is a tad lighter in a Milt Sparks VM 2. I changed the sights and added some nice Hogue recheckered plastic grips for a total of $150 in mods on a $600 gun.

photo-8.jpg

sig-with-targets.jpg
 
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Well that's a great review for the Kimber and Springer, but have not tested the Sig, so how can you know? Just because you had a bad experience with those two guns does not mean that all of them regardless of who makes them are bad.

I don't discount your review, it would make me think long and hard about those two brands.

I would just like to hear from some folks who have a Sig Ultra with a 3.3 barrel or have shot one.
 
The shop (the only one in town) has a defender as well as the Sig, and to be honest, the Sig feels better IMHOP.

The profile is not a huge issue as at some point I do plan on purchasing a colt full size 1911
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You should certainly get a gun that feels good in your hand. Of course the feel of any 1911 can be easily and inexpensively altered with a simple grip change. The checkering on that SIG looks nice, though.

The issue that many folks have with 3" barreled 1911s as defensive pistols isn't the profile (who cares how it looks as long as its reliable and carries well) it's the fact that the shorter slide cycles a lot faster than a longer one, plus it doesn't retract as far. That means the magazines have to deliver the fresh round faster in order to feed reliably.

Some manufacturers, however, seem to have this pretty much figured out. That's why I recomended the Colt Defender. For all I know, SIG may have this figured out as well.
 
Well that's a great review for the Kimber and Springer, but have not tested the Sig, so how can you know? Just because you had a bad experience with those two guns does not mean that all of them regardless of who makes them are bad.
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I have learned from the experience of Hilton Yam, Larry Vickers and other professionals who have told me so in person or through their writings. Go read the 10-8 link I provided because there is a wealth of information about the 1911 there. If their experience does not count, then perhaps you should just buy the gun and stop asking for advice.
 
I just spent the last hour or so reading some range reports from some different forums, ranging from Sig forums to state shooting forums and so far they are all positive. I have only read one reference to someones friend who had to send theirs back to Sig to get it to feed reliable.

I think I still have a little bit more reading to do, but so far the feed back is looking positive.
 
I've got more than a few Kimbers and Sig 1911s that are well over 10K rounds with no issues. If the worst issue that I'll ever have with my Kimbers is the need to re-stake the plunger tube, then I'm OK with that.

I have several late-production Sig 1911s, and while I initially had reservations about the external extractor my experience with them (including a range beater C3 with many many thousands of rounds on it) has been universally terrific.

The only things that I felt compelled to do to my Sigs (starting with the C3) was to put in a 26lb hammer spring to slow down initial recoil. Kimber does that from the factory, and the difference in recoil impulse is quite noticable.
 
I have learned from the experience of Hilton Yam, Larry Vickers and other professionals who have told me so in person or through their writings. Go read the 10-8 link I provided because there is a wealth of information about the 1911 there. If their experience does not count, then perhaps you should just buy the gun and stop asking for advice.
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Meh. My SIG 1911 TacOps TR slide was produced in March 2012, and passed their 16 round extractor function test, using several different factory and re-loaded ammunitions.

Not sure if Gray helped them out at the NH factory with his proprietary design on the extractor angle, but mine has been GTG.

OP- be sure your new SIG is produced after March 2012, and I believe your odds of success will go up. Also, are you comfortable with GunBroker?
 
I don't like the idea of gun broker, I would rather keep my money local. We don't have a real gun shop per say, but the shop I was in is pretty close. They have a fairly extensive selection but I think they are primarily a pawn shop.

At this time my only options for purchasing a 1911 in town is either a Citadel, Colt, or the Sig.

The Citadel is obviously the cheapest one. But is full sized. The Colt and the Sig are both 3.3" barrels. I don't have a lot of time to go shopping around as I work six days a week, and I have been looking at 1911's for about a year now. The short barrels are not initially what I set out to buy, but they have sparked an interest.

So far tomrkba is the only one who has any thing negative to say but he has never shot one. He's seems to be more against the idea of the 3.3 barrel because the two guns he has tried have given him nothing but hart burn. I can understand where he is coming from, but just because the two guns he has tried does not mean that all are bad.
 
grubbylads

I have been shooting a Colt Officers Model for well over 25 years and have yet to have any sort of problem with it. I also know others who own them and they have had similiar good fortune with their guns as well.
 
Stay away from Colt and Kimber. You're paying extra $ for names. Colt ain't what it used to be!
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While I agree, Colt seems to be heading in the right direction recently so I'd say they are worth a look now.

My SIG Tac Ops is a great 1911 pistol.
 
tomrkba said:
Are you directing this at me?

In that case, I had a Kimber Tactical Ultra II. It could not get through two to four magazines without a jam. I tested nearly 1,100 rounds (documented) through it after mods and repairs. It went back to the factory several times and their techs failed to make it run properly. I paid a local gunsmith to evaluate it. The barrel extended past the back of the frame. Kimber missed the burr in the chamber and rough breechface (it imprinted the back of the brass!!), and bad extractor tension. I received a replacement from Kimber...with the exact same problems. My Springfield Armory Ultra Compact couldn't get through a magazine without jamming. My gunsmiths couldn't get it running either. Overall, I wasted $650 on the Springfield, 600 rounds of ammo and $300 in fees, mags and parts. The Kimber was worse and the tally came out to $2,000 or so after I added up all the receipts (though the gun alone was around $1300). I could have had an Ed Brown for all that expense and effort. Keep track because it adds up over the months as you mess around with the gun. There will be a breaking point where you start thinking you should have picked up a Les Baer.

The litany of annoyance and expense with small 1911's continues on the forums. Trainers and gunsmiths I talk to all recommend 5" barreled guns as the most reliable after appropriate tuning. If you don't believe them--what does Hilton Yam know anyway?. It's your money and time--buy it if you like it. Be prepared to shell out cash for ammo, mags from every manufacturer you can find, range fees, gunsmithing and trips to SIG.

So goes my tale of woe. I had no problems with the Colt XSE Stainless 5" and Colt WW II Repro (both with the barrel dimple). Both appeared to be properly built and ate any brass cased ammo I fed them. My EMP wouldn't run out of the box, though SA fixed it. My SA Loaded went belly up after 1,000 rounds or so. Eventually, I replaced all my 1911's with a SIG P220. It works just fine, carries with the same clothing and is a tad lighter in a Milt Sparks VM 2. I changed the sights and added some nice Hogue recheckered plastic grips for a total of $150 in mods on a $600 gun.

View attachment 677683

View attachment 677684
Click to expand...

Sig 1911 is a beautiful gun but before spending that kind of money I would get the Sig P-220 instead or Sig P-220 Equinox.
 
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